MARCH 2002 £1.00

Lessons learned- the Falklands

20 years on

Specialsupplement

inside

Super-bee's back, p16

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Massiveshow ofstrengthby fourcoalition

HMS ILLUSTRIOUS is seenwith coalition ships operat-ing in the Middle East, thecombined fleet includingno less than five carriersfrom four navies.

The individual battlegroup commanders met onboard Illustrious - flying theflag of Rear Admiral JamesBurnell-Nugent, CommanderUK Maritime Forces - to dis-cuss their support ofOperation EnduringFreedom and the global waragainst terror. (See centrepages).

Meanwhile HMS Ocean,with elements of 45Commando Royal Marinesembarked, sailed fromPortsmouth on February 11for operations in the IndianOcean.

The Royal Navy's biggestwarship will take over therole of UK flagship fromIllustrious, which will returnto the UK this month.

C-in-C Fleet Admiral SirAlan West said: "WhileAfghanistan does not fill asmany column inches as itdid, we should not forgetthat the 'war on terrorism'continues, and coalitionforces remain activelyengaged in pursuing AlQaeda and its supporters.

"Since the events ofSeptember 11, the RoyalNavy has played and contin-ues to play a significant rolein operations. The deploy-ment of HMS Ocean willallow HMS Illustrious andthe remaining elements of40Cdo to return home afterbeing away for eightmonths.

"For as long as the UKremains committed to oper-ations in this region, theRoyal Navy, with its widerange of capabilities, willcontinue to play a full part."

Sign of thetimes - howto managetomorrow'speople, p39

FIVE-FIGHTS TERROR

2 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

LIFESAVING ACTIONS BY ROYAL NAVY SEA KINGS

Stricken ship crewswinched to safety

A ROYAL Navy Sea Kinghelicopter from RNASCuldrose winched 16Russian seafarers to safetyafter their ship got into dif-ficulties in storms onSaturday, February 2.

The aircraft was alerted aftera distress signal was picked upfrom the Maltese-registeredfreighter Kodima, en routefrom Scandinavia to Libya witha load of timber, which had runinto trouble in a Force 9 gale.

With RFA tanker Black Roverstanding by, the Sea King headedto the ship, which was around 20miles south of Fowey, with a sec-ond helicopter following onbecause of the number of sailorson the ship.

When the first aircraft arrived,the Kodima's captain, SergeyGorshkov, had already decided toabandon ship, and the crew -including at least one woman -were in lifejackets at the highestpoint on the ship.

With a list in excess of 40degrees, and the ship rolling heavi-ly, an attempt to put diver LACMNAndy Penrosc on to the deck wasabandoned as too risky, so thewinch was lowered by winch opera-tor WOACMN Richie Burnettwith a grab-line for the Russians torecover.

With the second aircraft on sta-tion, the captain of the first SeaKing, observer Lt Roger Brook,and pilots Lt Paul Forbes and LtJustin Ollerlon, decided to take all16 into their helicopter as theyfeared the Kodima could roll in thestormy conditions - by this stagethe wind was gusting to 40 knotsand the ship was being buffeted bywaves 20-30ft high.

The rescued mariners werelanded at Culdrosc, where theywere checked by the medical teamand given a good breakfast and achance to rest.

The other member of the air-crew was LACMN DaveChecscman, who had just quali-fied, and was on board to gainexperience.

The Russian captain told jour-nalists that "it was a very profes-sional rescue carried out by a veryprofessional crew."

Later that day the new duty crewwere scrambled to attempt to put ateam of salvage experts on boardthe Kodima, which by now wasbeing driven inshore towardsWhitsand Bay, which was liberallyscattered with planks of wood fromthe cargo.

The first attempt was aban-doned when it was decided theconditions on board were not safe,so a second bid was made onSunday morning.

Four Dutch salvage experts werepicked up from RoboroughAirport in Plymouth, but again the

• The 771 Naval Air Squadron from Culdrose hovers above the stricken freighter Kodima to land amember of the salvage team on board. Picture: Conn Higgsconditions - winds gusting to 35knots and choppy seas - defeatedtheir best efforts.

A third attempt on Sundayafternoon was successful, and thesalvage team spent about twohours on the Kodima before 771Squadron picked them up again,the weather having calmed rightdown by then.

The Sunday team featured thesame two pilots as Saturday - PaulForbes and Justin Ollcrton - withobserver Lt Dave Smith, winchoperator POACMN Paul Kclsall.diver Andy Penrosc and DaveCheeseman again getting valuablefirst-hand experience.

Meanwhile two heli-copters from Royal FleetAuxiliary supply ship FortGeorge rescued 14 sailorsfrom a sinking dhow in theArabian Sea.

Fort George was en route fromIndia to the port of Aden in Yemenon January 27 when she received adistress call from the stricken 50ftMV Parvin Sagar, which wasreported to be in trouble in heavyseas.

Two Sea King helicopters of 820Naval Air Squadron, currentlyembarked in the supply ship, werelaunched, and when the firstarrived on the scene it found thedhow without power and rollingheavily in the rough seas.

All 14 crewmen - a mix ofIndian, Pakistani and Filipino -were on the wheelhousc roof,awaiting rescue.

The first helicopter winched fiveof the crew to safety in difficultconditions, and the second aircraftcompleted the job by taking off theremaining nine.

All were returned to FortGeorge, where they were checkedby the ship's medical team andgiven the all-clear.

Fort George, commanded byCapt Lcs Coupland RFA, is one ofseven RFA vessels in the area as

part of Operation Vcritas, the waragainst terrorism.

Fort George was awarded theWilkinson Sword of Peace for 2000when she played a vital part in therelief work which followed the dev-astating floods in Mozambique.

Search and Rescue crewthanked by Russian Admiral

One of Russia's most senioradmirals has taken the unusualstep of writing personally toeach member of a Royal NavySearch and Rescue (SAR) heli-copter crew to thank them forsaving the life of a Russiansailor last October.

A Sea King from HMS Gannetin Ayrshire was scrambled whenthe Russian Defence Ministryreported that a sailor was strickenwith appendicitis hundreds ofmiles out to sea in stormy condi-tions.

The Rescue Co-ordinationCentre at Kinloss directed the SeaKing, based at Prestwick, almost200 miles out in strong headwindsto find the ship while an RAFNimrod provided initial radiolinks.

Lt Neil Armstrong, the heli-copter pilot, said of the rescue:"When we found her, the ship wassuffering in high winds and turbu-lent sea, and we could see thatextricating the stricken sailor wasgoing to be difficult.

"The deck was covered in obsta-cles, and there was a large numberof ship's aerials to be avoided."

