NAVY NEWS, JANUARY 1994
Who says we're not a true Ton?
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I WAS MOST dismayed to read about the end of the Ton class in November's Navy News. For some unknown reason HMS Wilton appears to be treated as a leper in comparison to her sister ships and, in your words, "not a true Ton."
Letters
Shortsighted attitude to myopia U N A B L E to join the Navy as a Seaman Officer because of poor eyesight — despite four, years' watchkeeping experience in the RNR — I joined as an Instructor Officer, hoping to have a full and operational career including sea time. Since then, despite short 'support service' attachments to sea I have singularly failed to find the operational roles and excitement
for which I thought I had joined — because my eyesight is, when uncorrected, just below the standard required of a Seaman Officer. In discussion with fellow officers of all specialisations I find a number of anomalies. My immediate superior, a Commander(X(P)), tells me
that when he joined the RN was so short of Seaman Officers
Bringing back the Barracud
READING a few horror stories about the Barracuda in your pages lately reminded me of the time I spent at HMS Condor, Arbroath with the prototype aircraft in 1942. The picture shows me as the engine fitter during trials — with the aircraft piloted by Lt. Henry Ellis. Ellis had earlier been awarded the DFC and received it from King George VI — but was subsequently told to take it down as it was not an Admiralty award. He told me that when he went back to the Palace to receive his DSC the King noticed the DFC was missing and asked why. When he was told he retorted "I gave you that medal — you wear it!" Ellis was killed the following year. — G. E. Faville, Gloucester. 'NO love for Barracudas' (October issue) revived memories of when I was an
Air Mechanic 'L' stationed on an Air Repair Yard HMS Ukussa at Katukurunda, Ceylon in 1944-45. when the Barracudas arrived all hell broke loose,
News 40th year No. 474 Editorial and Business address: Barham Block, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, Hants, PO1 3HH Editor: Jim Allaway Deputy Editor: Anton Hanney Assistant editors: Lindy Clegg, Ruth Vernon Business Manager: Mrs. Anne Driver TELEPHONES Editorial: 0705-822351 (Portsmouth Naval Base) extensions 24194 and 24163 Business (advertising, distribution and accounts): 0705-822351 ext. 24226 Additional direct line to all departments: 0705-826040 Fax: 0705-830149
with planes crashing into the paddy at the beginning of the runway and away from the airfield in the flooded fields. A guard had to be placed on these wrecks at night, until such time as the flow subsided and then the duty elephant worked overtime dragging them out and dumping them outside the hangars so they could be stripped for spares. At the time, we understood the crashes were all due to inexperienced pilots and faulty seals in the oleo legs, but articles I have since read have indicated otherwise. I have never seen a Barracuda since the war — there are no specimens in any aerospace museums to the best of my knowledge, but if anyone can prove me wrong on that subject I would be interested to know. — N. S. Nevard, Bromley, Kent.
that the eyesight requirements were waived — and he was subsequently selected as aircrew, despite having sub-standard eyesight. I then went along to an Army recruiting office, explained that I wore contact lenses and asked if I could apply for an Infantry requirement. Not only was that possible, but I could also apply for the Army Air Corps, even the Parachute Regiment. I hear a rumour now that even our own Royal Marines have lowered the eyesight requirements. It would seem likely that my branch is to change its entire structure as a result of OSG. I know many officers in the branch will want closer involvement in the warfare, rather than in the support side of the future Royal Navy. It seems a little unfair, however, that an officer may be denied t h a t chance on the grounds of eyesight, when patently in other services — and indeed notably in the US Navy — that is not the case. Surely, with the dissatisfaction many Seamen feel about prolonged sea time and the dissatisfaction I and many of my colleagues feel about too little of the same, can we not remove these outdated requirements and start sending good — and above all else keen — officers to complement jobs at sea regardless of their uncorrected eyesight standards and give those present incumbents a better sea-shore ratio? — Lieutenant, RN, HMS Raleigh.
I find this extremely disappointing when we consider that we ARE a real Ton — and will be the ONLY Ton remaining in RN service in 1994. The only difference between HMS Wilton and her sister ships is that we have a GRP hull and our sisters are wooden. The fittings throughout are often identical, as is the compartment layout. During her build an older sister was cannibalised to provide most of our machinery. To fulfil our current role as the Dartmouth Navigation Training Ship our mine-sweeping gear has been removed to make way for a purpose-built navigation cabin and a store was also converted into an additional mess deck for female personnel. Our MCM gear is present stored in Portsmouth, ready to be refitted at short notice should we be required for our war role. For the last couple of years HMS Wilton has enjoyed taking every young officer who joins the Royal Navy — and former WRNS — to sea for what for the majority of them is their initial sea experience and
Seeing red over green WITH reference to DCI(Gen) 215/93 (October issue) — what bright spark decided to authorise green distinctive cloth for DGST(N) personnel embarked in RFAs? Initially this was worn by the Electrical Branch and by Special Branch Reservists. Surely white would have been more appropriate — green is still worn by Merchant Navy personnel to denote Electrical and Radio officers while white is worn by Pursers? — Lt Cdr T. J. Stevens, RNR (retd), Wickham, Hants. LETTERS to the Editor should always be accompanied by the correspondent's name and address, not necessarily for publication.
first few days in a Royal Navy warship. I am sure that they have noticed that we are a real Ton, as have all those who have served in HMS Wilton over the past 20 years. — Lt. I. K. Adam, RN, commanding officer HMS Wilton. Sorry, Wilton — no offence intended. Everything you say is true — except perhaps your claim to be a 'real Ton.' Jane's Fighting Ships has always listed you as a class on your own, noting that you are "similar to the Ton class and fitted with reconditioned machinery and equipment from the scrapped Derriton." As the world's first GRP warship, you might have revelled in your uniqueness, so your loyalty to your distinguished forebears is to be commended! — Ed. I SHOULD like to add a brief note to your excellent valedictory for the Ton class (November issue). They were designed by W. J. 'Bill' Holt, RCNC, who had been in charge of RN small craft since the late thirties. He was a dedicated yachtsman and put his experience into his designs for such varied craft as the Fairmile B, the IIDML, the form of the Camper and Nicholson MGBs as well as the 105 and 126ft MMS. He even spent a Christmas leave during the war going to Iceland in a Fairmile B. The Tons were derived from the 126 footers but with a glance at the fine US designed BYMS. They were good sea boats, but size for size the 'Hams' were generally thought better. There is one important error — the magnetic mine was not' introduced in 1939 but in 1918, when large numbers were laid by the RN off the Belgian coast, and in 1919, off St Petersburg. — D. K. Brown, RCNC, Bath. I WAS interested in your article about the Ton class, having worked on or been involved with a large number over the years. You state that they were ailoriginally named after villages ending T-O-N, this being one of the commonest endings for English place names. You may be interested to know that Kirkliston, Gavinton, Belton, Maxton and Lewiston were among the Tons also named after Scottish place names. — J. Jarvie, HM Naval Base, Rosyth. • Below: HMS Wilton