NAVY NEWS, JUNE 2007 31
Affi liation
Falling membership
Tremor
efforts are
victims
rewarded
helped by
EFFORTS to ensure Derby has
been able to adopt a warship have
resulted in the Mayor of the city
spells end for Lewes
collection
being given honorary membership
of the RNA by Derby branch. FOLKESTONE branch held a
New Astute-class submarine
charity collection for victims
HMS Ambush has been
very close to home.
officially affiliated to Derby after
the Midlands city’s previous
LACK of members has
Instead of putting the money
to their usual charities, it was
vessel, HMS Sovereign, was forced Lewes branch to
decided that the collection, at
decommissioned.
decommission after 42 Sainsbury’s Park Farm, should
That move was achieved with
the help of much behind-the-
years.
be given to the Salvation Army.
scenes lobbying by Cllr John
Commissioned in 1965, the
They had been busy giving
Ahern.
branch celebrated its silver
shelter, food and comfort to
And Cllr Ahern is now S/M
jubilee in February 1990.
people made homeless by the
John, following a presentation by
But last month saw the laying-
recent earth tremor.
branch president Rear Admiral
up service of the branch standard
That earthquake, on April
Sir David Haslam at the Mayor’s at the parish church of St Thomas
26, was felt as far away as
chambers at the Council House. a Beckett, Cliffe.
Ashford, 15 miles distance, and
Admiral Haslam said as far as The service was conducted by
the Folkestone initiative raised
he could remember, this was the Area 3 RNA padre Rev David
£700.
first time such a presentation had Farrant, and 17 standards,
Chairman Tom Stallard said:
been made in the past 30 years of representing branches in the South
“I remember, while serving in
the branch. and Lewes ex-Service associations
the Med Fleet in the 1950s, we
Sea Cadets from TS Kenya were paraded.
went to the aid of quake victims
provided a piping party – HMS S/M Ralph Twinch of Lewes
in the Greek islands, but I never
Kenya was Derby’s first adopted carried the branch standard for
thought we would be helping
warship. the last time, and was escorted
people in my home town.”
by Igraine Pendragon and Cassie
But that does not mean the
Potage du jour
Hamm of TS Lewes Sea Cadets.
branch has been neglecting
After the service the parade,
their usual good causes.
under the watchful eye of Sea
Members held a boot fair on
Task Force…?
cadet Corps CPO Wells marched
the Green at Hythe, organised
the short distance to Lewes Royal
by S/M Bill Kempson, ably
British Legion Club.
assisted by chairman Tom
There the Mayor of Lewes,
Stallard and seven other
AQUITAINE branch has held a
Cllr Merlin Milner, and chairman
shipmates on car park duty
Falklands War 25th Anniversary
of Lewes District Council, Cllr
and the like.
lunch, with an interesting range of
Marina Pepper, inspected the
The result was £2,000 for
dishes on the menu.
standards and spoke to the cadets
Naval charities and many
Starting with potage du jour Task
Force, members enjoyed crudites
and branch members.
favourable comments over the
de South Georgia, blanquette de
There followed, at the RBL
value of a “properly-organised
veau Falklands Sound and gateau
Club, a poignant ceremony where
boot sale.”
aux fraises San Carlos Water,
the chairman of Lewes branch,
S/M Tom said: “As we are
accompanied by vin rouge Chateau
S/M Steve Bristow, presented the
only a branch of 39 members
Francois de Port Stanley cuvee
branch bell to Lt (SCC) Mark
I feel very proud of the effort
1982 (+23…) and café Wideawake
Reeves RNR, Commanding Officer
put in to make the event such a ● The Mayor of Lewes Councillor Merlin Milner and Chairman of Lewes District Council Councillor
d’Ascension Island.
of the Lewes Sea Cadet Corps. Marina Pepper inspect the Standards of the Ex Service Associations on Parade
resounding success.”
The branch paraded its standard
at the Liberation Day ceremony in
Bergerac, along with 20 French
Call for ‘pre-war’ group
standards, and the RNA wreath
was laid by S/M Chris Corner.
