Vice Admiral Francis Martin Leake left his family a large collection of documents relating to his service and life in the navy. Connected as he was to the training establishment at Devonport, Leake’s compassion towards the young sailors is evidenced by the letters he collected. The content of the letters ranges from a report of possible brutality witnessed against one of the young sailors, to an increasingly distressed young man’s threatening to kill himself as he couldn’t pass the swimming test. There are, on a lighter note, requests for advice on joining the navy.
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