28 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2008
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Tenbury Wells delivers
Forward
MEMBERS, wives and guests of the some Christmas cheer
with the
Redruth and Camborne branch
gathered in the upstairs lounge
ROYAL Marines in Afghanistan He and his wife were also
of the Redruth British Legion for
received ‘Christmas Comfort’ guests of honour at the branch
standards
their pre-Christmas meeting.
packages again this year thanks Trafalgar Dinner, where he gave
The usual ‘bring and share’
to the efforts of the Tenbury a talk on the Zeebrugge Raid. THIS year’s National Standard
supper was well-supported, and all
Wells branch. 2007’s packages were put Bearers competition will take place
enjoyed the obligatory tots of rum.
And one of the recipients of together last November and sent at HMS Forward in Birmingham
The same venue was due to a 2006 package went along to 40 Cdo and 29 RMASC at
on Saturday June 14.
host the branch’s annual general to thank members for their Camp Bastion and a detachment
Those eligible for the contest,
meeting as Navy News went to kindness. of Royals with HQ 52 Infantry
at the RNR training centre at
press. In 2006 the branch sent more Brigade at Lashkar Gar.
42 Tilton Road, Birmingham,
This will also be the last occasion than 120 2kg parcels to 42 Branch members were
are stated in the RNA Guide to
at which names can be added for and 45 Cdos at Camp Bastion grateful to the people of
Ceremonial, available on the RNA
the annual dinner dance. and Lashkar Gar, one of the Tenbury and further afield who
website.
recipients being WO2 Nobby donated money and goods for
Entry forms are available in the
SELSEY branch has marked
Clark, of K Coy, 42 Cdo. the parcels.
December issue of the Circular,
the 30th anniversary of its Now Command Wing Sgt So good was the response
and must be returned by May 17.
formation. Major at CTCRM Lympstone, that they went well past their
Area 4 will be holding an open
In January 1978 17 shipmates Nobby travelled to Tenbury target of 200, almost doubling
Standard Bearers competition on
● S/M Chris Dovey (right), secretary of the Tenbury Wells branch,
and seven guests were there for thanks WO2 Nobby Clark, of CTCRM, for his presentation to Wells to give a presentation on the 2006 figure by reaching
March 1 in the Falklands Hall at
the inaugural meeting. members the Royals in Afghanistan. 240.
CTCRM, Lympstone.
Over the three decades more
Anyone wishing to compete
than 200 members have joined
or spectate should contact S/M
the Selsey ranks, although age
and relocation have taken their
toll.
Today the branch still boasts
almost 90 members, who meet
at the Seal in Hillfield Road,
Lottery grant pays
Jim Paterson, Area 4 Ceremonial
Adviser, 14 Sunnyside Road,
St Judes, Plymouth PL4 9LE,
telephone 01752 261646, email
jim@paterson1513.fsnet.co.uk
Selsey, on the second Tuesday
of every month. Power and
THE City of Glasgow branch
played host to residents and
the glory
staff from the Sir Gabriel Woods
Mariners Home for retired
A VISIT to a power station and
seamen.
a trip on the Strathspey Railway
The guests enjoyed an evening of
for veterans’ visit
were among the highlights of 2007
music, dancing and a sing-along.
for the City of Inverness branch.
The evening included a raffle
MEMBERS of Purley branch in their 70s and 80s who are World HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and gone by over a drink or two.
On the formal side, branch
and the presentation of a cheque
enjoyed a memorable day out,
War 2 veterans. the Mary Rose. Branch secretary S/M Pat
members staged a two-day
for £200 raised by members of
thanks to a grant from the
Towards the end of last year Some also went Christmas Cannon, who helped to organise
recruiting drive at the Inverness
the RNA.
Lottery Commission’s ‘Awards
members and guests were taken shopping at Gunwharf Quays.
Highland Games, and were
the event, said: “The RNA makes
They were ferried to and from
by coach to Portsmouth, where The visit also included the
represented at the commissioning
annual contributions to many
the venue by volunteers from for All’ programme.
they visited the Royal Naval Royal Naval Old Comrades Club
of the Kirkwall branch.
charitable organisations but never
the Glasgow Sea Cadet unit TS Most of the Association’s
Museum, enjoyed boat trips and the Royal Maritime Club,
S/M Bob Coburn “did the
has any money for themselves.
