SHIPMATE
Spring 2018
Spring 2018
20th Anniversary
CROSSED THE BAR
Shipmates : David Hughes
Albert Wilson
Edward Selby Williams
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
Editorial Comments
Hi Everyone,
Here we go prior to our meeting which is in Bournemouth this time.
This is due to availability of hotels along the South Coast. The committee met in the UJC before Christmas and as Mike Crowe had resigned due to ill health Don Edwards has kindly stepped in.
A great deal of work has also been done by Peter Lacey and we are booked – via IOW Tours – at a hotel as near to Portsmouth as possible in the hope that we can get Collingwood’s Captain as a guest speaker at our dinner. It is our 20th anniversary after all.
We will also be joined by another association to split the cost? A lot of associations are folding or combining, and this may be us soon as it is the same few who attend or get in touch. It has also been brought to my attention that it is time to re-elect committee members should it be required. I believe some of the old committee may be on holiday this time as there was time taken for the venue to be picked. It was decided that Torquay was too far for a lot of people to travel.
I hope to see more of us in Bournemouth on April 20th.
Yours Aye
Roger
Our Association and what happens next?
I joined the association along with Peter Edmondson following an advert in the Lancashire Evening Post. This was some 5 years ago starting in Sherbourne Dorset. As Peter and I attended, leaving wives behind thinking it was members only, we took up our position in the bar. I knew Peter Lacey from serving with him on the Hermes but Viv and he had yet to arrive.
Whilst we waited – pint in hand – two members were talking about their time in the RN. One stated he had joined in 1942 and after training went to the Far East and was demobbed once he returned in 1946. I wasn’t born until 1947!!!!!
I think that most Naval Associations have an aging membership and so our ‘lifespan’ can be limited by what our members wish or can do. I volunteered to act as Editor/ Webmaster but was surprised at the lack of material sent for publication. We seem to get a lot of enquiries about ‘dads, grandads, uncles etc and could we supply any info. We try our best but ----------
As the years have passed, reunion attendance has dropped but even posting questionnaires doesn’t produce many answers to our questions. We are not the only association to be collapsing and may have to amalgamate to survive
We, the committee, held a meeting at the Union Jack Club trying to determine an outcome of the way ahead.
Due to hotel problems we had to book late and some of our members booked holidays and thus won’t be in Bournemouth.
I hope YOU will.
===================================================
South Atlantic Note
After our committee meeting in the UJC Club London my wife and I stayed for a couple of days.
We decided to revisit some of the sites we had ‘done’ in the past ‘single’ days, one was the Imperial War Museum.
It is a short walk from the UJC – or it was 40 years ago! So we arrived, but quite a bit later than we thought.
Outside it is the same, 15” gun barrels (when we really did rule the waves) but inside is more up to date with Harrier Jet etc hanging from the ceiling.
We went to see the VC & GC collection and I can recommend a visit.
There were talks by guides on various battles, wars etc at noted times.
A young man asked if I was interested in his upcoming talk on the Falklands conflict. I politely declined by telling him I was there at the time.
I have been to IWM in Leeds & Salford Quays – that’s Manchester to you Southerners! If you want to visit one they are actually free entry.
I noticed that the papers had an obituary for Rick Jolly. He was the medical officer on the Falklands who set up the hospital in an ex meatpacking factory at Ajax Bay – The Red and Green Life Machine. They treated both our and Argentinian casualties, over 650, and no wounded man died there. He left the Navy in 1996 and formed SAMA – South Atlantic Medal Association – with an ex para Denzil Connick which highlighted PTSD in Falkland survivors. He also wrote ‘Jackspeak’ amongst other books. This is a must for any ex-matelot or marine. (Not very p.c.)
If you are a veteran and have a lapel badge entry to the Belfast is free.
After our committee meeting in the UJC Club London my wife and I stayed for a couple of days.
We decided to revisit some of the sites we had ‘done’ in the past ‘single’ days, one was the Imperial War Museum.
It is a short walk from the UJC – or it was 40 years ago! So we arrived, but quite a bit later than we thought.
Outside it is the same, 15” gun barrels (when we really did rule the waves) but inside is more up to date with Harrier Jet etc hanging from the ceiling.
We went to see the VC & GC collection and I can recommend a visit.
There were talks by guides on various battles, wars etc at noted times.
A young man asked if I was interested in his upcoming talk on the Falklands conflict. I politely declined by telling him I was there at the time.
I have been to IWM in Leeds & Salford Quays – that’s Manchester to you Southerners! If you want to visit one they are actually free entry.
