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NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 1992
Honour for late President IN January 1991, the then President of the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, Vice-Admiral Sir James Kennon. died after a short illness, the first occasion a President of the Trust had died while in office. In recognition of the very fine support, advice and commitment shown by Admiral Kennon during his time as President, the grants committee suggested to the RNBT that its new committee room in the Trust's offices at Castaway House be dedicated to his memory.
Grants committee An informal dedication service was held at Castaway House and was attended by Mr Andrew Kennon and Mrs Clare Forman, the son and daughter of the late Admiral Kennon, together with Mr and Mrs Robert Whitby. A short address and prayer was given by the Rev. Jake Watson, HMS Nelson, and on completion, the visitors sat in with the grants committee to observe the work that is carried out when the many thousands of cases received each year by the RNBT are considered. • Right: CPO John Thompson, chairman of the Portsmouth Committee, RNBT, and Mr Andrew Kennon shake hands at the dedication of the James Kennon Room at Castaway House. Also pictured, from left, are WO Tiny Little, Rev. Jake Watson, Mrs Clare Forman and Mr and Mrs Robert Whitby.
PETO TRIP
FOR CORY
IILE considerable fund-raising is istaking takingplace place inin HMS WHILE HMS nrou and anH elsewhere alcAuihAfA to t/\ enable onoKIa PO Df~\ ft Annie Russell D 1*00 A! I to in Osprey Dennis send his four-and-a-half-year-old son Cory to the worldfamous Peto Institute in Hungary, the RNBT has also been able to help. Dennis applied to the RNBT and the grants committee were happy to offer a grant of £1,077 towards doctors' and specialists' fees, hospital costs and Cory's air fare to Hungary (see also Helping Hands page 14).
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waiting for miracle Iain Wilson (35) was the sort of lad every mother would be proud of. After serving in the Royal Marines from December 1973 to April 1979 he entered the French Foreign Legion Parachute Section in Corsica and was posted to Djibouti, East Africa, where he did many jumps into the Red Sea and also patrolled the Somali border area and that of Ethiopia and Eritrea, in the Horn of Africa. During one his parachute jumps Iain suffered an injury to his achilles tendon and it was decided that he should be operated on.
Brain damage As the hospital was very primitive Iain decided that he would wait until he came home to the UK in order to receive proper treatment but, unfortunately, while in this country Iain was struck by a car and his brain was so damaged that he cannot see, hear and he is in a
FOR THE NAVY
The Royal Naval Benevolent Trust makes no appeals to the public. It relies on canteen rebates, voluntary donations, investment interest and legacies, to carry on its important work
•to the Grants Committee: Applications for assistance 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth, Hants, PO2 8PE General inquiries to Head Office, High St., Brompton, Gillingham, Kent, ME7 5QZ
• lain Wilson, pictured in Corsica, while serving with the French Foreign Legion.
persistent vegetative state. Although it is possible that he will remain in this state for the next thirty years his mum, who is an ex nurse, has told the
RUTH'S BACK ON THE ROAD FORMER LWRENCK Ruth Carter, who lives near Waterlooville with husband CPO John Carter, of HMS Mercury, and their six children, suffers from a prolapsed intervertebral disc while her daughter suffers from epilepsy and retardation. Although she had an automatic car, obtained under the Motability Leasing Scheme using her Mobility Allowance, her doctor recommended that she changed the vehicle for one which would enable her to step up into the vehicle rather than to bend down, which would aggravate her condition. The vehicle recommended was a Toyota Previa but unfortunately, because of its specialist nature, the vehicle required a deposit of some £5,400. Ruth applied to the WRNS Benevolent Trust who, undaunted by the sizeable amount required, contacted a number of chanties and the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust was pleased to grant the sum of £500 towards the deposit. Funding to meet the balance was obtained by the WRNS Benevolent Trust from the Navy Special Fund, the Royal British Legion, the Helena Trust, the Joint Committee of St John and British Red Cross and also the WRNS Benevolent Trust themselves. The vehicle has now been delivered and is proving to be of great use to Ruth and her family.
RNBT that she is "hoping for a miracle". Since the accident two and a half years ago Iain has been cared for in his local hospital and his mother has visited him every day to assist with his care. However, the constant visiting was a great strain on Mrs Wilson and it was decided that if a special Pegasus airwave bed mattress could be obtained for Iain, at a cost of £3,000, then he would be able to return home into his mother's care. RNBT immediately made a grant of £1,000, Royal Marine Welfare Fund contributed £900 and the balance required was granted by the Lloyds Patriotic Fund, The Earl Haig Fund, SSAFA and Invalids at Home. Mrs Wilson, in her letter of appreciation, has asked RNBT, through Navy News, to give her sincere thanks, on behalf of Iain, to all the kind people and funds who made it possible for her to have Iain back at home.
Minerva pays up AT their last meeting before the ship paid off, the Welfare Committee of HMS Minerva voted to donate the final balance in their fund to the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust, a sum of £1,656.57
Warm thanks In his reply to the Welfare Committee the general secretary of the Royal Naval Benevolent Trust said that this splendid gesture was deeply appreciated by all those actively associated with the work of the Trust who wished to record their most sincere and warm thanks to the ship's company.