An aircrewman was loweredwith a stretcher to the deck, which

was moving up to 30ft.The patient and a translator

were successfully recovered,though the latter was left danglingover the sea when a wave brokerestraining ropes, and the two weredelivered to a hospital in NorthernIreland, where the sick man wastreated successfully.

Admiral Zakharcnko, DeputyCommander-in-Chicf of theRussian Federation Navy, wrote toLt Armstrong and his four aircrewexpressing his thanks and those ofthe Russian Federation.

The admiral identified LtArmstrong's leadership as key toovercoming the difficult weatherconditions and making a successfulrecovery of the sick man.

The other members of the crewwere Lt Jon Platt, (second pilot),Maj Joe Goodyear, RoyalCanadian Navy (observer), POAStephen Sharp and MA AlanJackson.

The British Embassy inMoscow, which passed on the dis-tress message in the first instance,described the letters as "an unusu-al and unexpected gesture, indica-tive of the goodwill that has beencreated between our respectiveforces."

Dolphin totsSix junior rates from HMS Sceptre, the Rosyth-basedsubmarine, are shown gaining their Dolphins in truesubmariner fashion - hidden at the bottom of a tot ofnaval rum.

The occasion for the celebration was the visit byRear Admiral Niall Kilgour, Flag Officer Submarines, toSwiftsure boats HMS Sceptre and HMS Spartan at theend of January.

This was his first visit to the refitting submarinessince taking office.

Sceptre arrived in Rosyth in May 1997 and has beenthrough a four year refit. She is due to return to servicelater this year.

The Dolphins were awarded to OM Manning, OMAnderson, OM Cell, OM Bradley, OM Jennings andMEM Woods on completion of the SubmarineQualification Wet Phase. P,chjre. Lt Len Pannett

• HMS Grimsby discovered a WWII bomb in Gibraltar bay.

Gibraltardiving teamclear WorldWar II bombHMS GRIMSBY, the mine countcrmeasures vessel, found aWWII aircraft bomb lying just 300 metres from Spanish waters inthe sun-drenched bay of Gibraltar at the end of January.

A team of clearance divers werecalled in from the GibraltarSquadron to deal with this danger-ous remnant of World War II. Thesuspicion was that it was an air-craft bomb from the air raids onGibraltar in the early part of thewar.

Further investigation by LS(D)Paddy O'Lynn, DVRl Jo Gow andDVR1 Dicky Dickson showed thatthis was a 5()0lb bomb lying in only12 metres of water - with the fusestill in place!

The plan was rapidly changedfrom the in i t ia l version to blow itup in situ to a more delicateremoval operation.

Divers attached a mine clear-ance airbag to lift the bomb fromthe seabed.

Then with a long tow the dan-gerous cargo was carried to a des-ignated ordnance dumping groundto the south-east of Gibraltar'sEuropa point. There the bombcould be safely dropped in deepwater, never to see the light of dayagain.

This stepped up the operationto a significant undertaking.Shipping in the bay had to movedto keep a clear sea-lane down thecentre of the bay of Gibraltar.

As the team sent the bomb to itspeaceful grave at the bottom of700 metres of water, the Spanishauthorities kept a close eye ontheir successful efforts.

Quality recognisedin Devonportfleet engineersLLOYDS Register QualityAssurance has presented engi-neers in Superintendent FleetMaintenance at Dcvonport withthe International StandardOrganisation (ISO) 9001: 2000.

This internationally-recognisedaward was given to the team whohave reviewed and reassessedtheir business and managementapproach to keep focused on thechanging needs of their customers,the ships of the Royal Navy.

Lorraine pulls theboatshow winnersLORRAINE Chase drew the win-ning tickets for the King George'sFund for Sailors national rafflewhile visiting the Royal Navy standat the Boat Show at Earls Court,assisted by Lord Bach, Ministerfor Defence Procurement.

In total the raffle yielded abounty of £34,000 to help thenaval charity. Prize winners camefrom all over the country, includ-ing one winner who bought histicket through Navy News andgained three bottles of whisky!

• Clearance divers from the Gibraltar Squadron preparing toclear a SOOIb aircraft bomb from the bay. picture. Cpl Martin ^ RAF

www. navvnews. co. uk NAVY NEWS. MARCH 2002 3

Assault line HMS Albion and Bulwark, the Royal Navy's new Landing Platform Dock (LPD) assaultships, are pictured at dawn in Barrow-in-Furness, under construction in BAE SystemsMarine's Buccleuch Dock. Delivery of Albion is due on August 9, with Bulwark in July 2003.

Picture: Mike Vallance

New recruitshelp rescueinjured rideron DartmoorNEW recruits to the Royal Navy put their teamwork skills to good use when theywere asked to help in an emergency on Dartmoor.

Shiny Sheff isMediterraneanstanding forcenew flagshipTYPE 22 frigate HMS Sheffield left Plymouth on February 5 torelieve HMS Chatham as the UK's contribution to the StandingNaval Force Mediterranean (STANAVFORMED).

During the six month deploy-ment she will carry out a numberof operational duties as part of theForce, including the monitoring ofmerchant shipping as part of anti-terrorist operations. Visits areplanned to Turkey, Sicily, Crete,Spain and Algiers.

STANAVFORMED is one of agroup of NATO standing forces,usually comprising eight frigatesand destroyers each representing aNATO country. A Commodore ornational equivalent provided byone of the participating nations isin command - in this case CdreAngus Somerville, who took over

last September and transfers withhis staff from HMS Chatham.

HMS Sheffield returned from ahighly successful deployment tothe West Indies in August 2001.She carried out counter drug oper-ations in close liaison with the USCoast Guard and the Dutch Navy,playing a key role in catchingsmugglers carrying 749kg ofcocaine.

Since then the 'Shiny Sheff' haspaid a visit to her affiliated city ofSheffield and has been undergoingmaintenance and training to pre-pare for her current deployment.

The ten recruits were on aresource and initiative trainingexercise when they were askedto help rescue a 14-year-oldgirl who had been injuredwhile out riding.

The Devon Air Ambulance hadbeen called to a site north-east ofDitsworthy Warren House, butwere concerned about the visibili-ty, which was deteriorating.

Paramedic Nigel Hare, of theDevon Air Ambulance, said:"Normally this situation wouldresult in the helicopter abortingthe mission and returning to basein favour of a land ambulance.

"However, reports of thecasualty's injuries weresuch that we decided toland the helicopter as closeto the scene as we couldget and attempt to walk tothe patient."At this point the crew came

across the recruits, five weeks intotheir basic training at HMSRaleigh, Torpoint. The teamswere being supervised by SgtSteve Adams, RM and PO BradBradley.

The youngsters volunteered tocarry the stretcher - with as littledisturbance as possible - in verydifficult conditions. Every couple

of hundred metres the teamsswapped round, allowing onegroup to rest as the other carried.

