30 NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2009
Wartime
Ohio veteran tells of
Delegates
medals told of
given to year of
museum
perils of Op Pedestal
changes
MEMBERS of Burgess
RNA NATIONAL Chairman
Hill branch, along with their
S/M David White told delegates
president, Cdre Laurie
at Conference in Londonderry of
Brokenshire, attended the official
SHIPMATES at Wetherby the changes that the Association
hand-over of the war medals of
branch welcomed a local-born
had undergone in the past year.
Sidney Arthur ‘Steve’ Stevens at
veteran to a recent meeting,
“The relocation from London
the RN Museum in Portsmouth.
where he told them of his
to Portsmouth has been the
AB Stevens served from 1939-
experiences in the Merchant
opportunity to review how our
46 as a Hostilities Only radio
headquarters will operate and to
operator. Navy during World War 2 – and
bring in new processes,” said S/M
Whilst aboard HMS Scorpion, the part he and his colleagues
White.
a destroyer escort in Admiral
played in saving Malta from “There is still some way to go
Fraser’s (HMS Duke of York)
surrender. before everyone on the staff will
task force, he was awarded the
In 1939, at the age of 15, Allan be wholly content, however, those
DSM.
Shaw left Wetherby to join the of you who have been to see our
At action stations, he was
Merchant Navy. new HQ will agree, I am sure, the
responsible for tracking the
“It avoided taking the exams the new environment and installations
Scharnhorst on Scorpion’s
Royal Navy needed,” he explained. will greatly assist success.”
primitive radar, enabling units of
His first ship was a rusty old He added that the Relocation
the task force to close in on the
tramp steamer, but that gave him Working Group will continue its
German battlecruiser and sink
the taste for the Mediterranean – hunt for a permanent HQ.
her at the Battle of North Cape
though it was not quite the same Moving on to processes, S/M
in December 1943.
the next time he visited. White said a significant change
AB Stevens’s DSM and five
He then experienced several within the National Council had
other World War 2 medals were
Atlantic convoys and saw merchant seen the introduction of two
left to Burgess Hill branch – he
shipping sunk by U-boats. new management committees,
was a member, and had no
In 1942 he was sent to Glasgow Finance and Administration and
family, so it was his wish that the
to join the American oil tanker the Association Management
Association should have them.
SS Ohio. Committee, allowing National
They were on occasion
“She had been specially fitted- Council members to “become
displayed in the branch cabinet
out to combat the effect of more involved in some wider
at Burgess Hill RBL, but now
bombing and torpedo attack,” said aspects of their responsibilities.”
that has closed members felt the
● Allan Shaw (left) presents a print of the SS Ohio entering Malta to Wetherby chairman S/M Fred Wake
Allan, “so we were happy about In terms of finance, Treasurer
appropriate place for them was
a museum where they could be
that, and the fact we had single On August 10 the convoy and fled – only to be picked up pumped out she slowly settled, S/M Ray Barraclough said that
displayed and kept safe.
cabins – until the RN and Army slipped through the Strait of next day by HMS Bicester and and her keel came to rest on the expenditure had exceeded income
A set of miniatures has been
gunners arrived, when we had to Gibraltar, and within 24 hours the taken to Gib.” sea bed as the last few barrels were by a shade over £110,000 in 2008,
retained by the branch.
double up. aircraft carrier HMS Eagle was Having doused the fires the taken from her hold. though the deficit was actually
Other documents, London
“We took on board 11,000 tons sunk by German torpedoes. tanker’s engines were restarted. Allan recalled: “We tied up and £7,000 less than had been
Gazette citations, photographs
of fuel as our cargo and moored She sank in eight minutes but With emergency steering and stepped ashore, at which point our forecast.
and the radar log of the Scorpion
up awaiting our destination. most of her crew were saved. no compasses, Ohio was forced to pay stopped. When overall fund movements
during the incident have also
“When dawn broke we couldn’t From then on it was constant follow a blue light attached to the “We remained in Malta for two were taken into consideration the
been passed on to the museum.
believe our eyes – we were in the bombardment from the air, with stern of HMS Ledbury. months before we got a lift in a Association’s valuation dropped
Two other members of Burgess
company of over 30 RN warships anti-aircraft gun crews firing After more air attacks Ohio, Hudson bomber to Gib, and then from £1.8m to £1.5m.
Hill, Fred Brindley and Fred
and 14 merchant ships. continuously from dawn to having been abandoned more than on to Glasgow by courtesy of The main source of income
Reynolds, were also serving in
“We were Winston Churchill’s dusk and the submarine hunters once, was low in the water and her HMAS Quiberon.” remains subscriptions which,
HMS Duke of York at the Battle
response to advice he had received constantly harassing the Italian back broken, so to keep her afloat Allan is one of only two known as expected, fell in 2008, from
of North Cape, and S/M Brindley
that if the besieged island of Malta and German submarines. and guide her, HMS Bramham living members of Ohio’s crew, £220,000 to £201,000, reflecting
attended the hand-over.
did not get a significant amount This was not enough to prevent – a name familiar to a lad from and the other lives in Brisbane, the increasing age profile of
of supplies through before the the Ohio getting hit, along with Wetherby – and HMS Penn were Australia, though they keep in membership and the demise of
RNA parade
end of August she would have to two RN escorts – HM Ships firmly strapped to either side of regular contact. eight UK branches.
