The consumption of alcohol on board naval ships seems to be a British Navy custom which has been inherited by its daughter navies: those of Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and perhaps the Indian Navy too, as well as those of other smaller nations.

The USN, by comparison, does not drink alcohol on board - at least not legally. What is the background to this important custom?

The Royal Navy of Nelson's day was one where both sailors and officers consumed prodigious amounts of alcohol. The historian NAM Rodger notes in The Wooden Wall that consumption of two gallons of wine a day for a mess of four warrant officers was recorded on board the MONARCH in 1756; that is, around two litres per man.

In 1749 the captain of the HARWICK, while in the East Indies, had on board six hundred gallons of spirits alone; that is to say 2400 litres, without accounting for the beer which men would normally drink in place of water.

This was perhaps normal in an age where Britain's annual consumption of gin was over five million gallons for a population of not much more. Beer was often preferable to tainted water, and life was miserable indeed for those not born into a rich family.

Social security monetary aid of any sort was non-existent beyond the workhouse; medical help was for those who paid for it unless one could be seen by one of the religious orders, and one earned one's living by the sweat of one's brow unless an education had opened up the door to a higher occupation.

Drunkenness in the Royal Navy of the time was not an offence unless it impaired going on duty.

However that breach of the rules occurred often enough: midshipmen were discharged for being incapable, and floggings were the order of the day for sailors who were alcohol-impaired while on watch.

The daily ration for sailors in 1816, records John Winton in Hurrah for the Life of a Sailor, was "half a pint of spirits, or a pint of wine, or a gallon of beer every day".

For the uninitiated, a gallon of beer is eight pints, or very large glasses - the sort served in British pubs - of 500 mls. or about 11 standard glasses of 'small beer'; a little lower in alcohol content than the 'heavy' beers of today.

That would mean that sailors would be able to get reasonably drunk every day, although the effect of this of course would be tempered by the size of the drinker, and whether he was used to used such consumption and how much he had eaten beforehand.

Rum was the preferred drink of RN sailors since the capture of Jamaica in 1687, but beer was often served to the men. When rum was served, which was most of the time, it was usually mixed down with water in a ration of three to one. In this fashion it was known as grog, after Admiral Vernon, who served in the RN of the early 1700s.

This admiral, concerned at the drunkenness on ships, instituted the change of watering down the neat full-proof rum - about 40% alcohol. He was well known for wearing 'grogram' a course silk fabric which he apparently had made into a boat cloak and perhaps trousers. Sailors received half of the ration at lunchtime (known however as dinner) and another for supper. Of course, trading off the ration was a common practice and could result in an even drunker than normal sailor. In 1825 the ration was halved, and in 1850 halved again.

The alcohol ration was collected for each mess from a central point by the elected cook for the day. From a barrel - usually marked with the slogan of "God save the Queen" or "The Queen - God Bless Her" - the precious fluid was dispensed to the cook in a small tub which was carefully carried down to the mess, and then poured out into each man's cup. The cups were not filled quite full so a little was left over for the cook's trouble. The same cook collected the mess's food and divided it.

Alcohol could be much abused by sailors who gained illicit access to it, and sailors in general were not trusted to be within reach of an alcohol store without having it locked and guarded by a prudent officer.

Sailors were even prone to consuming excessive alcohol in the face of danger, thus rendering themselves incapable at a crucial time. The log of the frigate HMS GUARDIAN, under Lieutenant Riou, en route from Britain to Australia in 1789, is a good case in point. The GUARDIAN got into difficulties, and much pumping had to be made to keep the ship seaworthy.

Eventually the water began to gain, and the crew became mutinous and "demanded the boats", in Riou's words. Part of the cargo contained wine, and it seems that this and the spirit store was broken into, and eventually there was a great deal of looting, while the boats were launched in general confusion.

While many left the warship, Riou and most remained. Under his quite brilliant leadership and seamanship, they succeeded in getting the crippled ship to port, albeit not without much hard work even - incredibly - interrupted again by more looting and drunkenness.

While alcohol abuse was a problem, it was also a useful part of the general routine of naval ships. Alcohol could be withheld as a punishment in a way few other aspects of the sailor's life could be regulated - his pay for example was useless at sea and often paid in a lump sum anyway at the end of a voyage.

The daily "grog ration" was also something to look forward to in the routine of a long voyage. Two RAN members from WWII - Peter Evans and Hampton Cooper - remember that it was also very useful in obtaining supplies from the US forces.

