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Back in the olden days of the Royal Navy, the daily issue of Pusser Rum was a regular occurrence. In fact, rum issue was first introduced in 1655 as a substitute for beer and by 1731 ‘tot time’ was a regular daily event. ‘Hands to Muster for Grog’ was carried over to the Royal Canadian Navy upon being established in the year 1910.
The word ‘Pusser’ was a corruption of the word ‘Purser’. The Purser was the ship’s storesman and anything that came from him – including the rum – was referred to as ‘Pussers’. The word still applies to this day. ‘Grog’ was another word that originated a long time ago. It comes from the grogram cloak that Admiral Vernon – Admiral-in-Chief of the West India Station – used to wear on the quarterdeck. Admiral Vernon was concerned that the Pussers Rum was being served neat and was thus affecting the performance of his men – there was too much drunkenness onboard his ships. He therefore ordered that the rum be mixed with a portion of water and then issued. The men didn’t really like this order and subsequently the phrase Pussers Rum was often substituted with the word ‘Grog’ – hence ‘Hands to muster for Grog,’ which was announced over the main broadcast of ships in the Canadian Navy at 1150 every morning.
The legal age for drawing a tot was 20 years and over.
Upon hearing the announcement, the sailors of the lower ranks would form a line in the regulating office flats. The rum was issued by the duty storesman in the presence of an officer and the Cox’n, who checked off each sailor’s name from his list. Upon reaching the head of the line a sailor was required to announce his name. The storesman would dip of small vessel into the container of grog and pour it (2.5 ounces) into the sailor’s tot mug. The recipient was then required to mix coke or water into his issue before walking away. If he preferred to drink it neat (straight), he had to do it in front of the officer before walking away.
The Chiefs and Petty Officers didn’t have to line up for their tots. The duty C&PO’s messman would draw the required number of tots in a container and deliver it to their messdecks. Commissioned officers did not draw a tot.
YIPPEE! Tot-time here I come
I turned 20 years of age, and thus became eligible to draw my first tot, on 28 September 1965. My ship – HMCS Kootenay – was alongside in Chatham, England. We had been there for the christening of the new submarine HMCS Ojibwa and the launching of HMCS Onondaga. We were to sail at high tide on 28 Sept which occurred at 1300 hrs (1 pm).
The pipe (announcement) ‘Secure, Hands to Muster for Grog’ came as usual at 1150. Being excited about drawing my first tot, I was close to the head of the line up. When my turn came, I proudly announced my name, extended my tot mug, received the ration, mixed it with coke in front of the officer and proceeded forward to One Mess – the Sonarmen’s mess deck.
Fellow mess mates were quite generous on a sailor’s birthday. They’d usually tip a little of their own tot into the mug of the birthday boy. My special day had dual significance – my birthday and my first tot. In other words, they were more than generous. I must have consumed the equivalent of five tots by the time the pipe “Hands to Stations for Leaving Harbour,” came at 1300 (hrs).
Off we went. All the Able and Ordinary Seamen for the Sonar department headed for the quarterdeck which was our station for leaving harbour. I, in my drunken state, stumbled along behind them. When I arrived, Petty Officer Cole, the Boatswain in charge of the quarterdeck took one look at me and said to my buddies, “Get that fool out of here!” Luckily, superiors were tolerant on birthdays; otherwise being drunk on duty was a serious offence.
A couple of my pals escorted me back to One Mess, where they got me to lie on the deck behind the great coat hanger and thus out of sight. I remained there all afternoon. When “Hands to Supper” was piped, they decided that I’d slept it off long enough, and woke me up. That was at 1700 (hrs). Much to everybody’s disgust, including my own, I had puked all over myself. My uniform was an utter mess. They helped my out of it and took me to the forward wash place where they gave me a cold shower. I arrived at the galley just before they were closing the window behind which the cooks issued meals. That meal brought me back to semi-soberness.
I had a fitful sleep that night and the next morning I woke up with a super hangover. I wasn’t back to my normal self for at least two days. I’ve had one-to-many other times in my life since that day, but I don’t believe that I’ve ever been as drunk as I became on my 20th birthday.
“Hands to Muster for Grog” was announced for the last time in the Canadian Navy on 30 March 1972. This was a sad day for many old salts that simply lived for their daily rum issue. The fact that the loss of rum issue was replaced by beer machines that opened during the lunch hour and duty free bars that opened after hours did nothing to console those sailors.
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