28 NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2009
A rocket
Whatever
for a
Wren
happened
YOUR REVIEW of the book
Swordfi sh (March) reminded me
to naval
of an incident in 1944, at HMS
Nightjar or HMS Ringtail, when
we were with a squadron training
aircrew and fl ying Swordfi sh.
The armourers had fitted
this particular aircraft with four
standards?
rockets to each wing, underneath
were 50lb practice bombs and
AFTER yet another letters faux pas, seemingly not a single
the load was finished off with a
page (April) with only a single one of the legion of infallible
practice torpedo.
contribution from a serving supermen who frequented the
As electricians, we had made
member (March had none) and Lake Road ‘Old Comrades Club’
the necessary connections and
the usual tedious pseudo-political noticed.
were waiting the arrival of the
drips about the dire state of the So before these guardians of
aircrew.
Navy/modern uniform/warships so-called naval ‘standards’, always
A young Wren arrived with a
etc etc from long-retired matelots, droning on in this paper (and, no
male friend and was handed into
I felt I had to write in to point doubt, in the RNA bar) about
the cockpit to look around. As
out that from summer 2007 until such trivia as half-blues uniform
ground crew, we were lounging
last month, the Royal Naval or half-forgotten deployments
about on the grass when we
Association branch in Portsmouth of the 1970s, start bemoaning
● The Royal Navy of the whole of Great Britain challenge the French at Portsmouth’s Burnaby Road
heard this female voice asking: Picture: LA(Phot) Owen King
(the home of the RN and – modern naval practices or
“Oh, what does this do?”
ironically – host of the RNA HQ criticising the 21st-century sailor,
She pressed the firing button
itself) has been fl ying its Union perhaps some of them should
on the joystick and the next thing
Flag upside-down. think what sort of message it sends
we heard was this whirring noise
Fairly regular phone calls and when they can’t even be bothered
as the bomb release was activated
Don’t sideline
gentle reminders to the branch to fly their own national flag the
and eight rockets were going off
pointing this out were met with correct way up.
into the wide blue yonder and the
denial, indifference or downright For two years.
bombs and torpedoes dropping
abuse and although dozens of my – Lt Cdr James Parkin,
with a great thump onto the
naval colleagues also noticed this Op Telic, Baghdad
ground.
That young Wren heard
language from our Petty Officer Northern Ireland
A literal defence
which left a blue haze all around
as we scambled away as fast as YOUR RECENT report on the Royal Navy’s
NAS planes getting themselves carpeted flying under
I AM puzzled by the front page For any other readers who may
we could.
rugby team referred to their international
merchant navy colours.
caption of May’s Navy News as have forgotten their Kipling, the
And my last memory of the
equivalents playing against the French at
The publicity and attention HMS Glasgow raised
I have never seen somewheres in lines are taken from his poem The
squadron before going overseas
Twickenham.
on arrival in Belfast in 1996 has far outweighed any
print before. Road to Mandalay:
with 724 Squadron was painting subsequent port visit I have experienced; sadly the
black and white stripes on aircraft
I believe you must have been incorrectly referring
Is it intended to be somewhere’s “Ship me somewheres east of
city has been pretty much starved of a sleek grey
readying for D-Day.
to the England team, as the British and Irish lions
for “somewhere is east of Suez”, Suez, where the best is like the
visitor ever since.
– D Joynes, Winmalee,
have not played together for nearly four years.
not that I have ever seen that, worst,
Alas a rare opportunity to remind the regions of
Australia
As a serving officer from Northern Ireland who has
either. I had thought Navy News “Where there aren’t no Ten
their naval heritage will be missed as celebrations will
played for the Navy first team I take great pride in
had escaped many of the errors, Commandments an’ a man can
remain focused on the major English cities where a
mainly spelling, found in all papers raise a thirst;
Looking for
the national diversity of my Service and its sporting
naval visit hardly raises an eyebrow.
teams.
today. “For the temple-bells are callin’,
If you are unable to help bring focus of the
Whilst on transmit, I feel it is rather remiss that
On a similar note I am an’ it’s there that I would be
Royal Navy’s good work to the regions, please at
sure there are many ex-RN “By the old Moulmein Pagoda,
Jupiter’s
no part of the Fleet Air Arm 100 celebrations will be least take more care in avoiding perpetuating the
Telegraphists, like my husband, looking lazy at the sea.”
taking place in Northern Ireland. mistaken belief that the RN is an exclusively English
who are not impressed by the use of As for telegrapher, the
The efforts of 863 NAS in Co Londonderry to the institution.
‘Telegrapher’ to describe them! term was submitted to our
lost bell
war effort were substantial, with remarkable tales of – Lt Steven Gilmore, RN
– Mrs J G Cahill, Saltash RNA obituary column by an Association
and ex-WRNS Education Officer – Ed
I AM trying to trace the
whereabouts of the original
Jenny – a legend
Bermuda birthday
HMS Jupiter ship’s bell which
was ‘misplaced’ whilst the ship
I WAS intrigued by the article What a wonderful opportunity
was on deployment in the Gulf,
in her lifetime
(May) about the fi ring of an for a test firing and some much-
1990-1991.
ancient 12-pounder gun by a needed good publicity for the
The replacement bell was
serving RN weapons team. Navy.
recently loaned to us at our ship’s
On a recent visit to Bermuda There is also a job to be done
reunion in Middlesbrough and
FAREWELL to a legend – Jenny stitched my hook on all my kit. I
I visited Scaur Fort, not far from to preserve all the many ship’s
during some lamp-swinging a
Side Party. When I was serving on gave her five Hong Kong dollars
the old RN dockyard. crests painted on the walls of
story was told that the original
HMS Belfast, we were serviced by (
1
/
The guns at the fort have been the dockyard by generations of
3p to the dollar at the time) and
bell was lost over the side, or
Jenny. she kept saying “too much” but I
lovingly restored, including an visiting RN warships.
