26 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2007
Permanent
patrol
Brave Sir Bedivere
Rum
goings
THE front page of Navy News
(October) has the facts wrong
when it says “Vengeance ...recent-
AS A former Royal Marines Colour Sergeant, I read with
ly completed the 300th deterrent
interest the article “First and Last Knight” (Ships of the Royal
on in
patrol carried out by the Silent
Navy no. 622, Sept) about Sir Bedivere.
Service since round-the-clock mis-
At the time she was hit by a bomb in the Falklands campaign, I was
sions by Polaris, and now Trident,
stationed on the tank deck having
boats began in 1969.” It should
control of the ship’s air defence,
Quorn
read 1968.
two Bofors and four General
Purpose Machine Guns.
READING the October issue
Please see the monument stone
The bomb did hit the port
of Navy News online, I was
to the Polaris Boats unveiled at
yardarm as stated, but also went
interested in the article on HMS
the decommissioning of HMS
through the A frame of the for-
Quorn receiving an award for its
Repulse at the Naval Base Clyde
ward crane, cutting the cable and
fi shery protection achievements.
on August 28 1996.
allowing the hook to hit the deck
I served in the World War 2
I was present to see HMS
alongside the port Bofor.
Quorn for 14 months in 1942-
Resolution depart on her first
It then hit the fo’c’sle, thence
43. In those days we escorted
patrol in June 1968 as one of the
into the sea.
convoys around the coast,
the Squadron Officers on SM10.
I do not recall any explosion,
patrolled the Channel, and on
– Lt Cdr Vic Smith, Burridge,
although another bomb did miss
one occasion were part of a force
Southampton
the ship to starboard, again, with
that sank the Komet, an armed
HMS Resolution did her first
no explosion.
German merchantman.
patrol in 1968, but round-the-
– Jan York, Hooe, Plymouth
Even though the rum issue was
clock patrols didn’t begin until
discontinued in 1970, surely the
1969 – Ed
saddest event in the history of the
Royal Navy, it was nice to know
that the crew did partake of a tot
Skilled set
of Pusser’s Rum, giving the ship’s
A vision of the future
modern-day crew a taste of what
we used to enjoy every day at
AS AN RAF reservist, I have just 1100 hours.
completed my detachment – in
WITH regard to the article “Project Fisher” (September) during my lat-
Our rum was so potent that
Basra - where I have been work-
ter years in the RN, I served in Fleet Management Services, my boss
I found it very difficult as a
ing alongside Royal Navy per-
Cdre Alan Tremelling and I piloted crew changes with fi shery protection
telegraphist to remain alert
sonnel, namely Communications
in the early 90s.
during the afternoon watch with
Technicians (CTs).
My project at the Royal Military College Shrivenham was to compu-
a pair of earphones on my head.
Despite some 25 years of mili-
terise a watch and station bill for ship type X, a blueprint adaptable to
Between ships, in barracks,
tary service, I confess to being
any ship type.
the watered-down tot was a poor
ignorant of most RN matters,
Military software was not up to today’s technology, but with the help
substitute for the real thing.
but particularly of the fine work
of college computer buffs a working model was produced, which at the
– Ken Tipper, Ocala, Florida,
undertaken by CTs.
flick of a switch gave command and control a real-time onscreen over-
USA
These people are a tribute to
view of the whole ship watch and station bill, married to manpower.
the RN, yet I wonder if many
With basic input it showed up gaps, personnel out-of-ship on courses,
non-CTs realise the range of their
leave, sick, etc. I eventually progressed the programme to a Cruising/
skills?
Action Stations sequence which made for the ultimate command and Gallant
Not only do they operate state-
control computer game with “what ifs?” playable.
of-the-art technology, but they
However, all efforts to get it off the ground fell on deaf ears. With
also speak many languages and,
today’s information technology I am sure a version could be produced
furthermore, are truly interoper-
and perhaps Cdre Ian Corder may be able to adapt it to a flexible man-
November
able, working at ease alongside
ning tool.
Army and RAF colleagues.
– George ‘Jimmy’ Green, former WO (Manpower) FAST 90-94
The professionalism, standards
action
and capabilities are an inspiration
A more ancient mariner
First blood
to all.
AS November is coming along,
I hope that your excellent paper
each and every year my thoughts
will convey my thanks to those donor?
turn to that never-to-be-forgotten
CTs with whom I have had the IN his letter “Calling the Home Marines in 1935 and served on Fleet Air Arm and an associate
CAN any readers shed light on
day of November 1, 1944.
privilege of serving and salute the Fleet” (May) Shipmate Eddie board the Resolution in the Home member of 42 Commando.
this photo of my dad, Josiah
Force T suffered a
CT community at large. Simpson laid claim to the fact Fleet during the Spanish Civil War, He was chosen as the centre-
Morgan? The family story is that
calamitous 80 per cent loss
– Flt Lt Alan Corbett, that he was the oldest member in operating on contraband control piece for the recruiting poster
he was the first British service-
attacking the German guns at
Chicksands Fleetwood and possibly in the in 1936-37, after which he trans- Once Navy Always Navy.
man to give blood after Pearl
Walcheren Islands, which blocked
country to have been in the Home ferred to HMS Royal Sovereign, Last year he was invited by Col
Harbour.
the use of the Scheldt River
Illustrious
Fleet in Scapa Flow in 1939. again in the Home Fleet in 1938. P R Denning to be the guest of
He served in HMS Furious
leading to Antwerp, vital for the
It may be so in Fleetwood, but When war was declared, as a honour of the Fleet Protection
which did call in at Philadelphia
Army to use as a base to build
as to the rest of the country, sorry higher gunnery rating he was post- Unit at Faslane.
where the picture was taken.
up supplies for the attack on
return to
Eddie, that honour is held by ed to HMS Warspite and it was Sorry Eddie, but until the hon-
My dad has been dead for
Germany, to shorten the war.
