NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2009 21
Growing in Konfi dence
CONTINUING our board typical domain, the ocean named for their Konkan, while Rear Admiral Surinder Pal
and search theme, heavily
sub-continent. Singh Cheema (Flag Offi cer Commanding
armed commandos move
For the fi rst time, the Indian Navy brought Western Fleet) took charge of Indian
across the sprawling
a task force to the UK for its annual war forces.
fl ight deck of RFA
games with the RN. Konkan is intended to allow the two
Typically, Konkan has been staged off navies to work together more effectively
Mounts Bay during
the Indian west coast – which gives the – a face made somewhat easier by their
exercises.
Era passes
exercise its name. common heritage.
But these men
But for the 2009, the manoeuvres shifted History and traditions are all well and
are Indians not
to the south coast of England. good, but there’s no substitute for first-
with Henry
Brits, and the
It’s been four years since Indian warships hand experience.
location is
were last in UK waters (INS Mumbai for the So a substantial number of Brits sailed
the English
Trafalgar 200 commemorations). with the Indian ships for the duration of
Channel,
This year New Delhi despatched an Konkan.
BRITAIN has lost its last living not their
impressive task group west – destroyer INS Indian Maritime Commandos also took
link with the greatest Navy it
Delhi, frigates Brahmaputra and Beas plus the opportunity to practice and hone their
ever possessed with the death of
their supporting tanker INS Aditya – to join skills which they demonstrated at sea
Henry Allingham, the oldest man
a sizeable Royal Navy presence. conducting a boarding of RFA Mounts Bay
Medics’ role
in the world.
RN ships participating included And a detachment of Indian divers
At the age of 113, Mr
Westminster, Northumberland and conducted a comprehensive training
Allingham (pictured above by
Trafalgar, plus RFAs Fort Rosalie and package including diving, explosive honoured
legendary photographer Don
Mounts Bay. ordnance disposal and improvised
McCullin last year) was the last
Before the Anglo-Indian force set out to explosive device clearance procedures. THE selfl ess actions of Senior
survivor of the Grand Fleet, the
sea, the ships gathered in Portsmouth The vibrant sea phase saw the IN-RN task Service medics in two theatres of
last man to recall the Battle of
for three days of planning and ‘getting group conducting gunnery, anti-surface, war received recognition for their
Jutland, the last of more than
to know you’ events, notably the ship handling and air defence exercises deeds at a ceremony on Whale
55,000 men who served in
Konkan Cup (a sort of RN-Indian together with a range of anti-submarine Island.
the Royal Naval Air Service –
Navy mini olympiad). manoeuvres. The Duchess of Cornwall
forerunner of the Fleet Air Arm
This year’s exercise was Particular highlights included the close was the guest of honour at
– and the last founding member
planned and executed by the and medium-range gunnery shoots where HMS Excellent and it was she,
of the Royal Air Force.
staff of Commander United some impressive blasting (technical term – as Commodore-in-Chief of the
He died in his sleep on July 18
Kingdom Carrier Strike Ed) from the combined task group shredded Royal Naval Medical Services,
at St Dunstan’s in Ovingdean.
Group under Cdre Simon an infl atable gunnery target known as the who presented 184 Operational
His passing prompted tributes
Ancona and his staff killer tomato (big, red). Service Medals (pictured above
from friends, family, senior
from Whale Island. The anti-submarine phase pitted the by LA(Phot) Christopher Browne)
military figures and royalty.
They made skills of both Indian and Royal Navy sonar in the presence of outgoing First
Mr Allingham was, said the
Mounts Bay their teams against HMS Trafalgar. Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon
Prince of Wales, a reminder of
home for the “This is an essential and long-standing Band, Senior naval offi cers and
that “incredible generation who
six-day sea relationship as our navies are increasingly more than 500 family members
did so much for their country. We
phase of working together in the Indian Ocean and friends.
owe him a huge debt of gratitude
tackling problems such as piracy off the Musical accompaniment to
for all he has done.”
coast of Africa,” said Cdre Ancona. proceedings was provided by the
Over the past decade, Mr
With all the ‘warry’ bits done, the two Band of Her Majesty’s Royal
Allingham became celebrated
navies conducted a sail past before the Marines School of Music in
as one of the dwindling band of
Indians made for Brest and a week-long Portsmouth – whose musicians
WW1 veterans, attending a string
exercise with the French, Varuna. worked alongside the medics in
of anniversary events, memorial
With thanks to Lt Cdr Rob Pedre, Carrier Iraq and Afghanistan helping
unveilings, remembrance parades
Strike Group. casualties.
and other commemorations.
