38 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2007
Dog watch
Bend
it like
in Euryalus
Coates
IN ANSWER to Gordon
Osborne’s letter (December)
about the Royal Navy v Army
I CAN confirm that the dachs- football match at Eastville Bristol
hund was real. General Sir
Stadium, one of the players
Alan Cunningham brought
for the Navy side was PO Jim
two dogs on board Euryalus,
Coates, whom I believe played
where I believe they left the
for the GB side at the 1956
Melbourne Olympics.
occasional calling card on
I came across a Chief PTI
the quarterdeck!
Jim Coates whilst serving on
Euryalus crossed the three-mile
the CinC’s staff at the Fleet
limit off Haifa dead on midnight Mail Offices in HMS Terror in
on May 3rd 1948, after 25 years of Singapore 1961-3. Would this be
British mandated rule in the (not the same person?
so holy) Holy Land (the nearest I At the same time, an Eddie
got to going ashore was the oiling Neary had transferred over from
jetty in Haifa.) the Army to the Navy and on
When they cleared the bay, arriving at HMS Terror was
other ships cleared lower deck to looking for budding rugby players
cheer him out. to form a team to take on anyone
Euryalus went past Albania en that would like to play us.
route to Corfu. I was fireroom Of course it took a little
switchboard watchkeeper, and the time, for most of us were soccer
controls for the degausing gear players.
were in the compartment. Having Jim Coates became our goal
seen the remains of Volage and kicker and what a kicker he was,
Saumarez in Bigli Bay, I needed he used to score from kicks half-
no reminder of the importance way in our own half and was
A man like
of keeping a sharp eye on the set- the first person I saw coming
tings, a task made more difficult round the ball instead of straight
● General Sir Alan Cunningham in HMS Euryalus about to leave Pal-
by the steady stream of people
estine at the end of the mandate in 1948. We asked if anyone knew
kicking.
coming down to ensure that I was
if the dog was real?
At the time I believe Eddie
watching them. Neary had a son named Tony so
If they had stopped to think
1946-48 on Palestine Patrol. If Ranpura when we were sent to do I was wondering if it was his son
they would have realised that I had
my memory serves me correctly what we could for the unfortunate who played for England later on?
no other
a vested interest in ensuring that
the Governor General left Haifa Volage and Saumarez. – Charles Walton, former AB
the settings were correct, because
aboard the cruiser HMS Ajax, The Volage, although badly
We couldn’t find evidence of Jim
if anything did go wrong, I was
not Euryalus, with the escorts damaged, had her bulkheads
Coates playing football for Great
several decks down, the prospect
Chieftain, Cheviot, Chequers, strengthened and was towed back
Britain in the 1956 Olympics.
of being blown up helps to con-
Chevron, Consort (I think) and to Malta where she had a new bow
But the Navy did play a star-
centrate the mind considerably!
Childers. fitted. The poor Saumarez was
THE articles and letters about – a non-substantive rate of the
ring role of sorts. Eighty ratings
– K T Eggleton, (EM 48-50)
I was privileged to be present written off and eventually towed
Tugg have prompted me to write Seaman Branch at that time.
from HMS Newcastle staged an
Weymouth, Dorset
on the departure from Haifa, back to Britain and scrapped, a
about a unique man whom I Ratings qualified as Torpedo
impromptu march at half-time
...READING my good friend John
at midnight at full speed of 30 sad end to a sad story.
fi rst came across in HMS Ocean Operators always mustered with
during the British match against
during the Korean War. both watches of Seamen each
Barrett’s letter (March) reminded
knots, all searchlights from the six After the bows of the Saumarez
Bulgaria, exhorting their losing
Tugg was hangar control offic- morning to be allocated the day’s
me of an incident in HMS Phoebe
escorting destroyers trained on were blown off, she was brought
team to “show more grit.”
er. We became close friends and tasks – torpedo men were always
just before John played his bugle
the Governor General’s flag at the back alongside the Ranpura and
They were escorted off by
enjoyed each other’s company on fallen out right away and told to
for the lowering of the last Union
masthead, all sirens at full blast.
we saw the sad sight of the bodies
police and their team went on to
board and ashore. ‘carry on.’
