Messman on HMCS Ojibwa One of the assigned tasks aboard HMCS Ojibwa was that of Messman. Unlike her siblings, Onondaga and Okanagan, there was no dedicated cafeteria-like space on Ojibwa. Submariners ate in their Mess where they also slept or spent their spare time. To complicate things further, the galley was located in a very small space just aft of the Control Room removed from the Mess areas of the boat. To accommodate the restricted space of the galley, each Mess area had a sink where the dishes could be washed before returning the plates to the galley and the utensils to a drawer near the sink. The only dishes washed in the Galley were those used to produce the meals. |  Retired Chief Engine Room Artificer, Gilles Poirier, answered some of our questions about the role of the Messman and meal time on a submarine. |
'Sea Daddy' Gilles Poirier on Messman
Let see if I can answer all of your questions.
I understand that the mess man goes to the galley to get the food but does he take orders in the mess?
The Messman had to take your order, since there was always two choices, usually there was a menu board in the mess. So the Messman for the junior rates and the messman for the senior rates had to pick up what was ordered.
The Messman had to take your order, since there was always two choices, usually there was a menu board in the mess. So the Messman for the junior rates and the messman for the senior rates had to pick up what was ordered.
Is the Messman responsible for getting all the orders?
He sure is, unless you picked up your order yourself, some people preferred to pick their own stuff, maybe get a little extra above and beyond your ration.
He sure is, unless you picked up your order yourself, some people preferred to pick their own stuff, maybe get a little extra above and beyond your ration.
Is there more than one Messman per mess?
No, one was quite enough.
No, one was quite enough.
Is it once a Messman always a mess man working up to Steward or is it general rotation among those in the mess?
It depended a lot on the Cox’n, some would be for the trip, could be also for a month. Let us get something straight, a Steward was a trade; the Steward was actually the Captain’s valet, but as a rule, served the bun house only (Wardroom) the other messmen were of various trades.
It depended a lot on the Cox’n, some would be for the trip, could be also for a month. Let us get something straight, a Steward was a trade; the Steward was actually the Captain’s valet, but as a rule, served the bun house only (Wardroom) the other messmen were of various trades.
On average because of the watch system, how many submariners would eat at each meal?
It depended on the watch system, in two watch system half the crew would get fed while the other half was still on watch, in the 3 watch system, there was an early lunch for the afternoon watch men, usually at 1130, then, at 1200, the rest could eat. Very few people did not stand watches, the Cox’n (like Jim Gordon) and the CERA (like me).
It depended on the watch system, in two watch system half the crew would get fed while the other half was still on watch, in the 3 watch system, there was an early lunch for the afternoon watch men, usually at 1130, then, at 1200, the rest could eat. Very few people did not stand watches, the Cox’n (like Jim Gordon) and the CERA (like me).
Does the mess man act as a steward collecting the dirty dishes and washing them or does the submariner take his plate to the sink in the passageway, clean it off and leave it to be washed?
As a rule, the mess man did the dishes, since all the plates had to go back to the galley, plus there was not really enough room in the garbage ejector space sink for two people.
As a rule, the mess man did the dishes, since all the plates had to go back to the galley, plus there was not really enough room in the garbage ejector space sink for two people.
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