NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2007 19
Brothers in arms
THREE days before he joined
his first ship HMS Ocean
TWO BROTHERS paraded
ETME Gavin Hitchcock got a
together in Southampton to
mark the Falklands 25 anniver-
phone call from the ship say-
sary when Cpl Sam Hairsine of
ing “Bring your boots.”
the Band of the Royal Marines,
In fact, even before joining the
Portsmouth, joined with his
ship the baby stoker had been vol-
brother Lt Will Hairsine of HMS
unteered to play Prop in a rugby
York.
match against a team of Barbados
However these two brothers
International players...
have paraded before on numer-
And signed up for the dirty job
ous occasion – although at the
of repairing the diesel engines
time brother Will was also a
on board the massive air assault
musician with the Royal Marines
carrier...
Band Service before transferring
All at the hand of his older
to the ‘dark side’ as a commis-
brother POMEM ‘Taff’ Hicks, a
sioned Warfare Officer.
‘tankie’ of 17 years experience in
But this was the first time
the Royal Navy.
on parade together since the
But it was also due to older
brothers’ military careers had
brother Taff that Gavin decided to
diverged – and on this occa-
sign up for the Naval service after
sion Will was commanding the
years of working as a production
parade.
engineer near their hometown in
Will said: “We were in
Wales.
Southampton to support and
His tales of adventure on the
remember our comrades who
high seas were what lured younger made the difference in the
brother Gavin into the service and Falklands Conflict 25 years ago,
away from the same old four-walls some who still serve in a mari-
of his workshop in Wales. time profession.
Gavin resisted the siren call of “It was a fantastic day for a
the sea longer than their youngest parade and it was made all the
brother ‘Alfie’, another ETME on more special for Sam and I to be
board frigate HMS Argyll, who stepping off together again.
joined up in dark blue three years “It rounded off an excellent
before. weekend perfectly.
“I knew what sort of life my “As you can imagine, I’m one
brother was having, what he was of the rare breed of matelots
doing, where he was going,” said that enjoys a good march!”
Gavin.
● Lt Cdr Charmian Leaver, Chief Meteorologist in Kandahar
● Cpl Sam Hairsine of the RM
“I knew it was going to be hard Band Service and Lt Will Hairs-
● Little bro’ ETME Gavin Hitchcock and big bro’ POMEM ‘Taff’ Hicks
work, but it’s not with every job
of HMS Ocean
Picture: LA(Phot) Ray Jones ine of HMS York
A bolt out of the blue
that you can go to Barbados.
“Even Norway seems appeal-
Since the age of ten Gavin has
SOUTHERN Afghanistan has weather to expect but nothing like
ing. It’s not one of the usual places
been enjoying a taste of life at sea
a bit of a reputation for heat and this has ever been reported here
you get to see.”
on Families’ Days with his older
dust, with normal June conditions before.
It seems that the branch choice
brother.
of over 40°C and no rainfall. “It was the result of a tropical
was made for them before either
Taff added: “It’s strange because So it came as a bit of a surprise cyclone that started off in the
younger brother signed up on the
when you look back to a year and when 1½ inches of rain fell in just Arabian Sea, crossed onto the
dotted line.
a half ago we never thought we’d two days. land and kept going. It brought
“I told ‘em you’re not joining as
be having a drink together in Lt Cdr Charmian Leaver, the a lot of cloud, thundery activity
anything else,” said Taff. “This is
Tortola. Chief Meteorologist for the coali- and rain.
the branch to be in. It’s the hard-
“It took a few weeks to get used tion forces in Kandahar, said: “We “It was highly unusual to say
est working. We have a very strong
to – every time you walked into meteorologists normally have a the least and there has been noth-
work hard, play hard mentality.”
the flat you’d see your brother and pretty good idea of the sort of ing like it in living memory.”
“We have got one more broth-
I was used to him being home all
er,” said Taff. “Our oldest brother
the time. It’s quite strange.
works for the Inland Revenue – so
“You get used to it after a bit.
we shun him.”
He just blends into one of the lads
Little brother Gavin, who actu-
now, one of the ETs.”
ally isn’t so little hence his rugby-
This is Taff’s second time on
playing position, specifically chose
HMS Ocean; he wanted to come
HMS Ocean because of his broth- back on board. “You get lots of
er, but admits he has a few qualms hands on stuff here. There’s never
about working with him. a dull moment.”
“I’d like to be in his section,” How come little brother Alfie is
said Gavin, “but then I know what on Argyll? “I wasn’t on a ship at a
he’d be like as well.” time when he joined a ship, I was
Older brother Taff roars with shoreside,” explained Taff.
laughter, then nods in full agree- But Gavin added: “Although he
ment with his brother’s predic- has said as his next draft he wants
tion. Ocean.”
X marks
Calling
On the
the diver
info ops
front Lion
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0018-019_NN_aug07.indd 218-019_NN_aug07.indd 2 224/7/07 16:43:334/7/07 16:43:33
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