30 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2009
Badge
I’m proud of
Our man in
Scapa – love it
over
Gibraltar
you, Bernard
AS A subscriber to Navy News
and a Gibraltarian living in the or hate it
medal
UK, with reference to the article
I WISH to reply to Maurice Cross back to the ship singing Roll out
I HAVE just read the letter from and be pointed at?
Rain on our parade (page 2, April),
and his letter about Scapa Flow the Barrel.
Bernard Hallas RM (April) about Humbled – because it takes a
I would like to bring to your notice
(April). One local man who was on
WHILST I have every sympathy
standing up for the Corps. corporal to stand when both of
that there is no such thing as
I am very proud to have been Royal Oak told my mother that
with the campaign for a National
I have mixed feelings about our marches are played, and yet
Governor General of Gibraltar.
born an Orcadian and my house the German submarines used to
Defence Medal (Comment, April)
what he has to say – I am proud, those people with all the finery
Lt General Sir Robert Fulton
overlooks Scapa Flow. follow them all the way up the
I cannot see how it can bear that
humbled and disgusted. sit still.
RM is Governor and Command-
I married a sailor in 1961 Scapa, so it must have been a
name. Proud – because he is a Royal Disgusted – that those people
in-Chief Gibraltar.
who had served in many ships frightening time.
There is already a Defence through and through and not who sit on their butts are good at
– Ernest Reading, Harrow,
including HMS Warrior at
I live here all the time and I’m
Medal, struck at the end of World ashamed of being so. shouting about their Corps but
Middlesex
Christmas Island. It was there he
teetotal. I haven’t been off the
War 2, and widely distributed What on earth are these people won’t back it up. Ah, apologies for our error. We
swallowed contaminated seawater
island for 36 years and I’m going
among the Forces. At the same afraid of, that they should stand – Ian Campbell, RM (ret’d) should have known better – Ed
whilst swimming and died in 1968
on holiday to Yorkshire in May
time, a War Service Medal was
aged 29.
this year.
introduced.
In 1971 I married again, to
I don’t need alcohol to live in
In seeking an alternative, it is
another sailor who served on
Orkney and I haven’t got rose-
to be hoped that Blair’s American
HMS Centaur and 12 years in
tinted glasses, however it is home
‘veteran’ can be avoided.
the Fleet Air Arm. He is now the
so perhaps I’m biased but apart
Mind you, there is a theoretical chairman of the RNA in Orkney
from Yorkshire I wouldn’t live
advantage in the existing lapel and very proud to be so.
anywhere else.
badge. It can be worn on any
’Arking back
He belongs to Northampton
I haven’t heard of HMS Seagull
kind of civilian clothing, whereas but has come to love Orkney as
(or is it a Shite Hawk?) Is it a three
a medal badge has restricted use his home.
master with wooden decks?
on specific occasions. Orcadians are very proud of the
– Lana Hughes, Kirkwall,
The badge gives the
FOR SEVERAL years past
RN’s long association with Scapa
Orkney
opportunity for members of
I have been sending my
Flow.
younger generations to say monthly copy of Navy News
...EX-SIGNALMAN Maurice
Our weather is no worse than
Cross’s memories of Scapa mirror
“Second World War, sir? Please to a relative in Pennsylvania anywhere else, maybe a little
my own but for one thing.
give me the privilege of buying
who served in USN
windier because we are surrounded
When we went ashore in 1942 to
you a drink,’ (or picking up your
submarines.
by the sea. The seagulls do not
that barren, uninviting part of the
restaurant chit).
He took the paper each month
pose a problem and we have plenty
Orkney Islands we were rationed
It hasn’t happened to me yet!
to share with the members of
of trees, sycamore grow like weeds
to two pints of the NAAFI beer
– Maurice K Tither,
his Veterans’ Club at their
up here and I have whitebeams in
that he and his shipmates were
Chesterfield
regular meetings. My relative
my garden.
able to imbibe in vast quantities.
has unfortunately died, but I am
Our islands are beautiful for
I don’t recall whether anyone
Heavyweight
keeping up my connection with
scenery and historic places of
actually lived on Scapa, not that
another member of the club, Mr.
interest abound. We have a low
anyone would want to.
