30 NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2009
New name
Cyprus welcomes Belgian envoy
Dinner to
could make
CYPRUS branch was pleased to welcome S/M highlight being the annual Trafalgar Lunch. the youngsters and wished to make a donation
mark 90th
Paul Van Hees, the Liaison Officer from the The last such event featured a Spanish towards their support.
all the
Belgium branch. admiral as guest speaker and proposer of the At the regular Cyprus branch meeting,
Belgium branch, like Cyprus, has some 80 Immortal Memory. the death of S/M Freddie Humphreys was
members, the majority of whom are retired As S/M Paul was unable to stay for the announced – Freddie was one of the first
anniversary
difference
RN, together with retired international Naval next scheduled meeting, a small welcoming shipmates to join the branch.
and military personnel with backgrounds in committee headed by branch vice chairman The meeting was also addressed by WO1 Jon
THIS year marks the 90th
the many international institutions in Brussels. S/M Ian Gould met him and took him on a tour Wilson and Capt Nick Arrandale, who gave an
anniversary of the Bristol Royal
Belgium is run by Cdr Gavin Short, a serving of the Court Rooms at Episkopi Base – Paul overview of the history, structure and role in Navy and Royal Marines Old
UP to 20,000 Armed Forces
officer with the European Union Military Staff, works for the Justice Department in Belgium. Cyprus since 2006 of the 2nd Lancs Bttn of Comrades’ Association –
pensioners could be better off
and meets at the Brussels Royal Yacht Club Paul also met the local Sea Scouts, as his the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, the current arguably the oldest of its kind in
through a simple rebranding of a
monthly except July and August, with the branch is particularly interested in motivating incumbents of Episkopi Garrison.
the UK.
welfare benefit, according to the
It was founded in 1919 –
Royal British Legion.
predating the Royal British
The Legion commissioned a Legion by two years – by
survey last summer which found Herbert Henry Turner RM as a
that 38 per cent of veterans, result of the Zeebrugge Raid on
spouses, widows and widowers
St George’s Day 1918, in which
reported existing on an income
a Royal Navy and Royal Marines
below the benchmark minimum Derby puppy appeal
force attacked the port in a bid to
income for healthy living – £7,072
blockade German submarines.
per annum for a single person
Eight Victoria Crosses – six RN
(£136 per week) or £11,200 for a
couple (£216 per week).
and two RM – were awarded as a
One significant factor, according
result of the action.
to the RBL, is council tax, which
The association is to hold
has more than doubled since
its 90th annual dinner dance
1993.
races past target
later this month aboard HMS
Chris Simpkins, Director
Flying Fox, the Bristol RNR unit
General of the RBL, said: “The which is also the venue for the
Legion is regularly contacted
THE TIMING was a long Rather than hang on to the
Derby County Football Club and will help cement the affiliations Association’s monthly meetings.
by older people who struggle to
way out, but then you can’t
cash, which they felt would have Rolls Royce, as well as personnel between the association, the city Among those invited, in
pay their council tax from fixed
addition to the Lord Mayor of
incomes.
account for the generosity of
been wrong, the presentation was from HMS Ambush. of Derby and HMS Ambush,
Bristol, are a number of senior
“Council tax benefit is meant to
people.
made last month to the Mayor of The £5,000 donation will currently in build at Barrow-in-
Derby, Cllr Barbara Jackson, in help train Derby the puppy, and Furness.
Naval and Royal Marines officers.
make the tax fairer by reducing tax
The Submariners Association
liability in line with a household’s
(Derbyshire)
the city’s Council House.
hoped to raise the
“The original plan was to have
ability to pay; it is therefore very
money for a guide dog puppy, to
this event coincide with the launch
important to older people.
be named Derby, and present the
or commission of the submarine
“Yet only a little over half of all
cheque at a milestone ceremony
and 12 to 18 months was allowed
pensioners who qualify for council
for the Navy’s latest attack
to raise the funds, but these were
tax benefit actually make a claim,
submarine.
realised thanks to the generosity
partly because of uncertainty
That gave the veterans 12-18
of submariners and the people of
about eligibility, an aversion to
months to meet their target – but
Derby in six months,” said branch
benefits or due to the complexity the plans were ruined (in the best
secretary Terry Hall.
of making a claim. possible way) when the required
“We feel to hold on to the funds
“Research shows that take- £5,000 was raised in just a few
would be inappropriate, and we
up could be significantly higher months.
are proceeding to enable someone
and some 20,000 Armed Forces The event which took the appeal
less fortunate than ourselves to
pensioners could benefit if council through its target was a collection
benefit, and to have our walking
tax benefit was rebranded as a at Derby County’s Pride Park
memorial in commission later this
rebate.” stadium during a match against
year.”
The Lyons Inquiry into Local Coventry City, when collectors
Also invited to the ceremony
Government in March 2007
raised more than £1,780 – almost were representatives of HMS
indicated that when the old
£500 of which was gathered by a Sherwood, TS Kenya, the Guide
domestic rates regime was in
team from HMS Sherwood. Dogs for the Blind Association,
place, the term ‘rebate’ was used
instead of ‘benefit’, and at that
time take-up rates for older people
were around 90 per cent.
Veteran calls in
That has now fallen to some
55-61 per cent, and the RBL-
sponsored research, carried out
by Ipsos MORI, found that 56
per cent of respondents believed at Trincomalee
eligible veterans would more likely
claim council tax benefit if it were
A NAVY veteran who visited day since my first visit, and the
known as a rebate.
