Early posts discussed Royal Navy ‘stokers’ shovelling coal into boilers down in the engine rooms.
HMS KENT was a cruiser and Flagship of the China Station and a frequent visitor to Hong Kong.
Published by YE OLDE PRINTERIE LTD, Hong Kong, “An Illustrated record of her commission as flag ship of the China Station,” is a detailed diary of the cruises she undertook during 1934-36.
The book lists all the crew members of which approximately 160 are listed as ‘Stokers,’ these include various ranks of stoker. The total crew numbered 770
The vessel had eight ‘Yarrow’ type boilers to provided steam for geared turbines driving four propeller shafts.
It must have been a bit ‘warm ‘down below when the ship was travelling fast at sea in the Tropics.
