Black Tot Day facts for kids
Black Tot Day happened on 31 July 1970. It was a special day because it was the last time the Royal Navy gave its sailors a daily drink of rum. This daily drink was called the "tot".
Contents
History of the Rum Ration
For a long time, sailors in the Royal Navy received a daily drink ration. This tradition changed over the centuries.
Early Days: Beer and Rum
Back in the 1600s, English sailors usually drank a lot of beer every day. This was about four liters! But storing so much beer on ships was hard.
So, in 1655, rum became a popular choice instead. Sailors were given about half a pint (284 ml) of rum.
Admiral Vernon's Rule
Over time, too much drinking became a problem on naval ships. To fix this, a famous admiral named Edward Vernon made a new rule in 1740.
He ordered that the rum should be mixed with water. It was four parts water to one part rum. This mix was called "grog". Sailors would get two servings of this grog each day.
Changes in the 1800s
In the 1800s, the navy wanted to improve discipline. So, they started to reduce the rum ration.
In 1824, the daily tot was cut in half. Then, in 1850, a special navy committee looked into the rum problem. They suggested stopping the rum ration completely.
Instead, the navy cut the tot in half again. This meant sailors only got one serving per day. Officers stopped getting rum in 1881. Other senior sailors stopped in 1918.
The End of the Tot: 1970
On 17 December 1969, the navy decided the rum ration had to go. Modern ships had complex machines. Sailors needed to be very focused and alert. Drinking rum was no longer safe for these important jobs.
This decision led to a big discussion in the British Parliament. It was called the 'Great Rum Debate'. Many people, like MP James Wellbeloved, thought the rum ration should stay. But after a long debate, the Parliament decided the rum ration was not right anymore.
Black Tot Day Itself
So, 31 July 1970 became Black Tot Day. It was the very last day the rum ration was given out.
Sailors received their rum as usual at 11 AM. Some sailors wore black armbands to show their sadness. Some even held mock funerals for the rum. At one navy training camp, HMS Collingwood, they had a funeral procession with a black coffin.
Sailors were not happy about losing their rum. As a small comfort, they were given an extra can of beer each day. A special stamp was even made to remember this day.
Other navies in the Commonwealth of Nations also stopped their rum rations later:
- The Royal Australian Navy had already stopped theirs in 1921.
- The Royal Canadian Navy stopped on 31 March 1972.
- The Royal New Zealand Navy stopped on 28 February 1990.
See also
- Grog
- Rum ration
