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NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2011
Tots and cadets play part MARKET Harborough branch celebrated Sea Sunday at St Nicholas Church in Little Bowden. The service was led by branch padre Very Revd John Morley, and an uplifting sermon was delivered by Revd David Potterton, Principal Chaplain of the Sailor’s Society, and himself a former Royal Marine. Shipmates were joined by a large contingent from the Hinckley Sea Cadet unit who, led by their CO Graeme Dryden, paraded their standard, took one of the readings and piped the Still and Carry On during the service. Afterwards shipmates adjourned to the local inn where refreshments were served in a marquee in the garden. The branch also played its part in Armed Forces Day in the local park, taking part in the parade of standards. The branch had a caravan on site, dispensing coffee and tots (courtesy Pusser’s Rum, who generously donated two bottles for the event). As Navy News went to press shipmates were planning a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire. And looking slightly further ahead, arrangements are well in hand for the branch’s Trafalgar Dinner next month, when shipmates are looking forward to welcoming Admiral Sir Charles Perowne as their guest of honour. All in all, a busy period for a branch which is probably as far from the sea as any other in the UK.
School celebrates
THE Royal Hospital School at Holbrook will be staging several special events over the next couple of years to mark the school’s tercentenary. And organisers are hoping to hear from former students who might be able to contribute to setting up a school museum. The school, which was founded at Greenwich in 1712 and moved to Suffolk in 1933, is also looking to organise a reunion of Class 5A circa 1960 to coincide with the RHS300 celebrations and a reunion on June 23-24 2012. Many of that class in particular went on to join the Royal Navy, and anyone who has not been contacted or knows of a fellow member of the class is asked to email class5A1960@gmail.com Anyone who can help with the school museum, or would like more details on RHS300 events, should contact school master Rob Mann at rjm@ royalhospitalschool.org
Website is live THE new-look RNA website www.royal-naval-association. co.uk is now live and already receiving applications for membership. And the Member Get Member materials launched at Conference in Plymouth in June are also being distributed by branches across the UK.
Race against time to aid matelot’s widow
AN unusual request to a welfare officer proved to him that goodwill and a ‘can-do’ attitude still prevail in the Forces and those associated with them. S/M Terry Hall, branch welfare officer for the Submariners Association (Derbyshire), takes up the tale: “I received a telephone call
around lunch on Friday July 8 from SSAFA asking if I could help with an RN rating’s cap with an HMS Excellent cap tally. “No problem there, then... “On phoning the widow who had requested this, I found out that her husband, AB Carron, had served in the RN as a three-badge AB and was assumed to be a gunner as he was always proudest of HMS Excellent.
“I was advised the funeral was to be held on Monday July 11 at Long Eaton as 1230. “A cap was obtained from the local Sea Cadets and I phoned Excellent and attempted to speak to the XO, 1st Lt and eventually, after several unsuccessful telephone calls, I spoke to a bemused Bernie in the stores. “He advised me the post had gone, but offered to go down
to Portsmouth’s main post office, and he addressed an envelope to me with a large first class stamp out of his own pocket. “Saturday post showed the first class for what it is, and on Monday, knowing my post does not normally come until between 1100 and noon, I drove around the villages after having established the postman’s normal route. “I located the postie in threequarters of an hour and set off for Long Eaton, to the Co-Op Funeral Parlour, about 12 miles away. “There I tied the most tiddley bow ever to the hat that was placed on an old matelot’s coffin for his last sailing. “No costs to a Service charity, but hopefully a family was pleased that their last request was fulfilled – and that’s thanks to people like Bernie. “BZ mate, and thank you.”
Reunion is no secret
l Shipmates and Royal British Legion standard bearers gather in front of the Great Cross of Sacrifice in the Irish National War Memorial Gardens in Dublin, with the reddish-brown original standard of the Old Contemptibles in the centre of the front rank
High turn-out in Éire
ASSOCIATION members ensured that the RNA was well-represented at the annual Commemoration service in the Republic of Ireland. The annual commemoration ceremony of the Royal British Legion (ROI) took place at the Irish National War Memorial Gardens, Islandbridge, in Dublin – an area of mature gardens which, according to Area 12 (Ireland) National Council Member S/M Ivan Hunter, are a credit to the people of the Republic of Ireland and to those in whose name they have been dedicated. In attendance were many representatives of RBL (ROI) branches, supported by branches
from Northern Ireland. Together they put on a fine parade of standards, including the recently-discovered original Standard of the Old Contemptibles Association, formed in the mid1920s for survivors of the British Expeditionary Force sent to the Continent in 1914. The RNA was represented by the Dublin branch, led by their president S/M Dr Dermott Stones. They were supported by shipmates from Northern Ireland’s Lisburn and East Antrim branches. S/M Hunter laid a wreath on behalf of the Association and S/M Maureen Moore laid a wreath on behalf of Area 12.
The event is an important date in the commemoration calendar, commanding the attendance of the president of the RBL Lt Gen Sir John Kiszely and the president of the RBL (ROI) Maj Gen The O’Morchoe and Col Nelson Elder, president RBL Northern Ireland, along with government ministers and mayors of various councils North and South. There was special significance this year because it followed just a few weeks after the Queen laid a wreath at the same spot. Her wreath and that of President Mary McAleese were on display, and shipmates were interested to see the queue of people waiting to be photographed with them.
