Archive Collection

A run ashore in the West Indies c.1934

A run ashore in the West Indies c.1934

A photograph showing a member of the Royal Navy and a donkey during a run ashore in Trinidad in the West Indies circa 1934. Between 1900 and 1945 ships had to go into port frequently to replenish supplies of fuel and fresh food. During a peacetime show-the-flag cruise, sailors could expect to rotate ashore in large numbers at almost every port of call. Many naval ratings went to sea because they were eager to see other lands and meet different peoples. Sailors went to cinemas, theatres and to dance halls. They also walked or bussed around foreign cities or ports.