6 NAVY NEWS, MAY 2007
OOpinionp
wwwC
inion
Forces’
charities
Rebuilding
ready to
the Navy’s
assist
IT WAS sad to read about the
experience of D J Mackenzie
reputation
(March) and note his warning
about life outside the Navy.
In this context I would just like
to highlight to readers that for
nearly 50 years the White Ensign
Association has been helping and
THE letters on this page are but a sample of Navy advising all those ‘going outside’
News’ bulging postbag about HMS Cornwall.
with all aspects of resettlement,
We had far too many letters and e-mails to publish,
from job-finding and setting up n
but this selection gives a fair reflection of the depth of
business to pensions and benefits.
feeling about this issue among our readers.
Mr Mackenzie may not have
realised that the Association helps
There can be no doubt that the original incident,
all ranks and rates and is com-
followed by the media handling, have damaged the pletely free of charge.
● Back in the UK, the 15 sailors and marines from HMS Cornwall with escorts arrive home
Navy’s reputation. But as the First Sea Lord says in his Picture: PO(Phot) Angie Pearce Full contact details are avail-
message to the Naval Service (see page 10) the Navy’s
able on our website at www.
unique reputation, established over 500 years, will with-
whiteensign.co.uk and in Navy
stand this setback. The best way to restore it now will
‘What a disaster’
News, which is how many of
be through a return to normal business.
those living away from the main
Many of our readers find it hard to believe that the
Naval Bases become aware of our
services.
original incident was allowed to happen, others who
– John Roberts,
braved prolonged hardships and grave dangers during Chief Executive,
their years at sea have taken exception to the terms in The White Ensign Association
which some of these young people have described their
OK, THE Cornwall 15 were
would have got from me if faced party went away, in a rowed whaler
... THE Royal British Legion pro-
experiences. captured, this happens
with seven years in some foul- incidentally, to board a fishing
vide resettlement support, small
Several correspondents have vilified the young sail- and that is why they took
smelling brick toilet block which vessel, the Alamein stood off.
passes for prison in Iran. On the bridge to give covering
business advice, a small business
ors for selling their stories, although it is not difficult to
the Queen’s shilling. – David Griffin, RMA,
fire if necessary was a seaman
loan scheme, careers advice, and
see why they bowed to the temptation of chequebook What a shame a mother was
Ringwood, Hants gunner with a Bren gun. This is
funds to assist with training that
journalism. captured, what about all the
will lead directly to employment
Nobody who has not seen the British press pack in full
fathers?
...AS a former serving member of
obviously not the case today.
as well as advice about housing.
cry can fully appreciate the relentless pressure they can
As for selling their stories to
the RN from 1967-1978 I would
From the reports I have read to
As an ex-Navy man and now a
the press, I joined the RN in 1966
have to say I was embarrassed and
date, and I could be wrong, HMS
Welfare Caseworker, I am deeply
apply in pursuit of their story.
and I could sing like a canary and
shamed by recent events – what
Cornwall was some way off, and
concerned about the lack of sup-
Two inquiries have been announced, one to look
the world would learn a lot, but
has a Navy come to, just a touchy-
in fact had to scamble her helo
port for ex-Service people by the
into the original incident which saw 15 members of the
pride and duty prevent me from
feely bunch of politically correct
to get a visual on events as they
local authorities, and hope Navy
boarding party snatched, and one to review the subse-
doing so.
boys and women?
unfolded.
News will make them aware of
quent media handling.
Come on, let’s get things
Lord Nelson must be turning
– Richard Broniman, Malabar,
the help available.
Hard lessons will be learnt, and the most important sorted and start acting like proper
in his grave at the sight of a
Australia
People on low incomes and
question is, what needs to be done? Swift, decisive and Servicemen again.
Navy that ruled the waves being
...I AM not connected with
basic pensions may need financial
demonstrable action to address the issues raised will do
– S J McQueen
humbled by a couple of Iranian
the Navy, but I feel I speak for
assistance to replace household
patrol boats.
everyone in the county when I say
items or help with decorating,
the most to restore public confidence in the Service. ...IF these Naval personnel who
The captain of the Cornwall
we consider HMS Cornwall to be
removals, debts, respite care,
Is there any comfort to be drawn from this episode, were taken ‘hostage’ are a sample
should have put a shot across their
of our “modern” Navy then
our very own ship, and if the world
travel costs, etc etc.
apart from the obvious one that the 15 sailors returned bows and then blown them out of
heaven help us.
wants to take on our ship, then
The Royal British Legion
home safe and well? the water.
And what were the so-called
they take on Cornwall too.
which was formed in 1921 has
Perhaps this one – that the public still holds its Navy
I had some good captains and
senior members of the Service
– John Colenutt, Tregavethan,
helped hundreds of thousands
dear and cares a lot about it, even if many people do not
some not so good but I don’t think
doing, condoning their actions in
Truro
of serving and former Service
fully understand what it does. Thus they do not like to
any of them would have deserted a
people over the years and will
selling their stories?
boarding party no matter what.
...I THINK the biggest mistake
see their faith in the Navy, its people, and its standards,
continue to do so now and in the
No doubt in this age of spin,
– Peter McCormack, New
was allowing the 15 to return to the years to come.
shaken.
public relations rule, but what a
Plymouth, New Zealand
UK instead of rejoining Cornwall – Jan Thomas, Welfare
The job for the Navy now, as the First Sea Lord says, is disaster this episode has been and to be dealt with by the captain,
Caseworker, No.10 Area RNA,
to continue its good work across the board and restore what is worse it has brought the
...I THINK of my Dad, depth-
which would have happened in a Manchester
its enduring reputation as quickly as possible.