Flag on the jetty at Haifa.
This after eight trips to
of the crew who had been declared
lose 6-1 – Ed.
We met again in HMS Eagle, Not only did these torpedo men
Phoebe was lying at anchor off-
Murmansk, plus invasion of Sicily.
missing, they were quietly buried
Tugg like myself was a Lieutenant maintain torpedoes, but carried
shore and part of the ceremony
I thank God that I survived.
at sea.
then. He produced this booklet out all electrical work throughout
was to be a gun salute.
– Reg Mason, Portrush,
– Charles ‘Jock’ Devlin, ex-
Namsos
cover in Eagle (above). the ships, being forerunners of
The drill was for the QM to
Co Antrim, Northern Ireland
AB, Dundee
In Victorious he not only pro- what is known as the ‘electri-
pipe the still as it was lowered,
...VOLAGE was not laid up at
...MR Bardell asked how many of
duced daily cartoons relevant to cal’ branch formed sometime later
which was the signal to commence Malta for 20 years, she had a new
his comrades may still be around memorial
happenings at sea, but produced with no allegiance to the seaman’s
firing. bow constructed in Malta. She
from the withdrawal.
the Vic News. world.
A few minutes before, the was subsequently employed on
I am pleased to report that
A book of his cartoons was pub- When the new branch was
Admiralty tug HMS Reward the Palestine Patrol when she was
a number of ex-RN make up
to fallen
lished, but it covered a very short formed, officers of the branch had
passed us on the port side, salut- involved in a number of board-
the membership of the Palestine
period. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a green colour between their rank
ing Phoebe in the normal way. ings of illegal immigrant ships.
Veterans’ Association (PVA) which
IN MAY 2000 I succeeded in
his cartoons published covering stripes.
The QM returned the salute by HMS Saumarez was too badly
was formed six years ago.
getting a war memorial unveiled
all his life? Hence all the electrical branch
sounding the still and the order damaged by a mine in the Corfu
Total membership now stands
in Namsos, Central Norway,
He was a great man – officer became known as ‘greenies’.
for men on the upperdeck to come Channel and was scrapped.
at 1,120 and is open to anyone
where there was nothing to mark
and gentleman. Supply officers had white, doc-
to attention and face to port. It may be recalled that she was
who served in British military
the British involvement in the
On another theme, I am proud tors red, engineers purple/red,
On hearing the still the salut- in action against the German battle
forces in Palestine between 1923
April/May 1940 campaign.
and pleased to read that James dentists orange, instructors blue
ing gun commenced firing. That cruiser Scharnhorst off the coast
and 1948.
Attracting visitors involves
Magennis VC has at last been and construction grey.
tug must be one of a very few to of Norway on 26th December
The main event of the year is
much work and I take every
commemorated for posterity, and Any officer from midshipman
receive a gun salute, albeit only a 1943 when that ship was sunk.
an annual reunion which is held in
opportunity to try and publicise
his bravery recognised by the upwards with no colour show-
couple of rounds, in return for a On D-Day she was the leader of
North Yorkshire in October.
what has become another
long-overdue plaque unveiled in ing was considered as executive/
piped salute to a senior ship. the 23rd Destroyers Flotilla off
We would be delighted to swell
forgotten phase of the war.
Belfast for all to see. seaman branch.
I can only assume the quarter- Sword beach.
our ranks with any other ex-RN
Our visits provide pleasure
I first met him and we became All colours were discontin-
deck party got a rocket for what After surviving the war it was
Palestine veterans who may still
to the few remaining veterans
close friends whilst serving in ued in 1956, except doctors and
happened! sad that she had to meet her end
be out there.
who are able to join us, and
HMS Orion in 1947. We were in constructors.