Despite the increasingly densefog, they navigated back to theNavy Land Rover and, with thepatient in the back, drove careful-ly along the mile-long bumpytrack to the waiting air ambu-lance.

The injured girl was flown toDerriford Hospital for treatment.

Lt Cdr Barbara Mann, the offi-cer in charge of the training exer-cise, said: "Although the traineeshad only been in the Royal Navyfor five weeks, they showed matu-rity and courage when dealingwith this difficult situation.

"I am extremely proud of theway they assisted with the opera-tion, and how they conductedthemselves throughout."

The Devon Air Ambulancecrew agreed: "The whole processtook a relatively quick two and ahalf hours, and the patient's con-dition would certainly have deteri-orated had she not been taken offthe moor as quickly as she was.

"Overall this was an incidentwhere the team effort reallycounted. The HMS Raleigh teamworked beyond the call of duty toeffect the safe rescue of the casu-alty."

Beaglebowsout atGuzz

FIRST Sea LordAdmiral Sir NigelEssenhigh met HMSBeagle when shereturned to Devonportfor the last time, flyingher paying off pennant.

As reported in lastmonth's Navy News, onher voyage home the32-year-old survey shiphad been involved inthe dramatic rescue of240 refugees, aban-doned in their sinkingship in the stormyMediterranean.

4 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navy news. co. uk

Artist seeksWalrus experts

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THE ARTIST Michael Lees is seeking technical advice from a deckofficer, seaman or Walrus 'ground crew' who served in a Fiji classcruiser, particularly HMS Nigeria.

Walrus aircraft flew from cruisers in Russian convoys in the first three yearsof World War II. They landed in up to 12 foot breaking seas, and were winchedaboard while the cruiser continued on the move.

The landing procedure required the cruiser to drop to the rear of the convoy tomanoeuvre. She would do a hard turn at full speed then slow to 7 knots. The Walruswould land in the water smoothed by the cruiser's turn, perhaps as close as 40 yardsfrom her stern, then taxi along its smoothed path to the cruiser's side to be winchedaboard.

This whole procedure took as little as one and a half minutes to complete.A pilot who flew Walrus aircraft from HMS Nigeria is helping with the research for an

oil painting of the scene. The initial drawing pictured here shows the composition - butis not yet technically correct.

The artist himself has flown seaplanes and served as a lifeboatman so has used hispersonal experience as the basis for a lot of the scene, but there are still details forwhich he needs further help - and he's already asked a pilot, the National MaritimeMuseum, the Fleet Air Army Museum and the Royal Naval Museum.

Among the many questions that still need answers are: were guard rails regularlyrigged on cruisers in Russian convoys? What flag was flown to give permission to land- and was it flown starboard or port? Which radar antenna was fitted in 1942?

Any photos of Fiji cruisers in Russian convoys in 1941-2, especially Nigeria,that showcamouflage paint, bridge arrangement and deck fittings would also be appreciated.

If you think that you can help, please contact Richard Lees, the artist's brother, bytelephone: 01508 518011 or by e-mail: rjlees@freenet.co.uk.

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New fleetfor militaryTHE LATEST fleet joining theServices is a fleet of trucks.

The Ministry of Defence hasasked five firms to bid to supply8,500 trucks, and keep them run-ning through their 20-year life.Three UK firms arc in the runningto provide these new vehicles, andall the firms are looking to use UKfacilities to build and support thefleet. The winning firm should beannounced towards the end of thisyear.

The new transports, from lighttrucks to heavy lorries and recov-ery vehicles, will be used to keepall three Services going in the frontline, and are planned to start workin 2006.

The MOD expects to spend £1.4billion on this massive truck pur-chase, the biggest in over 20 years.

Daniel lauded indaring air rescueAIR Engineering MechanicDaniel Ruszczyk received a'Green Endorsement' for uphold-ing the finest traditions of theFleet Air Arm. The award recog-nises Daniel's courage, judgementand professionalism.

Daniel was winchman in theHMS Montrose Lynx helicopterwhen they were called to rescue acritically-il l crewmcmber from thetrawler, Pena Rcbollara.

Virtual forum (orservice familiesA VIRTUAL communication cen-tre is being set up by theAssociation for Royal Navy andRoyal Marines Families.

Members will be able to keep intouch with other members acrossthe world through instant messag-ing. It will also offer news andinformation, and provides the firstiorum facility at www.rnrmfa.com.

Chaplain warns againstreligious fundamentalismTHE VENERABLE SimonGolding, Chaplain of the Fleet,gave a warning against crudereligious labels at a meetingfor military chaplains.

He separated recent operationsagainst terrorism from the genuinereligious expression of the Islamicfaith in his opening remarks to agathering of 90 military chaplainsfrom 31 different nations at theRAF Museum Cosford.

He added: "Fundamentalism isa challenge to all the world's faithgroups and a threat to internation-al co-operation and peaceful co-existence."

Service commitments across theworld have changed over the lasttwo decades since the end of theCold War. Now intervention tendsto be as part of a multinationalforce, involving greater co-opera-tion across nations and religions.

Protestant, Roman Catholic,Orthodox, Jewish, Muslim andBuddhist representatives met atthe 13th Meeting of theInternational Chiefs ofChaplaincies to talk about theirrole in military intervention.

The Royal Navy is the lead ser-vice for the UK for the event whichis being hosted jointly by the UKArmed Forces and the USEuropean Command.

The Ven Simon Golding openedwith the hope "that during thecourse of this week as we live, workand pray together we shall learnfrom each other as we share ourexperiences and ways of exercisingour Ministry to the military per-sonnel and their dependants underour spiritual and pastoral care.

"Trust and friendship will be keyingredients to the success of ourconference."

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Montrose replacesensign on wreck

• LPT Mark Jones safely steers HMSMontrose towards Port Stanley.

Picture: LA Phot Jon Hamlet

THE DIVING team from HMS Montrose has replacedthe Ensign on the wreck of HMS Antelope, the Type 21which was sunk during the Falklands War.

The seven-strong team from the Devonport-based Type 23frigate found the foc's'le of Antelope, which lies in San CarlosWater, relatively intact, and reported back to the ship that theywere able to attach a White Ensign to the bridge roof.

Team member Lt Ben Vickery said: "It was a poignant momentto see the bright red, white and blue colours of the Ensign flyingsome 20 metres under water - something the whole of the teamwill remember for the rest of their lives."

Antelope was in San Carlos Water on May 22, 1982, when shewas attacked by Argentinean aircraft. Two bombs hit the ship, nei-ther of which exploded, though one man died in the raid.

The Type 21 frigate made her way to a more sheltered part ofthe bay to allow two Royal Engineers to come on board andattempt to defuse the two bombs.

