10
NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 1997
People in the News
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Old hands visit new Trenchant
• Bill Kirman (left), David Shiels (centre) and Peter Overfleld.
Guarding democracy THREE men who between them clocked 66 years in the Royal Navy have almost matched that figure in the House of Commons. Ex-CPOEL(AIR) Bill Kirman, ex-CPOSTD David Shiels and exCPOGI Peter Overfield put in sterling service for the Navy. They have now realised a further 62 years between them as doorkepers at Westminster David is Principal Doorkeeper and Bill is Deputy Principal Doorkeeper.
THOUGHTS flew back more than 50 years for two men at the quayside to greet submarine HMS Trenchant when she visited an Australian naval base.
Alf Jobson and Bill Lee, who now live in Australia, were crew members on the submarine of the same name which operated from Fremantle in 1945. That Trenchant made a name for herself by sinking the Japanese heavy cruiser Ashigara in the Banka Strait on June 8 - the largest enemy warship sunk by a Royal Navy submarine during the war, and the last major submarine action of the war. The modern Trafalgar-class nuclear submarine, at 5,208 tonnes, is almost five times the size of her Tclass predecessor, and the amount of room impressed the veterans. "In my day there was none of this air-conditioning," said Alf (72).
Global flight sets new record AN EX-NAVY pilot is one of two Britons who have set a new record for flying round the world by helicopter. Mike Smith (59) and Steve Good, who owns the singleengined Hughes 500D, flew the 19,982 miles in 13 days, 13 hours and 40 minutes to claim the record back from the USA.
• Memory men - Alf Jobson (left) and Bill Lee, who served with the 1945 submarine HMS Trenchant, try life on the 1997 version.
You're in the Army now A PARTY of six from HMS Monmouth has spent a week with their affiliated Territorial Army regiment The party, led by Lt Cdr Martin Smith, was in Sennelager, Germany, with the Royal Monmouthshire Royal Engineers (Militia) for Exercise Militia Meister, attached to 100 Field Squadron (Militia), where they built a bridge abutment and concrete turning pad for tanks. K was the third visit to the regiment for one of the party, SA Wayne Leaver, who risks being branded a closet pongo. Three soldiers, members of 3 Troop, returned to the UK in • Maritime meistar - LOM Chris Mattlnder (right), from HMS Monmouth, a Type 23 frigate, Monmouth, with Sapper Kelly Male of 100 Field Sqn (Militia) when she sailed from Zeebrugge work on a reinforced concrete tank turning pad. to Devonport.
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"You just put a towel round your waist and sweated til you dripped." He and Bill, also 72, recalled that they could only wash every four or five days to conserve water, and that by the end of a 30 or 40-day patrol tempers would become frayed. The climate of Western Australia so impressed the pair that they emigrated soon after the war, ending up in Perth. But they were delighted to be invited on board the submarine, which was visiting HMAS Stirling, Rockingham, accompanied by sister HMS Trafalgar. On her way to Australia Trenchant passed through the Banka Strait. Commanding Officer Commander David Forbes informed his World War II counterpart of the passage, and Vice Admiral Sir Arthur Hazlet - then a commander - replied with his best wishes for a good time in Western Australia.
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First for Audrey HMS NORTHWOOD has seen its first female Officer of the Guard to present arms and give the traditional naval sword salute. Lt Audrey Broadhurst (31) was given the responsibility during the Royal Naval Reserve unit's annual Ceremonial Divisions. The salute was acknowledged by Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan Tod, former Deputy Commander-inChief Fleet, who was the reviewing officer at the ceremony. "It was a proud moment for me and my father, who travelled from Yorkshire to witness the event," said Audrey. Lt Broadhurst joined the Reserve five years ago and combines this career with her full-time work as a network validation engineer for a computer company in Slough. She regularly attends weekly training nights at the Middlesexbased HMS Northwood. In her role as a communications officer she has spent two weeks training alongside the Royal Marines in Norway and a week on aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious.
> Lt Andrew Kellett.
Medal for engineer AN ENGINEERING student at HMS Sultan has been awarded a medal by the President of the Institute of Marine Engineers. Lt Andrew Kellett received the Institute's Silver Jubilee Medal for best overall results, in all aspects of general and professional marine engineering training, from Mr David Cusdin. Mr Cusdin, accompanied on his visit to the Navy's School of Marine and Air Engineering in Gosport by Institute Secretary Mr Jolyon Sloggett, also presented course accreditation certificates and unveiled the Institute's crest on Sultan's 1930 Sentinel steam lorry to commemorate its recommissioning after extensive repairs. Lt Kellett, who completed the Systems Engineering and Management Course at Sultan, is currently Deputy Marine Engineer Officer in the Type 23 frigate HMS Norfolk.
Final cut from shipmate RETIRED Officer Eric Greetham took a final trip down Memory Lane - to get his hair cut. Lt Cdr Greetham, who retires for good when he turns 65 at the beginning of this month, first had his hair cut by Norman Thome during HMS Albion's fourth commission in 1959. In those days Eric was a POAF(Ordnance), having already served in the Australian Navy and, on transferring, in a number of RN ships, including HMS Victorious, Eagle and Bulwark. Three events stick in Eric's mind. The first was when he was official unit shepherd at a West Country air station which had 69 sheep, a task which fell to him as a member of the Buffer's Party. The second was bringing home the HMS Terror Fleet Colour from Singapore in HMS Eagle, and the third is the day he received his MBE. Eric ends his working career at Captain Weapons Trials and Acceptance in Portsmouth. Norman (63) has been a NAAFI barber for 44 years, joining Albion in 1956, where he and his brother Ray, also a barber, were in the same mess as Eric. He has been at HMS Nelson for the past 29 years, though the amount of work has shrunk with the Fleet - he fondly remembers his Albion • Final cut - Norman Thome cuts Eric Greetham's days when he had to work all weekend to cope with the workload. hair for the last time at HMS Nelson.
98x2*150-Outotthe11 Chief Petty Officers currently on the staff of CINBERLANT Portugal, six have accumulated 150 yean service between them and are currently on their second open engagement enjoying a long-awaited Local Foreign Service draft. Pictured are (from left): CPU Dave Owen (25 years), CPOMET Dennis Law <25 years), CPOMA Cart Baaaon (23 years), CPOWTR Dave Feather (30 yean), CPOWTR Tony Pallace (24 years) and CPOMEA Stu Nay lor (23 years).