I noticed that the papers had an obituary for Rick Jolly. He was the medical officer on the Falklands who set up the hospital in an ex meatpacking factory at Ajax Bay – The Red and Green Life Machine. They treated both our and Argentinian casualties, over 650, and no wounded man died there. He left the Navy in 1996 and formed SAMA – South Atlantic Medal Association – with an ex para Denzil Connick which highlighted PTSD in Falkland survivors. He also wrote ‘Jackspeak’ amongst other books. This is a must for any ex-matelot or marine. (Not very p.c.)
If you are a veteran and have a lapel badge entry to the Belfast is free.
SS Stockport.
The local news the other day carried an article on the ceremony of remembrance for the crew of the Stockport and her crew in WWII.
The local news the other day carried an article on the ceremony of remembrance for the crew of the Stockport and her crew in WWII.
She was built in 1912 and was began her Convoy Rescue duties in 1941. She is noted as the ‘ship that saved most survivors’ – 413 souls.
On February 23rd 1943 she was part of convoy ON 166 and went to the aid of Empire Trader which had been torpedoed and rescued her crew of 106.
Whilst trying to catch up with the convoy she was herself torpedoed by U-604 and went down north of the Azores with the loss of all her crew and the people she had saved.
She is remembered every year, (this one being 75 years), by a parade organised by Hazel Grove RNA
On February 23rd 1943 she was part of convoy ON 166 and went to the aid of Empire Trader which had been torpedoed and rescued her crew of 106.
Whilst trying to catch up with the convoy she was herself torpedoed by U-604 and went down north of the Azores with the loss of all her crew and the people she had saved.
She is remembered every year, (this one being 75 years), by a parade organised by Hazel Grove RNA
Due to no articles being received and the report of Rick Jolly’s passing I’ve included this one.
A Trip Down South.
As you know, most ships have an ‘adoptive’ town and Scarborough had adopted the Apollo.
In April ’82 we were doing a visit there and anchored just off the harbour. An invitation from the ‘Yellow wellie crowd’ had been accepted by the wardroom and to make up numbers they invited members from the Chiefs mess.
During the lunch the Captain came in and called the ‘Jimmy and Heads of Departments’ to one side, they in turn informed us we were to proceed to Guzz and then South.
We bade a fond farewell the following day and sailed to Plymouth to ‘ready’ ourselves by ammunitioning, painting and storing and for me a mod to be carried out on the main radar aerial even though it had always been ok. ( good maintainer!)
My wife and my two young girls came from Gosport and we stayed at a B&B until I had to go – early one morning. Never again!!
We sailed and set off South. Called to the ops room to be informed that when we rolled to port we ‘lost’ the 992 radar picture. This proved to be our aerial mod which dumped the oil down the waveguide. Jim Moore and myself drained it and washed it by pouring soapy water from the aerial platform to the office. Thank goodness the weather was ok!
We got past Ascension, after exercises, and continued our passage
The merchantmen were going up and down out of range of Argentinian aircraft. They were being led by the oiler Balder London. They would proceed on their course and the RFA’s would RAS from them and go in to fuel the warships.
They were leading as all their radars had failed. I got my second ever helo trip AND first winch from it. Lucky me!
One was a mechanical problem – a gear had stripped from the aerial to the rotating coils thus making it unusable. The other was a brand-new Kelvin Hughes computer-controlled radar. As it was, new no handbook was available as they could use the agent at the home port – Buenos Aries.
I had to sleep in the sickbay that night as the helo couldn’t come. The following morning brought news that the surrender had come and the ships where moving closer to Port Stanley. Another helo from the Invincible arrived with a POREL sent to fix the radar. The helo was coming back later so I had to tell him that as he was a PO and I was a Chief – I was going first. I decided to remove the damaged cog , get a new one made by the engineers on the Invincible and replace it by the staff from her. As far as I know a new one was made and replaced.
I spent two days on the Invincible before getting a flight into Stanley and back ‘home’. The Argies had left a lot of booby-traps in and around including the airport radar. What was needed was a Long Range Warning like the 965 and guess which was the one working? It seems ours was it and so we sat between the Falklands and the mainland transmitting and watching aircraft clip the exclusion zone and turn back. They cleared the traps, got the radar working and the Phantom fighters down before I ran out of underpants!
All went a bit quiet after that except for the weather. Each morning Jim and I used to do our own checks on our section. We used to adjust the range strobe on the JUA displays as they were used in navigation etc. We were on the bridge and I opened it to carry out when he said’ close it quick!’ I did and turned to look out of the windows. There was no sky – only a wave which hit the focsle causing a split along the base of the forescreen and deck, flooding the skippers cabin and dropping into the SCR causing the sonar displays to be written off. Our ‘Chippy’ managed to weld it thus allowing the skipper back in his cabin.
When we could go ashore we had 5 hours each – stick to roads – don’t pick anything as a ‘trophy’ as they could be booby trapped.
There are a couple of photos, so different to the following visits I made!
