NAVY NEWS, MAY 2010

27

One of a kind?

HOW unique is this? During my 25 years I served

on two warships that had the same pennant number – F88. Ship number one, from1962-

supplement A sublime

I ALWAYS enjoy reading Richard Hargreaves’

centrefolds and Slaughter in the Fjords – Narvik 1940,

on Captain Warburton-Lee and the First Battle of Narvik for a talk in my local village (Capt W-L lived in Soberton Mill), I know how much work goes into these pieces and Mr Hargreaves has managed to cover every aspect in a historically accurate yet exciting

Boys’ Own style.

One small error I spotted, HMS Cossack did not survive the war. The Tribal-class HMS Cossack was torpedoed in 1941 and subsequently sank whilst under tow.

was launched in 1944 and finally scrapped in 1961. But not to detract from a

The ‘C’ Class HMS Cossack

was no exception.

Having just done some research

thoroughly good read – he deserves a pay rise!

– Cdr Rob Scott (Retd)

Soberton, Hants

map HMS Punjabi is omitted, also the oiler British Lady, whose brave crew made the action and return home of the destroyers possible, so I have supplied more detail in the form of an extract from the report of the captain of HMS Punjabi, Cdr J T Lean, to the Admiral commanding the battleship HMS Warspite.

– Walter Jones, ex-Boy Seaman,

HMS Punjabi, Prestatyn, Denbighshire

Walter Jones’s very interesting extract can be found on the Navy News website under the

section Have your Say: Dittybox –

Man Ed.

MTBs in action

The story Spitfi res of the Sea

(March) is of particular interest as it makes mention of the First Flotilla’s MTBs. When the flotilla was recalled to England in 1939 three boats were lost on the journey. Of the remaining nine boats

four were converted to become MASBs, thus leaving only five operational MTBs, nos. 14-18. After refurbishing at Gun Boat

Yard (later to become HMS Hornet) nos. 15-18 were based at Felixstowe (later to become HMS Beehive) whereas MTB 14, which had suffered considerable damage due to a following sea, was repaired at a private yard. She then joined the other boats at

Felixstowe in early 1940. I joined the flotilla at Gun Boat

Yard, then became a crew member of MTB 14, joining her on her arrival at Felixstowe. One by one all five boats were

destroyed, my boat was the last to go. MTB 14 was destroyed as a result of a dive bomb attack in May 1942. For the whole of the period

1939 to May 1942 MGB 81 did not join the First Flotilla MTBs. If MGB 81 did become based

at HMS Beehive she may possibly have been linked with the 6th Gun Boat Flotilla under the leadership of Lt Cdr R Hitchens.

– Lt Cdr B J Collings, (E)

RNVR, Kidderminster, Worcs

...In the supplement on Narvik there were some omissions. For example on the ship location

63, was HMS Malcolm, a Type 14 anti-submarine frigate, operating with the Fishery Protection Squadron serving the Icelandic area, 310 feet, 1180 tones, crew of 140, conditions so bad that hard-lying money was paid, plus it rolled on wet grass! The most exciting time during

my draft, apart from eating lots of really fresh fish, was being diverted towards Cuba when the missile crisis was starting to kick off – and us with two 40mm Bofors and Limbos for anti-sub killing! Real frightener. Ship number two, from 1978-

80, was HMS Broadsword, the first of the Type 22 A/S frigates. All metric, 131.2m (430 ft)

4,400 tons, crew of 220, all mod cons and computers. Total contrast, you could walk two abreast along the Burma Road. The most excitement was

LETTERS to the editor should always be accompanied by the correspondent’s name and address, not necessarily for publication. E-mail correspondents are

also requested to provide this information. Letters cannot be submitted over the telephone. If you submit a photograph

which you did not take yourself, please make sure that you have the permission for us to publish it.

Given the volume of letters, we cannot publish all of your correspondence in Navy

News.

We do, however, publish many on our website, www.navynews.co.uk, accompanied by images. We look particularly for

the right to edit your submissions.

correspondence which stimulates debate, makes us laugh or raises important issues. The editor reserves

leaving Devonport with a very distinct list (for listing trials) to head up the rescue force for the Fastnet race which bad weather had hammered. However, one other commonality in these two very dissimilar vessels was that both were fitted with two WW2 40mm Bofots anti-aircraft guns. We certainly knew how to

recycle everything!

– Stan Smith, ex CRS

Barrington mystery

FURTHER to the letter about HMS Barrington (March), does anyone have any information on a submarine we lifted off the coast of Scotland in 1950? I was a stoker onboard at the

time, but everything was hush- hush, a sentry was posted and we were not allowed past the wheelhouse. The other boat, I think, was

the Barford, but I can’t be certain. Several boffins came and went during the week, but for what purpose I never found out. There must be some old

shipmates left who were on board at the time?

– Doug Goodall, Two Dales,

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