Donation helps cadets’ HQ
AS the Fleet Air Arm Association (Wrekin branch) meets every first Friday of the month at TS Wrekin, the headquarters of Telford Sea Cadet unit, the branch is well aware that the cadets need all the financial help they can get to fund a new roof. When a long-serving member of the branch, S/M Peter Lunt, crossed the bar earlier this year branch members were honoured to be the beneficiaries of the memorial fund collected by his families and friends. And as the amount collected far exceeded their expectations, they were more than happy, after consulting with S/M Peter’s family, to give half to the Sea Cadets for their roof fund.
S/M Peter’s wife Audrey and other family members presented a cheque for £400 to PO (SCC) Hoyles, of Telford unit – a drop in the ocean maybe, but perhaps one less bucket needed to catch the drops. Mrs Lunt said: “Peter enjoyed his time in the Navy and was a strong supporter of the work that Telford Sea Cadets achieve with the youth. “He also enjoyed being part of the Fleet Air Arm Association Wrekin branch and would be proud that a donation had been made to the Telford Sea Cadets for such a worthwhile cause.” PO Hoyles thanked Mrs Lunt and the members of the branch for their generosity.
BLETCHLEY Park’s annual Armed Forces Weekend takes place on September 3-4, while the Enigma reunion is staged on the Sunday (September 4) alone. The main event celebrates the role of the Armed Forces throughout history, and in particular how Bletchley Park – the National Codes Centre – played its part by breaking into and reading enemy signals, including those of the various German Enigma machines. The Enigma reunion will see around 100 Bletchley Park veterans return to their former workplace for a memorial service and a chance to explain their role to visitors. For further details see website www.bletchleypark.org.uk
King is dead A PEARLY King who was a staunch supporter of the Essex branch of the Fleet Air Arm Association has died. S/M Larry Golding, who was also a member of the HMS Glory Association, joined the Royal Navy in 1942 at the age of (almost) 16, serving in Malta, the Middle East and helping build a landing strip in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) before serving in Glory. He left the Mob in 1946 but was always proud of his Navy roots – his pearly suit (he was Pearly King of Old Kent Road and Bow Bells) featured everything from aircraft carriers to anchors. S/M Larry, at one time a London cab driver, died in July at the age of 84 after a long illness.
Airline policy change welcomed
A WAR veteran from the Isle of Wight branch has welcomed an airline’s change of policy following his protest over baggage charges for an RNA standard. S/M Alec Penstone was travelling from Southampton to the Channel Islands for the Liberation Day parade, taking the branch standard with him. He had contacted Flybe with details of the 1.3m standard, which weighs 2.5kg, and was told it would be included in his bought baggage allowance. But on arrival at check-in he was told it would cost another £30 each way to take the standard – and two shipmates who flew from Exeter to the parade had to leave their standards behind as they could not afford the extra. Having taken his standard around the world with no extra charges – including Murmansk, the United States and Australia – S/M Alec contact Flybe on return to challenge the policy, adding: “Please bear in mind without my generation of men and women and what we fought for, your aircraft would be carrying the Nazi swastika on the wings and tail fin.” Flybe replied that although the charges had been applied correctly, they appreciated the fact that S/M Alec had brought this ‘anomaly’ to their attention, and that military regalia would in future be carried as part of the standard baggage allowance. They also reimbursed his £60 charge. S/M Alec concluded: “Thank you, Flybe, for your understanding and for a common-sense attitude.”
Tell the world about uckers
THE BBC is hoping to put uckers into the spotlight, and is looking for players to talk about the game they love. BBC TV Coast will be featuring a story on the Navy board game, a relative of ludo, and would like uckers players to tell them about their passion for the game, about tournaments aboard ships, the home-made trophies for the winners, how rules differ depending on which branch you are in or ship you’re on, or where in the world you play. They want to know about the history of uckers from those at sea and those who’ve now left the Service – what emotions and disagreements did Uckers arouse? Get in touch with the Coast team through Steve Evanson, Coast Series Editor, BBC Birmingham, The Mailbox, Coast, Level 9, Royal Mail Street, Birmingham B1 1RF, or email coast@bbc. co.uk
Tom recalls B-24 bomber bravery FORMER Royal Marine S/M Tom Bodman contacted Navy News after reading of S/M Ernie Havers’ efforts to build a memorial to the American airmen who died when they steered their stricken bomber away from Cheshunt and crashed in a field in 1944 (June edition). “As a 13-year-old pupil at Cheshunt Grammar School I was younger than Ernie but remember it well,” said Tom. “My recollection is that it was August 12, approximately 0800. “Or family home was then in Marina Gardens, about half a mile from the crash site. “My older sister Violet was a friend of Edna Maxwell, so we knew the farm [where the Liberator crashed, killing all ten of its crew] well.
“At the time we were told that the B-24 had collided with a B-17 over Waltham Abbey and lost most of its tail. “The B-17 also crashed at Lightwater, near Bagshot, again killing all the crew. “I believe that both crews were buried in the military cemetery at Brookwood but later transferred to the American cemetery at Cambridge when it opened postwar. “There was a memorial plaque in the public library at Turners Hill – the librarian was Pam Edwards, née Chaplin, another ex-Grammar friend. “Ernie’s dedication ‘Beyond Courage’ is very apt as no one in Cheshunt at that time would ever hear a word against the USAAF.”