28 NAVY NEWS, NOVEMBER 2008
Pressure on
submariner
Long wait
training?
When the
IS IT true the RN is thinking of
closing the escape tank in Port-
Queen got a
for medals
smouth?
I think it is terrible for future THE PHOTOGRAPH (right)
submariners not to be trained in shows my grandson receiving the
escape procedures – my uncle, Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal for
son and son-in-law have had this me.
experience, and I can sleep at I was one of 250 in the morning
night knowing at least they have a session at the Royal Armouries in
chance to escape if needed.
bit too close
Leeds, and there were a further
– Anne Williams, Buckley, 250 in the afternoon in March
Flintshire, N Wales this year.
THERE is a story going the
It was organised by the
rounds among various branches of
Manchester branch of the Malaysia
the Submariners’ Association that
Veterans Association I believe.
escape training is being brought to
The medal has now been passed
a close, for cost reasons.
to my eldest son, a serving CPO
If this is true, the lives of British
NEWS OF the Navy honouring on the Westminster, who is wait-
submariners will be put at risk.
the Queen Elizabeth 2 with ing to hear if he can wear it on
I know there are now the deep
HMS Manchester escorting
ceremonial occasions.
here, South Africa and France
vessels that can attach to a sunken brought back vivid memories
– Robert Field, Leeds
being a bit further down the line!
– Dave Harding, Swellendam,
submarine to rescue the crew, but of the last time those FURTHER to the letter regard-
Western Cape, South Africa
what happens if the boat is on
two ships were in close
ing the non-issue of the medal,
the bottom, or part of the boat is
proximity.
(September) I also applied to the
TWO years ago, in my capacity as
flooded? secretary of the Malaya and Bor-
Welfare Offi cer, RNA Cape Town,
In summer 2000, after
As with HMS Truculent, she neo Veterans’ Association over
I submitted a block application for
completing a very successful
had various flooded compart- two-and-a-half years ago and since
eight of our members who quali-
APT(N) deployment to
ments and an immediate escape then have made a number of tel-
fi ed.
the Caribbean, the ‘Mighty
was thus necessary, only to have ephone calls to both the Malaysian
To date not a word, despite
Manchester’ took part in the US
some survivors lost in the tidal Embassy and the secretary of the
follow-up letters to High
Navy Fleet Week in New York. We
currents. M&BVA to no avail.
Commissions in both London and
were given a prize slot inboard at
With a flooded boat on the I served in HMS Lincoln from
Pretoria. Our oldest claimant has
one of the cruise liner terminals
bottom, it is expected that an 1962 to 1963 and spent quite a bit
now turned 80 and, like the rest
with the Japanese Naval Ship
immediate escape attempt would of time in and off Borneo.
of us, would very much like to see
Kashima berthed alongside us.
be made, thus reducing the time – David E Smith, Alfreton,
what this medal looks like!
One morning as I was finishing
spent under pressure. Derbyshire
– Peter Turton, Cape Town
breakfast and contemplating the
– John Belton-Perkin,
day ahead there was a knock at my THERE are three of us here in
I APPLIED two-and-a-half years
Bodmin, Cornwall
cabin door: “XO’s compliments, Waterford who qualifi ed. We con-
ago but have not received any
An RN spokesman told Navy Sir, the QE2 is in sight and tacted the association and got no-
reply.
News: “It is true that pressurised will berth opposite us soon. He where, in most cases not even an
I was an Ordnance Artificer
ascent training has been sus- thought you might like to come acknowledgment of our letters,
(Weapons) and received the GSM
pended at the SETT (Submarine down and see.” and I think that applies to every-
with Malay Peninsula Clasp.
Escape Training Tank). In my best uniform ready for one in the Irish Republic.
I am now nearing my 72nd
“This decision has no impact the day’s events I slipped my Two of us received ours through
birthday so I hope I hear some-
on the safety or the operational ceremonial telescope under my the Ton-Class Association, so
thing soon. If Ted Fitzsimmons
capability of the submarine fleet arm, donned my better cap and I would suggest the person in
reads this, we were in the same
and was not taken as a cost sav- strode down to the upper deck France try some other organisa-
boat.
ing measure. and up onto the fo’c’sle. tion.
– M J Dack, Barrow-in-
“Indeed, all other aspects of Stepping out from under the – Dominic Dunne,
Furness
submarine training are being awning I was greeted with a sight Waterford, Eire TO WARRANT a presentation a
delivered in full at the relevant that no CO would ever want to see.
I TOO am still waiting for my
large number of recipients are re-
training establishments. The view was blocked by the vast
medal. In the early stages I re-
quired for the Malaysian defence
“The decision was taken by blue hull of the great liner, rapidly
ceived correspondence from an
representative to travel to make
CinC as a result of a review of advancing down on the tide on to
Army gunner who seemed to be
that presentation.
the RN’s current training needs Kashima and Manchester.
doing some of the organising, but
There are many former service-
in light of the modern technology Collision was inevitable and
he appeared to be snowed under
men in the Portsmouth area, so
and rescue methods that are now sure enough the huge vessel
by the number of claimants.
