The Nautical Training Corps (NTC) is a National Maritime Training and Uniformed Youth Organisation based in the south of England. Registered Charity Number: 306084, Cadets follow similar rates and ranks, traditions, values and ethos as the British

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

(RFA) and the Merchant Navy.

The Founder

Frank Froëst-Carr, the son of a Scotland Yard police inspector, joined the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

as a 15-year-old boy entrant in the closing years of sail. He joined HMS Lion, at HMNB Devonport, a training ship for boy entrants. He completed his initial training in HMS Implacable, before joining HMS Nautilus for deep-sea training. After leaving the service in 1926 he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He rose to Lieutenant Commander, later resigning his commission to start a new career in the Youth Service. In 1973 the value of his service to youth was recognised by the award of an OBE. In 1975, he published " Spun Yarn & Bell Bottoms",Spun Yarn & Bell Bottoms Book by F. P. Froëst-Carr a story of life on the lower deck in an old square-rigged training ship in the early years of the last century, and on a steam cruiser up to the end of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

History

The NTC’s first ‘unit’ was Training Ship Nautilus in Brighton, based at the old Richmond Road School. The unit took its name from HMS Nautilus, which had been Froëst-Carr's first seagoing ship in the Royal Navy. TS Nautilus is still open and serving local youth in Brighton. This unit comprised 140 cadets and just 2 other officers. "First Brighton Division" was followed by "First London Division", TS Enterprise. The first National HQ was based at Pavilion Buildings, Brighton, underneath Brighton Chess Club and by the entrance to the Royal Pavilion. It later moved to the Old Shoreham Road and Shoreham Harbour. The Corps spread throughout the south of England and beyond, particularly in Sussex, Hampshire and south London; there have also been units as far afield as Acton, Northampton, Milton Keynes and Derby. In all there have been over 64 units, or ‘Training Ships’, but the exact number is unknown as the records of some units have been lost over time. These have included an all-girl unit at TS Tudor Rose, and an all-boy unit, TS Collingwood, both at Langley Green in Crawley. All training ships have been named after serving or previous ships belonging to the

References

{{reflist

The Founder

History

References

See also