canine
Mike Sobkowski.
crime rate and can walk safely in
But then we had the solace of
Mr Sobkowski was most
our streets at night.
knowing that when Up Spirits was
interested in the recent cutaway
My apologies to Mr Cross for
piped at 1100 each we could draw
THE ARTICLE Canine nine nine
drawing of HMS Ark Royal having such a rotten time here our rum ration, which was ‘neaters’
for Cornwall (April) about using
and sent me the following story but for me and my husband it is when we were at sea, and that that
fi rearms support dogs for the fi rst
which I thought you might find heaven on earth. potent, sublime elixir would do
time in an RN warship may not
interesting. I hope all sailors who came more to ease our fears of the next
be totally accurate.
“I found the insert on HMS to Scapa Flow did not feel the trip into icy, northern waters than
In 1983 HMS Peacock was
Ark Royal IV especially interesting same way. My mother told me the two pints of indifferent beer.
about to be named at Hall
because it brought back memories sailors who were on HMS Royal – Kenneth Tipper, Ocala,
Russell’s shipyard, in Aberdeen,
of an event with them in the mid Oak left Kirkwall on lorries to go Florida
by Princess Alexandra. I was the
70s. My submarine, USS Bergal,
MOD (Navy’s) Senior Naval
SSN 667, was involved in a NATO
Overseer and along with the
exercise with Ark Royal.
shipbuilder’s management team
“Although the weather was Fifth man was
we assisted Grampian police to
terrible, the exercise was going well
search and secure the ship.
until one of our sailors became
A policeman brought along a
critically ill with a ruptured
large German Shepherd dog as
appendix. Communications
out of the frame
part of the search team.
with Ark Royal were arranged to
The constable instructed the
conduct a personnel transfer by
IN REPLY to Mr Scott’s letter
that an honest error has been
dog to jump into the 76mm gun
helicopter in the middle of the
(April) regarding the RN trophy
made in making no representation
turret, and was standing outside
night in a very heavy sea state.
depicting Capt Scott’s expedition
of the fifth member of the party
the turret hatch balanced on
“After surfacing, the helicopter
to the South Pole in 1912, I can – it is likely that the silversmith
a steel rung when the dog was
transfer was attempted numerous
answer most of the points he overlooked the fact that, when the
recalled.
times but with the high winds
raised. photograph which he used was
It ran and jumped through the
and pitching boat was extremely
The trophy was commissioned taken, the fifth member of the
opening into the handler’s arms,
difficult and dangerous.
as a new centrepiece for the party was operating the camera.
almost knocking him down a
“The frogmen from the
current HMS Scott. – Lt Cdr David Costigan,
metre to the deck. He told us the
helicopter with the basket were
It was ordered jointly by the RN RN Trophy Centre, HMS Nelson
having trouble setting down on
WITH reference to Ark’s home for the Aged (Comment, April) known as
Trophy Fund and BAe Sema Ltd
dog weighed seven stones.
the deck of our submarine and we
4VO Chiefs Mess, it was in the port after end of the lower hangar.
(which firm provided much of the
Later at a break in the search
were having difficulty getting our
Originally, in 1960, it comprised two CPO and one PO messes with
ship’s technical equipment).
Good send-off
we adjourned to a messdeck
sailor topside for the transfer.
the guided weapons section below them.
It was manufactured in 1997 by
WHEN I joined Ganges in 1961 it
where the company provided
“Waves were pouring down our
In 1969 it became 4VO for 106 chiefs with the Sparrow magazine was stated that if I completed 22
a beer for the everyone in the
Joel and Adam Langford, of the
open hatch and flooding our boat
below. The magazine blast chamber vented up through the bunk space, years’ service (not including boys’
search, including the dog, who
London Silver Vaults, and bears
each time we tried to get him
through the armoured bulkhead and out to the port weather deck. time) as a naval pensioner I would
drank it from a glass ashtray.
their makers’ mark and a London
topside.
4RO was a new chiefs’ mess built forward of the 4V cross passage. be entitled to a military funeral
As this event was the night
1997 hallmark.
