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NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2010 THE TIME OF YOUR LIVES 1970 1990LIVES


We fl ick back through the pages of Navy News to see which stories were drawing attention in past decades...


e which storie


37


● The two models of HMS Decoy and HMS Daring made by Bryan ‘Tiny’ Height alongside Daring Decoy docks ● HMS Orwell leaves Dartmouth for the last time in 2000 August 1970


ADMIRAL Sir Michael le Fanu retired as First Sea Lord with a little apology to the Fleet. Always a well-loved officer, his popularity was a little dented in some quarters because the decision to end the rum ration happened on his watch, with the last tot issued around the globe on July 31 1970.


When he left Whitehall the admiral wrote a typically humorous message to the Navy: “Most farewell messages try To tear-jerk the tear from the eye, But I say to you lot, Very sad about tot,


And thank you, good luck, and goodbye.” August 1980


THE big draw at Portsmouth Navy Days was the new carrier HMS Invincible, which had been commissioned on July 11 in the presence of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. Portsmouth Navy Days, held over the August Bank Holiday weekend, also boasted HMS Intrepid, London, Norfolk, Birmingham, Cardiff, Diomede, Achilles, the submarines Sealion and Osiris, the survey ship HMS Herald, and the RFA Gold Rover. Plymouth’s star attraction was the high-tech frigate Broadsword, the submarines Spartan and Churchill, and a small fleet of destroyers, frigates and smaller ships.


At the 2010 Portsmouth Navy Days Invincible will still be seen, but the now retired carrier will play no active role.


Reunions AUGUST 2010


Royal Naval Photographer’s Association: 90th anniversary reunion party & AGM is to be held in Bournemouth from August 27 to 29 (30). After the last very successful ‘Weekend Reunion Package’ a few years ago, very favourable rates have been negotiated at the impressive three-star Wessex Hotel on Bournemouth’s West Cliff. The itinerary to celebrate 90 years since the branch was formed, includes Meet & Greet after dinner on Friday evening, Saturday AGM late morning followed by Up Spirits and drinks reception and gala dinner in the evening with live entertainment. All details of prices of the packages on offer can be found on the RNPA website at http://www.rnpa.info or in the ‘hot off the press’ Spring 2010 newsletter, which most ex and serving Phots will have just received. Please send your cheque for £25 per person deposit, made out to the RNPA, asap to: Ray Whitehouse, RNPA Social Secretary, Chilston Cottage, Ham Manor Way, Angmering, West Sussex, BN16 4JQ, tel: 01903 770906 or email: ray@chilston. com There will be a 5 per cent discount to all fully paid-up members. For membership and other enquiries please contact Danny du Feu at danny@ddf-photography.co.uk or tel: mob: 07966 258103 or 0116 2898725.


SEPTEMBER 2010


Bristol Avonmouth Sea Cadets: Were you a member of Bristol Avonmouth Sea Cadets (or Bristol Sea Cadets pre-1943) as staff, UMC or cadet? We would be delighted to see you (and guests) at our reunion to commemorate the Cadet 150 year. It also happens to be the 150th anniversary of Sea Cadets in Bristol so twice the celebrations. Any photographs, documents and memories of former shipmates would be gratefully received so that we can mount a small display on the night and to add to our website: http:// units.ms-sc.org/avonmouth To attend the reunion on September 4, contact the Unit Chairman at avonmouthscc@btinternet. com or tel: 0117 982 3938 (answerphone). Fleet Air Arm: Each year the Greater Manchester Branch of the FAA travel down


to Portsmouth to hold a reunion service of Remembrance at Marine Parade, Lee on Solent. This year it will be held on September 8 at 1100. Everyone is cordially invited. Standards are very welcome. For more details contact Bernie Cohen at b.cohen2@ ntlworld.com or tel: 0161 946 1209. River Class Frigate Association: 25th


annual reunion to be held at the Royal Navy Club, Leamington Spa on September 18. Muster at 1100, lunch 1400. Castle-class frigates, Flower-class corvettes plus other escort groups are all welcome – as they all did the same escort duties in convoys. Contact Ray Dodd, Clay Leaches Farm, Arlies Lane, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 3PZ or tel: 0161 338 4298. It’s Lt Cdr David Walsh (RN Rtd) 90th Birthday, so please do your best to muster.