Trincomalee around the time of only time I have been back in all
A 25,000-signature petition has
his 18th birthday was able to those years.”
been handed to the Government
return to the Sri Lankan city a The reality perhaps did not live
calling for a rebranding – part of
week after he turned 80. up to the nostalgia in John’s case.
● The ashes of Tony Smyth were buried at sea from HMS Ocean as the helicopter carrier approached
the Legion’s Return to Rationing?
John Hamilton, who eventually “There is little of interest to see
the island of Malta Picture: LA(Phot) Bernie Henesy
campaign which aims to highlight
retired as a commander, joined in Trincomalee for the ordinary
the plight of older people in the
the RN as a 13-year-old cadet in visitor.
wake of the economic downturn.
1942, and in 1946-47 spent a year “Due to the civil war the area
www.returntorationing.org.uk
or so as a midshipman in HMS is full of soldiers and I was not
marina Last of a Naval dynasty
Jamaica, based at Trincomalee. able to visit places such as the
Talking about
According to John’s naval base.
midshipman’s journal (“it’s not “The harbour is very bare, and
A SCION of a great seagoing unbroken service by a member of wife were given a guided tour of
very interesting reading as it is there is little evidence of the huge
family has been buried at sea from the Smyth family up until 2001, the amphibious assault ship when
the Buccaneer
almost entirely concerned with naval base of World War 2.
helicopter carrier HMS Ocean. when the last member retired – she was in Barrow-in-Furness.
The ashes of Tony Smyth were more than 170 years of naval He was also on board at the
the politically-correct unexciting “I was, however, able to visit
consigned to the Mediterranean history in the Smyth family of commissioning of the helicopter
THE first Newark Air Museum
naval comings and goings…”), he the World War 2 cemetery on the
close to Malta – a station which which Tony played his part. carrier in Plymouth.
talk of 2009 will be of particular
celebrated his 18th on November outskirts of the town, wherein
made its mark on the sailor. Tony was chief writer on the Some of Tony’s fondest
interest to veteran WAFUs.
16 1946 and sailed into the port lie the remains of about 400
Tony was the last of a family previous HMS Ocean from June memories of the Navy were when
On Tuesday June 30 (starting
on November 23 – his first glimpse Servicemen, mostly naval.
who had been serving in the Royal 1951 to March 1954. he was stationed in Malta, so the
8pm) Grp Capt Tom Eeles will
of Trincomalee. “This, of course, evoked many
Navy since 1830, when his great Through the HMS Ocean casket containing his ashes was
tell of his experiences as a fast jet
John’s son Richard now works memories for me, and I was able
great grandfather enlisted. Association, of which Tony was buried at sea at the carrier’s closest
ground-attack pilot with the RAF
as an aid worker in Sri Lanka, so to take some photographs of the
There was continued and treasurer until 2006, he and his point of approach to the island.
and Fleet Air Arm.
John and his wife took the chance cemetery and some of the graves.
Tom’s talk, which includes video
to visit the family. “The cemetery appears to be in
footage, will cover his conversion
“During our stay Richard good order.
Double honour
to the Buccaneer S2, with detailed
was able to arrange for me, and “Perhaps some readers of Navy TWO stalwarts at Dartford
Petition pushes for
descriptions of embarked flying
several other members of my News have relatives or family branch have been honoured with
from HMS Victorious.
family, to visit Trincomalee, which friends who are buried there; I the award of life membership.
The venue is Holy Trinity is currently out of bounds to
would be pleased to speak to them S/Ms June Gillam and Neil
Community Centre in Boundary tourists,” said John. if they so wish.”
Ebbutt were presented with the Malaya rosette
Road, and tickets cost £5. “We were able to be there Contact John at jhassociates@
their badges and certificates by
www.newarkairmuseum.org together exactly 62 years to the btinternet.com
chairman Ken Smith. A CAMPAIGN to gain recognition squadrons and shore bases which
marina
for those on active service in supported the Forces.
Malaya between June 16 1948 Joe seeks contact with
and August 31 1957 is submitting associations from the following
a petition to the Government. ships in particular:
The petition supports a call for Alacrity, Alert, Ambush,
an additional rosette to be attached Amethyst, Belfast, Blackpool,
to the NGSM/GSM, distinguishing Bulwark, Cavendish, Centaur,
those who served before Malaya’s Charity, Comus, Cockade,
date of independence and those Cossack, Concord, Defender,
who served after. Glory, Hart, Llandaff, Ocean,
Petitioner Joe Plant, an Perseus, Mounts Bay, Newcastle,
ex-REME Malaya veteran from Newfoundland, Norfolk,
1955-7 said the document will Simbang, St Brides Bay, Suffolk,
be submitted to Parliament later Triumph, Unicorn, Warrior,
this year by Sandra Gidley, MP Terror, 800 NAS, 827 NAS, 848
for Romsey. NAS.
But Joe believes there are still For further information on the
plenty of RN veterans who could campaign, and to obtain precise
add their weight to the campaign, details of addresses and suchlike
and as such is looking for support to create a formal petition form,
from associations linked with ships contact Joe at joaann@btinternet.
in Malayan waters at the time, air com
030-031_NN_apr.indd 1 19/3/09 10:59:05
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