Tombola
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If Uckers is the most popular 'messdeck' game in the RN during the twentieth century. Tombola is perhaps is the most popular social game, that is played in sea going ships, with often at least one session a week played in the dining halls of large ships, tiller flats or Senior rates messes.
Originally known or styled on the civilian games of housey housey or lotto it is the only gambling or lottery game allowed in the service. Although only then by permission.
After World War 2 the naval game, his game was popularly adopted at the seaside resorts, under the title Bingo. Very soon invading redundant cinemas all over the land.

In the diaries of EJF Fellows, preserved in the RN Museum, it is variously mentioned how the RN sailor would gamble and how Fellowes himself would lose he whole of his monthly pay before he was lucky enough to win a game or two and his entry of 1st Jan 1935 notes how the men played an in official game with two packs of playing cards, attesting to the innovative genius of the naval matelot.

one pack of cards served out (sold) and the other pack placed face down. A fellow would then turn each card up, the corresponding cards of the players being thrown in (to match). The first to throw (all) his cards in, wins the pool. In this case roughly 2 (Australian dollars). Cries of 'Swindle', 'Cheat', and other groans, keep the whole mess interested.

 

However, generally In the RN, the game is either played within an individual messdeck as part of a Saturday Night at Sea. or as a Ships Company, in the dining room or large compartment or on the upper deck depending on the space available on any ship.

In the book Lower Deck by Lieutenant John Davies RNVR can be read at pp91-93 an account of the game as played during World War 2.

The game is also extensively noted as being played at various World War 2 Naval Rendezvous', and in particular -

Vernons, & the White Ensign Club in Malta
The Fleet Club at Alexandria

To Play the Navy Way

Equipment
The caller has a board, slotted or drilled and numbered up to ninety-nine. 
A bag of similarly numbered tiles, and a batch of tickets.
The tickets are randomly printed with fifteen numbers laid out in three lines of five.

The Rules
Players buy a ticket for each round or game. - the money from the ticket being added up to provide prize money, after a deduction for the mess or ships welfare fund. The remainder is divided into prize money, of first line and full house.

The caller - calls out "Eyes Down" and the game commences.

The caller then picks from a bag, a numbered tile and 'Calls out the number' using the shouts below, in a sing-song rhyme and places the tile in its respective place on the board.

Player, if they have it - Will tick the number (marks the card) on the ticket / tickets,
The first to complete a line, calls out and win a prize, the first to complete a whole ticket calls out for the major prize. ' "YEEZ" or "House".
Wining lines and tickets are checked against the master board to see if they are genuine.

A player waiting for that elusive last number is said to be 'Sweating' on the Line last number etc.

Jackpot
A percentage of money is kept back from each ticket to create a Jackpot. The jackpot starts a fifteen numbers, that is to say can only be one if the winner of the ticket calls after fifteen numbers. With each progressive game the number is increased by one, until it is won or rolled over.
Jackpot rules vary between ships and sometimes it might be paid on only the first full house in 30 or 40 numbers.

This rollover Jackpot is popular with the men when the ship is having regular tombola sessions say each Saturday dog watch, as it provides a good sum for a run ashore.

The Calls
As with the ditty songs, Jacks imagination enters into full swing for the one liner rhymes used by the caller. Which as the caller draws the tile, he will call -

“One and Three unlucky for some number 13.”

YOUR HELP NEEDED PLEASE
There were countless one liner rhymes associated with this game, as there also has become with the civvy game of Bingo. Yet the Navy was there first. Please tell me what Navy calls you remember - let me know when - and what ship - please.

GAME CALLS
This is your chance to add those almost forgotten but well used chants, or tell me if you used them before the date given.

The following is the known or remembered list, if you dont agree - please tell me. -
If you remember them in use earlier or later than noted please tell me. .

Kelly's Optic - Number 1 Kelly's Eye	c.1940 1968	John Irving, Royal Navalese,  1946 HMS Eagle;
By Itself: Number Two	WW2 c/1946	John Irving - Royal Navalese
Up a Tree: Number Three
Knock at the door: Number Four
Spot Below: Number Six
Doctors Chum No 9	c.1940; 1946	?;Irving-Royal Navalese
Downing Street: Number Ten  - " - One and Nought - Booties Brekkers - Number 10	WW2-1946 ? c.1970s	Irving-Royal Navalese Tom Crosbie (RM) From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
The one next Dour Number 11 Legs Eleven - " -	? c.1940 1968	Tom Crosbie (RM) Irving - Royal Navalese HMS Eagle
Twelve - 1 doz Roll on my Doz One and Two - Roll on me doz - twelve	c.1940 ? c.1970s	?; Irving-Royal Navalese Tom Crosbie (RM) From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Unlucky for Some - Thirteen	c.1940 1968	?; Irving - Royal Navalese HMS Eagle
Seventeen, My Age	?	Tom Crosbie (RM)
Two-Ohh: Twenty	WW2; 1946	Irving-Royal Navalese
Twenty One - Royal Salute	c.1940	?; Irving-Royal Navalese
Two and Two - Two little ducks - twenty two	c.1940 1968 c.1970s	?; Irving-Royal Navalese HMS Eagle From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Two and five - How I likes 'em - twenty five	c.1970s	From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Bed & Breakfast: Twenty Six	WW2; 1946	Irving - Royal Navalese
All the fours - Pompey whores - forty four	c.1970s	From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Fifty - O.D's Delight Change Hands: Fifty	c.1940 WW2 - 1946	Irving - Royal Navalese
Five and Two - How I gets 'em - fifty two	c.1970s	From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Five & Nine - The Brighton Line - 59	c.1940	?; Irving - Royal Navalese
Six and two - clickety duck - sixty two	c.1970s	From 'Doctor Bob' Black,
Six and six - clickety click - sixty six	c.1940 - 1968 1970's 1992	?; Irving Royal Navalese HMS Eagle From 'Doctor Bob' Black, RNAS Yeovilton
Seven and Six - Was she worth it	WW2 - 1946 early 1950's	Irving - Royal Navalese HMS Siskin (Len(Dai) Dyson)
All the Sevens: Seventy Seven Seventy Seven, Two Walking Sticks Seventy Seven, Sunset Strip	WW2; 1946 ? Later	Irving - Royal Navalese Tom Crosbie (RM) Tom Crosbie (RM)
Garden Gate: Eighty Eight Eighty Eight, Bishops Bollocks	WW2; 1946 ?	Irving - Royal Navalese Tom Crosbie (RM)
Eighty Nine, The Maltese Goat - Because it was All But (90)	?	Tom Crosbie (RM)
90 - To the O' Cottage Top of the Grot: Ninety	c.1940 WW2; 1946	? Irving Royal Navalese

 

Last Update March 2012