30 NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2008
Memories
of Exeter
I WAS very interested in the Ex-
eter veterans’ wreath-laying (Sep-
tember)as from 1938 until 1940 I
was in 27 mess HMS Exeter.
When we arrived in Devonport
for celebrations and leave I joined
HMS Inglefield, then the old
Centurion on secret operations.
When we were in Bombay in
1942, Exeter came in so I went
aboard to meet several old mates
who had re-commissioned.
In 1945 I was a PO on HMS
Implacable. After the two bombs
were dropped, she was adapted to
carry Aussies who had been PoWs
Trafalgar tribute
back to Australia.
We then picked up 2,000 troops
and 200 sailors and took them
over to Vancouver to travel across
Canada on the way home. Among
THE GROVE Review of The Life of then quickly hauled them down
the RN men were a few Exeters
Admiral Lord Collingwood (Sep- as he hoisted the repeat of white
who had survived Nippon’s
tember) reminds me that we still field blue cross flag, superior to,
cruelty, my old pal Taffy King
have an empty plinth in Trafalgar horizontal stripes blue, white and
among them.
Square and one man is missing, red flag.
At the 50th River Plate reunion
although he lies in state alongside You may notice that all the
I joined up with a few more – Taffy
Admiral Nelson in St Paul’s. British ships had white stripes and
Robins who stayed on Makassar
It is, of course, Collingwood,
bands so as to be seen through the and Bill Johns who wrote the book
who was not even able to attend
smoke even on the rudder posts. No Surrender.
Nelson’s funeral because he was at
– Gerald Morris The 69th anniversary will be at
sea and did not return to England
the Royal Fleet Club, Devonport.
for the next five years.
...ON Sunday October 19,
There are very few of us left to
Collingwood’s ship, the Royal
the White Ensign will fl y over
attend, so it’s now a family asso-
Sovereign, engaged the enemy
Exeter Cathedral during the
ciation. If anyone is interested,
some 53 minutes before the
annual service to celebrate Lord
please contact the Secretary, J
Victory.
Nelson’s great victory at Trafalgar
B Smith, at Lyntondale Kirton
Although outnumbered five to
203 years ago. HMS Victory
Lane, Stainforth, Doncaster, tel.
one and more or less surround-
The first lesson will be read
01302 841806.
ed, Royal Sovereign’s firing rate
by Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope,
– J London, Claines, Worcester
was so fast that the ship quickly
Commander-in-Chief Fleet, and
reduced two ships to waterline
the second by Cdr Paul Brown,
...I WOULD like to point out that
burning hulks and killed within
CO of HMS Exeter.
the man in the white hat in your
minutes several hundred crew and
Music will be provided by the
picture of veterans in HMS Kent
officers.
Band of HM Royal Marines from
laying a wreath for their fallen
I had a relative on board the
the Commando Training Centre
is not for sale
shipmates of HMS Exeter is not
Colossus, which was fifth in line
at Lympstone and before the serv-
George Gaskell, but my friend
behind the Royal Sovereign, and
ice the ship’s company of HMS
I HAVE been appalled at the way the present served and enjoyed the pleasure of serving with the
William ‘Bill’ Francis, who was a
stoker on the cruiser HMS Exeter
inside his letter-box was a por-
Exeter will be exercising their
Government has run the Navy down over
Royal Navy.
and was a PoW with the Japanese.
trayal of a scene in battle (shown
Freedom of the City by marching
many years; they don’t appear to consider
Is there anything we as ex- and serving personnel
– D R Jarman, Newport City,
above) as seen from the Colossus,
through the city’s streets to the
past history. Now they are considering sell-
can do to stop this stupidity? I and many more people
South Wales
which in the box is spelt Coloffus in
cathedral. They will be joined by
the old manner of writing ‘s’.
over 75 Sea Cadets from all over
ing HMS Victory.
have not much to look forward to in life.
Collingwood is repeating Devon and some CCF units from
It not only would be a tragedy but a kick in the face
There must be many more out there who need
Nelson’s last signal to him (when the county’s schools.
to 200 years of gallant sailors.
to know the truth about what is happening to these
Malay medal
his ship was hard at it and Victory Everybody is welcome to come
They (the MOD) can’t be serious; but yes this
artefacts the country has still got left.
was still to join the battle) ‘Engage to the service, which starts at
crass Government would consider such an act.
– K J Collins, ex-Leading Seaman, Henley Green,
IN REPLY to Brian ‘Tommy’
the enemy closely.’ Collingwood 1130, or ring me for more details
However what should be considered is the naval
Coventry
Tucker’s letter (September) I also
had, upon seeing the signal, hoist- on 01803 215959.
heritage and not only the sailors who served our
The media have run stories suggesting the Navy have been waiting for the award of
ed two black balls to his friend and – Cdr Rory Jackson, Torquay
country over the past 200 years but more recently
would be ‘giving away’ Nelson’s flagship and that the Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal for
during the Falklands War and in Afghanistan now;
she would be decommissioned.
nearly two years.
Polar pairings
it would be more demoralising than the recent run-
However the Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral
I served in Singapore and
down of the Naval fleet.
Alan Massey, told Navy News: “We are extremely
Malaya on two occasions –
I pray the whole country will be up in arms over
proud of HMS Victory, a truly iconic part of our
1954-56 aboard HMS Alert and
this issue; but I won’t hold my breath as many do
maritime heritage.
