Local author re-publishes classic collection of yarns

By Sub-Lieutenant Al Blondin

MARLANT Public Affairs Officer

Retired Chief Boatswain Mate Ronald E. Elliot’s little book ‘Eight Bells and Green Ones’ may be just the thing for those seeking a unique gift for their favourite sailor this Christmas. An updated, corrected and somewhat polished-up version of this old collection of yarns will be reprinted just in time for the holiday season.

The author makes no claim to having put together a literary masterpiece: “My goal in writing this book wasn’t to create a documentary,” he said. “I simply wanted it to be like an old sailor sharing stories over a drink with some buddies -- a lower-decker’s version of a small piece of Canadian naval history.”

The Buffer, as he likes to refer to himself, was semi-retired and working as a Sea Cadet instructor at HMCS Cornwallis in 1984 when he finally decided to publish his collection of memories about Cornwallis, and his initiation into the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in 1949.

The book is especially meaningful to veterans of the old training base with its many photos and anecdotes, such as the skylarking that went on after lights out in barracks and then being forced to duck-walk with your weapon around the drill shed and the other creative forms of punishment that were carried out. Some of these tales are sure to bring smiles and fond (or not so fond) memories to those of us who experienced them. The stories are also full of informative lore from an historical perspective about post-war HMCS Cornwallis and RCN training.

With help from his wife, Nita-Marie, The Buffer designed the cover, wrote, printed, assembled, sold and distributed 1000 copies of the original 56-page booklet over the last 23 years. These have since sold out and good quality copies of this now rare edition are sold on the Internet for approximately $130. Mr. Elliot decided to print 500 copies of a new revised edition this year because of the many requests he keeps getting.

The subtitle, ‘Memories of a retired Chief Boatswain Mate,’ is very appropriate for this little known work. The flow of narrative is not always linear. The author sometimes gets sidetracked and goes off like a hunting dog on rabbit trails when a particularly fond memory spurs him into a different direction. However, it could be argued that this is exactly the kind of thing one would expect while listening to a mate sharing yarns over a cold one at the mess. The overall effect achieves the aim of the author as he reminisces about the good and not so good experiences of a bygone era.

’Eight Bells and Green Ones’ by Ronald E. Elliott CD, RCN (Retired), published by the author, is available by contacting him at 902-532-7996 or by mail at 737 St. George Street Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia B0S 1A0.