28 NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2008
Polar heroes
ERIC William Kevin Walton, (Heroes of the Royal Navy No.52, August)
is, like so many recipients of gallantry awards, a modest and unassuming
man, a founder member of the Albert Medal Association in 1966.
He is one of only two Engineer Officers RN to be awarded the Albert
Medal.
It was quite characteristic of him that he declined to exchange his
Albert Medal for the George Cross in 1972.
He is now the only living person still wearing the Albert Medal for
Gallantry in Saving Life on Land, with its distinctive red and white
ribbon (although your illustration showed the blue and white Gallantry
in Saving Life at Sea ribbon).
When he went to the investiture wearing what King George V1
considered was the wrong ribbon, the King, being something of an
authority on medals and ribbons, thought he should have been wearing
A face
the blue and white ribbon of the Albert Medal for sea service.
Although the place where Lt Walton performed his act of gallantry
was frozen ice over the sea, he was awarded the land medal. This led to
for good
a light-hearted exchange between the two men.
Kevin Walton has also been awarded the Polar Medal. His family is
thought to be unique in that his son has also been awarded the Polar
I WAS in Victory Barracks
Medal, this being the only instance of its award to a father and son.
when Navy News was fi rst
– Michael O’Brien, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire
published and I have been a
loyal reader ever since.
The poster (above) shows
a painting from 1950 by
A R Thompson, RA. I was ● HMS Hood alongside in Gibraltar in 1938, as pictured by Fred White, who served in the ship at the the
selected from among the time. Now 91, Fred lives in Weymouth and has kindly donated his memoirs and photograph album to us;
HMS St Vincent boys to be you can see images from the latter on our website
the model for a Royal Navy
recruiting poster.
I served 22 years in the
Navy. My time included the
command of HMS Yarnton.
During the appointment,
Yarnton became the first RN
Force for Hood
ship to circumnavigate the
island of Bahrain.
I ended my career as
I AM sorry that Dr
impressive and worthwhile piece Bruce Taylor have prompted the
Staff Gunnery Officer to
Command Naval Forces
Taylor did not take my
of work. He has no reason to be headline ‘Hood was not a happy
Gulf.
constructive criticisms
quite so sensitive. ship,’ particularly at a time when
– Eric Grove, University of the HMS Hood Association is
After retiring from the of his Hood book in the Salford arranging for the construction and
Navy, I spent 22 years in
● Replication’s what you need... The model HMS Warspite
way they were intended
financial services then
...GOOD FOR Bruce Taylor!
installation of a memorial at the
undergoing sea trials (or should that be lake trials?) in Poole Park
emigrated to Vancouver in
(Letters, August). Once again it appears that Eric
National Memorial Arboretum,
1993, where I began a third
I was certainly not ‘splenetic’ Grove has been brought to book,
in Alrewas, Staffordshire, to
career in the film industry as
or ‘indignant’ when I wrote them, held to account, and precisely
be dedicated later this year in
a ‘bit’ actor.
and no offence was intended. shown up for his arrogant, self-
memory of the 1,415 officers and
As the other photo (below)
I do, however, stand by them.
opinionated disregard of fact,
ratings who died on May 24 1941
Sweet 16 (ft)
shows, at the age of 75 I am
We can never be sure about the
namely his review of Bruce Taylor’s
when HMS Hood was sunk in
still in uniform. I am playing
dynamics of Hood’s sinking but
book on Hood.
action with the German battleship
WE ARE two model boat steering by a pulley system.
the role of a Washingtonian
there is evidence for the ideas
Whilst I cannot take on board a
Bismarck.
enthusiasts who thought your Access is via a lifting deck which
(circa 1776) in the TV series
that I began to develop at sea
lot of Bruce Taylor’s ‘revelations’
It is inevitably the case that
readers might like to see our most opens to allow the operator to lie
Masters of Horror.
about Hood’s wreck – and which
on Hood – ie, ‘in a pitiful state,’
there can be an occasional
recent build. prone inside with his head inside
– Cdr Anthony Davidson
were accepted by almost all my
you cannot work a ship up to
disgruntled member of a ship’s
colleagues on the expedition that
28 knots, two knots under her
company, but in my experience as
Having completed a seven-foot the sail looking out through a
(Retd) RVM RN,
found and examined it in 2001.
designed maximum, 3,000-odd
a junior officer in HMS Hood in
model of HMS Hood and an screen giving the appearance of
Gibsons BC, Canada
Equally, my conclusion on the
ton overweight, due for refit, if she
1938-39 she was, despite her age,
equally large one of the Bismarck, the model being radio controlled.
evidence of those I have had the
is in a pitiful state.
a happy ship, which is confirmed
we came across a 16ft submarine A rear facing video camera and
privilege of meeting who served
I respect the research he so
by other surviving veterans – and
model from a boat builder in the two way communications with
Midlands, and after a trial run in the shore help control the boat,
in Hood is that she was indeed
obviously did. I have read
this needs to be recorded.
generally a happy ship.
practically everything that’s been
– Cdr Keith Evans
his prototype, decided to make while from a safety point of view
(Retd)
our own model of HMS Warspite. a life jacket is worn and a fire
I called Ted Briggs when I saw
written on her in the last 45
Vice Chairman, HMS Hood
Tony built the conning tower extinguisher installed.
the headline ‘Hood was not a
years.