Three attempts were made on the first, a l.OOOlb device, butwithout success. As a fourth attempt was made a delay mechanismon the fuse caused the bomb to detonate, killing Staff SergeantJim Prescott and badly injuring WO Phillips.

With Antelope on fire, the order was given to abandon ship,and she broke in two and sank shortly after.

The diving team was: Lt Dumbleton, Lt Vickery, CCWEAJones, CPO Mulchings, POC Bird, PO(S) James and MEMCameron.

Mpntrose is currently exercising in the Falklands area, includ-ing firing her 4.5in gun.

Members of the ship's company have undertaken a 'battlefieldtour' on the islands while the ship was alongside at East Cove,including Mount Tumbledown.

• The royal salute firedfrom Fort Blockhouse atGosport by the ceremoni-al staff of HMSCollingwood led by WORoonie.

Royal gunsalute firesout Queen's50th yearTHE THREE naval basesacross the UK dressedtheir ships overall to cele-brate the Queen's 50thyear as monarch.

A twenty-one gunsalute rang out from thequarter deck at HMSDrake in Devonport, andthe ceremonial cannon atFort Blockhouse herald-ed Portsmouth's ownsalute.

Celebrations will con-tinue later in the year withthe Golden Jubilee eventfor all three Servicesplanned at Portsmouthfor June 27.

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS. MARCH 2002 5

Shios of the Royal Navy No

Brocklesby's great catchBREAKING new

ground as the firstFaslane ship to take

up the duty, HMSBrocklesby's primary role asa mine hunter and sweeperhas recently been overtakenby her success as a fisheryprotection ship.

The Hunt-class mine coun-termeasures vessel (MCMV)has just finished the last of herthree patrols in her six-monthass ignment to safeguard thenation's marine population.

She's been through an eventfulfew months.

Away from her fishery duties, onher firsl patrol her team of diverswas called to help a Belgian trawlerwith a fouled propeller, and sheescorted a dis-masted Dutch yachtacross the North Sea, as part of anoperation involving the UK andNetherlands coastguard andlifeboat services.

She also found time to searchthe Medway for a World War IIGerman mine found and lost againin the deep Kentish mud.

Despite these distractions,Brocklesby has managed to rack upan impressive haul of fishery catch-es in her short tour.

A Belgian trawler was escortedto Lowestoft for breaching therules, and there are prosecutionspending for British trawlers. TheRoyal Navy ship has also issued anumber of written warnings.

Just before Christmas,Brocklesby conducted her hun-dredth boarding on a scallopdredger just off the Isle of Man.

The owner was, it seems, a bitsurprised to be boarded at (iam bya Royal Navy team bearing smiles,a bottle of wine and ship's crest fortheir hundredth customer.

Brocklesby is mostly bui l t ofglass reinforced plastic (GRP),which is non-magnetic and strongenough to stand up to the explo-sions likely to be encountered in

• The Scottish-based Hunt class HMS Brocklesby carrying a piper on return from fishery protection duties.

mine countcrmeasures work.This GRP hul l is designed to

reduce to a minimum the ship'smagnetic signature. Her noise sig-nature is also kept low by carefultuning of all the main machinery.

As a Hunt class, she has the abil-ity to carry out both mincsweepingand minehunting operations.

Mines are destroyed by beingswept by a towed wire and influ-ence sweeps or hunted using theship's high-definition sonar, thendetonated by explosives placedcither by one of the ship's divers orthe ship's remote controlled minedisposal system.

Unusually for a small ship, HMSBrocklesby has three affiliations.One to West Lindsey nearGainsborough, a recently renewed

affiliation to Belper in Derbyshirefrom her World War II antecedent,and her Scottish affi l iat ion toRothesay.

The current Brocklcsby is thethird to bear the name. The firstwas an ex-coaster taken up fromtrade in 19If) , and recategorised asa Merchant Fleet Auxiliary.

The second HMS Brocklesbywas a Type I Hunt class destroyercompleted in 1941. She formedpart of the 15th Destroyer Flotillaunder Plymouth command.

She provided cover to convoys inher early career during World WarII, before taking part in the raid onSt Nazairc in 1942. Later the sameyear, she was part of OperationJubilee, the raid on Dieppe whereshe provided covering fire, and

herself came under heavy fire, tak-ing several hits. Soon she was backin action in Operation Boweryagainst the Germans.

By 1943, Brocklesby moved onto the Mediterranean Fleet whereshe served for nearly two years as aconvoy escort. Brocklesby formedpart of Force V in the invasion ofSicily in July 1943. Then for thenext two years she was involved inbombardments of enemy positions,including the landing at Salerno.

Increased U-boat activity inhome waters called Brocklesbynearer home in early 1945, until inJuly she became an aircraft targettraining ship and was reclassifiedas a frigate. She was still in serviceinto the 1960s as a training ship,unti l she paid off in 1963.

The present HMS Brocklesbyhas now returned to her mine war-fare patrol. In the summer she isplanned to deploy to the easternMediterranean on Argonaut.

Facts andfigures

Class: Hunt-class minecountermeasures vesselPennant number: M33Builder: Vosper Thornycroft,WoolstonLaunched: January 12,1982Commissioned: February 3,1983Displacement: 750 tons,fully loadedLength: 60 metresBeam: 10 metresDraught: 3 metresSpeed: 15 knots diesel, 8knots hydraulic driveComplement: 45 (five offi-cers)Main machinery: TwoRuston-Paxman 9-59KDeltic diesels; Deltic Type 9-55B diesel for pulse genera-tor and auxiliary drive; twoshafts; bow thrusterWeapons: One 30mm gun;four general purpose gunsRadar: Navigation radar:Kelvin Hughes Type 1007; I-bandSonars: Plessey 193M Mod1 sonar, hull-mounted,minehunting; Mil Cross mineavoidance sonar, hullmount-ed, activeMinehunting system:RCMDS (RemotelyControlled Mine DisposalSystem)

Dieppe 1942English Channel .. 1942-3Atlantic 1943Sicily 1943Salerno 1943Adriatic ... ... 1944

AIRCRAFT OF THE ROYAL NAVY No 65

• Fairey Gannet AS 1, aircraft XA361 of 719 Naval Air Squadron at RN air station Eglinton,Northern Ireland, in the latter part of the 1950s.

Fairey Gannet AS 1ALTHOUGH long in development, the twomain variants of the carrier-borne FaireyGannet saw service with the Fleet Air Armfrom the early 1950s until the very end of the1970s.

The anti-submarine version pictured above- the AS 1 - was derived from the prototypeFairey Type Q which first flew in September1949, but it wasn't until a much-modified thirdprototype was airborne in May 1951 that thegreen light was given for full production tobegin.

The AS 1 was a revolutionary aircraft inmany ways.

