NAVY NEWS, MAY 2009 17
Nuclear
veterans’
Farewell to a legend
health
THE annals of the Royal Navy
studied
are peppered with larger-than-
Ferry was
life characters who attain
legendary status.
Just Nuisance. The Lady in
THE Ministry of Defence
White. The gully gully man. And
named
has announced that it will be
Jenny Side Party, who has died in
conducting an assessment of
Hong Kong at the age of 92.
the health needs of nuclear test
The death of the modest, steely
for Jenny
veterans and their descendants in
but ever-smiling Jenny puts a little
a move welcomed by the British
more distance between the modern
TO MANY members of the Senior
Nuclear Test Veterans Association
Senior Service and the halcyon
Service Jenny was synonymous
(BNTVA).
days of the Commonwealth navy.
with Hong Kong.
MOD experts will join
Details of Jenny’s life are a little
The sight of her side party
representatives from the BNTVA
hazy – she was widely reported
bobbing up and down in tiny
and MPs to form a working
as being 92 when she died on
sampans, long bamboo poles being
group designed to finalise details
February 18, though other sources
used to paint the sides of ships
of the research and identify a
put her year of birth as 1920; most
which towered above them, was
sample group to study.
agree she was born in a sampan in
a familiar and comforting sight to
Veterans Minister Kevan Jones
Causeway Bay.
COs, buffers and the men relieved
said: “I am determined to address
She was either the second or
of the chore of chipping rust and
the ongoing concerns of nuclear
third generation of her family to
making good the paintwork.
test veterans and their families.
work the harbour – her mother
And employing Jenny was far
“To that end, I am extremely
was described variously as Jenny
from an act of charity or nostalgia
pleased to announce that we
One or Jenny Two – but what is
– the paint jobs were uniformly
will be undertaking a project to
absolutely incontrovertible is that
excellent, whether the subject was
investigate the particular health
through a lifetime of astonishing
a destroyer or an aircraft carrier.
needs of the nuclear test veterans
industry and unfailing good
Jenny, whose generosity was
and their descendants.
humour Jenny won a place in the
boundless, was in turn showered
“This work will enable us to
heart of the Senior Service.
with tokens of appreciation.
ensure that this group are getting
Side parties were teams of
In 1938 she was given a mock
the best care possible and identify
sailors detailed to keep the hull
Long Service and Good Conduct
where any improvements can be
clean and tidy.
medal by HMS Devonshire (with
made.”
But that task in Hong Kong was
bar, from HMS Leander in 1975),
The MoD will also follow
fulfilled by a number of side parties
and in 1995 she received a gold-
up on last year’s New Zealand
● Jenny (left) and Mary Gash
which, over time, each became
plated bosun’s call on behalf of the
chromosomal study. This work
(who made a living recycling
associated with certain types of
RN Boatswains Association.
is in the planning stages but the
rubbish from ships) at the
ship, alongside or at anchor.
She also had a ship named
aim is to create a study that will
HMS Tamar Locally Employed
Jenny’s mother was recorded
after her.
provide veterans with practical,
Personnel Farewell Divisions in
as having “provided serviceable
In 1983 the first of three ferries
relevant and timely results.
December 1996
sampans for the general use of the
was delivered to the RN, designed
It is hoped that these research
Royal Navy, obtained sand, and many a departing officer received
to carry personnel between HMS
projects will both be under way
was useful for changing money.” a generous gift from Jenny as a
Tamar, the Star Ferry terminal
by the end of this year.
Her daughters were brought up memento of their time in Hong
and Stonecutters Island, where a
The UK carried out 21
in the family business, and Jenny Kong.
new base was being built.
atmospheric nuclear tests in
– her real name was Ng Muk Kah Jenny never took payment for
Australia and at Malden Island
That new ship was given the
– became the doyenne of Victoria this work; she and her side party
and Christmas Island in the
name Jenny, and on its trial
Harbour. earned a living by selling soft drinks
Pacific between 1952 and 1958.
run Jenny and her side party
Her official Date of (goffer) to the ship’s company and
Around 28,000 UK Service
were VIP guests, taking
Volunteering was 1928, and from accepting ‘arisings’ – unused wire,
personnel were involved in the
part in a religious ceremony
then until the colony became a rope, paint and so on.
test programme.
opposite a temple to bring
Special Administrative Region of A huge collection of
This and previous
the ferry good luck.
China in 1997, she made herself photographs and letters was kept
Governments’ frequently-
invaluable to the Royal Navy and in a large brown envelope, and
Former RN AB Mike Brown
stated position is that there is
Commonwealth navy ships which commendations and letters of
said: “To many matelots and
no evidence of excess illness or
passed through. reference were kept in two albums
ex-matelots, Jenny was as much
mortality amongst the veterans
Her girls – Jenny’s own team – including one from the Duke of
a part of Hong Kong as Wanchai,
as a group which could be linked
● Jenny’s side party works on a Royal Navy ship in Hong Kong
numbered more than 30 at one Edinburgh in 1959.
Kowloon or Happy Valley, and
to their participation in the tests
Picture: Capt Bob Brown
point – worked quickly and Her most prized possession was
to thousands of sailors she was
or to exposure to radiation as a
efficiently at cleaning and painting the BEM which she was awarded
result of that participation.
ships; an aircraft carrier would be
The Government states that
painted in ten days by the women Side party was
something of a ‘mother figure’.”
in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
Mike recalled a time when the
in 1980.
