‘ONCE NAVY, ALWAYS NAVY’
A female perspective on frigate HMS Trincomalee is planning to kick-start its bicentenary celebrations with the launch of a new display on board the historic ship. The world’s oldest warship still afloat, part of the National Museum of the Royal Navy family, is fundraising to create a unique display in honour of the first female passenger to travel on her. The HMS Trincomalee Trust is hoping to raise £500 through crowdfunding for its Eliza Bunt display. Eliza travelled from Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, to Portsmouth in 1818-1819 after her husband died and the Navy took responsibility for her journey home. Eliza recorded her journey while on board the frigate, and the display will include items mentioned in her diary. The HMS Trincomalee Trust has started a fundraising campaign to help preserve the ship. For more details on fundraising of the Eliza Bunt display, see www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/NMRN-NationalMuseum-of-the-Royal-Navy1
Road tribute
A ROAD in a housing development on a former US base is to be named after a Royal Navy hero. Kennedy Avenue on the Pine Trees estate, formerly RAF Daws Hill, in High Wycombe, is named after Capt Edward Kennedy – father of late broadcaster Ludovic – who at the age of 60 captained converted P&O steamship HMS Rawalpindi. The armed merchant cruiser was sunk on November 23 1939 off Iceland by two German cruisers; Kennedy opted to signal his position and fight rather than surrender, and in the one-sided battle 275 of the British crew of 312 died, including Capt Kennedy.
All in good causes
MEMBERS of St Neots and District branch gathered at the end of last year for their annual cheque presentation evening for local good causes. Receiving cheques for £600 each were Sue Ryder’s St Johns Hospice, Moggerhanger, New Saints Amateur Boxing Club, St Neots, St Neots Volunteer Bureau and Samantha Smith, the mother of Zachery Smith, who suffers from cerebral palsy.
Honour for Roy
QUEENSLAND branch S/M Roy Cox received the Légion d’honneur from the French Ambassador in Australia at one of the leading hotels in Brisbane. S/M Roy was 18 when he took part in the liberation of France on June 6 1944, when he was an anti-aircraft gunner in HMS Cottesmore, escorting G Force Minesweeper Flotilla in clearing mines off Gold Beach prior to the main invasion force arriving.
40 : MARCH 2017
Patience rewarded at medal ceremony A ROYAL Navy veteran who worked with the Bletchley Park code-breaking organisation in World War 2 has been awarded the Service Medal – at the age of 91.
Pug (Patience) Whitwill was presented with the medal by Cdre Jamie Miller, the Royal Naval Regional Commander (Wales and Western England) at a ceremony at her Devon nursing home, surrounded by friends, family and staff. The award came long after she left the Women’s Royal Naval Service because she was put off applying for it decades earlier by perceived bureaucracy. Cdre Miller sad: “This was a very special occasion and makes everything worthwhile. “Pug was very engaging and a joy to be with, telling lots of very interesting stories. “We are very much looking forward to hosting her on Bristol’s affiliated aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales.” Dave and Phyl Wynn, friends of Pug, said: “We very much appreciate what everyone did at the presentation, with such jollity and humour too. “I am glad to say that Pug enjoyed it so much, as you know from her verbal ripostes, and it brought that twinkle again to the Wren’s eye.” Pug served in HMS Spartiate at Glasgow, Pembroke V at Eastcote – an out-station for Bletchley Park – Westfield College, a training establishment in Hampstead, London, HMS Beaver in Hull and HMS Godwit. When she joined the Wrens after school she soon became one of the Bletchley Park teams at Eastcote, working on German Enigma codes. She actually wanted to be a driver, but was not tall enough, even on tiptoes. Eventually she was allowed behind the wheel because of the lack of drivers.
Picture: LA(Phot) Caroline Davies
l Patience ‘Pug’ Whitwill is presented with her Service Medal by Cdre Jamie Miller and WO1 Barbara McGregor. (Right) Barbara pictured during her time in the Wrens WO McGregor said: “It was She said she was “absolutely delighted” to be given the chance a real treat for me to meet with to drive, although she said “the Pug, although she kept insisting vehicles were terrible – always the delight was all hers. Her story breaking down, but up came the and life is fascinating.’’ Pug, was keen on sports, was hood and I would fix it.” WO1 Barbara McGregor said: educated at Cheltenham Ladies “Our meeting with Pug was College, where she loved hockey a resounding success. What a and horse riding, pursuing show gracious and fun-loving lady she jumping and hunting into her 70s. is.” She was involved in all The pair talked about their experiences in the Wrens, and traditional rural life, ran a Barbara discovered that on small farm, worked with vets in discharge she kept her uniform, Cullompton for many years and but unfortunately it was trained flatcoat retrievers and their owners, ran dog shows, took destroyed in a house fire. Pug said she earned 30 part in local shoots with her dogs, shillings, and in the past they doing so well into her 80s. Pug always carried a camera, both remembered attending what was then known as a ‘pay parade’, was a good photographer and once a fortnight, where WRNS an avid and knowledgeable had to put out their left hand and birdwatcher. She moved to North Devon salute with the other to receive later in life and enjoyed flytheir pay. fishing, travelling far and wide to do so.
