Colin Hamilton – White sweaters and wearing pyjamas on board

Simon: Particularly in the diesel days, it would seem strange … it’s seems, you know it’s an oily place, to have a light-coloured jumper. What’s the history there?

I don’t know. That’s what they had during the War, and they kept it going. In fact, a chap I was working with on Sunday at the Museum who was on Arctic. He’d gone up north, it was cold, and he’d gone into the Stores of the Dockyard, and he said, “Have you got any warm clothing for my team” and they got this box out and it was Arctic Patrol 1941, and this was quite recently, and he saw this stuff which included boots and what have you.

It’s always been a white sweater. It’s impressive but they do get baggy. But we didn’t wear uniform. I wore my pyjamas. They issued you with pyjamas and I wore them most of the time.

Simon: Because it was warm onboard.

Well it was cold actually, mostly in the North Sea.

Simon: Why the pyjamas then?

Well they were just whatever you fancied. Pirate rig they called it (laughs) you wore what you liked . You can’t anymore but you did, you just put whatever you had, whatever came to hand.

Simon: It was about being comfortable and functioning.

And relaxed. The Skipper would also … I think the Skipper wore his dressing gown most of the time. The Coxswain wort his track suit. You wore whatever was comfortable.