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24 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2007
Rare birds
A French
in the
letter
province
JE SUIS un fi dèle lecteur de votre
revue que j’apprécie énormément.
THE article 815 – Banner wav-
Je me permets de vous écr-
ing (September) brought back
ire pour vous signaler une petite
memories of Eglinton in the early
erreur survenue a la page 32.
1950s.
En effet, vous relatez un sejour
We had the only two helicop-
à la mer sur le HMS Tyne malheu-
ters (Sikorsky Dragonflies) in
reusement en bas de page la photo
Northern Ireland, so were a great
présentée n’est pas celle du HMS
talking point with the locals when-
Tyne mais celle du patrouilleur
ever they were seen.
des affaires maritimes française le
Workers in the potato fields
Pam Themis (excellent navire par
were quite happy to be covered
ailleurs).
in swirls of dust when the pilots
Je vous souhaite une excellente
hovered down over them.
journée dans l’attente de vous lire
The trawlers coming into Derry
le mois prochain.
were most generous with our
– Thierry Wenger, Cherbourg
request on receiving a lowered
Zut alors! M Wenger is quite right,
wastepaper basket from the winch
one of our photos showed the
with the note: “A few sweets
French ship Pam Themis.
[tins from the B rations] for your
Still, it’s good to know our
children, any fish today please?”
friends across the channel are
Fresh fish was provided which
reading Navy News – Ed
was shared amongst the flight
crews, ground and air.
One crewman actually shot at
flying geese which was frowned
Ocean was
upon by the wildfowling associa-
tion, so it didn’t happen again.
The good part about the flight
not the first
was that due to lack of night fly-
● HMS Daring during her sea trials off the coast of Scotland
ing instruments we only worked
I BELIEVE that Lt Cdr Dave
daylight hours, except of course
O’Shaughnessy was misguided
for maintenance.
when he stated that HMS Ocean
– P G ‘Nobby’ Clarke, FAA,
“is the fi rst ship built to commer-
1947-1969, North Walsham,
cial standards” (August).
Norfolk
Daring’s master
I served in the previous Ocean
from 1946-47 as a midshipman.
Remember
She was one of the Colossus-
class of light fleet carriers built
the Naval
towards the end of the war.
We were told they were built to
commercial standards as this was
Parties
and commander
quicker and cheaper.
Twin screws with two machin-
ery spaces, in echelons, each con-
I READ with interest and a nostal- MAY I commend Richard Hargreaves on captain to the deck hands and the chefs were splendid Daring for a month and she was my
taining both boiler and turbine
gic view your Falklands 25 souve- his excellent article about HMS Daring civvies” left me a little perplexed, as it might 15th and final warship command.
and without armour they were
nir supplements. (September) and what splendid pictures imply that I may have had no connection with I know I may be technically a ‘civvie’ on
lightly constructed.
It is disappointing to see that as well. the Senior Service. the retired list, but after 45 years at sea and
Some of your readers may be
Navy News, with others, ‘forgets’ I just wish to chide Richard gently, as sadly After 33 years in the Service, which included wearing uniform in command of such a
aware of even earlier precedents?
NP1810, along with NP2010. we did not have the opportunity to speak three carrier tours as a Buccaneer pilot, I was magnificent ship as the first of class, I felt
– Cdre John Torr, Kingston
You report that Stena Seaspread during his day at sea. appointed as an Admiralty Trials Master. very much part of the Senior Service indeed.
Gorse, West Sussex
carried NP1850 with Capt D Ede. His quote: “The rest of the crew from the I had the privilege of commanding the – Capt Ted Hackett, Petersfield
Capt Ede joined after June 14 to
relieve Capt Mike Williams.
For accuracy Stena Seaspread
Stanley’s
Softly awake
sailed to the South Atlantic with
Crunch
three captains, Paul Badcock,
Mike Williams and Bob Fitch
morning
the sparks
(Nightmaster).
surprise
time is SO THE Rt Rev Eric Deven-
The ship carried two naval par-
port recalled of his time at Royal
ties, NP1810 for ship repair and
Arthur “how delightful, kind and
NP2010, a 13-strong diving team.
REGARDING the names of the coming for
understanding the CPOs were.”
At most reunion events NP1810
ships opposite Stanley, I was on
(RNA pages, September)
has been forgotten, worse than
HMS Protector, 1959-61, for two-
My CPO Telegraphist carried
that our diving team, NP2010, has
yearly patrols of eight months, a large, confidential book in the
been completely forgotten.
shipmates
running south from Stanley. class.