On one occasion a complete Bofors gun, plus deck strengthening for it in their Fairmile motor launch, was had for a bottle of Aussie Corio Scotch, and on another the Fairmile's Hall-Scott engines were swapped for Packards for a bottle of gin.

American ships are now "dry", with a no-alcohol policy adhered to both at sea and alongside. However this was not always the case

American ships for over a hundred years had the tradition of "dining-in" with toasts made with wine as part of the proceedings.

In 1794 Congress established a daily ration of one half pint of distilled spirits or one quart of beer per man, but in 1831 servicemen on the lower deck could relinquish their liquor ration in return for a cash payment of six cents per day. However in 1852 their ration was taken away entirely with purchase the only form of obtaining a drink.

Some years later Navy regulations were changed to permit wardroom and steerage officers to voluntarily form their own wine mess. In 1914 Navy Secretary Josephus Daniels banned alcohol altogether in United States Navy vessels. Regulations were again changed in the 1980s to allow alcohol in ships' functions alongside.

Of course, the regulations were sometimes relaxed. Jim Roberts, a member of the Internet Maritime History mailing list, remembers:

"In those days it was the custom among the US Polaris submarine fleet to celebrate the halfway point of a patrol. On some boats this was called 'Casino Night' while on others it was known as 'Halfway Night'. Either way, the crew's mess was decorated with Playboy and Penthouse centerfolds; all the mess tables were covered with blankets, and poker, blackjack, roulette (yes, the Chief of the Boat actually had a roulette wheel, but I was always convinced it was rigged) and other games of chance were the order of the day.

All proceeds went into the ship's recreation fund which was used to throw some awesome parties shoreside. The cooks outdid themselves with all manner of sandwiches, cold cut platters, salads and other goodies shipped and stowed just for the occasion. In addition, there was a 'never-ending' punch bowl.

"Ostensibly, the punch was made of fruit, fruit juice, sherbet, chipped ice etc. and was officially non-alcoholic. However, during the preparation of the punch, fairly large quantities of medical alcohol, known as 'gillie' managed to find its way into the bowl while the CO and XO were studiously looking the other way."

Frank Pierce Young, another list member, remembers that the alcohol ban could be circumvented by crew members who … secretly brewed and distilled booze. This can be done simply by taking some large commercial-size cans of fruit and mixing in a little sugar or raisins and stuff and letting it sit awhile in some nice warm part of the ship - boatswain's lockers, paint stores, engine rooms, and bilges were favourites places. Another ploy - common aboard any vessel carrying torpedoes - was to flavour the 'torpedo juice' - pure grain alcohol used for fuel in the torpedo motor.

In 1970 the Admiralty abolished the rum ration within the Royal Navy, apparently on health grounds. Sailors now can buy alcohol at sea, while the wardrooms continue their old policy of allowing officers to do as they will.

The RAN has never had a rum ration; one reason being that objections were raised on the formation of the Navy as to the health aspects of such a spirits issue. Instead beer was the norm, with the limit set at what is still the current policy while at sea: "two cans per day per person"; in actuality no more than 750ml a day. Officers were always allowed to drink as they chose, but with an eye kept on very junior officers to make sure their monthly wine bill was not too large. In reality ships are often so busy that time off duty is taken up entirely with eating, domestic tasks and the ever-popular 'rack time'.

The Chief of Navy in Australia recently broadcast a blunt message regarding alcohol:

"Consumption of alcohol within ships and establishments is not a right but a privilege. There are times when it should be restricted for operational and safety reasons and on occasions when it is not consistent with local regulations or customs. I do not need to remind you that life at sea is uncompromising enough and any abuse of alcohol in this environment is totally unacceptable.

Obviously we can still enjoy the time-honoured custom of a drink at sea in the RAN, but it's a leisure activity we need to watch to ensure it doesn't get out of hand"

References:

Chief of Navy's message on alcohol-related incidents: [Defence Network only] defweb.cbr.defence.gov.au/nhq/documents/signals/2000/02feb/100555ZFEB00.htm

Evans, Peter and Cooper, Hampton. WWII RAN members. Talk to members of RANC New Entry Officer Course 23, 8 August 2000.

http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq89-1.htm

Roberts, Jim. Member of the Internet Maritime History mailing list, discussions on list 5-10 August 2000.

Riou, Lieutenant. "The Log of the Guardian". Lloyd, Christopher. (Ed.) The Naval Miscellany. Volume IV. London: Navy Records Society. MCMLII.

Young, Frank Pierce. Member of the Internet Maritime History mailing list, discussions on list 5-10 August 2000.

By LEUT Tom Lewis