S/M Bernard Hallas still serving goodbye to Scapa, welcome to the our is officially claimed, the title of
more than 22 years but was a
I was a 20-year-old senior
as the publicity officer for the York sunshine. Ancient Mariner remains with the
blood donor for most of his life
telegraphist on Landing Craft
sea
RN association in his ninetieth S/M Bernard is a full member York branch of the RNA.
– a tradition which my daughter
Flak (LCF 38) which led the
year. of York RN and RM Associations, – S/M Bernard Hallas, Haxby,
and I have carried on.
assault of the LCFs and LCGs
S/M Bernard joined the Royal an associate member of Yorkshire York
– Mary Morgan, Stoke
4.5 guns.
I HAVE been fortunate this year
Our biggest weapons were pom
to have spent a week at sea on-
poms, totally useless against the
board HMS Illustrious as a guest
Sideways on
6-inch concrete gun emplace-
of my son, Leading Airman Dave
ments to draw the German fire
‘Brooky’ Brookman and more re-
away from the commandos going
cently on a day trip out of Port-
I READ with interest Reg Gale’s in.
smouth for a Families’ Day.
letter (September) about the an- Many years later we learned
I would through Navy News like
gled fl ight deck.
X factor jinx
the truth that it was thought
to thank Capt Fraser and his offic-
In 1950-52 I was the Deck well-nigh impossible to succeed
ers and crew for the wonderful
Landing Control Officer (BATS) – but we did.
hospitality provided by the ship’s
aboard HMS Indomitable. During
THE letter “Crunch time coming The financial crisis worsened in ...I joined the Royal Navy as a boy
It is described in war records
company.
this time we carried out trials with
for shipmates” (October) referred the ensuing years and in 1931 it seaman in 1930.
as one of the most gallant actions
As an ex-matelot myself it was
approaches at an angle to the deck,
to the old ‘offi cial number’ system was announced that pay rates for In the late 1920s the
by the RN and RM in the battle
a chance for me to experience life
with the wind at approximately 15
and the basis for the prefi xes. all personnel were to be reduced government decided to reduce
to shorten the war in Europe.
at sea again and have a beer and a
degrees on the port bow.
The ‘X’ component indicated – leading to the Invergordon naval payments across the board.
As there are still a few of us
laugh with my son’s shipmates.
The Squadrons we had aboard
that the individual was only enti- Mutiny. There were moans across the
awaiting the crash draft to the
It was pleasing to be able to
at the time were 813 Firebrands,
tled to the reduced October 1925
– Stanley King, Southsea
Navy and they relented – pay
‘big dockyard’ I thought it would
meet so many fine young men
801 Sea Hornets, 826 Fireflies,
pay rates.
...I WAS originally a London
did not become less for J ratings,
be nice to print our tale, as most
and women and be shown around
860 Seahawks, and a Dutch Navy
Inertia ensured that it remained
divison rating who joined early
but all new entrants would get
of today’s Navy have never been
this excellent well-run ship while
Squadron. At this time the squad-
long after these were superseded.
in 1939, was mobilised August
the pay cut and receive the prefix
told of events which saved our
operational at sea.
rons made up a song to the tune of
In 1925, at a time of severe
29 and had the number
JX, hence the JIXA name.
country in World War 2.
The nation can be proud of
I’ll be Loving You Always.
financial crises, the Anderson
LXD3886.
As an example, a J rating AB
My great-grandson by the
them and the Royal Navy.
The words of the chorus were: Committee was set up to review (ie If memory serves me correctly, was getting four shillings a day, way is now serving in HMS
– Paul Brookman, former
I’ll be landing on sideways, reduce) the pay of the Services. other RNVR Divisions, eg Tyne JX ratings when qualified were Endurance.
Communications Branch,
Not from up above, As a result reduced pay rates and Mersey, had numbers prefixed paid three shillings a day. – Lt Cdr Alf Neil, (ret’d)(SCC)
Worle, Weston Super Mare
Not from down below, were introduced for personnel TDX and MDX respectively. – T Ormes, RNR, Ex Scottish Region
See page 20 for a photo from that But sideways... entering the RN from October – Lt Cdr Robert Read (Ret’d) former Chief Petty Officer, Executive Officer, Bute Wynd,
Families Day. – Lt Cdr Ron Crayton (Ret’d) 1925. Liverpool, New York, USA Teg Down, Winchester Kirkcaldy
opinion
“SPOT on” was the description used time and again by guests names are carved into the Portland stone panels.
at the dedication ceremony of the Armed Forces Memorial at the It stands on a green mound in the middle of surrounding acres of Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
National Arboretum in Staffordshire – and by the media, who gave grass and woodland, its curved cream walls enclosed two striking
November 2007 No.640: 54th year
the project wide coverage and universal praise. groups by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley; in one a figure points to a
The aim was to create a memorial to those lost since 1948 who world beyond through a door slightly ajar, and through this gap can
Editorial Business
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impressive without being ostentatious, solemn without being over- month, illuminating the wreath at the memorial’s heart.
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formal. It is a triumph of imagination and creativity – and a triumph, too,
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It was a tall order for the designers, but to his great credit archi- to the Armed Forces Memorial Trust, whose members worked tire-
Assistant Editors: navynews.co.uk
tect Liam O’Connor appears to have achieved the right balance. lessly to raise the money by means of public subscription.
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The Arboretum is liberally scattered with monuments and memo- The memorial was dedicated by the Queen, and the ceremony
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