It was the first aeroplane in the world to flywith a double airscrew turbine power plant, itscontra-rotating airscrews giving the control ofa single-engined aircraft with the benefits of atwin.

The two 'halves' of the Armstrong SiddeleyDouble Mamba 100 engine could be con-trolled independently, allowing one airscrewto be feathered for economical cruising, whilethe Gannet could quickly return to full powerfor action.

Gannets were also the first RN aircraftdesigned to both seek and destroy; radarwould pick up the target, while for the latterpart of the equation there was a spaciousbomb bay capable of housing torpedoes,mines, depth charges or bombs, in addition torockets below the wings.

The Gannet was the first turbo-prop aircraftto land on a carrier (HMS Illustrious in June1950), and the type went front-line with 826NAS in January 1955, at Lee-on-the-Solent.

In total, 172 AS 1s were built by Fairey, andthe type was succeeded by a more powerfulvariant, the AS4, on the production line from1956, which added 90 more to the number.

But rapid developments in helicopterdesign brought about a hastened demise forthe Gannet as an anti-submarine platform,and the last AS 1 flew for the Royal Navy inJune 1961 (700 NAS), though the RAN flewtheir AS1s until 1967.

The Gannet had a three-man crew, and hada top speed of just under 300 mph, with a ser-vice ceiling of 25,000ft.

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6 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

Letters

Topping upunder wayWITH regard to early Replen-ishment at Sea (January issue)Jane's Fighting Ships of 1907 showsa photograph of the Italian cruiserLiguria coaling while under way at12 knots using a Temperley PatentMarine Cable Transporter.

This appears to be some form of"jackstay" rig and the warshipappears to be towing the collier asa means of keeping the correctdistance.

Regarding oiling, Jane's 1914edition shows a photograph(attributed to the Daily Mirror ofFebruary 7, 1906) of the Majestic-class pre-Dreadnought HMSVictorious oiling from an "oilingsteamer" while under way.

Again, the warship is towing theother ship: the oil is being suppliedthrough a flexible metallic hosesuspended in bights along someform of jackstay.

Clearly, under-way replen-ishment was not a new thing evenin the 1930s.

A final point regarding A. C.Bishop's photograph: the twocylindrical tanks shown secured tothe battleship's deck-edge arenothing to do with replenishingthe destroyer.

I believe them to be petrolstorage tanks for the ship's spotteraircraft and boats. Containing avolatile fuel, they had to be easy tojettison. - 'Foul-weatherJacket', Fareham, Hants.

Two moreMeteors

WITH regard to Aircraft of theRoyal Navy' featuring GlosterMeteor 7s (January issue) youmention Nos 759 and 728squadrons but not 702 which hadtwo.

It formed in April 1949 atRNAS Culdrosc as a Sea Vampiresquadron but also had Nos VZ446and VZ646 Meteor 7s, one ofwhich is in Mounts Bay aftercrashing during the Air DayHandicap race, taking off afterthe Sea Fury and Sea Vampire.

I joined the squadron onformation, moving to 809 SeaHornet squadron also at Culdrosein 1951. - D. A. Bailey, Rugby,Warwickshire

TV licences:why do wehave to paytwice over?I AM wondering whether anyone could give me a plausible reason why married and singlemen in my unit are being financially burdened by the TV Licensing Board?

I have five married men, twoout of base port, who live insingle cabins within one of HerMajesty's establishments.

Even though they have a validtelevision licence at home, they arerequired by law to pay in full for anadditional licence to watchtelevision in their own cabins.

It seems unfair that employeesof HM Government who willinglyput themselves in harm's way inthe service of their country arebeing told to pay what amounts totwo days' pay, whilst prisonersbeing held at Her Majesty'spleasure, supposedly being

punished, are allowed to havetelevisions in their cells at no extracost.

In this case, and I'm sure thereare others, one television licencecovers the whole prison.

I understand that televisionrooms are provided in shoreestablishments, smoking or nonsmoking, but why shouldn't pur offduty personnel have the choice of alittle privacy after a hard day's toil?

In these days of a morematelot-friendly Navy with itsPFS/harmony responsibilities,shouldn't some dispensation beinitiated to give the married orsingle man, if a home owner, therespect he deserves and allow himto use his home television licencefor his cabin? - Lt Cdr G. J.Wilson, Officer-in-charge,Southern Diving Unit 2, HMSExcellent.

Letters to the Editor shouldalways be accompanied bythe correspondent's nameand address, not nec-essarily for public-ation.email correspondentsare also requested toprovide this information.

avyNews

No. 572 48th year

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postingI WAS very interested to read the article

'Pen Pal via Siberia' (January issue).I was serving in HMS Caradoc at Hangkow

on the Yangtse River in the early 1930s. The'Yangtse cruiser' as it was known, togetherwith 13 gunboats, looked after Britishinterests on the river from Shanghai toChungking.

Yangtse gunboats never returned to the UKfor recommissioning, but half-crews werechanged annually. Most docking and refittingwas carried out at Shanghai and it wasprobably while Scarab was in dockyard handsthat this letter was posted.

I took this picture of her alongside therebefore I came home in 1934. - W. E. Breton, StMartins, Guernsey.

PRIOR to 1936 all mail for the China Fleetwas sent via Siberia taking up to three weeksif a ship was in Northern waters, and muchlonger if ships were further South. By sea mailit was never less than six weeks. WhenImperial Airways introduced the Short EmpireFlying Boats they took over the majl run as faras Singapore and from then on mail arrived indays instead of weeks, again dependingwhere a ship happened to be. It was a greatimprovement and appreciated by all. - G. G.Wright - Mt Maunganui, New Zealand.

How DickieMountbattenshot a chipon the blockREGARDING "the carrier that cut no ice" (January andFebruary issues) my late father, Charles Hawken Drake, recalledthat during one of the Quebec Conferences a little light relief wasintroduced when Mountbatten demonstrated his iceberg aircraftcarrier codenamed Habbakuk.

(This name had been chosen byChurchill wi th reference to the textin the Book of Habbakuk in theBible: "Behold ye among theheathen, and regard, and wondermarvellously: for I will work awork in your days, which ye willnot believe, though it be toldyou.")

British and American Chiefs ofStaff had been having long andsometimes angry arguments aboutthe future policy and strategy ofthe war and finally decided to sendeveryone else out of the room andthat just three British and threeAmerican Chiefs should continuetheir arguments alone.

General Brook, the BritishCIGS, had already agreed thatMountbatten could demonstratehis ice carrier (and got theAmerican General Marshall'sagreement), so just as the meetingwas breaking up, Mountbattenentered the room with a trolleypushed by two hotel waiters. Onthis was a huge block of normalice.