Navy into national ridicule and it
charged for days in the Kiel canal
previous era.
doesn’t deserve that.
during World War 2, and his
– Trevor Metcalf, former
– C Brown, (ex L/Seaman) RN
stoic acceptance of his fate, of
crewman, HMS Albion,
Families
Entering the
1950-1960, Carnforth
his bravery, never mentioned on
Cheltenham
his discharge, and the wounds he
...“WHY did they roll over so
received.
...IN reference to the Iran
easily?” screamed the headlines
still need
The military and political
kidnapping of our sailors and the
digital age
above an article penned in the
establishment can bluster all its
unfortunate incident off Alaska,
comfort of the media’s offices.
wants, but the message has gone how can you advertise “all the
How can any civilian or editor
help
out, Britain is soft not only on breaking news from the online
from the big national papers ever
crime and disorder, but even the newspaper of the Royal Navy”
get to grips with a 21st-Century
I READ your opinion piece on
when you do not report current or
Navy News is harnessing the wonders of modern
defence of its military and national
soldier’s dilemma of being held
charities (April) with interest, but
interest. just-released news items?
technology to get the paper to our readers as soon as
captive?
it gave a distorted picture of the
I hang my head in shame. – Lee Nightingale charity scene and, in particular,
we’ve written it.
The papers like to be fair when
– David Butt, Canada
Our new e-edition means the paper can be read online
the story fits their agenda, but
Several readers have asked why
of the differences between the
our April edition, with its striking
Service-administered charities,
as we go to print. Overseas readers will no longer have
there are lesser well-informed
...I AM at a loss to understand
how these men were captured with picture of HMS Cornwall on the
like the Sailors’ Fund, and those
to wait for their copy in the post, and serving RN people
“experts” who should have applied
safety catches instead of simply no intervention by Cornwall.
cover, did not run the hostage
of us involved with individual
will be able to access it wherever they are deployed.
milking the triggers of criticism During my time in the RN,
story. The reason is that we
‘benevolence’.
When we did a readership survey some time ago,
against those 15 captives on the 1956-1981, some ships I served
went to press two days before it
The impression may have been
many of you told us that you would like to access the Shatt-Al-Arab waters. on were involved in blockades. happened.
given that the present benevolent
paper on-line. Now you can. We must try to understand
While serving in HMS Alamein As for Mr Nightingale’s point
charities are not coping with
We plan to give every postal subscriber free access to
that “compliance” in captivity we were tasked off Cyprus in anti- about the website, we do not
their legal and governance
our e-edition as soon as possible.
is a monumentally difficult area gun-running patrols. In those days tend to run the same news stories
responsibilities. Not so.
To view April’s e-edition, go to the Navy News website
of behaviour for any civilian to we had none of the sophisticated that are already comprehensively
Speaking for the RN and RM
at www.navynews.co.uk and click on the link on the
comprehend. boats, helicopter support, etc, the covered on the RN web, at www.
Children’s Fund, we are currently
royal-navy.mod.uk or the MOD
assisting 1,052 children, 78
right-hand side.
For the record, “suppressed modern Navy enjoys.
compliance” is exactly what they However, when our boarding site at www.mod.uk - Ed
per cent of whom have serving
We are offering the April e-edition free for readers to
personnel as parents, with
sample until the end of May.
charitable expenditure of £1.2m
per year.
The views expressed in Navy News do not necessarily reflect We do this with two paid
those of the Ministry of Defence employees and a small number
of volunteer Trustees and have
always fully satisfied the Charity
Commission regulations.
It was the in-Service charities
which needed to change.
Whilst there is always an
Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH argument for streamlining
No.634: 53rd year
administration, combining all
naval charities into one risk
Editorial Business setting up too many conflicting
Editor: Subscriptions 023 9273 4448 interests for a limited pot,
Sarah Fletcher e-mail: subscriptions@ particularly at a time when,
Deputy Editor: Mike Gray navynews.co.uk
Tiptoe not Tally-Ho
sadly, the budget-constrained
Assistant Editors: Accounts 023 9272 0686 Local Authorities are increasingly
Richard Hargreaves Advertising 023 9272 5062 or THE part of ‘HMS Trojan’ in the film Morning which the Tiptoe belonged. having to seek assistance from
Helen Craven 023 9275 6951 Departure was played by HMS Tiptoe, not HMS John Mills, who played Trojan’s CO, was often charities like ourselves to fulfil
droom between shots.☎ 023 9229 4228 e-mail: advertising@ Tally-Ho (April). in the Maidstone’s war
their statutory responsibilities to
If the Tally-Ho appeared in the film, it would ☎ 9380 24163 (Mil) navynews.co.uk I had served in the Tiptoe in her first commis-
the community.
Fax 023 9283 8845 Distribution 023 9272 5136 sion and by the time the film was being made, have been only incidentally and in the back- – Monique Bateman, Director,
e-mail: edit@navynews.co.uk Fax 023 9283 0149 in about 1950, I was serving in HMS Maidstone, ground. Royal Navy and Royal Marines
depot ship of the 2nd Submarine Squadron, to – Cdr Gerald Mellor, Woodbridge, Suffolk
Children’s Fund
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