A Trip Down South.
As you know, most ships have an ‘adoptive’ town and Scarborough had adopted the Apollo.
In April ’82 we were doing a visit there and anchored just off the harbour. An invitation from the ‘Yellow wellie crowd’ had been accepted by the wardroom and to make up numbers they invited members from the Chiefs mess.
During the lunch the Captain came in and called the ‘Jimmy and Heads of Departments’ to one side, they in turn informed us we were to proceed to Guzz and then South.
We bade a fond farewell the following day and sailed to Plymouth to ‘ready’ ourselves by ammunitioning, painting and storing and for me a mod to be carried out on the main radar aerial even though it had always been ok. ( good maintainer!)
My wife and my two young girls came from Gosport and we stayed at a B&B until I had to go – early one morning. Never again!!
We sailed and set off South. Called to the ops room to be informed that when we rolled to port we ‘lost’ the 992 radar picture. This proved to be our aerial mod which dumped the oil down the waveguide. Jim Moore and myself drained it and washed it by pouring soapy water from the aerial platform to the office. Thank goodness the weather was ok!
We got past Ascension, after exercises, and continued our passage
The merchantmen were going up and down out of range of Argentinian aircraft. They were being led by the oiler Balder London. They would proceed on their course and the RFA’s would RAS from them and go in to fuel the warships.
They were leading as all their radars had failed. I got my second ever helo trip AND first winch from it. Lucky me!
One was a mechanical problem – a gear had stripped from the aerial to the rotating coils thus making it unusable. The other was a brand-new Kelvin Hughes computer-controlled radar. As it was, new no handbook was available as they could use the agent at the home port – Buenos Aries.
I had to sleep in the sickbay that night as the helo couldn’t come. The following morning brought news that the surrender had come and the ships where moving closer to Port Stanley. Another helo from the Invincible arrived with a POREL sent to fix the radar. The helo was coming back later so I had to tell him that as he was a PO and I was a Chief – I was going first. I decided to remove the damaged cog , get a new one made by the engineers on the Invincible and replace it by the staff from her. As far as I know a new one was made and replaced.
I spent two days on the Invincible before getting a flight into Stanley and back ‘home’. The Argies had left a lot of booby-traps in and around including the airport radar. What was needed was a Long Range Warning like the 965 and guess which was the one working? It seems ours was it and so we sat between the Falklands and the mainland transmitting and watching aircraft clip the exclusion zone and turn back. They cleared the traps, got the radar working and the Phantom fighters down before I ran out of underpants!
All went a bit quiet after that except for the weather. Each morning Jim and I used to do our own checks on our section. We used to adjust the range strobe on the JUA displays as they were used in navigation etc. We were on the bridge and I opened it to carry out when he said’ close it quick!’ I did and turned to look out of the windows. There was no sky – only a wave which hit the focsle causing a split along the base of the forescreen and deck, flooding the skippers cabin and dropping into the SCR causing the sonar displays to be written off. Our ‘Chippy’ managed to weld it thus allowing the skipper back in his cabin.
When we could go ashore we had 5 hours each – stick to roads – don’t pick anything as a ‘trophy’ as they could be booby trapped.
There are a couple of photos, so different to the following visits I made!
Government House
AN EXOTIC PARROT
I was in a pet shop when I noticed a Muslim girl with the most amazingly coloured parrot perched on her shoulder.
"Where did you get that from?" I asked.
"Germany. There's bloody thousands of 'em!" said the parrot.
Medical 2018
Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint?,
Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.
The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.
The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.
The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.
Next time take me to a vet!
==================================
From Patrick Clarke in Sheffield.
People in the U.K. eat more bananas than monkeys. Last year they consumed 82,198,695 and only 4 monkeys
.
I got a selfie stick for my phone and can hold it out far enough to read my messages.
My wife said ‘ There was somebody knocking on the door with a beard’. No wonder I couldn,t hear him.
I went for a job as a gold prospector – but it didn’t pan out.
I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. It was sole destroying.
What would you get if you cross a pelican and a zebra? Two street further away.
What is the scariest thing to read in braille? “Do not touch”
Two patients limp into two different medical clinics with the same complaint?,
Both have trouble walking and appear to require a hip replacement.
The FIRST patient is examined within the hour, is x-rayed the same day and has a time booked for surgery the following week.
The SECOND sees his family doctor after waiting 3 weeks for an appointment, then waits 8 weeks to see a specialist, then gets an x-ray, which isn't reviewed for another week and finally has his surgery scheduled for 6 months from then.
Why the different treatment for the two patients?
The FIRST is a Golden Retriever.
The SECOND is a Senior Citizen.
Next time take me to a vet!
==================================
From Patrick Clarke in Sheffield.
