NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2009 27
A full boarding and day school
set in 200 acres of stunning Suffolk
countryside, the Royal Hospital School
provides exceptional academic and
extra-curricular education for boys and
girls aged 11 to 18 years.
● The Warship fi lm crew record some aerial footage of HMS Ocean Picture: LA(Phot) Bernie Henesy, HMS Ocean
Open Mornings
TV hell or Five star?
Saturday 3rd October & 14th November at 9.30am
IT IS pointless trying to
which did wonders for the Navy, programme makers. Discounts available for seafaring families and services families
get through to the MOD,
and reminded us civvies that it Indeed, I rather hope that
eligible for MOD Continuity of Education Allowance
so as you have your finger
was still the best in the world Channel 5 will consider releasing a
(and still showed memorable runs DVD of the two series of Warship.
on the pulse, I thought I’d
Academic, Music, Sports and Sailing Scholarships
ashore). Meanwhile, it would be good were
drop you a line. I also know Trafalgar was 200
there obvious links on the Royal
My 21-year-old son wishes years ago, and that the world has
Navy website to the TV series
to join up, and as a life-long moved on, but please get back and
and to the Demand Five website,
For more information visit
supporter, I finally got him tell me what we watched was a
so that the series gets the widest
consider the Navy. As a first step, huge joke, and that the real Navy
possible audience.
www.royalhospitalschool.org
we watched Warship. I could not is still there. Or was it always just a
As much capital should be made
believe my eyes. Was the whole figment of my imagination?
of this programme as possible.
or contact Susan Lewis on 01473 326210
thing a joke, produced by the RAF Because if the Navy we saw is
– Lt Cdr Lester May (ret’d) or email admissions@royalhospitalschool.org
or Paras to make the Service look the real thing, then we’re all in
Camden Town
stupid? trouble. My son spent the rest of
Bulwark is one of the major units the evening falling about laughing,
of the Fleet, and on the evidence
and abusing me and the Service,
of the show, it seems to be a cruise
which was painful.
ship, crewed by half-witted drunks
But at least neither of us will
obsessed with the next tattoo, the
watch it again.
Marines a foul-mouthed, arrogant
– Alan Galinski, Sheffield
and unprofessional rabble, with no
respect for anybody or anything,
...HAVING missed the third part
and the officers’ only interest
of the second series of Warship
seeming to be the next cordon bleu
on Channel 5, I was pleased to
meal. (Come to think of it...)
fi nd that I could watch online on
The final indignity was the
Demand Five, a service of which I
‘honour guard’ who did not even
was hitherto unaware.
know how to hold an SA80.
This really is a very good
(And the PO thought they were
television series, with many aspects
wonderful.)
of the ships’ eventful lives being
Isn’t Bulwark stuffed full of
seen on camera and with some
Marines? Can they hold a weapon?
engaging matelots and bootnecks
Surely they weren’t all up the
as central characters.
jungle eating snakes?
To me, these folk seem just
I remember a ceremony called like those we old ’uns knew at sea
‘Sunset’ that made you proud to in decades past, and give every
be British, and made the hairs on confidence that the Navy is in
any part of your body stand up. good hands today.
I may well be a Little Englander, I hope that the production
but I am also old enough to serves the Royal Navy and Royal
remember a TV show called Sailor, Marines well and, of course, the
Hunting the Komet
STORIES about HMS Quorn of the Komet, an armed merchant
(September, page 6) always invoke cruiser that was attempting to
memories for this break out of the
writer, who served Channel to go on
on her Hunt-class another cruise
R
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predecessor in looking for more

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1942 and 1943. Allied shipping to
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The story of the
sink.
TED
present-day ship
As I recall,
that bears the name
Quorn was a happy
conducting a service
ship, and the 14
of remembrance
months I served
65 years to the
aboard her were
★ Academic excellence
date since the
the happiest of the
destroyer was sunk
five years I served
★ Conttiinnuuiitty
was particularly
in the Navy.
touching.
I send greetings
★ Firm ffoouunndations
Through the
to the present-day
internet I have seen
crew, and continue
★ Caarring ccoommunity
the ship’s casualty
to look for more
list, and remember
stories of the ship’s
some of the men
A £25 Amazon
accomplishments
★ Sporrtt for all
with whom I
voucher to the author
in the Navy News.
served. of the letter which
– Ken Tipper,
★ A chhaance ttoo perform
Among the
impresses, moves or
Ocala, Florida
memories of my
amuses us the most.
You won’t have to
time aboard Quorn look quite so far
is of the October for her this month
night in 1942 when, in company – she’s currently off the Eastern
with Hunts Glaisdale, Cottesmore, Seaboard of the United States
Eskdale and Albrighton, and other with a NATO task group; see
units, we took part in the sinking page 7 – Ed
■ Carry on reading... There are
more of your letters on page 35
Open Morning: 12 November 2009, 9:30am – 11:00am
026-027_NN_Oct.indd 2 21/9/09 17:51:26
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