– Derek West, Minster, in the Corfu Channel.
For more information, readers
reciprocates the warmth and
adjacent messes. How times change.
Ramsgate – Lt Cdr N C D Lawton,
should contact me.
generosity of our Norwegian
Although a Leading Seaman, he – C F Motley, Hayling Island, ...I SERVED as a Leading
Kloof, South Africa
– Nick Hill, c/o Eden Camp,
hosts.
was a Leading Torpedo Operator Hants Seaman in HMS Childers from ...I WAS a crew member in HMS Malton, North Yorkshire
Every year Friends of Namsos
War Memorial have organised a
Stanley sailor
five-day visit – already booked for
this year are three veterans of the
Afridi and Mohawk and one who
was on board Cossack when she
I WAS so interested to read the Is- Calling the
intercepted Altmark.
lands of Mystery article (March)
Anyone interested in joining
– little was known of the Falkland
the party should contact: Friends
Islands before 1982.
of Namsos War Memorial, 72,
I wonder how many Falklanders
Warwick Gardens, London W14
have served in the Royal Navy over
Home Fleet
8PP or e-mail aajg@btinternet.
the years? I know of one – but not
his name. ACCORDING to the letter from Geoff Hewitt (February) there were
com
My father, SBCPO William eight major ships and 12 destroyers waiting in Scapa Flow for
– John Gritten, London
Addis, travelled from West Wales Chamberlain’s announcement which would start the war in 1939.
in Bristol in 1934 for an interview I wonder how many of those manning the ships are alive today? I
Overbooked
to join the RN. Another person am pretty sure I am the only survivor in the Fleetwood area, although
about his age – 20ish – sat next I am sure there will be others throughout the country.
to him. I was a boy seaman in 1939 in HMS Rodney which carried about
by Poundforce
“Have you come far?” he asked 200 others, as did the Nelson, and it is almost certain some of them
Dad. “Oh yes, I left home yester- will still be around.
STAN Foulsham’s letter (March)
day morning and had to change I am in my 86th year and I’ve not had my three minutes yet! I feel
brings back vivid memories as I
trains at Whitland, Carmarthen that with a bit of luck I could be acclaimed as the only survivor from
was 1st Lieutenant of Whitesand
and Cardiff to get here last night. the Home Fleet of September 3 1939, the day it ceased to exist
What about you?”
“Oh, I left home 28 days ago
Hurrah for Molly
Bay at the time.
when each captain opened sealed orders and his ship became a
It was September 1950 (not
separate entity.
‘51) and as Stan says, we were
– you see I’m from the Falkland There is also the chance that I may become, for want of a better
certainly ‘overbooked.’
Islands.” His aunt ran the post word, the doyen of Ganges boys, having joined at 15 in 1936.
I would like to thank all the people who voted for Molly (pictured) at the
Lt (later General Pound – now
office at Stanley. I was the youngest in my class – I can’t remember the class
Crufts Kennel Club Friends for Life after reading about her in Navy
deceased) had a camp bed in my
The next time the two met was number but we were all AC boys housed in 16 Mess, Rodney
News (February).
cabin and he and his team, the
December 1949 in Trincomalee, Divison, with COP Calton and PO Hall as instructors.
We won! I was not told the individual number of votes but I was told
Poundforce, went on to greater
Ceylon (Sri Lanka now) at HMS I believe the time has come to create a new Association – the
it was large. It was an experience I shall not forget. glory following the Inchon
Highflyer. 1939 Home Fleet Association, consisting of those still alive who
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People do not get a lot of publicity but they landings.
– Ceri Addis, Westbury-on- heard the announcement of war on September 3 1939. do a great job. – Robert H Read (Lt Cdr
Trym, Bristol – Eddie Simpson, Welbeck House, Fleetwood – Tony Higbed, Coastal Forces’ Veteran, Baildon, West Yorks. Ret’d) Liverpool, New York USA
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