Commemorations for battle
THE Battle of the Atlantic Commemorations will be held over the weekend of May 6 and 7 in Londonderry/Derry. The programme is as follows: Saturday May 6: 1900 for 1930 dinner in the City Hotel; Sunday May 7: 1015 Parade musters at the RBL Club Waterside, 1030 parade marches off, 1040 parade arrives at All Saints Church, 1100 church service, 1210 parade marches to the RBL Club where light refreshments will be served. Should any shipmate wish to attend the dinner the cost will be £30 per head; the cut-off date will be April 14. Please forward a cheque to cover the cost of
relevant number of shipmates attending. Dress for all functions will be RNA rig. For details contact Frank Brown at frankjf22brown@ gmail.com
Iveston event
THERE will be a reunion of ship’s company involved in the January-May 1991 deployment of HMS Iveston. The event will be held in the Portsmouth area on July 8. For further details, or if you know someone who served on board at that time, contact Shaun at shaunmckeever@yahoo.com
New roles for Bob and Nobby FOLLOWING the death of Worthing branch president S/M Bob Adams, S/M Bob Scott was elected as the new president. As Bob was also chairman he decided to stand down, and on October 6 – coincidentally his birthday – S/M Nobby Hall was unanimously elected to the post. Bob Scott has been a member of Worthing since 1989 and chairman from 2002. A Life Member, he is also chairman of No 3 Area and a member of the National Council. Bob’s last role as chairman was to host the Trafalgar Night Dinner, when Cdre Graeme Little, Deputy Chief Naval Engineer, gave the toast to the Immortal Memory. Bob was presented with a commemorative glass plate, and a bouquet of flowers was given to Betty, his supportive wife. S/M Nobby is no stranger to the RNA having been, along with his wife Helen, a founder member of Cyprus branch and subsequently its chairman for six years. He joined Worthing in 2011 after returning to the UK from his role as Assistant Commissioner Maritime in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Currently he is serving full time in the Navy as Staff Officer Information/Cyber Security. Worthing branch is expanding and is keen to continue to recruit, so if you live in West Sussex and are interested, see www.RNAworthing.org
Patron’s Fund gift
The RNA has received a £2,500 gift from the Patron’s Fund, the charitable fund set up to acknowledge the work of the charitable organisations for which the Queen acts as a Patron, on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Around £750,000 is available to distribute between nearly 300 charities and other organisations. Capt Paul Quinn, RNA General Secretary, said: “We are delighted and honoured to have Her Majesty the Queen as our Patron. “This money will help fund the RNA minibus in Portsmouth dockyard, which is used to pick up visitors to Central Office and to help members with mobility issues during Open Days.”
Wigston shipmates are recognised for service
FIVE members of Wigston and District branch have been presented with medals during a ceremony at the offices of Oadby and Wigston Borough Council. More than 100 relatives, friends and council officials were present to watch as the five received Légion d’honneur awards from M Jean-Claude Lafontaine, of the French Consulate. The medals were awarded for the shipmates’ action on D-Day
during the Allied invasion of France in June 1944. The five recipients were: S/M Jack Coughlin, who served as a Gunner aboard Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS) for most of his Service career – indeed, other than MTBs, S/M Jack never served aboard any Royal Navy ships... Jack was serving in Empire Liberty Ship SS Slave Fort on D-Day, which for long periods was stationed off the British beaches disembarking troops onto landing craft. The 7,100-ton vessel also ferried ammunition and supplies across the Channel. S/M Frank Evans was a stoker who went ashore as part of Naval Beach Party 1528, part of the Special Service Brigade within Combined Ops. Frank worked with Naval workshops, transport and supplies back-up, following the Allied advance to Caen, through France and into Belgium. S/M Richard Laland was serving aboard battleship HMS Nelson, which supported the D-Day landings. Richard, who was a Petty
Officer in 1944, was a survivor of the sinking of HMS Barham in the Med, in which 862 men died. S/M Fred Rolfe was an AB aboard destroyer HMS Milne when he was ordered to Hayling Island for landing craft training. He crossed the Channel in converted ferry Isle of Thanet, and was part of a four-man crew taking Canadian troops ashore in a landing craft. As the craft reversed from the beach after their third trip ashore it struck a mined obstacle and blew up – two of the crew died and Fred woke up ten days later aboard a hospital ship. S/M Derrick Smith LA(Phot) Caroline Davies joined the Royal Navy at the age of 19 in 1943 and was a stoker in destroyer HMS Volunteer on D-Day, when the ship escorted Americans landing on Omaha Beach. After eight days off Normandy Volunteer returned to Milford Haven and was given further escort duties, accompanying troop and supply convoys. Derrick was no novice to action at D-Day, having already been in the thick of it during the Battle of the Atlantic. www.navynews.co.uk