Mountbatten asked the Chiefsof Staff to move to one side, pulledout a revolver and fired it at theblock of ice which shattered into amillion pieces.

A similar block was thenwheeled in and Mountbattenasked for the strongest manpresent, the US General Arnold,to try and shatter this block with anaxe. The General brought downthe axe with an enormous crash,the only result being a squeal ofpain, because the axe bounced offther block, giving him a nasty jar -and the ice remained intact.

This, said Mountbatten, showedhow different ice (reinforced'Pycrete') reacted, and hewondered if it would stand up to ashot. He pulled out his revolverand fired - with a terrifying resultbecause the bullet ricocheted offthe ice and round the room, tore ahole in the shoulder of AdmiralKing's jacket, then hit the Chief ofthe American Army Air Force andcut a piece out of his sleeve.

After a pause, everyone burst

out laughing and told Mount-batten he had better get on withbuilding his aircraft carrier.

All this was related afterwardsby General Brook to my father. -Miss A. G. Drake, Chichester.

THE HABBAKUK project wasperhaps a little more substantivethan your article implies. Afterconsulting a physicist, Prof J. D.Bernal, Mountbatten briefedChurchill who in December 1942wrote: "The advantages of afloating island or islands, even ifthey are only used as refuellingdepots for aircraft, are so dazzlingthat they do at the moment need tobe discussed."

This of course was at the time ofthe "mid Atlantic gap" in air coverat the height of the U-boatcampaign.

Construction was undertaken atPatricia Lake of a 1:50 scale modelof a vessel which would be 600metres long, 90 metres wide and 60metres deep. It would have 26electrically driven propellors, a topspeed of seven knots, a crew of2,000 and be made of a frozensubstance composed of water andwood pulp. It would have a centralrefrigeration unit which kept theice component at a coretemperature of -IOC.

The project for one ship, to bebuilt in Newfoundland, was costedat $100 million and thought torequire 35,000 people during theconstruction phase.

Churchill discussed it withRoosevelt at the Quebecconference in August 1943 and thematter was left in the hands of theAmericans. In December 1943they decided that priorities andresources should be directedelsewhere.

The completed modelsuccessfully floated free until July1943 when its refrigerationequipment was removed. The icemelted and the basic wood andgalvanised iron structure sank nearthe south shore where it remains afavourite spot for sports divers. -E. M. Ward, Poole, Dorset.

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 7

Letters

Belfast is keptout of Kuwait

Gallantrygatherings

on offerT H E G A L L A N T R YMedallists' League is sec-ond only to the VC andGC Association andembraces all holders ofsecond level gallantryawards, both military andcivilian, within theCommonwealth.

Today membership isdrawn from seven coun-tries and all are welcometo take part in our activi-ties, particularly the bien-nial Musters held at theRoyal Hospital, Chelseaand the Victory ServicesClub. The last one includ-ed 58 members fromAustralia and others fromHolland, Denmark andSpain.

A single payment of £15secures life membership.Write to The Secretary,GML, Tudor Cottage, WickHill, Finchampstead,Wokingham, Berks RG403SW for details. - Lt Col J.M. Gaff, Wokingham.

Jubilee Medal:some wouldbe willing topay for itI READ with disappointment your article on GoldenJubilee Medal entitlement (January issue).

I left the RN in 1977 having served 25 years, thewhole of Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee.

I was extremely disappointed, like many others, atnot being considered for the medal. The GoldenJubilee medal is apparently available to all currentlyserving for five years or more - quite right.

Should we not seriously be considering an award ofthe medal to those of us now retired, who have servedQueen and country for so long?

Presumably it is all down to cost, but personally Iwould be prepared to contribute to the cost to receive

I AM presently residing in Canada and my sister, who lives inthe UK, recently sent me a package of old family photographsand a letter. The letter was from Capt Morgan Giles, thenCommanding Officer of HMS Belfast in the Far East.

The letter was a Christmas message to the families of the Ship'sCompany and is dated December 1, 1961, At Sea. He mentions that hadwe not been required to go into Singapore drydock the ship would havebeen dispatched to Kuwait.

I could not remember the events that would have seen us head to theMiddle East and asked around the expat community here but no onecould remember with any certainty this event in history.

Coincidentally a couple of days later I was reading the Novemberissue of Ncivv News and there in the letters section was the answer. Whatwould be the odds on that? - Bill Adamson, Calgary, Alberta.

This was Iraq's announcement that she was going to annexeKuwait, which triggered Royal Navy action to support the smallerstate. - Ed.

• HMS Belfast in Singapore for paying off, February 1961, theflight deck of HMS Hermes seen on the left.

Singaporegun lore

I AM currently trying to researchSingapore's 15in guns of WorldWar II vintage to help open a her-itage site concerning them, howSingapore was more or lessturned into a battleship.

Five guns were installed therein the 1930s and my sources seemto suggest they were rotated onand off battleships for servicing,including HMS Barham. Somemay have seen action in the Battleof Jutland.

The image of them pointingout to sea could be misleading.The five biggest guns were delib-erately placed out of sight of thesea.

There were suggestions in the1920s that one I5in gun should belocated on the island of PulauBlakang Mali, a stone's throwfrom Singapore's south coast, butthis was ruled out preciselybecause the Blakang Mali posi-tion would be visible from the sea.Instead, all the 15in guns wereplaced slightly inland, often sur-rounded by trees.

1 am anxious to locate the logsfor the guns. So many peoplehave piled layer upon layer ofmyth about them that we aredetermined to get the story right.- Dr Karl Hack, NanyangTechnological University,Singapore

and wear the medal with pride and no doubt there areplenty of others out there who would do likewise. - G.Bishop, Southsca, Hants.

TWENTY-FIVE years ago the Silver Jubilee awardwas a farce.

The three medals allocated to my ship were distrib-uted as follows: one quite rightly to the CO, the othertwo being drawn for, one by the senior and one by thejunior rates.

The rest of us, although disappointed, accepted thisto be normal for such medals, but now I wonder. - J.Bartlett, Liskeard, Cornwall.

AnotherZulu

READING 'Zulu's Last warDance' (January issue) remindedme of my own Zulu's farewell inSeptember 1942.

My Zulu, one of the earlierTribal class destroyers, was bornin 1936 in a Clyde shipyard whereI was serving a five year appren-ticeship as a Marine Engineer andI helped build her main engines.

I was on board her at launch,dock trials, sea trials and accep-tance trials, when she was handedover to the Royal Navy.

In 1938 I joined a Glasgowshipping line. My ship was in Riowhen war was declared. We sailedfor the UK on one of the firstconvoys from Freetown.

On reaching Liverpool, being amember of the RNR, I was calledup and posted to a corvette on theAtlantic run. On our trip homewe were torpedoed. Some of uswere picked up by one of theescorts and brought to Liverpool.