First Lieutenant on HMS Crane
formal and well-documented
working ten hours a day. And despite the fact that the
asked for a job to be done, and
procedures were in place to
But that was really just the number of RN ships dwindled as
Jenny respectfully suggested an
ensure the health and safety of
bread-and-butter work; the girls the 20th century drew to a close,
those participating in the tests,
also waited on guests at cocktail
Personnel Safety Plans were
parties dressed up to the nines,
welcome sight
alternative which would prove
making it increasingly difficult for
more effective.
the side party to make a living,
After a prolonged discussion,
prepared and used for each
they repaired uniforms, looked Jenny was still a familiar presence
Jenny prevailed, the job was
operation, and environmental
after laundry, advised on sights to in the naval base, wearing her
“I WAS saddened to hear of the as grubby as the average sailor), done efficiently to everyone’s
monitoring was undertaken.
see, visited sick sailors ashore and traditional baggy black trousers
death of Jenny Side Party. She would then transform into perfect satisfaction, and the Jimmy
Furthermore, it asserts
ran errands which made life that and high-collared smock, hair in
was known to several generations stewards for our cocktail parties graciously admitted Jenny had
that personal monitoring and
little bit easier for Jack when he a pigtail and a huge smile on her
of naval officer because she was dressed in elegant cheong sams, been right all along – eliciting no
protective clothing was used
was far from home. face – still willing to undertake any
in harness for almost 70 years, hair done, spruce and elegant. more than a smile of satisfaction
where appropriate for each trial.
COs and Jimmys would find work there was to be done.
indeed the greater part of the “Of course, from the early 1970s at a job well done from Jenny.
fresh flowers in their cabins, and
20th Century,” writes Lord West of onwards the ship visits dwindled “For many ‘old-timers’ and
Get down
With thanks to Charles Addis
Spithead, former First Sea Lord. from the halcyon days before and quite a few ‘not-so-old-timers’
“My first meeting with her was after World War 2. there will be moments of sadness
to Sheppey
over Christmas 1969 when I was “The Hong Kong Squadron when they read of her passing, but,
foc’s’le officer of HMS Whitby. was reduced just to patrol craft hopefully, it will rekindle memories
“Jenny and her girls reduced and the Royal Navy presence of happier times,” said Mike.
THE Fly Navy 100 celebrations
part-of-ship work for my lads ended with the hand over of the Alan Cole referred to Jenny as
take off on May 1 with a ceremony
to a bare minimum and were a Colony in 1997. “Hong Kong’s Mother Angel to
at the Pioneer Memorial at
welcome sight as they approached “I last met Jenny in 1996 when the Fleet,” adding: “The speed and
Eastchurch on the Isle of Sheppey,
in sampans with long brushes and I was in Hong Kong preparing for efficiency with which her team of
followed by a Fleet Air Arm flypast
big grins. my battle group deployment to ‘girls’ could paint a warship from
of Harriers, Hawks, Falcons and
“I remember there was a certain stand off during the handover the stem to stern was simply amazing.”
an historic Sea Vixen.
tension between Jenny and Susie following year. And Mike Hinsley wrote:
The first four Royal Navy pilots Side Party. “She was as bubbly as ever “Jenny was a treasure to the First
learned to fly at Eastchurch in “Jenny did all the ships at buoy and still immensely proud of her Lieutenants of ships visiting Hong
1911, the same year that the site or anchor and Susie did those British Empire Medal, awarded Kong as they knew that her side
became the first Royal Naval Air inside the basin. in 1980. party would do a far better job
Station. The first RN aircraft was “I next met Jenny in 1973 when “She is one of those people than the upper deck parties who
also built at Eastchurch. I took command of one of the whose name always brought back usually had the task.
For more details of the Fly Navy Hong Kong patrol craft. happy memories for thousands of “From memory (rather
100 programme, see the Royal “What always amazed me Royal Navy people. ancient!) Jenny’s girls were all as
Navy website www.royalnavy. was how the girls working on “She seems to be of a bygone thin as racing snakes but their ● Jenny’s side party is presented with a farewell cake by Capt
mod.uk and follow the link on the Robertson, Commanding Offi cer of aircraft carrier HMS Eagle – at the ship’s side, thoroughly work- age yet so many of us were part work ethic would put that of the
right of the screen. 54,000 tons the biggest RN job they had to undertake – in 1971
stained (although they never got of it.” average sailor to shame.”
Dogs of war are unleashed
A FLEET of nearly 200 new protection on frontline operations part of the £700m Protected Patrol
armoured vehicles has been ordered and with their purchase, we are Vehicles package unveiled by Defence
by the Ministry of Defence to support showing our commitment to provide Secretary John Hutton last October.
frontline troops on operations. our service personnel with the very Jackal 2 and Coyote are scheduled
The £74m order for more than best equipment we possibly can.” to be delivered to the MOD from this
100 Jackal 2 vehicles and more than summer onwards, and the first vehicles
70 Coyote Tactical Support Vehicles
The enhanced Jackal 2 features
are expected to support operations in
(pictured right) has been awarded
improved manoeuvrability,
Afghanistan from the autumn.
to Supacat, which has formed an
improved reliability and will
Supacat, based at Dunkswell,
alliance with Babcock to deliver the
be able to carry an extra crew
Devon, will be the prime contractor
new machines.
member.
and will be responsible for design,
Minister for Defence Equipment The Coyote Tactical Support development, prototyping,
and Support Quentin Davies Vehicle (TSV (Light)) is based on integration and overall programme
announced the contract during a a 6x6 derivative of the Jackal, and management.
Supacat vehicle drive day at the Long will support the go-anywhere, high- Babcock will be responsible for
Valley test ground in Aldershot. mobility Jackals across the harsh detailed production planning,
Mr Davies said: “These impressive terrain in Afghanistan. purchasing and manufacture at their
vehicles will give our troops increased Both vehicles have been bought as Devonport dockyard facility.
017_NN_may.indd 1 22/4/09 18:29:19
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