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Able Seaman Just Nuisance, RN
By J.C von Winterbach
Early Life
Although the exact date of Nuisance’s birth is not known, it is usually stated that he was born in Rondebosch, Cape Town on April 1st, 1937. As a pup, Nuisance was sold to Benjamin Chaney, who later moved to Simon’s Town to run the United Services Institute (USI). The USI was frequented mainly by the Royal Navy sailors - The Royal Navy at that time being in charge of the Simon's Town Naval Base. Nuisance quickly became popular with the patrons of the institute as he was a very friendly dog and as such was treated to all sorts of titbits, pies and beer by the sailors who loved him and to whom the dog in turn took a great liking, especially as they would often take him for walks and as such, he considered that all sailors were his friends. Nuisance recognised his mates by their bell-bottom trousers and square blue collars as they all looked pretty much the same to him, so every sailor was his friend. Service men in a different type of uniform were normally given the “by-pass”.
He began to follow them back to the naval base and dockyards, where he would lie on the decks of ships that were moored at the wharf, with HMS Neptune being one of his favourite vessels. His preferred resting place was the top of the gangplank. Since he was a large dog even for a Great Dane (6.6ft) tall when standing on his hind legs), he presented a sizeable obstacle for those trying to board or disembark. As no-one could easily get past him and he was loathe to move, the sailors would say: “You’re just a Nuisance, why do you have to lie here of all places?!” And thus Nuisance got his name.
Train Travel
Nuisance was allowed to roam freely and, following the sailors, regularly follow the naval liberty men when they went for a "run-ashore" in Cape Town some 22 miles (35km) and 27 stations north on the electric railway, but Nuisance always knew which station he wanted. Despite the seamen’s attempts to conceal him, the conductors would put him off the trains as soon as he was discovered. This did not cause the Nuisance any difficulty, as he would wait for the next train, or walk to another station, where he would board the next train that came along.
A few times, when approached by an angry conductor, he showed how serious he was about rail travel by standing on his hind legs, putting his huge paws on the conductor's shoulders and growling in the poor man's face. Amused civilians would sometimes offer to pay his fare but exasperated railway officials of the South African Railways and Harbours sent a stream of demands to Mr. Chaney to confine the dog, pay his fares, or get rid of him.
The railways finally warned that they would have to put him down if he persisted in boarding trains. This resulted in a massive outcry from his sailor friends and other people in the Peninsula who had come to know him well. One amused regular passenger even offered to buy him a season ticket but the Royal Navy had already put this in hand.
Naval Service
The news that Nuisance was in danger of being put down spurred many of the sailors and locals to write to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy at that time, pleading for something to be done. Although somebody offered to buy him a season ticket, Naval command instead decided to enlist him by the book and as a member of the Armed Forces, he would be entitled to free rail travel, so the fare-dodging would no longer be a problem. It proved to be an excellent idea, for the next few years he would be a morale booster for the troops serving in World War II.
Nuisance was enlisted on August 25th, 1939. His surname was entered as “Nuisance”" and, rather than leaving the forename blank, he was given the moniker “Just”". His trade was listed as “Bonecrusher”" and his religious affiliation as “Scrounger”", although this was later altered to the more charitable “Canine Divinity League (Anti-Vivisection)”. Like all new sailors, he underwent a medical examination which he duly passed and was declared fit for active duty. The proper enlistment forms were filled in and he signed them with a paw mark. Just Nuisance was now a bona-fide member of the Navy and, as such, he expected all the benefits that that brought - he started sleeping on sailor’s beds - his long frame fully stretched out with his head comfortably placed on the pillow.
One seaman was allocated to ensure that Just Nuisance was regularly washed and he often appeared at parades wearing his seaman's hat. Sailors being sailors there was the odd fight. Just Nuisance did not like his sailor friends to fight each other. If he came across a fight he would quickly put a stop to it by standing up on his hind legs and pushing his huge paws against their chests. After a short while he was promoted from “Ordinary Seaman” to “Able Seaman”, which entitled him to naval rations. Just Nuisance was equally at home on any ship that called in at the port, and was loved by everybody who met him though his main interest was only with other ranks.
