NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2009 29
Aviators Cyprus
invited to memorial
Taranto to open
lunch this year
AS HAS become the annual
A MEMORIAL to more than
practice, the Essex branch of the
370 British servicemen who died
Fleet Air Arm Association held
in Cyprus 50 years ago is to be
its annual Taranto lunch at the
unveiled at the end of this year.
Old Chelmsfordians Rugby Club.
Almost all of the 371 victims
Amongst the 66 members
– 28 of whom were Royal Navy
and guests were the Mayor of
or Royal Marines – are buried at
Chelmsford, Cllr Tom Willis.
the British military cemetery at
The association was also
Wayne’s Keep.
delighted to welcome members
But that now lies in the UN
of the active service Fleet Air Arm
buffer zone between Greek and
– Lt Olly Clark of 814 Naval Air
Turkish factions, making visits
Squadron, with whom the branch
almost impossible; the UN
has a long-standing affiliation,
reports only one visitor per week
Lt Andy Duthie, on secondment
on average.
to the AAC at Wattisham and
Accordingly, a two-pronged
formerly of 814 NAS, and WO1
approach is being taken, with a
Wayne Ronayne, Command WO
new memorial to be erected in the
of the Air Command.
old British cemetery in Kyrenia
Before taking lunch, branch
and a memorial book being placed
chairman S/M Harry Bass led
in the British church close to
a tribute to the memory of the
Wayne’s Keep.
lately-departed Senior Member
The grey granite memorial will
S/M Les Sayer, whose memorial
list the names of those who died
service was taking place at the
between April 1 1955 and April
time at St Mary’s Church, Bures
St Mary in Suffolk.
18 1959, the majority aged 21 or
Tribute was also paid to Royal
under, in the bloody clashes which
Marines Neil Dunstan and Robert
led up to independence in 1960.
McKibben, whose deaths had
Memorial builders H L Perfitt
been announced that morning.
of Diss will also work with local
The branch had hoped to have
craftsmen to restore the cemetery,
other serving members of the FAA Models
including the provision of new
with them but the exigencies of
wrought-iron gates and walkways.
the Service dictated otherwise.
The memorial book will be a
But it is hoped that the 2009 attract
traditional Roll of Honour, hand-
version, in the centenary year of
inscribed on vellum pages.
the Fleet Air Arm, will be able to
interest
Historic helo is
The cost of £200,000 is to be
draw on a wider representative
met entirely from public donations,
group of active service colleagues.
and organisers are currently
The branch will also celebrate
LAST month we printed a planning to unveil and dedicate
its 20th anniversary this year.
picture of S/M Dave Weaver the memorial on November 8.
In our obituary for CPO Leslie
of Stourbridge branch with For more details of the project
marina
Sayer we stated that he took part
his most recently-built model, and how to take part, see www.
in the 825 NAS attack on the
HMS Diamond. britishcyprusmemorial.org
German capital ships during their
S/M Dave’s skills are not just
for members to appreciate, as
group’s target
‘Channel Dash’.
HQ ceremony
In fact CPO Sayer was asked to
the picture above attests.
swap duties with a colleague shortly
Every year the branch holds THE new headquarters of the
a welfare fund collection in A VETERANS association has
“This historic airframe is surely squadron’s salvage team.
before the squadron was scrambled,
RNA have been officially opened
the town centre, and in 2008 its heart set on obtaining an
deserving of a place at Yeovilton. “Survivors of the era, the
and was conducting trials in
in Portsmouth.
it yielded £1,163.31.
historic aircraft which featured
“The first ‘Westland’ versions original Junglies, still meet at
Scotland when 825’s Swordfish
Naval Base Commander Cdre
One of the main factors
in our pages in November.
of the model, Mk1 Whirlwinds, annual reunions and are still
were thrown into the fray against
Rob Thompson formally greeted
the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Prinz
in drawing the attention
Les Smith, secretary of the 848
were evaluated by 848 in Malaya seeking old oppos.” HQ staff and guests at the new
Eugen and their escorts.
of passers-by is the eye-
Malaya Association, contacted
and rejected for the troop lifting Anyone who served with accommodation in Semaphore
The man who requested the
catching display of Dave’s
Navy News to correct a statement
role due to being underpowered 848 in Malaya between October Tower.
swap took CPO Sayer’s seat in the
models, which always attracts
and to broadcast an appeal.
at that time. 1952 and December 1956 and The new RNA HQ address
lead aircraft and died in the attack.
plenty of admirers.
