NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009 15
Don’t swamp
the posties
THE public are being urged not
to send unsolicited presents and
mail to sailors and green berets
on active service this Christmas.
Every Serviceman and woman
deployed over the festive period
will receive a parcel fi lled with
goodies courtesy of the MOD-
endorsed charity UK4U Thanks,
as well as Christmas dinner.
But over the past couple of
years, the military postal service
has deal with vast numbers
of ‘goodwill parcels’ sent by
friends or, more usually, general
wellwishers in the run-up to
Christmas.
The result has been that at
times, the British Forces Post
Offi ce has been overwhelmed by
people’s generosity.
“While such ‘unsolicited’
parcels are without doubt popular
with recipients, the delays they
inevitably cause to the delivery
Bute-iful days for Argyll
of personal mail are considerably
less welcome,” said Vice Admiral
PASSING beneath the distinctive span of the Forth Rail Bridge,
Peter Wilkinson, Deputy Chief of
HMS Argyll heads for Rosyth.
● Fighter controller Lt Alex Kopsahlis and marine engineer offi cer Lt Cdr Jules Lowe plus Daring’s junior
the Defence Staff (Personnel). rates stand in front of Birmingham’s Council House during the Freedom ceremony
And like the famous crossing, the frigate is now hidden behind
Indeed, long after he left Picture: LH Raymond Hamley, HMS Daring
scaffolding and sheeting as she begins a 12-month refit.
Helmand, one Serviceman
Before she bowed out of active duties, there was one fi nal fl ing
continues to be sent parcels – one
for her men and women.
in seven items of post sent to his
old BFPO is addressed to him.
“Such mail takes up precious
space on aircraft and, despite
enormous efforts from postal
staff, personal mail will inevitably
Freedom gained
No, not like that, but the Highland Games on the Isle of Bute, the
last port of call ahead of that multi-million-pound overhaul.
The Type 23 dropped in on the island’s ‘capital’ Rothesay, fi ring
a salute to mark the opening ceremony of the event (the opening
honours were performed by Taggart actress Blythe Duff).
Argyll also found time to host her affi liated Sea Cadets from
be delayed,” Admiral Wilkinson
Irvine, veterans from RNA Stirling and the Duke of Argyll. All heard
added.
about the ship’s experiences in the Med earlier this year with the
Close family and friends
of deployed personnel should
continue to use the Enduring
Families Free Mail Service – it is
designed with them specifi cally
in mind.
and honoured
Taurus task group, while the latter christened his daughter onboard
using the ship’s bell, upturned as a font, for the ceremony.
Ashore, members of the ship’s company mingled with
competitors and the crowd at the games, while Lt Cdr Steve Forge
presented prizes to winners of the children’s shinty competition.
“It’s important that we maintain our links with the people of the
But if Navy News readers
region that gives the ship her name – and show why they can be
feel they want to send sailors
proud of what she’s achieved,” said CO Cdr Peter Olive, “although
and Royal Marines a gift in CEREMONIES heartfelt and heartwarm-
ship with them for the fi rst sustained stay in the
the many operational demands made upon the Royal Navy can
appreciation of their efforts,
ing have dominated the recent activities
Channel Islands.
make this diffi cult.”
they are encouraged to donate
The destroyer anchored off St Peter Port for three
Thereafter the ship sailed for Cape Wrath, through the Pentland
to Support our Soldiers (www.
of Britain’s newest warship.
days for a series of offi cial functions, sporting fi xtures
Firth and under the Forth Bridge to begin a major revamp in the
supportoursoldiers.co.uk)
The ship’s company of HMS Daring visited their
(actually scuppered by weather which prevented the
hands of Babcock Rosyth.
or Thank The Forces (www.
two affi liated locations – Birmingham and Guernsey –
sportsmen getting off Daring…), and a Beat Retreat
Cdr Olive and some 150 of his shipmates have now left the
thanktheforces.com) who will
to cement ties at two very different formal events.
and concert performed by the Band of HM Royal
Devonport-based frigate, leaving 35 hardy souls on the Forth to
send parcels to theatre on your
More than half Daring’s 180 sailors headed to
Marines Collingwood.
help local engineers and shipwrights with the refi t.
behalf under a programme agreed
the West Midlands as the Freedom of the City was
The highlight of the weekend was the annual
HMS Argyll’s due to emerge from her revamp in late 2010.
with BFPO.
conferred upon the new Type 45 destroyer, which is
memorial service for HM Ships Charybdis and
Picture: LA(Phot) Pepe Hogan, FRPU North
currently in the middle of extensive trials.
Limbourne.
■ Meanwhile, four ex-Service
personnel have set up a mail
Before receiving the civic honour – which allows
The two vessels were torpedoed by German S-boats
service for loved ones to send
the sailors to parade through the city with drums
during an operation to intercept blockade runners in
‘welfare packages’ – a mixed
beating, fl ags fl ying, swords drawn and bayonets
October 1943, with around 500 men lost.
selection of books, DVDs, nutty,
fi xed – the ship’s company “talked Jack” with pupils
Some of the bodies were subsequently washed
magazines and the like – to
of Rigby Hall School in Bromsgrove and toured
ashore on Guernsey and buried with full
deployed personnel.
the headquarters of Firmin and Sons, who
military honours by the Germans, who forbade
The service, Mail Call, not only
produce swords among other additions to
any locals attending the ceremony.
sells the goodies but boxes them
military uniforms.
