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Sir Frank Twiss
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The rum ration
Listen to Twiss describe how the Admiralty had to think about tackling the rum issue and making the men happy.
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Admiral Twiss talks about the problem of the rum ration and how to replace it without upsetting the men.
To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link
Twiss' most famous action as Second Sea Lord was ending the naval rum ration. The Admiralty had felt that there was a problem for a long time. Men would use the ration to get drunk or bribe others, and this led to worries that it might affect ships' efficiency.
The Royal Navy needed men to be sober and alert in order to operate the increasingly advanced technology aboard ship. There were many problems in trying to end such an ingrained tradition, not to mention the danger of the men mutinying.
Jar of Navy Rum from the final blend vatted in Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport before general issue of rum to the Royal Navy ceased on 31st July 1970. (RNM)
It was Twiss who proposed solutions to ending the rum issue. He suggested that Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officers have their own bars, similar to those enjoyed by wardroom officers.
A fund was also to be set up allowing the sailors to buy what they liked with the money. The 'Sailors' Fund' would be run by a committee of ratings with an overseeing officer; it was the only committee run entirely by the lower deck.
By carrying the reform through Twiss successfully achieved a change that the Admiralty had agonised over for decades. Although the men did mourn the loss of their 'tot' these measures successfully averted unrest in the Royal Navy.
Listen to Twiss describing the reaction to the abolition of the rum ration.
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Admiral Twiss describing the how the Navy reacted to the abolition of the rum ration.
To read a transcript of this oral history follow the link
Admiral Twiss describing the how the Navy reacted to the abolition of the rum ration.
Poem entitled 'A Matelot's Farewell to his Tot.' (RNM)