Algerines Association Autumn Break: Seven-day break from Monday September 20 to Monday September 27th at Mill Rythe Holiday Park, Hayling Island. Full board £197 per person, plus entertainment. Please contact: George Patience, Algerine Reunion Organiser, tel: 01456 450659, M Hutchins, tel: 01903 766895.


OCTOBER 2010


Type 21 Association inaugural reunion: Just over 40 years from their conception, the eight Amazon class frigates of the Type 21 class now have an association. And the inaugural reunion will take place in Plymouth on October 8-9, when the association will be formally established. For more information contact Peter Mosse on 01730 829789 or visit http://type21club.ning.com/ Mauritius Veterans: Reunion for all those who served at HMS Mauritius (shore base) in the 1960s and 1970s. This will be held on October 9 in the WO & SR Mess, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth. If you are interested in attending, please contact Tina Lowe at tina. lowe3@ntlworld.com or tel: 01329 843347. HMS Victorious Association: Ninth


reunion at the Britannia Hotel, Coventry from October 1 to 3. For details contact Stoker Stan Mclellan at stanley675@btinternet.com or tel: 0113 255 5562.


reunion on October 2 at the GI’s Association Club at Whale Island. There will be an AGM at 18.00 followed by the reunion at 19.00. For further information visit www.hmsbristol. co.uk or email: peter.featherstone-williams@ astrium.eads.net or contact Gary Whitmarsh on 07768 310880. HMS Tireless ‘Build’ Reunion: The 25th anniversary of submarine HMS Tireless’ launch will take place at HMS President over the weekend of October 8-10 2010. Further information and a full programme of events can be obtained from Graham ‘Budgie’ Burgess at DESShipsEBG-SMDC-Mgr@ mod.uk or tel: 023 9272 3859 or Roly ‘Jan’ Lock at DESSMCS-PC4@mod.uk on 0117 91 33303. Weapons Mechanician Association:


HMS Bristol Association will be holding a


Reunion from October 23 to 25 at the Bear Hotel, Havant. Contact Dave Crees on 023 9247 5100 or 07074 475100 or write to 24 Leigh Road, Havant, Hants, PO9 2ET.


NOVEMBER 2010


HMS Collingwood Association: Reunion and remembrance weekend at the Ambassador Hotel, Llandudno, November 12- 15. All members and partners and especially new members welcome. Programme includes dinner and live entertainment every evening, coach trip on Saturday and remembrance service on Sunday.


As


always there will splicers! Visit our website at


MAY 2011


HMS Cleopatra Old Shipmates Association: Our 26th AGM and reunion is being held in Portsmouth from May 13 to 16. If you are interested in joining then contact the secretary Warwick Franklin at warwick_ franklin@hotmail.com or tel: 01752 366611. HMS Ruler/885 NAS: Reunion in Southsea from May 20 to 22. Details from Ted Restall at kathysturgeon21@hotmail. com (daughter) or tel: 0117 9327974 or 0117 9603477.


co.uk or contact Brian Cox at briancox9@ blueyonder.co.uk or write to 8 Colesbourne Road, Cheltenham, GL51 6DL


www.hmscollingwoodassociation. June 19: £5,000 – POET(AV) G M Bailey;


£1,500 – Lt M J Hagger; £500 – Lt Cdr C I Maynard. June 26: £5,000 – NA AH C Cherrington;


£1,500 – PO(D) P R Wright; £500 – Sea B T Cook.


July 3: £5,000 – L/Cpl C A Richmond;


£1,500 – CPO MT M C Anderson; £500 – ETWE S J Cooke. July 10: £5,000 – ETME P A Bowen;


£1,500 – Capt S W Garrett; £500 – Lt S D Banfi eld.


July 17: £5,000 – ETME T G Stanley;


£1,500 – S/Lt C J Watters; £500 – WO1 P D Fudge.


Entries for the Deaths’ column and Swap Drafts in September’s Noticeboard must be received by August 11


Please call 023 9272 6284 for details or email:


subscriptions@navynews.co.uk August 1990


Admiral le Fanu had been appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, but was never able to take up the post because of ill-health.