Association, Haslemere, Surrey
and Kevin modified the trailer and Successful sea trials have been
happy ship,’ and he could not have
I certainly would not put any
...I DECIDEDLY lost confidence we rebuilt the hull, which is made carried out on Poole Park in various
disagreed more. I hope it is not
stock at all in what Mr Grove
in Professor Eric Grove several of plywood and includes a rotating weathers and the submarine has
‘rank bad scholarship’ to prefer
writes on her after his opinions
years ago when on TV he distinctly radar scanner and navigation performed faultlessly.
the evidence of an actual survivor
(and that is all they are) on events
said that during the Bismarck
lights, dummy periscopes, aerials We now plan to build a larger
to that of a Communist agitator.
in 1940, and his laughable theory
action Hood’s aircraft was aloft
and a fin. 24ft model of a U-boat from
History is an ‘argument without
on how Hood was lost.
spotting for her.
The power is supplied by a World War 2.
end’ and it is best therefore to
– Peter French, Shaftesbury,
I’m sure many others noticed
modified 12-volt electric outboard – Tony Ferguson, Kevin
carry it out in a moderate and
Newport, Gwent
this howler too.
motor using a leisure battery with Patience, Poole, Dorset
civilised manner. ...IT IS most unfortunate that the – Frank Mantle, Halesworth,
Dr Tayor has produced an recent articles by Eric Grove and Suffolk
Tattoo hoo-ha
Prince of Wales
Wonderful Tristan
Malay delay?
I READ in my morning paper about a young guy from Portsmouth who
The photograph of Tristan da Cunha (May 2008) is
I WONDER if I can ask if any of your readers who passed all of his entrance exams to join the RN, only to be turned down
CAPTAIN LEACH was not the
a credit to the LA(Phot).
qualify to be awarded the Pingat Jasa Malaysia at the fi nal hurdle because he had a tiny Gothic ‘H’ tattooed behind his
fi rst commanding offi cer of HMS
In April 1959 I was a Third Mate on a tramp
Medal have actually received it? left ear.
Prince of Wales (Remembering
ship, Teakbank, on passage from Cape Town to
I served onboard HMS Barrosa from 1962 to A Navy spokesman said: “Tattoos visible when wearing parade
Capt Leach, July).
Montevideo; we called at Tristan to land some stores
1963, she was based in Singapore and we spent a lot uniform are a bar on entry.”
Capt Hamilton commissioned
and a passenger – the new administrator and his
of time between there and Tawau in Borneo ferrying I joined in 1964, when we had a recruiting office in Hartlepool, and I
the ship in Birkenhead, having
family.
troops and patrolling off the coast. had very visible tattoos on the backs of both hands, namely a panther’s
joined her on October 5 1940.
They used whaleboats made on the island from
I, like the rest of the ship’s company, was awarded head on my left, and a galleon on my right.
He was promoted to Rear
canvas and driftwood, they used cattle to haul the
the Borneo GSM. Also a die at the base knuckle of each index finger, the 1960s swallows
Admiral, and reluctantly left the
boats up from the beach – there was no harbour at all,
In April 2006 I sent my application for the PJMM between thumb and forefinger, and a small sleeper ring in my left ear.
ship soon after January 30 1941.
just a small landing beach. The islanders sailed over
to the secretary of the National Malaya and Borneo All of these were merely listed as ‘visible distinguishing marks’ and
I have this information from
to neighbouring Inaccessible and Nightingale Islands
Veterans’ Association to be processed and forwarded were otherwise never even discussed at my interviews.
the memoirs of my father, Cap
to collect birds’ eggs (about 20 miles) and sent off
on. Despite having all of these, I was always chosen as a member of the
(E) L J Goudy, who was the
homing pigeons to indicate their safe arrival and
Two years and five months later I still haven’t Ceremonial Guard wherever I served, including Whale Island, and a
Engineer Officer from September
departure to their women folk at home on Tristan.
heard anything. Royal birthday ceremony in Hong Kong.
1938 (when the ship was in
One unforgettable sighting of one of the worlds’
I am aware that there is a delay in awarding the It’s well-known that all of the Services are having problems with
build) until December 1941.
most remote settlements, and a glimpse of their life
medal but I wonder if any of your readers are in the recruitment and retention, so I was quite surprised to hear about his
– John Goudy,
before it changed forever. A wonderful memory.
same boat, if you’ll excuse the pun. ruling.
Victoria BC, Canada
– Capt C Winterton, Cambridge
– Brian ‘Tommy’ Tucker, ex PO (R), France – Doc Holliday, ex-AB QA2, Hartlepool
opinion
THE ROYAL Marines of 40 Commando had a heart-warming we just can’t shake enough hands.”
Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
welcome when they returned from Afghanistan and marched Bravo Company spent a day touring the attractions,
through Taunton, where thousands of people turned out to including the Houses of Parliament and the Imperial War
September 2008 no.650: 55th year
cheer. Museum, followed by free rides on the London Eye, and a
Editorial Business
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