34 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2011


Memorial is unveiled to Sportsman


MEMBERS of the Medway Towns Submar iners Association were invited to the opening of a new development named Saxon Shore House in Gillingham by Cdr David Waters, Naval Liaison Officer (and himself a submariner), for the unveiling of a plaque in memory of HMS Sportsman.


built on the site of a pub called The Sportsman, named after the S-boat which was adopted by the Kent town during their Warship Week in 1942. HMS Sportsman was


in Chatham and completed in December 12 1942, though the boat – given the number P229 – did not take a name until the following year. The boat served in Sicily


Atlantic (1945) with a good deal of success against enemy shipping – her captain, Lt Richard Gatehouse, was awarded a second DSC for the number of successful patrols he carried out. One member of the Association, S/M Bill Vowden,


Sportsman during the war, and attended the unveiling ceremony. The boat commissioned for a second time in July 1945 after a refit in the United States, and after further refits and a third commission was modernised at Barrow in early 1951 and handed over to the French the following year. Tragically, while on exercises in the Mediterranean, the now- renamed Sybille appears to have dived out of control to an estimated depth of 2,600ft with the loss of all hands. The memorial plaque is mounted on a massive block of granite on an area of grass alongside the apartments. It was made possible through the efforts of MHS Homes’ Ashley Hook, Cdr Waters and Cllr Paul Harriott, who worked on a number of submarines in Chatham Dockyard. Residents


event and listened as Mr Hook and Cllr Harriott gave a shot talk on the project, while Cdr Waters outlined the history of Sportsman. A buffet rounded off the event, saw residents


which


members and make them feel very welcome.


Red Ensign day in


London to the


SHIPMATES and standards gathered at the Tower Hill Memorial


on the


closest Sunday to Merchant Navy Day, September 3. The memorial,


of Trinity Square, commemorates the men and women


of Festival date


THE 2011 Devon Festival of Remembrance will be held in the Great Hall of the University of Exeter on Thursday November 10 at 7pm; tickets cost £8. Further details are available from the Devon County Office of the Royal British Legion on 01392 272211.


south the


Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in two world wars and who have no known graves.


chat to came to join the served in and built The new apartment block was


New arrangements for repatriations


NEW arrangements have been agreed with police and local authorities for Royal Marines veterans who wish to pay their respects during repatriations following the closure of RAF


Lyneham. Repatriation flights now land 30 miles from Lyneham at RAF Brize Norton – as they did until 2007 – which means the corteges no longer pass through the


town of Wootton


(1943), the Aegean (1943-44), the Mediterranean (1944)


where spontaneous gatherings of veterans and local people grew over the years. But as the official


route


from the air station to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford (where mandatory post mortems are carried out) has been discussed


Bassett,


and formalised, so too have the opportunities for ex-Service personnel to honour the fallen Serviceman or woman. The repatriation ceremony and procedures are carried out at the air station, after which the cortege leaves via Britannia Gate, situated at the south-east corner of the airfield, according to RMA Poole member Derek ‘Blondie’ Boorn, a bootneck back in the late 1950s. Corteges will now turn left onto


Station Road into Brize Norton village, passing the Chequers Inn after three-quarters of a mile. Shortly after passing the pub


the cars will turn left at the mini- roundabout into Carterton Road, then right at the next roundabout into Norton Way, site of the new


Memorial Gardens, which will provide another focal point for those paying their respects. At the next roundabout the


cortege will take the second exit, taking it up onto the A40 and on to Oxford, some 16 miles distant, where the third main ‘vigil point’ will continue to be at the so-called ‘final turn’ outside St Anthony of Padua parish church in Headley Way.


Derek, ‘Jim’ Hawkins and Royal Dragoon Guards veteran Johnny Walker have recced the route, and decided that the Chequers Inn in Brize Norton would be an appropriate gathering point for the serving and ex-serving Royal Marines community to maintain their low-profile presence, thereby


doing their best to avoid disrupting village life. “We liaised with the licensee of the pub, the parish council, the community centre situated opposite, RAF Brize


MOD Police and Thames Valley Police, and all approved our new location,” said Derek, adding that the location of the standards and those lining the route might have to be modified through experience gained.


Norton,


Prospective attendees are asked to direct queries to Derek at derekboorn@tiscali.co.uk Derek also pointed out that there will be little warning about the cortege leaving the airfield – around five minutes – and that the bereaved families will pass them on their way to the Memorial Gardens. However, as the route is much


shorter than that from Lyneham, Derek said members of the RMA Repatriation Network should be aware that the text messaging service giving details of the progress of the cortege will not be continued, and that Oxfordshire County Council’s repatriation team will be putting their own version into operation. Those intending to attend


repatriations are asked to let Derek know, and to


wherever possible. share transport Plaque unveiled


A PLAQUE has been unveiled at the College Farm Inn, Watchfield, to commemorate all those who regularly manned a vigil point on the A420 during repatriations from RAF Lyneham. Organised by the RMA Poole


branch, l Shipmates from Pershore branch gather at the war memorial in Wootton Bassett


