32 NAVY NEWS, DECEMBER 2009
Township pays tribute
Surprise
date for
Fearless
ROYAL Navy veterans were experiences, and attended a gala
welcomed back to their ‘own’ dinner as well as a musical tribute.
town when 60 or so members
There was also a formal
sailors
of the HMS Ajax and River
welcoming ceremony, and the
TWO wives organised a surprise
Plate Veterans Association
Hon David Onley, Lieutenant
reunion for their husbands and
travelled to Canada.
Governor of Ontario, attended
former shipmates from HMS
the main event of the programme,
The Mayor of the town of Ajax,
Fearless.
when the 12ft polished black
Steve Parish, invited the group to
Beverly Fagg said the pair –
granite Ajax Legacy Obelisk was
join events marking the 70th
Dave Fagg and Willy Sutton – were
dedicated at Veterans’ Point
anniversary of the battle
reunited with men with whom
Gardens.
– and five of that group
they served in the late 1960s, two
All around the town are
had actually taken part in
of whom responded to an appeal
reminders of the ships and
the action.
in Navy News.
battle.
Three were from the
Others from the 1969-70 period
The Town Hall,
light cruiser HMS
– the time of a Far East tour and
for example, has
Ajax – S/Ms Sam
the talks between Harold Wilson
a collection of
Shale, Ted Wicks
and Ian Smith over Rhodesia –
memorabilia which
and Albert Large –
were traced through other means,
includes pieces of the
while S/M Bob Batt
one travelling from Edinburgh,
Graf Spee and the bell
was in Ajax’s sister-
another from Swansea.
from the frigate HMS
ship HMS Achilles
A good day was had at the
Ajax (which is rung
and S/M Basil Trott,
Still and West in Old Portsmouth,
to mark the start of
who served in the heavy
where – after they had got over
council meetings), while
cruiser HMS Exeter.
their initial shock – Dave and
the town also boasts the
S/M Bob travelled from New
Willy chatted to their old mates
cruiser’s anchor.
Zealand for the ceremonies, while
over lunch, catching up on the
Members of the town – believed
S/M Albert was relatively local,
past 40 years and poring over
to be the only one in the world
having emigrated to Canada.
plenty of old photographs.
named after a ship – are lobbying
A further four men in the group
The group has arranged to meet
● Pictured with local MP Mark
for either a Canadian or British
served in the cruiser at other
Holland (centre) are (from left)
again next year, and hope to find a
warship to be named Ajax to
times, while five were from the
Basil Trott, Ted Wicks, Sam
few more shipmates to join them.
resurrect the name of cruiser.
later Leander-class frigate.
Shale, Bob Batt and Albert
The Battle of the River Plate
The town, close to Toronto on
Large (seated)
was the culmination of a search Maidstone
the shore of Lake Ontario, grew
for the German pocket battleship She could attempt to move
up around a wartime munitions
Graf Spee, which had been to a neutral, but possibly more
factory, and was given the name
bid farewell
sinking British merchantmen in sympathetic, port in Argentina;
Ajax in honour of the first major
the Atlantic – though her captain, she could remain in Montevideo
Allied victory of World War 2.
Kapitän zur See Hans Langsdorff, and the ship and her crew would to David
More than 700 of the town’s
was scrupulous in ensuring no be interned for the duration, or
800 streets are named after
MORE than 100 family, friends
lives were lost from the freighters. she could fight her way out.
sailors from the ships involved
and shipmates gathered to pay
Of the groups seeking her, Force The problem for Langsdorff
in the battle, and several of the
their respects at the funeral of S/M
G, under Cdre Henry Harwood, was that the British were known to
David Flander, secretary of the
ceremonies involved street name
in HMS Ajax, spotted the German be sending ships, and intelligence
Maidstone branch for 30 years.
dedications.
ship off the River Plate, which suggested a powerful force was
Seven RNA standards were
A street name is officially
separates Argentina and Uruguay, waiting just over the horizon.
paraded, and 40 shipmates formed
dedicated when a veteran, or early on December 13 1939.
The intelligence was propaganda
a guard of honour for David, who
member of his family, visits the In the battle itself, heavy cruiser
– RN ships were several days away
was also the long-time agent for
town – a total of almost 70 before HMS Exeter took a battering,
– but with ammunition running
SSAFA in No 2 Area.
the anniversary celebrations. and Ajax and her sister Achilles
low Langsdorff took his ship into
S/M Flander, whose ships
During this visit, a further (part of the RN’s New Zealand the estuary of the River Plate and
included HM ships Indefatigable,
15 such ceremonies were held, Division) were both also hit, but scuttled her on December 17.
Wakeful and Newfoundland, was a
including those at Wicks Drive the German ship was also damaged To maintain his and the ship’s
stalwart of the branch, and for 20
and Harwood Avenue, the latter in and, harried by the sister cruisers, honour, Langsdorff committed
years had organised the branch’s
honour of Admiral (then Cdre) Sir put into the neutral Uruguayan suicide two days later.
popular Sea Service.