Just Nuisance on a three-seater bench on the Simon’s Town - Cape Town train.
Nuisance continued to accompany sailors on train journeys oftentimes finding a drunken sailor on the train and escort the man back to his bunk in Simon’s Town. While many of his functions were of his own choosing, he also appeared at many promotional events, including his own “wedding” to another Great Dane, Adinda. . Five puppies resulted from this union, two of which, named Victor and Wilhelmina, were auctioned off in Cape Town by the Mayor to raise funds for the war effort.
Just Nuisance & Adinda.
Just Nuisance & two of his pups.
Nuisance also never went to sea but all things considered, Nuisance was more than just a dog. Nuisance did much to boost the morale of all those involved in fighting the War from the South Atlantic Station and was renowned for the love and care he showed for his sailor mates. But Nuisance wasn’t your perfect sailor, as his “Conduct Sheet” shows. Nuisance was guilty of several misdeeds, such as travelling on the train without his free pass, sleeping on a bed in the Petty Officer’s dormitory, going AWOL (To Wingfield Airfield where he would be taken up to look for submarines off the South African coast by a pilot of a Fairy Fulmer), losing his collar and resisting eviction from pubs at closing time. But Nuisance most serious offence was fighting with the mascots of other Royal Navy vessels. Nuisance caused the death of the mascots on both the HMS “Shropshire” and the HMS “Redoubt”.
His Conduct Sheet (On Display in the Simon’s Town Museum), shows three recorded offences:
· Traveling on the railways without a pass.
Punishment Awarded: Confined to the banks of Froggy Pond, Lily Pool, with all lamp posts removed.
· Did sleep in an improper place, namely in a bed in the Petty Officer’s dormitory. Punishment Awarded: Deprived of bones for seven days.
· Did resist ejection from the Sailors’ & Soldiers’ Home.
Punishment Awarded: None.
Discharge & Death
Nuisance was involved in a car accident which caused thrombosis, which gradually paralysed him, so on January 1st, 1944, Nuisance was discharged from the Royal Navy at HMS “Afrikander” where he had been stationed since 1940. His condition continued to deteriorate and April 1st, 1944, the day of his 7th birthday, Nuisance was taken by lorry for his last ride to the Simon’s Town Naval Hospital, where the Naval Surgeon put him to sleep.
On April 2nd, 1944 at 11:30, Nuisance body was wrapped in a canvas bag, covered with a white Royal Naval Ensign and was finally laid to rest with full military honours at Klaver Camp on top of Red Hill (the current site of the South African Navy Signal School) - a solemn ceremony that included a firing party of Royal Marines and a lone Bugler playing of the Last Post.
A simple granite headstone marks his grave on Red Hill and a statue was erected in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town. The Simon's Town Museum has in its collection all Just Nuisance’s official papers, his collar and many photographs dedicated to his story.
On April 1st, 2000 an inaugural “Just Nuisance Commemoration Day Parade” was held through the main street of Simon’s Town with this event attracting 26 Great Danes hoping to win the Just Nuisance Look-Alike Competition.