People in the U.K. eat more bananas than monkeys. Last year they consumed 82,198,695 and only 4 monkeys
.
I got a selfie stick for my phone and can hold it out far enough to read my messages.
My wife said ‘ There was somebody knocking on the door with a beard’. No wonder I couldn,t hear him.
I went for a job as a gold prospector – but it didn’t pan out.
I used to work in a shoe recycling shop. It was sole destroying.
What would you get if you cross a pelican and a zebra? Two street further away.
What is the scariest thing to read in braille? “Do not touch”
A Prayer.
“Dear Lord, the past couple of years have been very tough for me.
You’ve taken –
My favourite actor, Patrick Macnee
My favourite horror actor, Christopher Lee
My favourite comedian, Robin Williams
My favourite singers, Cilla Black, Joe Cocker and David Bowie
My favourite author, Tom Clancy
And finally, my favourite presenter Sir Terry Wogan.
So Lord, I just wanted you to know that my favourite politicians are:
Tony Blair, Jeremy Corbyn, Jacob Zuma, and that stupid silly old moo from Scotland.
Amen"
The Best Pubs Are Irish
"As good as this bar is," said the Scotsman, "I still prefer the pubs back home".
In Glasgow, there's a wee place called McTavish's. The landlord goes out of his way for the locals. When you buy four drinks, he'll buy the fifth drink".
"Well, Angus," said the Englishman, "At my local in London , the Red Lion, the barman will buy you your third drink after you buy the first two".
"Ahhh, dat's nothin'," said Patty Sheehan, the Irishman.
"Back home in me favorite pub in Galway, the moment you set foot in the place, they'll buy you a drink, then another, all the drinks you like, actually. Then, when you've had enough drinks, they'll take you upstairs and see dat you get laid, all on the house!".
The Englishman and Scotsman were suspicious of the claims, "that can not be true !!! "
"Did this actually happen to you?".
"Not meself, personally, no," admitted the Irishman, "But it did happen to me sister quite a few times!".
“Dear Lord, the past couple of years have been very tough for me.
You’ve taken –
My favourite actor, Patrick Macnee
My favourite horror actor, Christopher Lee
My favourite comedian, Robin Williams
My favourite singers, Cilla Black, Joe Cocker and David Bowie
My favourite author, Tom Clancy
And finally, my favourite presenter Sir Terry Wogan.
So Lord, I just wanted you to know that my favourite politicians are:
Tony Blair, Jeremy Corbyn, Jacob Zuma, and that stupid silly old moo from Scotland.
Amen"
The Best Pubs Are Irish
"As good as this bar is," said the Scotsman, "I still prefer the pubs back home".
In Glasgow, there's a wee place called McTavish's. The landlord goes out of his way for the locals. When you buy four drinks, he'll buy the fifth drink".
"Well, Angus," said the Englishman, "At my local in London , the Red Lion, the barman will buy you your third drink after you buy the first two".
"Ahhh, dat's nothin'," said Patty Sheehan, the Irishman.
"Back home in me favorite pub in Galway, the moment you set foot in the place, they'll buy you a drink, then another, all the drinks you like, actually. Then, when you've had enough drinks, they'll take you upstairs and see dat you get laid, all on the house!".
The Englishman and Scotsman were suspicious of the claims, "that can not be true !!! "
"Did this actually happen to you?".
"Not meself, personally, no," admitted the Irishman, "But it did happen to me sister quite a few times!".
I am passing this on to you because it definitely worked for me and we could all use more calm in our lives.
By following the simple advice I heard on a medical show on TV, I have finally found inner peace.
A doctor proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.
So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of shhardonnay, a bodie of Baileys, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prungles, the reminder of a bottel of Prozic and Valum scriptsttss, the res of the Cheesecake and a bocks of chocolates.
Yu haf no idr who gud I fel. Pls sen dis on to dem yu fel ar in ned ov inr peas
============================================================
Southern Trooper Comments
"No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."
"Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you." (LOVE IT)
"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."
By following the simple advice I heard on a medical show on TV, I have finally found inner peace.
A doctor proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started.
So I looked around my house to see things I'd started and hadn't finished and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of shhardonnay, a bodie of Baileys, a butle of vocka, a pockage of Prungles, the reminder of a bottel of Prozic and Valum scriptsttss, the res of the Cheesecake and a bocks of chocolates.
Yu haf no idr who gud I fel. Pls sen dis on to dem yu fel ar in ned ov inr peas
============================================================
Southern Trooper Comments
"No sir, we don't have quotas anymore. We used to, but now we're allowed to write as many tickets as we can."
"Can you run faster than 1200 feet per second? Because that's the speed of the bullet that'll be chasing you." (LOVE IT)
"You didn't think we give pretty women tickets? You're right, we don't. Sign here."
