Figure 2. Sailors dance with local girls in town (postcard in
author’s possession)
Bastille Day, the July national public holiday in France, was
particularly symbolic for the state, the navy, and individual sailors.
Brucelle enjoyed himself:
I just spent 3 days celebrating very nicely and I especially had fun
yesterday. And I assure you for the meals, the government did not scrimp
on us. You be the judge. The morning before leaving for the review, in
addition to coffee, we were each given a tin of sardines, and 1/2 bottle
of white wine because we got up at 3 am but in the end it was shit. At
11 am for lunch here is the menu:
3 Sardines, with butter and ham
1 Chicken, watercress for 6
Peas
Fried potatoes
Jams and pears
Wine 1 kraft, 1 litre of champagne, coffee, and cigar and half a cent on
top of the market. You see we sometimes have a good time in the regiment
because for us it was a real banquet. Then midnight leave on the 12th,
13th and 14th, but you know on the 13th we were all in
bed at 7 pm.
Finally, I danced in town and I paid for it, at all the crossroads I
danced. As to parade and decorations of the city and the ships it was
the same provided for the president. There was lots of entertainment
that reminded me a little of Paris that day: that’s how I spent the
holidays. You see I wasn’t bored, and I hope you too had a little fun
during those celebration days.11Letter, 15 July 1913.
Sailors sought entertainment where possible, including female company
(Figure 2). If visits and holidays provided high-points for rich
description, Brucelle’s days in the depot however were nearing an end.
As a sign of the personnel pressures put on the expanding Marine
nationale , Brucelle was moved out of the depot to make way for new
intakes of recruits. A couple months of service made him senior amongst
apprentice sailors:
I am going to have a change as there are too many of us here at the
depot. On Friday, they are embarking aboard the 1stsquadron battleships all those who have 2 months service…We only
embark for 3 months, not even in a squadron, until 1 October because
after that we will go to the course for 6 months. This is going to be
interesting because if the rumour is true, we will have the advantage of
seeing a few countries…my time at the depot I am starting to know
it and you know that I like the change. To tell the truth, I am
therefore enchanted by the circumstance of embarking as a regular
sailor, which would be interesting service for sure. Just this little
time will give us a taste of life aboard.22Letter, 29 July 1913.
For the next three weeks, Brucelle stayed with the fleet, and then “the
commander has just called me and granted me 10 days leave, so I’ll be
leaving for you on Sunday”.33Letter, 19 August 1913. The basic
torpedo course for sailors started sooner than expected in late August.