Bibliography
· Just Nuisance, Life story of an Able Seaman who leads a Dog’s life. - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1942)
· Just Nuisance, Carries On - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1943)
· Just Nuisance. True Story of an Able Seaman Who Led a Dog's Life (Revised and Enlarged Edition) - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1968)
· Just Nuisance A.B.: His Full Story Paperback – T. Sisson (Cape Town: W.J. Flesch & Partners, 1986)
· “Dog Story”. Time Magazine (1944-06-12)
· “Able Seaman Just Nuisance, R.N.” – (http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/nuisance/nuisance.htm)
· Simon’s Town Museum (http://www.simonstown.com/museum/stm_main.htm)
By J.C von Winterbach
Early Life
Although the exact date of Nuisance’s birth is not known, it is usually stated that he was born in Rondebosch, Cape Town on April 1st, 1937. As a pup, Nuisance was sold to Benjamin Chaney, who later moved to Simon’s Town to run the United Services Institute (USI). The USI was frequented mainly by the Royal Navy sailors - The Royal Navy at that time being in charge of the Simon's Town Naval Base. Nuisance quickly became popular with the patrons of the institute as he was a very friendly dog and as such was treated to all sorts of titbits, pies and beer by the sailors who loved him and to whom the dog in turn took a great liking, especially as they would often take him for walks and as such, he considered that all sailors were his friends. Nuisance recognised his mates by their bell-bottom trousers and square blue collars as they all looked pretty much the same to him, so every sailor was his friend. Service men in a different type of uniform were normally given the “by-pass”.
He began to follow them back to the naval base and dockyards, where he would lie on the decks of ships that were moored at the wharf, with HMS Neptune being one of his favourite vessels. His preferred resting place was the top of the gangplank. Since he was a large dog even for a Great Dane (6.6ft) tall when standing on his hind legs), he presented a sizeable obstacle for those trying to board or disembark. As no-one could easily get past him and he was loathe to move, the sailors would say: “You’re just a Nuisance, why do you have to lie here of all places?!” And thus Nuisance got his name.
Train Travel
Nuisance was allowed to roam freely and, following the sailors, regularly follow the naval liberty men when they went for a "run-ashore" in Cape Town some 22 miles (35km) and 27 stations north on the electric railway, but Nuisance always knew which station he wanted. Despite the seamen’s attempts to conceal him, the conductors would put him off the trains as soon as he was discovered. This did not cause the Nuisance any difficulty, as he would wait for the next train, or walk to another station, where he would board the next train that came along.
A few times, when approached by an angry conductor, he showed how serious he was about rail travel by standing on his hind legs, putting his huge paws on the conductor's shoulders and growling in the poor man's face. Amused civilians would sometimes offer to pay his fare but exasperated railway officials of the South African Railways and Harbours sent a stream of demands to Mr. Chaney to confine the dog, pay his fares, or get rid of him.
The railways finally warned that they would have to put him down if he persisted in boarding trains. This resulted in a massive outcry from his sailor friends and other people in the Peninsula who had come to know him well. One amused regular passenger even offered to buy him a season ticket but the Royal Navy had already put this in hand.
Naval Service
The news that Nuisance was in danger of being put down spurred many of the sailors and locals to write to the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy at that time, pleading for something to be done. Although somebody offered to buy him a season ticket, Naval command instead decided to enlist him by the book and as a member of the Armed Forces, he would be entitled to free rail travel, so the fare-dodging would no longer be a problem. It proved to be an excellent idea, for the next few years he would be a morale booster for the troops serving in World War II.
Nuisance was enlisted on August 25th, 1939. His surname was entered as “Nuisance”" and, rather than leaving the forename blank, he was given the moniker “Just”". His trade was listed as “Bonecrusher”" and his religious affiliation as “Scrounger”", although this was later altered to the more charitable “Canine Divinity League (Anti-Vivisection)”. Like all new sailors, he underwent a medical examination which he duly passed and was declared fit for active duty. The proper enlistment forms were filled in and he signed them with a paw mark. Just Nuisance was now a bona-fide member of the Navy and, as such, he expected all the benefits that that brought - he started sleeping on sailor’s beds - his long frame fully stretched out with his head comfortably placed on the pillow.
One seaman was allocated to ensure that Just Nuisance was regularly washed and he often appeared at parades wearing his seaman's hat. Sailors being sailors there was the odd fight. Just Nuisance did not like his sailor friends to fight each other. If he came across a fight he would quickly put a stop to it by standing up on his hind legs and pushing his huge paws against their chests. After a short while he was promoted from “Ordinary Seaman” to “Able Seaman”, which entitled him to naval rations. Just Nuisance was equally at home on any ship that called in at the port, and was loved by everybody who met him though his main interest was only with other ranks.