Henry Harwood, who commanded port of Montevideo for repairs. Town Hall staff are looking for marina
the flotilla at the battle. At the end of her permitted 72 cap tallies from HM ships Achilles
The veterans were invited hours in port, Graf Spee had a and Exeter to complement those
Happy Jaguars
into schools to talk about their limited range of options. of Ajax and Graf Spee.
MEMBERS of the HMS Jaguar
If anyone has a tally they
Association were full of praise for
could spare, please contact town
the organisers of their reunion and
archivist Brenda Kriz at the Office
those who run the venue.
of the Mayor, Town of Ajax, 65
S/M Bogey Knight said the
Harwood Avenue South, Ajax,
weekend, in Exeter, was arranged
Ontario L1S 2H9
by Stan and Wendy Wright, and
the group was entertained by the
● (Left) Jonathan Harwood (on
left), grandson of Admiral Sir
White Ensign Club in the city.
Henry Harwood, with the Mayor
“I, on behalf of my colleagues,
of Ajax, Steve Parish, and Mr
would like to make a special thank
Harwood’s wife Susan at the
you to the club president, Cdre
street dedication ceremony for
Mike Clapp RN (rtd), and his
Harwood Avenue
committee for their hospitality and
warm welcome,” said S/M Knight.
“Their generosity, facilities and ● (Right) The Ajax Legacy
Obelisk organisation were second to none.”
Heroes invited Veterans sail with Little Flotilla
to return again
VETERANS of the Dunkirk
Evacuations have enjoyed their
day out on the River Thames on
THE Big Lottery Fund is calling on World War
the fabled Little Ships.
2 veterans to get in touch to secure funding
The Annual Veterans Cruise,
for commemorative trips back to the places
which includes lunch at Weybridge
where they fought and their comrades died.
Mariners Club, has cast its net
Since launching in April, the Big Lottery
wider in recent times, as the years
Fund’s Heroes Return 2 programme has
take their toll and particularly with
already enabled more than 7,500 veterans,
the disbanding of the Dunkirk
widows, spouses and carers to go on trips,
Veterans Association.
home and abroad, to honour and remember
So participants this year saw
those who did not return from action in 1939-
action in various theatres of World
45.
War 2, although the first priority
Almost £5m has been handed out to date,
was to contact as many Dunkirk
and the current scheme remains open until
veterans as possible.
January 2011.
Appeals through associations
Grants of up to £5,500 are available to pay
and the media – including Navy
● MTB 102 leads the fl otilla on the River Thames
travel and accommodation costs for such
News – yielded responses from
journeys.
as far afield as Aberdeen, and for
led by CPO Batts Battersby, was vehicles and vintage cars.
Locations have included Normandy, for the
many this was their first cruise. appreciated by the crews, veterans
The ADLS is returning to
65th anniversary of the landings, memorial
Chelsea Pensioners, Normandy and the general public. Dunkirk for the 70th anniversary
events in the Netherlands for Operation Market
veterans, wartime submariners The 20 little ships formed up at of Operation Dynamo next May,
Garden, and various sites in Italy, Greece,
and RNA members also joined Kingston Bridge, embarked their and it is hoped that the RN ratings
Malta, India, the Far East and North Africa.
in, as did Prince Michael of passengers then headed upriver. from HMS Collingwood can join
The first Heroes Return scheme, launched
Kent, the Honorary Admiral of They squeezed through locks in them for the event.
in 2004 to mark the 60th anniversary of D Day,
the Association of Dunkirk Little groups of three, giving the royal Little Ships in attendance
awarded more than £16m to almost 40,000
● One of the veterans who attended the Thames
Ships (ADLS), and the Mayors guest a chance to meet many of the were: Thamesa, Tarifa, MTB 102,
people to fund commemorative visits.
Cruise was S/M George Drewett, who was involved
of Kingston-upon-Thames, Sea Cadets from local units who Bluebird of Chelsea, RIIS 1, Breda,
For more details on current programmes,
in the Dunkirk evacuation. S/M Drewett is president
Elmbridge and Spelthorne. helped with lines and locking. Fermain V, Hilfranor, Wanda,
eligibility and how to apply, call the Heroes
of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla 1942-45 Association –
WO1 Mick Gentry again After lunch, the veterans Tom Tit, Gay Venture, Lady Gay,
Return 2 hotline on 0845 0000 121, or see the
many destroyers were present at Dunkirk, picking
arranged for a contingent from returned to Kingston on those Papillon, Latona, Naiad Errant,
website at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
up evacuees and protecting ships – and he is HMS Collingwood to attend, and Little Ships returning downstream Gentle Ladye, Quisisana, Janthea,
pictured (above) with a fox, the fl otilla mascot the presence of these 22 ratings, or in a convoy of classic military Nyula, and Mary Jane.
030-032_NN_nov.indd 3 18/11/09 18:36:15
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