H.M.S. Ganges was a part of several members of the families early Naval careers
from
James Millikam Rowe's time as gunner in 1890 to Robert in 1959.
Ganges was a boys training ship originally an 84 Gun ship of the
line(although pierced for 94), built in India in 1821,she was
the first warship built in India and the only major
warship built of teak. After her operational career with the R.N
was completed,she sailed to Mylor in Falmouth on 20th March 1886
and became a Boys training Ship. The discipline and conditions
on Ganges were very hard and provided a sound grounding in seamanship
and the other attributes needed to prosper in a life at sea. Eventually
the Ganges was transferred to Shotley near Ipswich and the shore
base of H.M.S. Ganges was founded where may thousands of boys
were trained for the Royal Navy even up to the 1970's. The regime
in Ganges even laterly was both severe and the discipline was
very tough although anyone trained at Ganges was well qualified
for a Naval Career and had an excellent start to there naval life