Just Nuisance on a three-seater bench on the Simon’s Town - Cape Town train.
Nuisance continued to accompany sailors on train journeys oftentimes finding a drunken sailor on the train and escort the man back to his bunk in Simon’s Town. While many of his functions were of his own choosing, he also appeared at many promotional events, including his own “wedding” to another Great Dane, Adinda. . Five puppies resulted from this union, two of which, named Victor and Wilhelmina, were auctioned off in Cape Town by the Mayor to raise funds for the war effort.
Just Nuisance & Adinda.
Just Nuisance & two of his pups.
Nuisance also never went to sea but all things considered, Nuisance was more than just a dog. Nuisance did much to boost the morale of all those involved in fighting the War from the South Atlantic Station and was renowned for the love and care he showed for his sailor mates. But Nuisance wasn’t your perfect sailor, as his “Conduct Sheet” shows. Nuisance was guilty of several misdeeds, such as travelling on the train without his free pass, sleeping on a bed in the Petty Officer’s dormitory, going AWOL (To Wingfield Airfield where he would be taken up to look for submarines off the South African coast by a pilot of a Fairy Fulmer), losing his collar and resisting eviction from pubs at closing time. But Nuisance most serious offence was fighting with the mascots of other Royal Navy vessels. Nuisance caused the death of the mascots on both the HMS “Shropshire” and the HMS “Redoubt”.
His Conduct Sheet (On Display in the Simon’s Town Museum), shows three recorded offences:
· Traveling on the railways without a pass.
Punishment Awarded: Confined to the banks of Froggy Pond, Lily Pool, with all lamp posts removed.
· Did sleep in an improper place, namely in a bed in the Petty Officer’s dormitory. Punishment Awarded: Deprived of bones for seven days.
· Did resist ejection from the Sailors’ & Soldiers’ Home.
Punishment Awarded: None.
Discharge & Death
Nuisance was involved in a car accident which caused thrombosis, which gradually paralysed him, so on January 1st, 1944, Nuisance was discharged from the Royal Navy at HMS “Afrikander” where he had been stationed since 1940. His condition continued to deteriorate and April 1st, 1944, the day of his 7th birthday, Nuisance was taken by lorry for his last ride to the Simon’s Town Naval Hospital, where the Naval Surgeon put him to sleep.
On April 2nd, 1944 at 11:30, Nuisance body was wrapped in a canvas bag, covered with a white Royal Naval Ensign and was finally laid to rest with full military honours at Klaver Camp on top of Red Hill (the current site of the South African Navy Signal School) - a solemn ceremony that included a firing party of Royal Marines and a lone Bugler playing of the Last Post.
A simple granite headstone marks his grave on Red Hill and a statue was erected in Jubilee Square in Simon’s Town. The Simon's Town Museum has in its collection all Just Nuisance’s official papers, his collar and many photographs dedicated to his story.
On April 1st, 2000 an inaugural “Just Nuisance Commemoration Day Parade” was held through the main street of Simon’s Town with this event attracting 26 Great Danes hoping to win the Just Nuisance Look-Alike Competition.
Bibliography
· Just Nuisance, Life story of an Able Seaman who leads a Dog’s life. - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1942)
· Just Nuisance, Carries On - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1943)
· Just Nuisance. True Story of an Able Seaman Who Led a Dog's Life (Revised and Enlarged Edition) - L.M. Steyn (Cape Town: Stewart Printing Company, 1968)
· Just Nuisance A.B.: His Full Story Paperback – T. Sisson (Cape Town: W.J. Flesch & Partners, 1986)
· “Dog Story”. Time Magazine (1944-06-12)
· “Able Seaman Just Nuisance, R.N.” – (http://www.simonstown.com/tourism/nuisance/nuisance.htm)
· Simon’s Town Museum (http://www.simonstown.com/museum/stm_main.htm)