ONE of the oldest branches of the Royal Navy died with the retirement of Cdr SD(B) E W Andrew, the last serving Boatswain. ‘Andy’ Andrew had joined as a boy seaman in 1950 and was commissioned in 1963, becoming boatswain of the old Ark Royal, commanding officer of Wotton and Glasserton and seamanship officer to FOST.


MODELMAKER, and former Decoy man, Bryan ‘Tiny’ Height has carefully crafted 1:96 scale models of his onetime ship and her modern successor Type 45 HMS Daring (pictured above). The two ships have been


The boatswains’ branch was believed to have originated with the Saxon ‘batsuen.’ The boatswain had complete charge of masts, yards, sails and rigging, and was responsible for the training and discipline of all seamen. By 1963 it was decided that the boatswain was obsolescent, although the need for the expert seaman was recognised in the creation of the Seaman branch.


August 2000


THE Navy’s last remaining River-class vessel of the period, HMS Orwell, sailed out of Dartmouth for the last time flying her paying-off pennant and escorted by HMS Smiter, HMS Tracker, and a flotilla of picket boats from Britannia Royal Naval College.


Orwell, originally a Fleet minesweeper, had been converted to Navigation Training Ship and sent to Dartmouth to teach young officers navigation skills, a task which she carried out for six years.


At the time, young officers spent a week at sea, but under the new training schedule they were sent to sea for six months’ specialist navigation training in warships, so ending an era of Dartmouth Navigation Training Ships which had begun in the 1920s.


lovingly recreated to smaller scale – although the models are still almost six feet in length – and boast moving radars, guns and even the helicopter’s rotor blades rotate.


Many of Tiny’s memories are brought to life at the association’s reunion. Tiny is pictured (below) alongside association secretary Malcolm ‘Dobbo’ Dobson dishing out the tot of rum at their Torquay


reunion in April to an expectant Jim Harvey.


at Southport in April 2011; or for more details on the association, contact Dobbo on 01502 677396.


The next reunion takes place


The veteran did enjoy a visit to see the real Daring in full scale while working on his hand-crafted model. Tiny, who spent 27 years in the


took over the ship in 1970 and modernised her – she served until 2007.


“She is now a museum in Peru – not bad for a ship laid down in 1946.


we went all around the world on her.”


“She was a happy ship and


RN, served on board Decoy from 1966-70, and is a keen member of the Decoy Association. He said: “The Peruvians


Contact sheet


www.royalnavy.mod.uk Veterans Agency: 0800 169 2277, www. veterans-uk.info


www.royal-naval-association.co.uk Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity: 023 9254 8076, www.rnrmc.org.uk RNBT: 023 9269 0112 (general), 023 9266 0296 (grants), www.rnbt.org.uk British Legion: 08457 725725, www. britishlegion.org.uk


4374, www.nff.org.uk Seafarers UK: 020 7932 0000, www.


Naval Families Federation: 023 9265


seafarers-uk.org SSAFA Forces Help: 0845 1300 975,


www.royalnavalmuseum.org Fleet Air Arm Museum: 01935 840565,


www.royalmmarinesmuseum.co.uk RN Submarine Museum: 023 9252 9217, www.rnsubmus.co.uk


www.iwm.org.uk


6565, www.nmm.ac.uk Imperial War Museum: 020 7416 5320,


Sports lottery National Maritime Museum: 020 8312


www.ssafa.org.uk RN Community: www.rncom.mod.uk Medals enquiries: 0800 085 3600 Royal Naval Museum: 023 9272 7562,


www.fl eetairarm.com Royal Marines Museum: 023 9281 9385,


Competition


Winners of the World War 2 Lost Films DVD box set are: Mr D C Merritt, Alverstoke, Hampshire; Mr R Wilkins, Plymouth, Devon; Mr G Lancaster, Penrith, Cumbria; Rob Gillard, Torquay, Devon; Mr William Smith.


Speak to John Lister


01395 568028 www.burialatsea.co.uk email@burialatsea.co.uk


227912, navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk Royal Naval Association: 023 9272 3823,


RN and RM Service records: 01283


www.mod.uk Royal Navy recruitment: 0845 607 5555,


Ministry of Defence: 0870 607 4455,


NOTICEBOARD ENTRIES


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