1960-63 at HMS Simbang Naval
IN HIS letter Polar Heroes (Sep- The other pair of bronze med-
not understand the issues or the sacrifices that Navy
“This unique warship is at the heart of the Royal
Air Station.
tember) Michael O’Brien remarks als were to a father and son,
personnel have and are making in their defence. And
Navy and there has never been any suggestion of
Like ex-PO Tucker I live in
that Kevin Walton’s family is both named Alexander Smith,
some people appear anti-Forces when in fact they are
giving her away or decommissioning the ship.
France and have done for nearly
thought to be unique in that both who served in Scott’s Terra Nova
anti the present conflicts.
“This current media speculation concerns a
five years. Maybe this has some
he and his son have been awarded in 1903-04 as Carpenter and
It is an appalling prospect if the country’s flagship
study which seeks to guarantee the long-term
bearing on the matter, or maybe
the Polar Medal. Carpenter’s Mate respectively.
was lost to the Royal Navy.
future of HMS Victory as she undergoes essential
they are just waiting for us to
Although it is true that his son To add to the familial scene,
– Michael Chivers, Southsea, Hants
maintenance work.”
cross the bar so that we become
Jonathan’s medal (for 1986) is there have also been uncle/nephew ...WHAT the hell is going on with HMS Victory? The When the study is complete we will, of course,
ineligible for a posthumous award.
the most recent such award (his awards, as well as two husband/ ship is a status symbol to us ex-servicemen who have be reporting on it – Ed
As I will be 77 next month, this is
father’s being for 1946-47), there wife awards – Mr Walter Harland
a distinct possibility.
have been three other father/son (1977) and Mrs Elizabeth Harland
Maybe another option would
awards. (1992) and Mr Michael Thomson
be to purchase a replica medal
The Australian, George Dovers, (1964-65 and 1986) and Mrs
Hood deserves better
which seems to be widely available
received the medal for his work as a Janet Thomson (1999)
on eBay!
cartographer during the Australian However, where the Waltons are
– Mike ‘Doc’ Andrews, Puys-
Antarctic Expedition in 1912-14, completely unique is that Kevin’s
Neuville, Les Dieppe, France
whilst his son Robert received his nephew Paul Goodall-Copestake,
AFTER 67 years, the recent academic exchanges paintwork and belt of armour plating.
...I TOO applied to the National
medal, with two clasps, for his part received his Polar Medal for 1984
of technical brickbats about HMS Hood appear I was also overawed by the number of staff
Malay and Borneo Veterans Asso-
in a French expedition in 1952 (and at the same investiture as his
futile and possibly upsetting to relatives of lost officers pacing the decking – awaiting sailing
ciation about two-and-a-half years
and for another Australian expedi- cousin, Jonathan); and finally that
crew. orders?
ago. I have not received a reply
tion in 1954-55. Both these, like Jonathan’s godfather was the Rev
On May 23 1941 I delivered a sealed canvas On return to port, within hours the British
thus far.
the Waltons’, are silver medals. Launcelot Fleming who received
bag containing C and SP codebooks to the force was in an uproar, following news of the
I also served from December
There were also two sets of his silver medal as a geologist
vessel at secret anchorage in Hvalfjordur and brief battle with Bismarck.
1964 until July 1965 in HMS
bronze medal awards – Lt William and chaplain during the British
departed 30 minutes later. The above comments are about one supreme
Corunna, on anti-filtration
Colbeck RNR commanded the Grahamland Expedition in the
As a young PO (21) I was taken to the ship by and magnificent battle-cruiser at a time
patrols. The ship’s company all
relief ship Morning for Scott’s Antarctic in 1935-37.
Norwegian gunboat RNN Nordkapp from base when all Naval services were stressed during
received the GSM 1962 with
first expedition in 1902-04, whilst In WW2 he was an RNVR chap-
at Reykjavik, I watched Hood depart almost the developing global conflict while
Malay Peninsula Clasp.
his son William R Colbeck, also a lain and later rose to Bishop, both
minutes later. endeavouring to maintain an Atlantic lifeline
So as Brian says, we are all in
Lieutenant RNR, was Navigating of Norwich and Portsmouth.
I had never seen such a large battle-cruiser from the West.
the same boat but on sister ships,
Officer of Discovery during – Rear Admiral John Myres,
before but was impressed by gleaming brass- – Lt Fred Fieldhouse (ret’d) aged 89,
if you will excuse the pun.
research expeditions off Antarctica Dorchester-on-Thames,
work, spotless wood quarterdeck, immaculate Stokesley, North Yorkshire
– Ted ‘Fitz’ Fitzsimmons,
in 1929-31. Oxfordshire
ex-AB, FC2 GOW, Helston
opinion
HMS Victory is indeed an iconic ship, as the Second Sea grip all those with half an ounce of imagination and some
Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
Lord, whose flagship she is, pointed out. feeling for history.
Not only is there something in her to interest everyone,
Perhaps more than anything, Victory reminds us of the
but she also engenders a feeling in many that is very close
October 2008 no.651: 55th year
sailors who served in her, and represents the fighting spirit
to worship.
which has secured our nation’s independence for almost a Editorial Business
For the connoisseur of great naval sea battles, her part
thousand years, and which continues in our Navy today.
Editor: Business manager:
in Trafalgar is endlessly fascinating. For those interested in
These intangible qualities are always difficult to justify in
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But whatever the outcome of the current study into the
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way she is funded (and it is entirely reasonable that her
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