A WARTIME veteran who has of a catch-all group, without
Every commune, village
suggested an umbrella organisation wishing to fragment existing ship
and town in France celebrates
for older RN sailors is keen to see organisations.
Liberation Day in Europe,
if there is any interest in a ‘Pre- Eddie, who was a boy seaman in
and honours the fallen, and as
War Royal Navy Association’. HMS Rodney in 1939, said he had
always, the ceremonies included
Eddie Simpson wrote to Navy already received feedback on the
youngsters as well as veterans.
News last month on the subject matter, and said that he “hoped
that others younger and better-
££50 PRIZE PUZZLE50 PRIZE PUZZLE
placed than myself will address
the problem of the diminishing
ranks of pre-war veterans.”
Eddie, of Welbeck House,
Fleetwood, FY7 7AN, would like
to see a national all-embracing
pre-war association, of which a
new 1939 Home Fleet Association
could be a part – the Home Fleet
would, he believed, have had
more than its fair share of younger
sailors in 1939, compared to the
seasoned campaigners on overseas
stations.
He said such people would have
THE mystery ship in our April
ten or 15 years or more to offer to
edition was HMS Sidlesham
such an association – but he said
(right), and the £50 prize goes
the message needs to be spread to
to Mr A Hamilton of Kingston-
ensure there are enough interested
upon-Thames.
to make it viable.
This month’s ship (above)
was something of an enigma – a
foreign merchantman taken over
Carrier is
by the RN in 1940, and operated go into a prize draw to establish a FIVE PAIRS OF TICKETS TO BE WON
as a Special Service Vessel until winner.
her loss off the Azores around
Closing date for entries is July
remembered Enter our competition and you could be one of the five lucky winners of a pair of adult tickets
New Year 1943.
12. More than one entry can be
MEMBERS of the HMS Dasher
to this spectacular event. Featuring the world famous motorcycle display team The IMPS.
Can you name her, and
submitted, but photocopies cannot
Association attended a special
The Manchester Field Gun team will perform a thrilling demonstration to mark the 100th
identify the U-boat which sank
be accepted. Do not include
anything else in your envelope: no
service on board MV Caledonian anniversary of the RN Field Gun Competition first held at the Royal Tournament.
her? The correct answers could
correspondence can be entered into
Isles to commemorate the loss of
win you £50.
the wartime aircraft carrier.
Simply answer the question below, complete the entry form and post to:
and no entry returned.
Complete the coupon and send The winner will be announced in HMS Dasher blew up and sank Manchester Tattoo Competition, Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, Hants PO1 3HH
it to Mystery Picture, Navy News, our August edition. The competition with the loss of 300 men, and
HMS Nelson, Portsmouth PO1 3HH. is not open to Navy News employees
the Caledonian MacBrayne ship
or e mail your answer and details to marketing@navynews.co.uk
Coupons giving correct answers will or their families.
stopped over the war grave site to
allow members of the Association,
Closing date June 29 2007
MYSTERY PICTURE 148
survivors, families and friends to
What South African town did the fi rst Field Gun Run originate from?
cast flowers and wreaths on to
the river.
The ferry was accompanied Answer: .................................................................................................................................
Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
on its journey by Type 23 frigate
HMS Northumberland.
Name: ....................................................................................................................................
Address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Address: ................................................................................................................................
That’s late, not Lt
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
................................................................................................................................................
A REPORT in the March edi-
Post Code: ..................................... Phone Number: ..........................................................
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
tion of Navy News referred to
George Hinckley as ‘Lt RN’, but
E mail: ....................................................................................................................................
that should have read ‘Late RN’ Entries must reach Navy News office by 12 noon June 29 2007. Five entries will be drawn at 15.00 on that day.
My answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
– George was a Leading Seaman
Each lucky winner will be notified by e mail, phone or post and will receive a pair of adult tickets by post.
and Quartermaster when he left
The decision of the judges is final and there is no alternative prize. Employees of Navy News are not permitted to enter the competition.
the Navy, as stated in our Heroes
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
of the Royal Navy in October last Ticket Line 0870 190 8000
year.
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