I imagine if you live in a remote ● The QE2 keeps a safe distance (this time) from HMS Manchester
available. lent beam on to the bows of the
Picture: WO1 Ian Arthur, FRPU Clyde
‘Old ships’ from Bulwark days
area it will take much longer to
“The RN is reviewing whether Japanese ship, with a cacophony Forcibly sprung out about 45 their Captain onboard so that we
have informed me that their med-
muster enough men to receive it –
this training will be necessary in of crunching noises. degrees from the jetty, we set could both go and call and pay our
als were received over a year ago.
but you will eventually receive it.
the future and no decision has Her weight on the bows of about recovering as the liner was respects to the Japanese Admiral
The old tale about medals coming
– Tony Wilkes, Cosham,
yet been taken. The emphasis Kashima and Manchester had a hauled off and put alongside her and Captain of Kashima.
up with the rations may apply
Portsmouth
nowadays is on rescue rather predictable result – all our after proper berth. As damage to all ships was
than escape.” – Ed lines quickly parted, stern ropes, New lines were sent ashore limited to a little loss of paintwork
Surface
back springs, breasts and all, with
and the two ships hauled back and a couple of bent guard-rails
Not the original Unicorn
impressive bangs, and the gang-
alongside. The gangway was we celebrated with Japanese
way fell into the water with a
recovered and the ship’s company hospitality and a stand-easy tot
resounding splash.
I WAS very interested to see changes was explained to me. The
went back about their normal of saki.
rust
Both watches of the ops
the report on HMS Unicorn Cressy was a French ship com-
business. QE2 then barely had time to
department, mustering on
(October) with three wonderful mandeered by us.
No sooner were the telephones host a lunchtime buffet for the
the flight deck, scattered in all
views of the ship’s fi gurehead. The name was changed to
reconnected than I had my first Manchester and Kashima officers
I IMAGINE a fair proportion of
directions and the final trickle
The figurehead was not the Unicorn, but when the carrier
call – from Fleet HQ asking me to before stealing away on the
your ex-Service readers will have
of liberty men returning to both
original I am sorry to say, as a of that name was launched it
explain how I had crashed HMS evening tide.
been puzzled by the apparent lack
ships fled rapidly from the brow.
vessel that went into the ordinary, reverted to Cressy as there cannot
Manchester into the QE2... – Capt Bob Brown,
of paint and rusty condition on the
Amazingly no one was hurt.
she did not have a figurehead be two ships of the same name in
I sent XO to the liner to invite Navy Command HQ
upper deck of HMS Iron Duke on
when built. the RN.
your front page (October).
Is this a new maintenance poli-
cy, or have the paint manufactur-
Any survivors out there?
This is a replica carved a few
When the carrier was scrapped,
years ago, in fact I think they have
back came the name Unicorn.
three in total, the wooden one
Sounds logical to me, but which
ers stopped producing Brunswick
carved by Trevor Ellis, plus two
version is correct?
Green? ON CHRISTMAS Day in 1941, Hong Kong Island I kept a blog which can be viewed at www.
fibreglass replicas, one on the bow
And can anyone tell me who
– Wilf Diggle, Larne, surrendered to the Japanese. russchina.blogspot.com.
and one in store, so that when
is currently responsible for nam-
Co. Antrim My late grandfather, Leslie Barker, escaped with I met the twin sons of Chan Chak whilst I was
they take one off they can put
ing ships? I am puzzled as to why
We had a few inquiries from read- the rest of the 2nd Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) there and am now in the throes of planning a big
one back.
two of the new Darings are to
ers asking about the brownish Flotilla and kept a diary whilst he was smuggled reunion around Christmas 2009.
– Richard Hunter, Figurehead
be named after previous frigates,
upper decks – some thought it though China by guerillas and a one-legged Chinese I’m desperate to find out more about the escape
Historian, Aughton, Sheffield
when there are names of previous
was rust, others assumed the Admiral called Chan Chak who was later awarded a party, especially if any are still alive, a definitive list FOR years, schoolfriends and Darings being omitted?
ship had been through a sand- KBE for his efforts. of who was in the 2nd MTB flotilla, who was killed I used to go across to Dundee I have a vested interest, as I was
storm. When grandad died, I found his diary, transcribed in action, and a list of those deceased since the and visit the old swimming baths, a Boy Seaman on the Diana in the
When we rang HMS Iron Duke, it, and in the spring of 2008, used it as my travel escape. alongside of which was moored mid-50s and looked forward to
her PRO confirmed that it was itinerary to retrace his steps through China as far Can any readers help? Please call me on 07970 the Unicorn. being invited to the name being
definitely rust – the ship had as the Burmese border. His route continued into 822578 (day) or 07977 414440 (evenings) or email Only it wasn’t the Unicorn launched again.
been at sea for three weeks and Burma, then India before eventually catching a boat at RU001@yahoo.com then, it was the Cressy. Many – Ron Guthrie, Abernethy,
through two Force 11 gales – Ed home in March 1942. – Russell Joyce, London years later, the cause of the name Perthshire
opinion
THERE was a time when the Royal Navy was given a free against pirates. Leviathan Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH
hand to clear the seas of pirates and slave ships, and when This more robust response includes allowing her to
a ship’s captain could hang pirates at the yardarm. confiscate and destroy pirate equipment. It is a good start
November 2008 no.652: 55th year
Such independence of action, not to mention the summary and may be followed by more forceful action once the UN,
punishment which followed, is no longer fitting in a modern NATO, and the EU have debated the moral and legislative
Editorial Business
and arguably more civilised world. problems of dealing with captured pirates.
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But piracy is a growing scourge which threatens the sea There is no doubt that most of the British public would
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trade on which our nation and many others depend for their support a stronger line against pirates. Indeed, if the RN
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food, fuel, goods and ultimate prosperity. does not do something to tackle them, they may well begin
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So it is good news that HMS Northumberland, currently to ask what exactly is the Navy for? Helen Craven Advertising 023 9272 5062 or
operating in a combined task force in the Gulf of Aden, For the Navy’s part, there is no lack of will, nor of capability
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has been given additional authority to take a stronger line – all it needs is the clear mandate to do the job.
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