Instead, roughly one in ten islanders paid
up for you and sends them to
It fell to the lord mayor of England’s
their respects, laying 900 wreaths, as a show
BFPO on your behalf.
second city, Cllr Michael Wilkes, to present
of defi ance against their Nazi overlords.
Ten per cent of profi ts from
the casket containing the freedom scroll to
Each year since liberation, the people
the new business goes to SSAFA
the sailors in the shadow of Birmingham’s
of Guernsey have continued to pay their
Forces Help and Help for Heroes.
magnifi cent Council House.
respects to the victims of the Charybdis
See www.mailcall.co.uk for more
Thereupon, the sailors exercised their
and Limbourne with a memorial weekend,
details.
freedom and were applauded by New
reaching its climax with a service at Le
Street shoppers on an atypical Thursday
Foulon cemetery, last resting place of 21
Breaking up
morning.
sailors and Royal Marines.
“We were inundated with members of
A 13-strong guard was provided by Daring,
the ship’s company wanting to be part of such a
with CO Capt Paddy McAlpine laying a wreath on
is hard to do
momentous occasion,” said gunnery offi cer Lt Dave
behalf of the Senior Service.
Thompson, organising the ship’s guard.
“These events are something that my sailors will
“It was just fantastic that all the months of hard
remember for the rest of their naval careers,” said
work paid off. I was very proud of my team.”
OF WHAT was once Falklands
Capt McAlpine.
Brummie S/Lt Aimee Moore naturally enjoyed the
veteran HMS Fearless, just 131
“When we deploy oversees, we carry the name of
experience. “It made my grandparents very proud
tonnes ended up in landfi ll as
our sovereign, our country and our service, but we
to see me at home, in uniform, but what was really
the former landing ship was
also carry the names of the places with which we are
‘recycled’ on a scale never
special was talking to ex-Royal and Merchant Navy
immensely proud to be affi liated.”
seen.
sailors.
The ship has also hosted members of the
Breakers at Van Heyghen
“Some of those guys have great stories to tell and
Association of Wrens who were celebrating the 90-
Recycling in Ghent, Belgium,
you could see everyone was enjoying each other’s
plus years of sacrifi ce made by women in the Senior
completed their dismantling of
company.”
Service – sacrifi ce marked by a Royal Mail stamp.
Fearless in April and have now
As well as conferring the Freedom of the City
Marine engineer offi cer Lt Rachael Rake (currently
provided Whitehall with details
upon the new destroyer, there was a little of the old serving at BRNC), Association of Wrens chairwoman
of the 18-month process.
Birmingham to present to Daring. Julia Clark (a WRNS range assessor in the late
They say 98.1 per cent of the
Understandably Birmingham had a close 50s) and Daring’s own PO(MEM(L)) Cath Wojcik
ship could be re-used.
relationship with the Type 42 destroyer which bore launched one of the six stamps focusing on RN
By the time the Mighty Lion
the city’s name proudly for a quarter of a century. uniforms through the ages.
had been stripped of military
She fl ew the city’s standard when replenishing at Artist Graham Turner used a 1918 photograph of
kit, mementoes and the like,
sea, a standard which was returned to Birmingham a wren offi cer who ‘freed a man for the Fleet’ as an
she was down to about 7,000
when The Brum paid off a decade ago. The fl ag has instructor as the inspiration for the stamp depicting
tonnes (in her fighting days she
now been presented to Daring. women in the Senior Service.
displaced 12,000 tonnes fully
After Birmingham, the Darings headed to ■ See our December edition for a special feature
laden). 6,746 of those tonnes
Guernsey, their other affi liate, this time taking their on the fi rst year of Daring’s life.
were recycled by the Belgian
firm.
Van Heyghen are also Share your experiences of the front line
breaking up former RM training
ship Rame Head and tanker SAILORS and Royal Marines how film, art, photography and archives.
RFA Brambleleaf. are being encouraged to record the written word can be used to “War Story will play an
Back in the UK, dismantling their experiences of front-line record their experiences. important role in raising public
of Fearless’ sister and fellow action so future generations can The museum has an enormous awareness of the personal
South Atlantic warrior, Intrepid, grasp the human experience of repository of personal memoirs, experiences of Servicemen
has also now been completed. modern confl ict. diaries, photographs and the and women in contemporary
As Leavesley International in The War Story initiative by like, especially from the 20th conflicts. They will describe
Liverpool finished breaking her the Imperial War Museum, Century’s two global conflicts. experiences that for many of
up, they prepared to recycle endorsed by the Ministry of By giving today’s deploying us remain indescribable,” said
two more decommissioned Defence and supported by personnel an insight into that Diane Lees, the IWM’s Director
vessels. military giant Boeing, aims to collection, IWM staff hope to General.
Ex-Royal Fleet Auxiliaries capture the ordinary experience stimulate fresh material. An anthology of some of
Grey Rover and Sir Percivale of conflict – with the emphasis Some of the accounts the first-hand accounts will be
are also being broken up by understandably on Afghanistan. recorded/collected and material published in 2012 when the
the Merseyside firm after being Over the next couple of gathered will be used in the project is completed.
towed out of Portsmouth and years, experts from the IWM museum’s public displays – and More details on the project
Marchwood respectively last will work with Service personnel be available to historians and are available from Victoria Smith
month. deploying to theatre, showing researchers who tap the IWM’s at vsmith@iwm.org.uk.
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