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.