NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010 33
Cheshunt welcomes a hero
Sailors
CHESHUNT branch welcomed a true hero day they carried extra ammunition instead of rounds of ammunition left out of the 4,000
gather in
along to their 20th annual dinner. provisions. with which they started.
Their guest of honour was Spr Billy But severe weather prevented the helicopter Billy developed pneumonia, and cold injuries
Godburn, a soldier with the 42 Engineer returning for them, so they had to return to to his hand almost led to its amputation, but he
Regt (Geographic) RE, who was wounded in base on foot. is now on the mend and hopes to get back
honour of
Afghanistan and is still recovering from his With temperatures falling to -22°C overnight, to Afghanistan to serve alongside his mates
injuries. they had to cross irrigation ditches and swim again.
Shipmates heard how Billy, aged 20 and a the Helmand River while fending off attacks As a token of the branch’s appreciation,
Truculent
local lad, and seven colleagues were dropped from the Taleban. president S/M Peter Triggs presented Billy
by helicopter in Helmand province to carry out They were unable to light fires for fear of with a cheque for £300 for Help for Heroes; a
SAILORS past and present
a surveillance patrol. giving away their position to insurgent forces, further £176 raised by a raffle will also go to
gathered in Chatham to honour
As the mission was only scheduled for one and when they returned to safety they had four that charity.
the dead of HMS Truculent, lost
on January 12 1950 following a
collision with a merchant ship in
the Thames Estuary.
Despite heavy snowfall across
● Sgt Pat Whitear
the country, around 170 managed
Navy fan
Transatlantic fans
to get to the service, organised by
the Medway Towns branch of the
Submariners Association (SA).
A dozen standards were paraded
became
at the St George’s Centre – there
WE don’t blow our own would have been 13, but the
trumpets here at Navy News
Hythe standard was delayed by a
Army
very often – pride comes
large hole opening up on the road
before a fall and all that.
they were using.
But once in a while one of
Those which made the
parade included the standards
veteran
our readers lets us know that
someone, somewhere likes what
representing the Merchant Navy,
we are doing.
the Small Boats, the RNA, the
Someone like Terry Stow, who
Royal Engineers Association and
a number of SA branches.
AN ARMY veteran has paid a
served in the Mob between 1956
Among the guests were Admiral
visit to the Royal Maritime Club
and 1966, and whose son is a
Sir James Perowne, president of
in Portsmouth – but it should all
petty officer in HM Submarines.
the SA and the Mayor of Medway,
have been so very different.
“He subscribes to Navy News
Cllr David Royle.
As a youngster Pat Whitear lived
each year as a Christmas present
Serving deeps from HMS
in Meonstoke, a dozen miles north
to me,” said Terry.
Turbulent travelled up from
of Portsmouth Harbour, and used
“I also subscribe each year to
Devonport, and two RAF
to cycle to his Sea Cadets unit
my friend in America, Robert
sergeants from RAF Kinloss,
based at HMS Mercury.
D’Imperio.
representing Coastal Command,
He joined the NAAFI and
“Bob is ex-US Navy, 1956-70,
also attended to honour the five-
served in the stone frigates HM
and is a radio amateur, which
man crew of the Avro Lancaster
ships Daedalus, Dryad and
is another thing we have in
lost while taking part in the rescue
Mercury before getting some sea
common
operation.
time in HMS Albion.
“When Bob has read his copy
The service was conducted by
The day he left Albion he went
of Navy News he makes sure
The Rev David Preston; Medway
to the old Home Club (now the
it is available on the museum
Towns branch president Steve
Royal Maritime Club) in Queen
ship The Battleship New Jersey
‘Legs’ Diamond read the poem
Street and asked for a job.
BB-62.
A Watery Grave, and the organist
He was taken on as a kitchen
“Over the last few years it has
become a regular read aboard.
played all the hymns at the speed
porter, but the following year – in
“There are a crew of ex-USN
submariners usually sing them –
1959 – he went to the Recruiting
volunteers who maintain the radio
speedily and with gusto.
Office in Edinburgh Road to
systems on board, and they also
The Act of Remembrance
finally fulfil his burning ambition
have their own amateur radio
was read by S/M Archie Watt,
to join the Senior Service.
station.”
chairman of the Medway Towns
Alas, he was shown the door as
Terry described them as
branch, who – as in the past –
he failed the maths test, but Pat
“avid readers”, and to prove the
made all the arrangements for the
figured that if the Navy wouldn’t
point they sent some pictures of
● US Navy veteran Bob D’Imperio beside a model of the USS New Jersey, which has a coterie of Navy
service.
have him, the Army would.
them with copies of Navy News
News readers on board
A bugler from the Royal
So he joined the Royal
prominently displayed. ships from around the globe with distinction in the Pacific in Shipyard, where she was restored,
Engineers based at Chatham
Hampshire Regiment, serving
And while we are not so blatant participated in the event, including World War 2, in the Korean War opened and established as an
sounded the Last Post and
for 20 years and finishing as a
as to plug the product in news the Royal Naval Amateur Radio and in Vietnam. educational museum and a tribute
Reveille, and wreaths were placed
sergeant.
stories... well, just this once (and Society (RNARS), operating from The Iowa-class ship, displacing to the sailors who served on her
under the memorial plaque.