surrender. Nigeria and Cairo – by an Italian her hull, while HMS Ledbury Of the 14 merchant ships that One bright note was that some
in Whitehall
“It was August 2 and we were submarine. acted as a rudder. left Glasgow, nine were sunk; property in France has been
part of Operation Pedestal, bound Allan recalled: “A count of the Ohio limped into Grand the five remaining got through, bequeathed to the RNA, but
THE RNA Biennial Parade
for Malta.” ship’s crew next morning revealed Harbour on August 15 to a although all suffered varying valuation had yet to be carried
in Whitehall will take place on
Alan then went on to relate the that two gunners and two assistant tumultuous reception from locals degrees of damage. out.
Sunday 13 September between
incidents he experienced on the stewards were missing. who lined the harbour. The RN suffered four losses One particularly welcome set of
10.30 and 11.30am, followed
voyage. “They had launched a lifeboat As her precious cargo was and four severely damaged. visitors was the delegation from
by standard bearers’ tots and
the Canadian Navy, led by Cdre
the chance to chat with other
Falmouth
Mark Norman, who heads the
shipmates in the Civil Service
Canadian Fleet Atlantic.
Club.
The visitors also attended the
The parade will be led by a
keep busy
Conference church service.
Royal Marines band and the
Cdre Norman and his colleagues
chaplain of the Fleet will officiate
were visiting Londonderry to
at the Cenotaph.
IT promises to be a busy year for
take part in the dedication of the
The salute will be taken by
members of Falmouth branch.
‘Newfie-Derry Run’ Bell, at St
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral
They hosted a lunch to mark
Columb’s Cathedral.
Sir Alan Massey.
100 years of Naval aviation at the
The bell is one of two dedicated
to all naval and merchant sailors
Whitesand Bay
Falmouth Beach Hotel.
As Navy News went to press
who lost their lives during the
the branch, in conjunction with
Battle of the Atlantic, and also
group closes
Falmouth Town Council and the
commemorates the co-operation
Church of King Charles the Martyr,
between the City of Derry and
the Royal Canadian Navy during
ALMOST 50 people – including
was due to organise Sea Sunday.
the war.
27 members – attended the 21st
Members enjoy a strong
Now all eyes turn to the
reunion of the HMS Whitesand
affinity with Penryn RBL, who
Normandy coast and the 2010
Bay Association at the Maritime
are organising a Veterans’ Parade
Conference, to be hosted on June
Club in Portsmouth.
on August 9, and on September
4 by France Nord branch at
An enjoyable evening was had
6 Falmouth Merchant Navy
Ouistreham.
by all – but during the annual
Association are holding their
general meeting it was proposed
annual parade.
that the Association should be
Later that month, the branch
Orion dinner
decommissioned.
hosts the Area 4 quarterly meeting.
● MORE than 50 members and guests of the Fleet Air Arm Association Scotland celebrated the
The move was agreed, so the
centenary of Royal Navy aviation with a lunch held at the Sergeants Mess 45 Commando Royal Marines,
October sees the Trafalgar Night THE HMS Orion Association
Association ceased to exist as of
RM Condor, by kind permission of RSM S Shepherd. Guests of honour were Cdr Peter Bing RN (retd)
dinner at the Penmere Manor reunion dinner is to be held at the
11.59pm on May 12.
and his wife Christy. Cdr Bing is pictured front centre (above), holding a photograph. RM Condor was,
Hotel (23rd) and members will Royal Fleet Hotel in Plymouth on
It was also decided that all
prior to August 1971, HMS Condor, the RN Air Station Arbroath, and home of the RN Air Engineering
assist Penryn RBL with Poppy
Saturday September 5.
surplus funds should be donated
School. For many years artifi cer apprentices were trained there, and the station was an operational base
Appeal collections.
Dinner will cost £20, and raffle
to the RNLI.
during World War 2
And as well as remembrance
prizes will be gratefully received.
services in November, members
HMS Kenya members have also
will also mark the St Nazaire raid in
been invited to join the fun.
1942; the raid was launched from
It is also hoped by that stage to
Falmouth and survivors returned
have found a permanent home at
to the Prince of Wales Pier.
HMS Drake for the ship’s bell.
Tribute to the Services
BRIGHTLINGSEA branch has Billings, a serving senior rate, who
hosted an Armed Forces Day was presented with an inscribed
dinner in the town in honour of quaich – a Scottish drinking
the UK’s Servicemen and women, cup – and other mementos in
past and present. recognition of his part in securing
The evening began with the the branch an affiliation to aircraft
White Ensign being raised as carrier HMS Illustrious, in which
bugler S/M Bill Scales sounded he recently served.
the Alert and General Salute. A raffle and donations raised
Chairman S/M Brian Goouge £250 for Help for Heroes, and the
welcomed some 40 ex-Servicemen evening ended with the lowering
and guests. of the White Ensign as the bugler
Guest of honour was WO1 Russ sounded Sunset.
030-031_NN_aug.indd 1 22/7/09 14:46:21
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