‘misplaced’.
Following kit muster I was told said “you share with others”.
ingenious recoil system which These are highly-valued by
I have since asked through our
lowers the gun out of sight below Bermudians and they would
to buy a new greatcoat. I think – Wattie Mason (ex PO BT2)
Association website if anyone has
the parapet for reloading. be delighted to host a working
they were £3, which out of a Edinburgh
any information regarding the
This mechanism is new and party to restore them. Free
stoker’s salary (£7 a fortnight) was
incident and as there was an RM
...IN 1992 it was published in in mint condition. This year accommodation is on offer.
a lot of money.
detachment on board at the same
Navy News that Jenny’s home also happens to be the 400th Surely the RN will want to take
Whilst musing over it in the
time I would like to ask the same
had been burgled and many of
mess, Jenny said she’d fix me up
her photographs stolen, and could
for £1 but would have to take
Goldcrest
anniversary of the setttlement of this up?
question to RM personnel.
Bermuda by the British in 1609. – Ed Featherstone, Cdr (Retd)
The bell, as is the custom,
anyone help her?
the coat.
was used on many occasions
She must have had hundreds I LOOK forward to the souvenir
I imagined this was to measure
as the font for ship’s company
of replies and yet took the time to Fleet Air Arm poster in this
it – but the next day a pristine
children’s baptisms, and the
write and thank me, and to let me month’s Navy News.
Equal pension rights
names engraved on the inside for
greatcoat was handed to me for
know that she was a grandmother. My wife and I were stationed at
posterity.
said £1.
I will treasure that letter always. HMS Goldcrest from 1943-44 at
THE ARMED Forces Pension Why the cut-off date? What
The HMS Jupiter Association
Later I found the coat had
I served in Hong Kong for two Dale, Pembrokeshire.
Group was formed some time we want is equality. So far we
and in particular those members
been taken completely apart and
commissions in a cruiser and got A member of 790 Squadron
ago to battle for equality in have 4,000 members and we are
of the ship’s company whose
reversed.
to know Jenny well. Life during hand-painted a copy of the crest –
the pension stakes. Service growing fast.
family have used the bell for this
– P H Fender, Greatstone, Kent
the Japanese occupation had been I still have it.
personnel who left before June Check out our website at www.
purpose are very anxious to know ...JENNY and her girls were hard and dangerous, but she and Goldcrest (Dale) was transferred
1975 without completing 22 years afpg.info.
the story of the lost bell. amazing people. I first came into her girls came through. soon after World War 2. Sub Lt
pensionable service did not receive If you support us or wish to
If anyone has information, contact with the side party while She once showed me her Long Ron Asphim reserved the original
a pension. join us please ask your MP to sign
please could they contact me by serving on HMS Crane’s last Service and Good Conduct medal crest from the Officer’s Mess
Personnel who left or leave the EDM46.
email at ken.williams@zen.co.uk commission, 1960-62. – but I’m sure it was made in the before transfer. Services after June 1975 without ALL are welcome to join.
– Ken Williams, (ex When I was rated Leading Dorsetshire! – Jack B Quin, completing 22 years DO receive a – Bob McMurran,
CMEM(M)) Seaman one of Jenny’s girls – Bill Thompson, Hartlepool Newtown, Powys part pension at the age of 60. Armed Forces Pension Group
THE MAN of Action lives! The action toys which enthralled Forces personnel, with clothing and equipment meticulously
Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
generations of boys is back on the shelves – and this time copied from real life.
he’s ready to fight and win. Indeed, Navy News hears that one of the Navy’s Whitehall June 2009 no.659: 55th year
The iconic figures finally went out of production in 2006, PR staff claims a figure has been modelled on him, although
after years of falling sales. It seems he fell victim to political the company which produces them hasn’t confirmed it. Editorial Business
correctness. Boys stopped wanting the toy once he was Initially nine figures will go on sale, with optional extras
Managing editor: Business manager:
rebranded as ‘Action Man Skateboarder’ and ‘Action Man including vehicles, tanks and jets.
Sarah Fletcher Lisa Taw 023 9229 1525
Surfer’. Perhaps there was a message here? There is just one problem with the range. The Royal Navy
Editor: Mike Gray Subscriptions 023 9273 4448
Now it seems the plucky hero was biding his time all along, is represented by a navy diver, in full clearance kit, and a
News editor: Richard subscriptions@navynews.co.uk
Hargreaves Accounts 023 9272 0686
plotting a spectacular military comeback, with the help of steely Royal Marine.
Production editor: Helen Advertising 023 9272 5062 or
the MOD and Character Options. But we want Jack. And in this year of Fly Navy 100, we
Craven 023 9275 6951
The reborn action figures are based on current Armed want our Fleet Air Arm pilot, too. 023 9229 4228/9380 24163 (Mil) advertising@navynews.co.uk
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028-029_NN_jun09.indd 1 21/5/09 14:52:44
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