28 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2009
Dad’s
Light-blue view
Conflict
D-Day
over
MY FATHER, Leading
Signalman Henry Alexander
Marsden, died in August aged 86.
Warship
He was buried in his Navy blazer
that he always wore with pride of Navy Days
and the Royal Navy provided a
WHAT planet is Alan Galinski
Union Jack to drape his coffi n,
living on? (Letters, October)
and the Last Post was played at
It’s quite true what he says in
his graveside. AS A Royal Air Force officer living and working up north I
some respects but I really do
My father loved the Navy and
could perhaps have been a little put out when my girlfriend,
think he’s lost the plot.
encouraged his three grandsons
who lives in Plymouth, suggested we attend Navy Days on
Times change, people
into the Armed Forces – serving
change and the changes are not
22 years, 14 years, and one is still
one of our rare weekends together.
always for the better, BUT the
serving in the Navy.
However, coming from a bit of The other half was very keen on
commitment of our troops in
My father served in HMS
a Navy background myself (father getting on a submarine and I was
whatever Service are as sound as
Brocklesby and LCT 455 during
was a bootneck, older brother was pretty excited to see how the new
they always were.
the war. When I was going
Fleet Air Arm before jumping ship Type 45 had turned out.
I was in the mob from 1958
through his things I found a
to the light blue) I was actually The programme said that we
to 1969 and yes, things were
manuscript written in his own
quite keen to see what the Navy were to queue for tickets for HMS
different, of course they were but
hand on June 5 1944 giving his
had been up to. Trafalgar at periods throughout
one things I have noticed is that
account of the day before D-Day
Also I thought it prudent that I the day, so we decided to watch
ship cleanliness is still paramount.
as it happened.
accompany said girlfriend on her the Royals and the Junglies doing
I also remember the Sailor
He was a Leading Signalman
first encounter with Her Majesty’s their hostage rescue stuff (all very
series and I can remember an
and took the message giving
Senior Service in a controlled impressive) and then an awesome
acquaintance of mine saying he
orders for the day to the captain.
environment (as opposed to Lynx display, before going to join
didn’t think it showed certain
It is unfinished – I suppose
Saturday night on Union Street!). the queue for the boat tour.
elements of the RN in a good
he had to leave it due to the
Living not far from the event, we However, upon arrival at
light and in particular the runs
importance of the day before
decided to walk to Devonport and said queue we were told that
ashore aspect.
D-Day! We can only imagine
save on parking fees. However, we unfortunately all the tickets had
It will be regrettable if Mr
what it must have been like for
subsequently struggled to find it! been given out earlier in the day,
Galinski’s opinions continue to
all the sailors who showed such
All joking aside, there were due to popular demand.
be hereditary and remember,
courage.
no signs for the base from the That, to me, seemed to take
this is a programme prepared for
But it makes interesting
direction of the Hoe, and several away the whole point of having
television.
reading. My brother Alec and
times cars pulled in asking if we staggered times for getting tickets.
He should encourage his
sister Vivien, along with myself
knew where Navy Days was being The polite RN officer agreed
son to give it a try - he may be
and family, are extremely proud
held. wholeheartedly but said it didn’t
pleasantly surprised.
and we must never forget what
Plenty of big advertisements happen on his watch!
– Michael Murphy,
our Servicemen sacrificed for our
for the event, but none of those Still, this meant that we had
ex-LRO(G) RN Communicators’
country.
useful yellow AA signs to be seen more time for HMS Daring, since
Association, Bulwalk Albion
– Cynthia Parkinson,
anywhere! it was getting on a bit now and all
Centaur Association, Devizes,
Blackpool
We stopped at two unidentified the ships shut at 1730 (according
Wiltshire
guardrooms before receiving to the programme and the nd the
We have published Leading
directions and finally making it tannoy).
...IF I was still serving as a naval
Signalman Marsden’s account in
(after about an hour – bad call on Sadly, on arrivall
recruiter, I would be spitting
a new site called Dittybox, which
my part)! at said shiny newww
feathers at the appalling stuff
can be found on the Navy News
What with there being a destroyer, five minutes ess
shown on the TV series Warship.
website, www.navynews.co.uk
recession on, I tried my luck on past the hour, we wweere
The Royal Navy has had to
under Have your Say.
the gate with my military ID where informed that she’d been beenn
suffer some utter tripe in the
We created this site because
a pretty Wren politely informed closed at 1700. FFFoorr
past, but this lot beats it all.
we receive many historical
me that had I been wearing my cleaning.
