NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2008 29
LETTERS to the editor should us to publish it.
always be accompanied by the Given the volume of letters, we cannot
correspondent’s name and address, not publish all of your correspondence in Navy
necessarily for publication. News.
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information. Letters cannot accompanied by images.
be submitted over the We look particularly for
telephone. correspondence which stimulates
If you submit a debate, makes us laugh or
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make sure that you the right to edit your
have the permission for submissions.
● A salty sea dog poses with two younger members of the naval community during Meet Your Navy
Picture: LA(Phot) Caroline Davies, FRPU East
Meet lovers
MY PARTNER and I spent a wonderful three days We would like to thank the crews of the ships for
at Meet Your Navy in Portsmouth.The kindness we their hard work making the visits run smoothly. The
experienced from all whom we came into contact organisation was superb throughout the weekend and
with made our stay from the outset. we think this has been the best one we have attended
We would like to express our sincerest thanks to yet, and we have attended numerous Navy Days in
the submariners we met at the gate for all the help Devonport and Portsmouth.
they gave us, also to the lady in the ticket office and The displays by the re-enactors was amazing,
those at the side entrance who pointed out that I was as were the model boats whose builders’ skill was
disabled and should be treated with care. incredible, the demonstrations in the arena and on
I particularly wanted to show my partner where I the water were incredible as were the Red Arrows
was drafted from, in 1940, Victory Barracks, and also with their breathtaking skills.
the HMS Nelson bell (having served in the battleship Well done to everyone – their hard work in putting
HMS Nelson). on an event like this was appreciated more than
I had a word at the gate and straightaway the words can tell.
policeman let us in and photographed us by the – Daryl and Sam Dobbs, (aged 15),
bell.To all these people, we both send our sincerest Tuffley, Gloucester
thanks.
...I FELT I had to write, could you please pass on
The organisation was wonderful and our stay in the
congratulations to the crew of HMS Southampton
Maritime Naval Club very happy.
– Denys Carden and Jill Davies,
and RFA Lyme Bay for the brilliant display they did
on the beach at Sunderland Air Show (see page 18),
Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex
although we could not see the ship, or any aircraft
...MY SON Sam and I had a fantastic time and due to fog, the display on the beach made the day.
enjoyed every minute. We would like to express our A good insight into what the guys get up to – well
thanks and gratitude to all the staff who have worked worth the trip just to see that.
very hard making the event a success. – Jan Gray, via e-mail
‘In the company of such a fine group’
I WAS recently shown your June issue with the letters World War 2.
about HMS York. In those days there was no air cover mid-Atlantic.
I was appointed to this ship on August 25 1939 The only aircraft to hand was the unarmed spotter
and was the only Reserve officer to board until after plane, our Walrus, to extend our vision beyond the
the Norwegian campaign in 1940. horizon.
The photograph is the York, originally the ship had It was a happy ship commanded by men who all
three narrow funnels, the centre one was removed achieved great heights, including that great leader
and the base trunking led onto the larger front Casper John, with his outstanding ability both in
funnel. command and socially.
The reason was to accommodate the platform It was indeed a great honour to be in the company
for the Walrus spotter aircraft which was in position of such a fine and able group in times of trouble.
when the ship escorted the first convoy from Halifax, – Lt Cdr Ronald Crisp, (Retd) RNVR,
Nova Scotia, to Liverpool in the second week of Shipton-under-Wychwood, Chipping Norton
0028-029_NN_Sept.indd 228-029_NN_Sept.indd 2 119/8/08 15:40:319/8/08 15:40:31
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