After survivor's leave, I wasgiven a posting to a ship undergo-ing repairs at Lcith - would youbelieve it, HMS Zulu? I felt quiteat home as I walked up the gang-way to present myself to theEngineering Officer.

I was with her from 1940-42.We took part in various opera-tions, the most outstanding beingOperation Agreement, the com-bined operations raid on Tobruk.September 13-14. 1942.

After this, on the way to Alexwe were dive bombed three timesby Ju 88s. The second raid dis-abled us and we were taken in towby HMS Hurley. The third attackwas the final nail in the coffin -the damage was so bad the towrope had to be cut and she rolledover to starboard and sank.

The comradeship in the Tribalswas so strong. There is a story ofan ex-Zulu who had been draftedto HMS Medway when she was inconvoy with Zulu. When Medwaywas sunk, he ignored the vesselpicking him up and swam offtowards Zulu which was a quarterof a mile away. - H. G. Gordon,Saltcoats, Scotland.

Museumplea

I NOTICED with great interestthe story about a plan to open anuclear submarine to the public inDevonport (January issue).

Surely it is about time we had asmall submarine museum inScotland, considering its own his-tory of submarine activities out ofthe Clyde and elsewhere? - E. A.Mortlock, Dunfermline.

Clean-up operation pavedway for whaling museumI

N THE January editiona few paragraphs werededicated to the 'RedPlum' HMS Enduranceand you mentioned the

small museum at Grytviken asbeing dedicated to the story ofSir Ernest Shackleton.

The museum was primarily setup as a whaling museum to dis-play various documents andequipment used during the whal-ing years at South Georgia from1904 to the early 1960s.

The museum building is actual-ly in what was the whaling stationmanager's residence, known asThe Villa'. I believe some roomshave now been dedicated to peo-ple with strong South Georgiaconnections, such as Shacklcton.

In 1989 Capt Roy Martin and Ifrom Marine Salvage Services,Southampton, spent a very enjoy-able voyage on the previous HMSEndurance and felt very much athome on the former merchantcargo vessel originally built forthe Danish Lauritzen Line.

We were treated most regallyand given the best on offer in theWard Room, occasionally slippingdown to the Chiefs' Mess for afew cans and a yarn.

Our task was to evaluate thedeterioration of the whaling sta-tions at Grytvikcn, Husvik, LeithHarbour and Stromness and toformulate a plan to remove asmuch toxic and noxious sub-stances as possible, including oil.

This was followed by a furthervisit to South Georgia in February1969 for myself and my sonRobert, who is a welder/fabricatorplus two labourers from PortStanley.

Our vessel this time was RFADiligence. We lived at KingEdward Point and commencedpreparing pipe work and otherjobs at Grytvikcn including a coatof paint to the Villa and thewhale catcher Petrel 'borrowedfrom a sypathetic bosun'.

We joined RFA Gold Rover fora return trip to Stromness thatlasted several days due to foulweather. Mid May saw us join

HMS Leeds Castle for a bit of abumpy ride back to MareHarbour in the East Falklands.

In late October 1990 the arma-ments carrier RMAS Throsk waschartered to us. We crewed thevessel with as many certificatedFalkland Islanders (including theMaster) as we could find, plusother crew members best suitedfor the forthcoming trip. Severalwere ex-whalers and their inputwas most useful.

Having loaded Throsk with allkinds of second hand plant suchas tractors, diggers, special oilpumps etc she sailed fromPortsmouth in late November andarrived at Port Stanley onDecember 22.

We left Port Stanley for SouthGeorgia on December 29 and theclean-up operation commenced.We removed several hundred tonsof furnace and gas oil plus manytons of waste oil from the derelictwhaling stations.

It all had to be warmed to assistflow and was then pumped into achartered Uruguayan tanker.

Sometimes we were able to usethe whaling stations' originalsteam pumps adapted by ourengineers for use with com-pressed air. Other materials suchas asbestos and fibreglass weredeeply buried or sealed in fueltanks and boilers.

Several heavy pieces of equip-ment were collected and trans-ported aboard Throsk for displayoutside the Grytviken WhalingMuseum.

Throsk returned to Portsmouthon May 28, 1991. She dischargedabout 30 whale catcher propellersplus many tons of non ferrousmetal. This was sold to helpdefray costs of fuel used on thepassage back. Throsk was proba-bly one of the most comfortablevessels I have ever sailed in andwas a tribute to her designers.

Without the valuable assistanceof the Royal Navy, the SouthGeorgia project would not havebeen possible and the museummay very well never have beenmore than "a good idea". - LyleCraigie-Halkett, Southampton

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Helping Hands

Football fanswin high score

• OM Justin 'Barney' Rudd on the treadmill in HMS Kent.Picture: LA Phot Susan Rose

Marathon manOM JUSTIN 'Barney' Ruddcompleted his first evermarathon while his ship, HMSKent, was away in the Gulf.

The whole crew supportedBarney in his marathon efforts.Pace-runners ranged from themost senior, the CO Cdr JohnClink, to the most junior,Apprentice Andrew Webster.

Barney completed his task in thehighly respectable time of 3 hours45 minutes.

As a result, the Children's Wardat Southampton General Hospitalwill gain more than £1,200.

Barney said: "The first 13 milespassed easily, but at 18 miles blis-ters started to appear, at 20 thelegs started to hurt and without thesupport of the ship's crew it wouldhave been difficult to finish."

Barney first visited theChildren's Ward while serving inHMS Westminster, and thoughtnothing of giving his time - andpain - to keep on helping.

MAD football fans fromthe Clyde-based sub-marines, HMS Superb andSovereign, came up withthe brilliant idea of visitingfootball clubs up and downthe country to support thechildren's charity, Starlight.

Coxswain Mark Richardson,CPO MEM Eddie Bowe andLMEM Kevin Hart, assistedby Lt Lou Brimacombe andPO Steve Major, asked all themajor football clubs and over3,000 companies across theUK for donations or prizes.

The trio have visited 24 clubs in17 cities, including Eddie's ownteam, Middlesbrough FootballClub. There, they collected almost£2,000 from local businesses, aswell as club memorabilia.

The visit to the town also gave achance to meet 10-year-old JadeWebster - the inspiration for theirmoney-seeking activities. Jadelives with a degenerative disease.

It is hoped that Starlight willgrant one of Jade's three wishes -to visit Disneyland with her family,to swim with dolphins, or to goshopping with Jennifer Lopez!

Mark summed up the efforts ofthe three with: "As football fans wefelt really lucky to visit so manyfamous football clubs, but mostimportantly we have achieved ouraim which was to raise a lot ofmoney for Starlight - to date weare fast approaching our target of£15,000 and we would like tothank everyone who helped."