Senior officers are shown as
accounts and stories which
uniform I could have got in free. Nothing we couldulld
desperately wanting to be seen
make fascinating reading but are
Of course my uniform was 300 say or do wouldldd
as one of the boys. A ship’s
too long to be published in the
miles away and even if I had change their mind, so soo
commander has been reduced to
paper.
brought it with me I doubt I with a heavy heart wwee
‘Eks Oh’ and junior officers have
We hope readers enjoy it – Ed
would have had the guts to put it left (via a reasonably lyy
all the bearing and authority of
on... £18 was well worth it to go priced burger).
Winnie the Pooh.
Family Ark
incognito – I don’t think I would I hope you can A £25 Amazon voucher
Petty Officers either simper
● This year’s Navy Days at Plymouth
have been able to take the banter! pass on the contents to the letter which
Picture: LA(Phot) Martin Carney “Hi guys!” like holiday camp
However, I was a little surprised of this message, amuses, impresses or Royal Navy, let down of you letting us come along).
attendants, or bellow pointless,
MY SON, Daniel Williamson,
that the ‘get in free’ card didn’t along with my enlightens us the most. somewhat for us by However, under the large ‘Join
foul-mouthed inanities like
started his RN career in earnest in
work like it used to. Am I being a compliments, to one or two confusing the RAF today!’ message, I was a
wannabe parade sergeants.
September, boarding HMS Ark
little naive? those responsible for organising contrasts between the programme little perplexed to see a big picture
All seem to wear their hats
Royal after fi nishing his Stage 2
Having purchased a programme the event. and actual events. of an RAF Harrier, occupied by
tilted forward with the peak
naval training at Collingwood.
for the wife, I made a plan on how No mean feat I’m sure, given To round it all off, on none other than a RN lieutenant...
over their eyes, making them
I thought it may be of interest
to maximise our time on board today’s operational climate. departure we walked past the RAF Good show!
look ridiculously like Gestapo
that Daniel is the third generation
ships. An impressive display from the recruitment stand (pretty decent – Flt Lt R P Davies RAF
milkmen.
of our family to serve on the Ark. The Royal Marines were
My father, William Williamson generally portrayed as surly and
and my older brother, Kevin ill-disciplined.
Williamson, also served aboard. The whole performance was
Kevin went on to achieve Lt Cdr a humourless, charisma-free
before retiring.
Time to save HMS Caroline
exercise in shooting oneself in
Our family tradition remains. the foot. Someone needs to get
– Billy Williamson, a grip.
Widnes, Cheshire
I RECENTLY visited Belfast and saw HMS Caroline in a
– Lt E C Coleman, (Ret’d)
very run-down state.
Bishop Norton, Lincolnshire
Plinth
Her sides were rust-streaked, her armament had
been removed and various structures had been built
on her decks. I understand that her future at Belfast is Any more
petition
uncertain.
HMS Caroline was part of the Fourth Light Cruiser
Squadron and is the sole survivor of the Battle of
for the bar?
THE United Kingdom Jutland, whose centenary will be in 2016.
I HAVE noticed some recent
National Defence Association is Jutland was probably only second in importance to
correspondence in the Navy News
campaigning to get a permanent Trafalgar in our naval history and presumably the Royal
regarding offi cers being awarded
memorial/work of art to Navy will wish to celebrate this event.
the Bar to the Long Service and
commemorate our troops who We now have less than seven years to restore the
Good Conduct medal.
have served and fallen in Iraq ship to her Jutland condition for display, ideally either at
I am a serving Senior Upper
and Afghanistan to be placed in Portsmouth or Chatham.
Yardsman and I too have a bar to
Trafalgar Square on the vacant It would be tragic if this ship should be allowed
my LS&GC.
fourth plinth. to continue her decay, rather than taking her place
I am sure that this award is not
To sign the petition, go to alongside Warrior, Victory and Cavalier.
that rare amongst SUYs, but it
http://petitions.number10.gov. What can be done in the short period remaining?
would be interesting to hear from
uk/TributeToForces – R J McGarel-Groves RM, Boldre, Lymington,
others.
– Martin Cakebread, National Hampshire
– Lt Paul G Youngman,
Development Director, UKNDA
Navy Command HQ
NOVEMBER is the month for remembrance. Or at least, for observed the traditional one or two minutes’ silence, except
formal remembrance. at their war memorials. Now it is observed nationwide. Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
Those who have lost family and friends in the service of In April Prince William launched an £8 million appeal for
their country remember them every day. the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, where the
November 2009 no.664: 55th year
November has been the month for national remembrance Armed Forces Memorial was dedicated in 2007.
ceremonies since Armistice Day in 1918 and in less than a The vision is not just to provide better facilities at the
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