In the latter theatre, the RN led
He also received a string of
the Joint Force Medical Group
awards and honours – from
in Helmand from October last
the freedom of towns including
year until April. At its peak, that
Eastbourne, Brighton and
eclectic medical force totalled
St Omer, to France’s Légion
547 personnel drawn from 104
d’honneur.
different units; 340 of those
Most recently he was honoured
medics were Royal Naval – the
by the Fleet Air Arm both at its
largest deployment of Senior
centennial service in St Paul’s
Service medical personnel since
and at his 113th birthday party
the Falklands campaign in 1982.
at HMS President in London last
In tandem with that
month.
commitment, another 68 RN
He was treated to a flypast
medics were deployed to Iraq,
from Lynx of 815 NAS as well as
mainly serving in the hospital at
a birthday cake delivered by the
Basra airbase.
Royal Marines.
“The last thing I expected
Henry Allingham was born in
when I joined the Navy was
East London on June 6 1896 and
to end up on the front line in
trained as a coach builder upon
Afghanistan,” said MA James
leaving school.
Patrick.
When war broke out in August
“We had to treat everything
1914, he wanted to volunteer
from blisters and burns to
as a dispatch rider – he even
amputations and fatalities. It was
possessed his own motorbike –
pretty grim at times but I’d go
but his mother dissuaded him.
back again if I had the chance.”
But when she died, any barrier
to him enlisting was removed.
He saw an aircraft overhead one
Poseidon’s fate
day and was inspired. “That’s for
me.”
He joined the Royal Naval Air
a mystery
Service in September 1915 as a
seaplane mechanic, serving at air AT 12.12pm on June 9 staff
stations in East Anglia and also and veterans at the Royal Navy
with the Grand Fleet. Submarine Museum paused
He sailed with seaplane tender to pay their respects to HMS
HMS Kingfisher on May 31 Poseidon, 78 years to the day of
1916; the aircraft was intended to her loss.
scout for the German Fleet. And at that very moment
Kingfisher survived the epic 5,500 miles away families, former
battle – Mr Allingham saw little submariners, Britain’s Naval
of the clash himself – but he saw Attaché to Beijing, Capt Andrew
rather more of the fighting in Tate, and the museum’s archivist
France when he was posted to George Malcolmson cast a wreath
No.12 Squadron in the summer into the Yellow Sea for the 22 men
of 1917 to support operations on who died in the boat.
the Western Front. Poseidon was exercising with
He was still in France the the fl eet in good weather 20 miles
following spring when the RNAS north of its base at Weihai (or
was swallowed up in the newly- Weihaiwei as it was known then)
formed Royal Air Force, but he when she collided with a Chinese
was a sailor at heart – “I still steamer.
considered myself a Navy man.” More than 30 crew scrambled
After the war he worked in to safety before Poseidon sank
the car industry (as a reserved in 130ft of water. Another half a
occupation he was not called up dozen men managed to escape
a generation later for the second using breathing apparatus.
global conflagration), retiring to As families paid their respects,
Eastbourne in 1960 with his wife however, it emerged that the
Dorothy who died in 1970. wreck of the boat no longer
It would be another 30 rested on the seabed.
years before he became “an Reports in China suggest that
ambassador for his generation”. Poseidon was salvaged by the
He had never returned to France authorities in 1972. Defence
since the Great War, determined Minister Baroness Taylor said
to forget the conflict. Out of there was no indication as to
respect and comradeship for his what happened to her entombed
pals, he vowed to honour them – crew when the submarine was
and to remind today’s generations broken up.
of the sacrifices made. She told Parliament that as a
“War’s stupid,” he said military grave, Britain took the
profoundly. “Nobody wins. You issue “extremely seriously” and
might as well talk first, you have
picture: la(phot) christopher browne, frpu east
had asked Beijing to provide
to talk last anyway.” further details of the salvage.
021_NN_August.indd 1 22/7/09 15:07:18
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