“I was pleased to see a familiar
“Cdr F Fison was Commander who wishes to catch up with old is Room 209, Semaphore
photograph taken in Malaya in
(E) at HMS Simbang, Sembawang, shipmates should contact S/M Tower, PP70, HM Naval Base
££50 PRIZE PUZZLE50 PRIZE PUZZLE
1955 appearing in the Navy News
at the time and, together with Les at Bees Knees Barn, Church Portsmouth, PO1 3LT, and the
feature.”
848 Squadron’s AED, the late Road, Brimfield, Ludlow SY8 telephone number of reception is
S/M Les enclosed a
Lt Andrew Lloyd, headed the 4NF. 023 9272 3823.
contemporary press cutting which
told how the helicopter was forced
to land in bandit country near
Layang Layang, around 60 miles
north of Johore Bahru.
Grounded by an engine failure,
the crew apparently spent a
restless, watchful night beside their
machine – which was on its side in
a swamp – before being airlifted
out by another helicopter.
A ground recovery operation
followed soon after, and after
being winched from the swamp,
hauled over a purpose-built bridge
THE mystery ship in our
and a temporary timber road 200
December edition (right) was
yards across the marsh the aircraft
HMS Rhyl, correctly identified
was returned to service – bearing
by Mr H Downey, of Gateshead,
the Gurkhas’ regimental badge
who wins our £50 prize.
as a tribute to the work put in by
This month’s vessel (above),
their tireless endeavour.
really is a submarine (apologies for
S/M Les does, however, have
the glitch in last month’s answer,
one small criticism.
and thank you to those who
HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH. “This was no Westland
Coupons giving the correct answer
pointed out RFA Wave Sovereign
Whirlwind, however – it was a
will go into a prize draw to establish
was not a submarine…)
Sikorsky S55 (HRS2), one of ten
a winner.
Her name is familiar in the Closing date for entries is March
which equipped 848 NAS during
current Navy as it anticipates the
13. More than one entry can be
four years in constant operations
arrival of the first-of-class of a new
submitted, but photocopies cannot
as the first ‘British’ troop carrying
generation of Fleet submarines.
be accepted. Do not include helicopters,” said S/M Les.
What name does the new vessel
anything else in your envelope: no “The aircraft in question,
correspondence can be entered into
share with this boat, launched in
WV198K, has survived in private
and no entry returned.
World War 2 and pictured in 1969,
ownership and is the subject of
The winner will be announced in
shortly before she was scrapped? our April edition. The competition is
attempts by our association to see ● Members of Folkestone branch present a cheque for £1,000 to Help for Heroes at the branch’s
Complete the coupon and send not open to Navy News employees or
it acquired by the Fleet Air Arm Trafalgar Night dinner. The event was S/M Tam Stallard’s last function as chairman of the branch after
it to Mystery Picture, Navy News, their families.
Museum. ten years in the hot seat
MYSTERY PICTURE 168
Another triumph for organisers
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
MORE than 200 Plymouth members and Branch chairman S/M Bob Palmer £1,000 which the branch will donate to its
their guests attended the annual branch dinner congratulated the Sea Cadets on their turnout various chosen charities.
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dance, once again held in the WO & SRs Mess and thanked them for attending, thanked the S/M Bob went on to say how delighted
at HMS Drake by kind permission of mess caterers for “an outstanding meal” and also he was to be hosting serving RN members
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . president ‘Tansy’ Lees. paid tribute to social secretary Sue Gutteridge from HM ships Chatham, Bulwark, Cornwall,
Among those present were the Lord Mayor and her committee for another triumph of Drake, Raleigh and from Flag Officer Sea
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and Lady Mayoress of the city, Cllr Brian organisation. Training staff, with their partners, and he
Vincent and Pauline Murphy, branch president Mention was also made of Paul and Sonia hoped it was a trend which would continue.
My answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cdre Ian Jess and his wife Claire, while the Rev Murphy who once again raised, with the The evening continued with dancing to
Mike Brotherton offered spiritual guidance. help of their customers at the Two Trees pub, popular Plymouth group Le Band.
0028-029_NN_feb.indd 228-029_NN_feb.indd 2 119/1/09 18:22:419/1/09 18:22:41
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