Five royal navy veterans will return to HMS Ganges six decades after starting their training at the base.
The servicemen joined the navy on August 24th 1964, at the age of 15, spending the first year of their naval careers at the Shotley base.
During its history, HMS Ganges saw more than 160,000 recruits passed through until its closure in June 1976.
On Saturday, Bernard Harrison, Nigel Guilfoyle, Jeff Fox, Dave Carter and Mick Hudson will gather to reminisce and see the restored 142ft mast, which was unveiled last year.
The restored mast was returned last year (Image: Heritage Marine Foundation)
Mick Hudson, who had a 25 year long career in the Navy shared his delight ahead of the reunion.
Mr Hudson said: "I've got so many stories from the base, most of which are unprintable.
"I'm really looking forward to it, it will be very good to see the lads again."
Navy cadets at HMS Ganges (Image: Wavensmere Homes)
New recruits would stay for the first four weeks of basic training at the annex, from where they would be marched over to the main building to be taught skills like sewing and ironing but also marching and drill.
Nigel Guilfoyle, who left the Navy in 1972, recalled the first time he had a dental check up at the base.
He said: "The dental check turned out to be rather painful for me, having been to my local dentist prior to joining, I thought that I was all clear and needed no treatment.
"Unfortunately not, the civvy street fillings did not reach the service standards, so the dentist then proceeded to take all my old fillings out and replace them.
Young recruits on parade (Image: Wavensmere Homes)
"As my appointment was late afternoon, they had run out of cocaine so this was done without any anaesthetic. It was very painful."
The young men were part of Drake 39 mess, close to the mast, where they trained as communicators, learning how to type and read Morse code.
Drake 39 housed around 40 recruits and had a parquet floor which the boys became very familiar with, spending the last three hours every day scrubbing with their "third boot brush" to the point you "could see your face in it."
Cleaning stations for the Captain's round (Image: Wavensmere Homes)
The Grade II listed mast came to be a symbol of both the base and the Shotley Peninsula, memories of which have stuck with the veterans after six decades.
It was compulsory that recruits would have climb it at least once, grabbling 120ft up to the half moon, a semi-circular platform attached near the top as a minimum.
Those who were frightened of climbing or were not fan of heights were given some 1960s style encouragement with a "hard broom" to the backside.
The very top of the mast was nicknamed 'The Button' (Image: David Kindred Collection)
Some of the boys decided to turn climbing the mast into a recreational activity, when they had a rare day off.
Jeff Fox, who left the navy in 1976, said: "At my time in Ganges we loved to climb the mast on our Wednesday afternoons off.
"Never made it to the button."
Mr Fox's fond memories aren't shared by some of his former trainees however, with Mr Hudson saying that clambering up the mast was "horrendous."
David Carter in full parade uniform (Image: Wavensmere Homes)
David Carter, did not enjoy the activity either, only going up on the occasion that they were forced to.
He said: "The most terrifying thing I did was to climb that mast.
"Climbing it wasn’t the problem, but traversing the Devil’s Elbow was terrifying.
"90 odd feet above - that was the only time I went up it, we all had to.
The view of the base from the top of the mast (Image: David Kindred Collection)
The restoration of the historic mast was a condition of the planning permission granted for Barrelmans Point development, built by Wavensmere Homes.
The development will be made up of 303 two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom houses will cost over £130m when complete.
The historic Nelson Hall – a former drill hall – will be restored and redeveloped into a public library facility and café.
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