“Finally, the brave Ark Royal
– E Murphy, ex-CAF(O), Ark 1961-1975, St Budeaux, Plymouth paid for by the MOD. Is this still
before the actual naming your
It was formally presented
frogmen were able to secure our
the case?
report is possibly correct! ...I WAS one of the original geriatrics in the mess. We did have a large
to HMS Scott at her initial
ailing sailor in the basket, but right
– Peter Smith, London
– Jim Jarvie, Dunfermline number of ‘fifth fivers’ but they were a great bunch, and having so many
commissioning on September 16
before he was ready to signal the
1997 at Devonport.
Not according to JSP 751 Chapter
departmental heads in one mess was a big advantage.
helicopter to raise the basket, a
I have spoken to Joel Langford
11. Was it supposed to cheer the
Mystery jobs
The mess was unique in that we had a tropical fish aquarium which
giant wave slammed into our sub’
who has confirmed that he spent
Ganges boys up? – Ed
we built from scratch with the materials obtained from the dockyard.
and swept both our sailor and the
We also had a piano. Getting it into the mess was literally a dockyard
some considerable time at the
frogmen overboard into the icy
job, but it was a big asset when we had a social. I remember the late
Scott Museum, photographing
HMS Plymouth
I AGREE entirely with WOSA North Atlantic.
Dudley Moore having a drink then giving us a few tunes.
many of the relics, in order that
Michael Carrigan’s letter (April) “Thankfully, the helicopter pilot
We shared a bathroom with 4RO mess which was usually referred to
the finished item would be as A RELAUNCHED petition to
regarding the titles now bestowed was able to raise both the basket
as the ‘baby tiffs’ mess’ – that’s the only other mess I can remember.
accurate as possible. try to get HMS Plymouth back
on Logistic Branch ratings. and frogmen up before they were
4VO was a great mess in a great ship with a great captain, now
He has assured me that the to Plymouth can now be viewed
At least the former titles, drowned. I shall never forget that
Admiral Sir Raymond Lygo.
fact there are only four persons on the Prime Minister’s website
Writers, Stores Accountant, etc, evening and the bravery and
– Jim Flynn, Edinburgh
represented is not intended as at http://petitions.number10.
were descriptive of the tasks professionalism displayed by the a slight against any of the brave gov.uk/hmsplymouthkeep/ for
performed. helicopter crew from Ark Royal. ...IN 1971 4VI was a stewards’ mess – I was one of them for 18 months, men who marched to the South anyone to sign.
How is anyone supposed to “They saved our sailor’s life that doing general duties, night cleaning and then to the captain’s staff (Capt Pole, and that the poses depicted Please spread the word, we
know what a Logs (Pers) does? evening.” Cassidi) before I went to HMS Dolphin for submarine training. in the model are copied from a cannot let it go to the breakers’
– Lt Cdr (SD)(W) Derek Bovey, – Martin W. Young, I feel very privileged to have served on her. photograph of the party. yard like HMS Intrepid.
Laide, Ross-shire Stubbington, Fareham – K Sowden, Delabole, Cornwall Therefore it seems probable – F E Sharpe, Plymouth
AN AIRCRAFT carrier is a wonderful thing – and so is Air Squadrons are currently deployed on operations around the
Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
hindsight. Nowadays we take it for granted that the success
world.
of the Royal Navy, past and future, owes much to naval
In the last century 6,000 Royal Naval Air Service and Fleet Air Arm
May 2009 no.658: 55th year
aviation.
personnel have lost their lives in the dangerous business of flying
aircraft from decks at sea.
But when the Admiralty placed an order on May 7 1909 for a
Fly Navy 100 is an opportunity to remember them, as well as
Editorial Business
strange contraption called an airship, there were plenty of sceptics
Managing editor: Business manager:
looking to the future.
who thought the decision was a step too far – and indeed the
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Exactly 100 years after that historic signing, on May 7, the Fleet
success of the first airships was variable, to say the least.
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Air Arm will be celebrating the centenary with a flypast over HMS
But the principle of air power from the sea was established, and it
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was to transform naval operations for the next 100 years. So if you are lucky enough to be in London, raise your eyes to the
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The Fleet Air Arm is an integral part of the RN and of the UK sky to see 50 aircraft fly in formation over the Thames – and raise a
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