Now a Chelsea Pensioner,
p6, actually – Ed). ships in the UK including HMS 57,271 tons and bearing nine 16in during her long and distinguished
The branch’s ‘tame chef’ S/M
Pat returned to Queen Street
BNJARS (Battleship New Jersey Belfast. and 20 5in guns, was finally struck career.
David Scott made a magnificent
to present two plaques – and Amateur Radio Society) is the The RNARS HQ is at HMS from the Navy List in January The ship, which is open to
cake adorned with Truculent’s
perhaps, surrounded by reminders sponsor of the annual ‘Museum Collingwood. 1999. visitors, now rests at Camden,
badge, and the names of each
of the Service that was his first Ships on the Air Weekend’ held in USS New Jersey was launched In September 1999 the New Jersey, close to Philadelphia.
of the 64 sailors and shipyard
true love, to reflect on what might early June. at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, battleship began her final voyage For more details, see www.
workers, plus the crew of the
have been... Last year some 85 museum in December 1942 and served back to the Philadelphia Naval battleshipnewjersey.org/
Lancaster, were inscribed on small
oval plaques around the edge, each
£50 PRIZE PUZZLE
with the submariner’s dolphins.
Memories of Tretten
The day ended with an
impressive buffet, thanks to David
Scott and wives of Association
members.
Truculent had just completed
A FORMER Royal Marine has
trials following a refit at Chatham
revisited an old haunt in Norway
when she made her way towards
– and discovered that he had left
Sheerness on January 12.
his mark on the place.
She was carrying nearly 80 men
Patrick Surgenor, who left the
as, in addition to her crew and
Corps as a colour sergeant in 1990,
visiting officers from Chatham,
spent the winters of 1987, 1988
dockyard staff were carrying out
and 1989 at Tretten with elements
last-minute adjustments before a
of CHOSC and 846 NAS, staying
transit north to Scotland.
at the Baadsto Gjestgiveri (guest
Accounts state that the lights
house and camping).
THE mystery ship in our December
on the Swedish vessel SS Divina
Patrick had kept in touch with
edition (right) was HMS Swallow,
caused confusion amongst the
the owners, Mari and Johan
now LE Ciara of the Irish Navy.
submarine’s bridge party – they
Baadsto, and decided last year that
Mr Harvey Downey, of
read them as indicating the vessel
Gateshead, answered correctly,
a return visit was long overdue.
was stationary, but in fact they
and wins our £50 prize.
After a long drive through
denoted that the ship was carrying
This month’s frigate (above)
Denmark, Sweden and Norway,
explosive material (paraffin).
had a later namesake which now
he and his wife spent four days as
Closing date for entries is March
Truculent sank within minutes
belongs to Chile. What was her
guests of the family.
16. More than one entry can be
of the collision, and an immediate
name? submitted, but photocopies cannot
The Baadsto family and many of
attempt to escape was organised
We have removed her pennant
be accepted. Do not include
the villagers have fond memories
in the expectation that the
number from the picture.
anything else in your envelope: no
of those winter deployments of alarm would be raised and ships
Royals and Royal Navy personnel
● 846 NAS squadron open day at the landing site in Tretten,
Complete the coupon and send
correspondence can be entered into waiting on the surface of the busy
with their Sea King helicopters.
Norway
it to Mystery Picture, Navy News,
and no entry returned. Thames.
HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH.
The winners will be announced in Each year the squadron had
downstairs bar designated the piece of graffiti...” In fact, the bridge party, numbed
Coupons giving the correct answer
our April edition. The competition is
an open day where the locals
senior rates’ mess, a member of Patrick said many friendships with cold and swept along by the
will go into a prize draw to establish not open to Navy News employees or
had the opportunity to see the current, had been unable to raise
a winner. their families.
the family produced the brass were formed over the years they
helicopters up close, watch flying
plaque that was on the mess visited Tretten, and there is at least
the alarm, and many men who
and abseiling displays and get to
door. one former squadron member
surfaced safely were swept to their
MYSTERY PICTURE 180
know a little about life in the Patrick had a look at the room
who married a local girl, and is
death in the darkness.
Senior Service. on the top floor that he used as an now living south of Oslo. Only 20 of the 79 on board
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Patrick reports that not a lot has office and bedroom. “I had the feeling that many of survived.
changed in the tiny village – and “It seemed smaller than I the people I saw recently would
even less at the guest house. remembered, and as I was about like to see a return of the squadron
Brian mourned
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The only difference this time to leave, I saw on the side of the and the helicopters, but that may
was the absence of snow, but any wardrobe a sticker,” said Patrick. be wishful thinking as they are MEMBERS of the HMS Antrim
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
former member who was there “I could not believe my eyes – it busy in other parts of the world,” Association are mourning the
would have no difficulty finding was one of those round stickers said Patrick. death of their former captain and
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
their way around. that said ‘I’ve met the Marines’. “If anyone would like to know president Brian Young.
On the wall of the recreational “As we were the last and only more about this or any aspect Brian was also a distinguished
My answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
building, used as the juniors rates’ unit to stay here, and this was my of my visit, please contact me at member of the HMS Wren
mess, there is still a picture of a room for those three years, I must patrick.surgenor@sky.com or Association.
squadron helicopter and in the put my hand up and admit to this telephone 01752 893061.” For a full obituary, see page 37.
032-033_NN_feb.indd 2 20/1/10 16:59:48
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48