TWO dozen members of Pershore and District branch attended the Sunset Ceremony at Wootton Bassett, marking the end of the town’s official involvement in the repatriation programme. The union flag was lowered and handed to the chaplain to be laid on the altar in St Bartholomew’s Church for 24 hours before being handed to RAF Brize Norton. RNA welfare officer and standard bearer S/M


Arthur Young has represented the branch more than 40 times, alongside other standards from across the UK, to pay their respects to those killed on active service as their bodies were driven from RAF Lyneham to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Various branch members have accompanied Arthur


over the years, and a special plaque was presented to the manager of the Cross Keys pub, which has been a staunch supporter of visiting shipmates. Branch chairman S/M Ted Annis said it was one of the most moving ceremonies he had ever attended. “From the moment we arrived at 6.30 there were


crowds of people who had turned up to pay their respects and by the time the streets were closed, you


Branch pays tribute in Wootton Bassett


was very moving to see so many people there for all the right reasons – whether it was their first time or their last. “It was a fitting end to a town that has shown so much respect and dignity to our troops and their families. “I hope that those grieving have gained just a little comfort from the show of public support.”


attended by up to 40 people and the plaque was dedicated to Andy and Debra and their staff at the inn for their support. The RM Repatriation Network became active in January 2009 with the return of Cpl Liam Elms RM and Sgt Chris Reed (The Rifles),


since when they have


helped at a further 99 repatriations for 220 Service personnel.


Return to Raleigh for Dave


AREA 10 chairman S/M Dave Tollerton, of Crosby branch, had a chance to roll back the years when he went to see his great- nephew Kieron Johnson pass out of training at HMS Raleigh. Dave did his basic training


the Torpoint establishment in 1961, and S/M John Whitman, of Plymouth branch, offered to show him around so that he could see how much things had changed – John is an RNA mentor at Raleigh. Dave, who has been a critic of the RNA/RN Memorandum of Understanding over the years, was pleasantly surprised to see the Area 4 mentoring initiative in action.


with young recruits, Dave said he was heartened to see the RNA taking a lead and a positive role in


the RNA. introducing serving sailors to


of RN rum WHEN S/M Donald McNee left the Navy – from HMS Lochinvar, the former minesweeper training base on the shore of the Firth of Forth – he joined a brewery. Some years later there was an auction following the closure of the Naval victualling yard at Dalmeny, close to the Lochinvar site at Port Edgar. S/M McNee’s company bought the last wicker jar of Pusser’s rum and bottled it.


One of the bottles was presented to S/M McNee – and this month, on the occasion of his 75th birthday, he says he intends to open it with family and friends and raise a toast to the Queen, while remembering his old stamping ground on the Forth.


the ceremony was Hermes reunion


AROUND 50 members of the Hermes Association gathered at Market Bosworth in Warwickshire for the 25th annual reunion. Among the highlights of the


Time for a tot Guided by John, and speaking at


weekend were the gala dinner, a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum, an evening of ‘Naval horse racing’, and a gathering at the local memorial to pay their respects to those who lost their lives in previous Hermes.


Standard in Paris


could hardly see in front of you,” he said. “There were representatives from all areas of


the Armed Forces and veterans, and despite the mass number, when the prayers were said over the loudspeaker you could have heard a pin drop. “The sight of the Union flag being lowered brought a lump to my throat and the whole event really brings home to you the ultimate sacrifice paid by too many. “Like the rest of our branch, I am so proud


that our standard has been there amongst all the others and I cannot thank Arthur enough for his commitment and loyalty. “It was a proud moment to walk into the pub and see the Pershore RNA plaque in pride of place.” Branch treasurer S/M Terry Brimmell added: “It


THE No 9 Area standard was given an outing in the French capital at a parade down the Champs Elysees. S/Ms Brian Payne and Jane Kingsnorth were in Paris for the anniversary Pilgrimage,


organised


of the Great by


the


Royal British Legion. The Area standard was paraded alongside the National RBL standard and that of the Paris Polish branch as well as the Union flag, which comprised part of the Colour Guard to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe – parading with them were 40 other French standards.


“I felt so proud knowing that I


was the only RNA standard bearer representing our association and, of course, Great Britain,” said S/M Payne. The two UK visitors also managed to get to the Bailleul Communal Cemetery close to the Belgian border in Northern France, where they laid a wreath and poppy spray at the grave of S/M Payne’s grandfather. The cemetery, which is under the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and lies just 14km from Ypres, is the final resting place of more than 4,340 victims of the Great War.


l S/M Bill Bannerman was invited to represent Erskine Hospital at the opening of a new Sainsbury’s store in Dundas Street, in the centre of Glasgow. Bill was chosen as his wife is resident at the hospital. Bill served on Russian convoys during the war and later became an engineer on Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. He is a long-serving member of the City of Glasgow branch. S/M Bill is pictured cutting the ribbon with store manager Eric Shiels and staff before declaring the branch open. Sainsbury’s donated £900 to the hospital


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