Galatea. members are over 60, with many
around the harbour and tours of where they reminisced about days
branch proud” when he paraded
“We were most grateful to
the RNA national standard at the
Awards for All for their donation
RBL Festival of Remembrance in
of £1,200, which enabled us to
London, and in the Scottish event
give the World War 2 veterans a
Gordon Ross carried the branch
great day out. standard and Padric MacDonald
“It was a trip that many of them and Alan Green laid a wreath.
would not otherwise have been Among the talks at branch
able to do, and it was especially meetings were such diverse
enjoyable because they shared the subjects as Neil Drummond’s
trip with the company of their
Garden, Maggie’s Highland, and
mates.”
the Police Dog Section.
Corby head west to celebrate
Drop them an eline
NATIONAL headquarters staff
A GOOD turn-out of Plymouth branch members Anderson of Cellar Trends.
are building a library of email
ensured a warm welcome for shipmates from Corby Compere for the evening was S/M Richard Tipping,
addresses from within the
who were in the South-West to celebrate their 20th assisted by S/M Gareth Price, chairman of Corby,
Association.
anniversary. who ensured an enjoyable evening for all, the only
Would all branch secretaries
● Late last year members of Axminster branch visited the landing
The venue for the main event was the Johnston drip being that it passed all too quickly.
who are able to communicate
support ship RFA Lyme Bay in Portland. The branch has had an
Club in Devonport, which provided an “excellent” More information on Plymouth branch and is
by email please forward a short
affi liation with the ship since she was handed over by her builders
buffet, and there were celebratory tots all round. future activities can be obtained from chairman S/M
message to HQ on paddy@
in August 2007. Pictured above are S/M David Warner, chairman of
Marguerite Cooper won the main raffle prize of a Bob Palmer on 01752 509931 or social secretary S/M
royalnavalassoc.com so that the
Axminster branch, presenting a plaque made of carpet of the town’s
bottle of Pusser’s Rum, once again donated by Rob Sue Gutteridge on 01752 849176.
task of registration can begin.
coat of arms, woven by the Axminster Carpet Co Ltd
Introducing the crew of HMS Dodo – long gone but not forgotten
BARRY Prosser, who drew these cartoons,
● ‘Hooky’, Leading Seaman J Player
joined the Navy in 1955 as a Naval Air
● Ordinary Seaman ‘Smudger’
Mechanic.
Smith (right) – he’ll believe
(right) – Navy cut through and through.
He served for 15 years in various front and
anything – while Able Seaman
Also known as ‘the whistling killick’ from
second-line squadrons, in carriers and ships
Baker ‘Charlie’ (beside
his habit of whistling innocently when
with different aircraft and helicopters.
Smudger) just follows orders,
trouble is about to start (but never
Barry’s career took him to Borneo,
hence ‘Able Baker Charlie’
when the Bosun is around because
whistling is forbidden aboard ship)
Sarawak, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia,
Thailand and Australia, before he ended
up in Culdrose in 1968 running the Engine
Holding Unit.
When he left the Navy in 1970 he ran a
motorsport business, and then worked at
Fleetlands until he retired five years ago.
He now lives in Fareham.
Barry (70) has never had any formal art
training, but he was often asked to scribble
something with a pencil for the squadron
magazine, or paint the “nose art” and
crests on aircraft.
Since he retired, Barry has spent more
time drawing cartoons, and particularly
enjoys recreating the Navy of his youth.
“Just by chance I saw some statuettes
● Stoker Mechanic ‘Nobby’ Clark
in a Gosport shop window of Jolly Jack Tar
● Able Seaman ‘Soapy’
(left) – ‘Stokes’, not often seen
and it triggered memories of my time in the
Watson (left) – ‘Skers’,
on the upper decks in daylight
Navy,” he said.
the long-serving
(until tot time). Only ever wears
‘lower-deck lawyer’
“So I tried to create some characters that
his cap, a boiler suit, underpants
and permanent mess-
would bring them to life and hopefully bring
and steaming boots
sweeper
back similar happy memories for those who
served in the Grey Funnel Line of the 50s
and 60s.”
● Hooky says: “The buzz is they are issuing tropical kit because we’re off to the Antarctic to count the penguins!’ – perhaps not as
stupid as it fi rst seems, as ships often visited – and still visit – the West Indies and South America on the way south
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