The naval parties and Stena
Before we left Stanley to return If on a hot day he noticed a
Seaspread assisted more than half
to Portsmouth in March 1961,
I THINK Admiral Shipmate John
rating dozing, or starting to, the
of the ships listed between April
volunteers were asked to carry out
McAnally, the RNA President,
CPO’s lecture would change to:
and June 1982 – 54 of 77.
‘Operation Nameplate’ – to put
(RNA, July) has underestimated
“You will notice that this confi-
– Alan Cross, CMEA (H)
the name Protector in white stones
the problem of the attrition rate
dential book is bound in lead to
NP1810, Cowplain
and rocks along the embankment
among the association member-
ensure that it sinks when thrown
Still seeking
opposite Stanley.
ship.
overboard, but it is also conducive
The work was carried out over-
It may well be that the present
to considerable pain upon impact”
night to “surprise the residents of
rate of decline is 1,700 per year,
at which point the volume would
perfection
Stanley when they awoke in the
and he projects a mathematical
crash down on the unfortunate
morning and saw our work.”
progression for future member-
rating’s head.
I believe the name Canopus was ship reduction.● Just Nuisance receiving some TLC – and possibly some beer – at
How kind can you get?
I SEE that you added a cruiser already on the embankment in Cape Hospital in South Africa in 1944. He was admitted suffering
However, it doesn’t really work
– H ‘Sparks’ Crago,
to the Russian fl eet (August memory of the World War 1 action from paralysis of the sciatic nerve.
like that for, as the population
Hemel Hempstead, Herts
page 10). But Jane’s Warship
when Canopus defended Stanley. ages, it reduces at an accelerating
Recognition Guide tells me the
In 1968 when I visited Stanley
Bi‘dog’raphy
or exponential rate, so crunch
Apache medals
Admiral Chabanenko is a Udaloy
again the names Protector and time will come well before the ten
II DDG, not a cruiser.
Canopus were no longer there but years he suggests.
WITH reference to Dr Lou
I do enjoy Navy News,
I do not know when they were With regard to official num-
Armour’s letter (September)
especially your use of photos, but
removed, or by whom. bers, “J” was indeed the Seaman
about medals not awarded to some
As an ‘extra’ on Protector 1959-
RECENTLY I was lent a book by an ex-RM called Just Nuisance AB: His
this one hurt.
branch, although I don’t know personnel for the ‘Apache
61, one of the NAAFI staff was
Full Story (which was greeted by my dog with a growl) and was, there-
Old editors never die, they just
what the “X” was for, but I do Helicopter Mission’ – I can give
Bill Forfar, now aged 80. Bill
fore, delighted to read the snippet with his photo in Navy News.
keep looking for the perfect issue.
recall an old salt telling me that him a reason.
returned to Stanley during the
The book is by Terence Sisson with a foreword by Vice Admiral James The personnel who did receive
I did for 40 years in newspaper
when the numbers were first
Falklands conflict and was ‘draft- Johnson and is one of the nicest books I have ever read. medals are MOD (Army) – those
work.
introduced Seamen were referred
ed’ into the RN for the duration, If anybody is interested it is published by Flesch Publications, reprint-
– Kenneth R Norling,
to as “Jixers”. who did not are MOD (Navy).

aged 55 years! ed in April 2003 – ISBN 0 949989 51 7. – John Lindop, former AB, – Mick Pinchen (former RM)
Concord, New Hampshire, USA
– Ian Middleton, Portsmouth – I J Umfreville, Stratford St Mary, Suffolk Duddon Common, Tarporley Chislehurst, Kent
opinion
RECRUITMENT to the Sea Cadets rose by four per cent last year, in the Naval ethos of teamwork and self-reliance (not to mention
giving the lie to the commonly-held image of young people as the fun of canoeing, sailing, and all the other activities which tempt
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aimless layabouts, or hoodies with criminal intent. many to join in the first place.)
October 2007 No.639: 54th year
As Lt Cdr Roger Busby, from Sea Cadet Headquarters in London The report also shows that adult volunteer instructors spend on
Editorial Business
points out (Letters, opposite) adult volunteer instructors in the Sea average more than 16 hours a week with their units – four times
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Research by the Maritime Charities Funding Group has shown many will go on to become volunteer instructors at some stage of
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