L K S F. C.

Are you looking fora new challenge?

Services 24 Peaks ChallengeMay 25th - 26th 2002

This challenge is designed exclusively for teams from the Armed Forces,Reserve Forces and Civil Service of Great Britain. If you want to competeagainst other forces and prove that you're the best, then this is the teamevent for you!

Your objectiveThe 24 Peaks event is a tough physical and mental challenge. It is aboutteamwork, communication, spirit and stamina. Your team of five-sevenwalkers will be set the task of climbing 24 peaks over 2,400ft in the LakeDistrict in 24 hours.

If you think you have a team up to the challenge act now!

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0118953 3238Register online at challengeseries.co.uk

• CPO MEM Eddie Bowe, LMEM Kevin Hart and Coxswain MarkRichardson at Ibrox Stadium with a signed shirt from GlasgowRangers Football Club. Picture: LA Phot Jam McDonald

Exeter overflowswith goodwill spirit

Children's Aid

EVERYONE in HMS Exeter hasher deployment away, the shipcause kitty of £6,434.91.

Events that have yielded thisbounty include 'A night at theRitz'. The Commanding Officer,Cdr Chris Richards, offered up forlottery a night to wine, dine andbathe in his own cabin, waited onby Leading Steward Steve Adams,and catered for - with a lit t le help- by the CO himself.

Three Petty Officers, LeeFcnwick, Darren Smith and LeeBishop each ran a sponsored 100miles; and two OperatorMechanics, Gary Carr and ChrisKirkpatrick, endured a sponsored'Crew-cut'. The CPO's mess hand-ed over part of the profits of theirvillage fete to add to the total.

Finally, everyone in HMSExeter has been adding his or herspare foreign change to a pot thatalready overflows and now weighsover llkg. Its contents were esti-mated at about £1,000.

In addition to the ship's officialcharity a number of other groupshave benefittcd. During Exeter'stime away, people have laughed,eaten, given, received, won, lost,become fitter, remembered, butmost important of all, helped.

got into the charity spirit. Overhas gathered together a good

Northumberlandsailors offer ahelping hand

FOUR SAILORS from theDcvonport-bascd Type 23 HMSNorthumberland have helped outat a Plymouth school for childrenwith learning difficulties.

Junior rates, MEM NevStanton, Steward Stewart Waringand OMs Rhian Owen and KerryFlannigan spent three days help-ing the children at the DownhamSchool in Plymstock.

Putting into practice good navaltraining, the four gave the libraryand a classroom a lick of paint.

The school itself is one of theship's adopted charities, and thefour came forward to help after arequest from a fellow crewmcm-bcr, whose child attends the main-stream nursery at the school.

The Headmaster, Mart inMaleham, praised the ongoingrelationship with the Royal Navyand said: "It's been wonderful tohave the sailors around."

Children of Chernobyl keep smiling.CHILDREN from the village ofLapichy in Belarus had a chance tovisit HMS Invincible when the Fifecharity group Chernobyl Life Linkbrought them over to Scotland tostay with local families.

The children, aged 10 to 11. livein the aftermath of the Chernobylnuclear disaster. Each day theirbodies take in huge amounts of theradiation still polluting the localatmosphere.

It is reckoned that a month awayfrom the contamination increases

their expected life span by onewhole year.

The children were said to havebeen very excited after their tourof Invincible, calling it the best dayof their Scottish holiday, and giv-ing it the truly internationaldescription: "Cool!"

HMS Invincible arrived inScotland at the end of September2001, and is going through a com-prehensive refit including a techni-cal first - the renewal of her star-board gearbox main wheel.

• Children from Belarus visited HMS Invincible at Babcock dockyard.

Challengeset to NavyCHILDREN'S Aid Direct havethrown down the gauntlet to theRoyal Navy.

It is challenging the Navy to putforward teams of five to sevenwalkers to climb 24 Lake Districtpeaks in just 24 hours.

The Services 24 PeaksChallenge will take place on May25-26, and the mountains to hescaled include Red Pike, GreatGable, Scafell Pike, Hclvcllyn andGreat Dodd.

If you don't think you're up tothe walking, each team will need aback-up unit to drop off and pickup the walkers.

Each team has a min imumfundraising target of £5,000.

Since 1995, the enthusiasm ofteams has contributed over £4 mil-lion to help children across theworld.

For further information, con-tact: 0118 953 3238 or visit:www.challcngcserics.co.uk.

News in brief• A PAINTING of BritanniaRoyal Naval College (BRNC)has provided over £4,000 forthe Breast Cancer Campaign.

The artist Dr Sarah Clarke isthe late wife of the College'sPrincipal Medical Officer, SurgLt Cdr John Clarke. Followingher death from breast cancerlast year, limited edition printsof her painting of BRNC overthe River Dart were sold for thesake of the charity.

The original painting nowhangs as a permanent memor-ial on the poop deck of BRNC,where it can be admired bynaval and civilian staff.

Surg Lt Cdr Clarke said: "Ihope that by hanging Sarah'spainting in a public place, notonly will it be a permanentmemorial to my wife, but it willalso draw attention to the needfor funds so that research intopreventing and treating breastcancer can progress."• BY SPLASHING around in thewater plus an awful lot of hardwork, the Reverend MikeBrotherton, Church of Englandchaplain at RNAS Culdrose, hasjust completed a marathon 474mile swim in the air station's pool.

Mike originally set out to swimthe distance from Helston toPortsmouth, 237 miles - but thendecided to swim back again!

His efforts in the water havegarnered over £2,000 for theSharron Davies 'Swim for Life'campaign in aid of people livingwith muscular dystrophy.• PUTTING their backs intocharity, 175 rowers coveredthe distance from Portsmouthto Brussels at Portsmouthnaval base in January.

The Nelson PT team held acharity row when asked to helpby CPOCA Mark Snow, whoseson Luke died last year at alocal hospital.

The Alton 3 Children's Wardhas now gained over £1,600 toequip a family's room at StMary's Hospital. The eventorganiser, LPT Karl Hille, said:"£1,600 from the day is superb,double what we expected."• HMS DRYAD'S big-hcartcdstaff chose MENCAP as theircharity for the year in September.Since then, the establishment hasdug into its pockets for £800.

£500 of that total came fromDryad's Junior Rates who provid-ed the money for an awayday forthe Gosport MENCAP FridayClub to the Brighton Ice Show.• THE ROYAL British Legion islooking for your support.

Many people don't realisethat the charity has been pro-tecting the interests, welfareand memory of all British ex-Service people and their fami-lies since 1921.

Last year the Legion spentover £40 million on welfare inthe ex-Service community;including care, visits, advice,grants and more.

The Legion is visitingService units across the UK.

Contact: 0845 7725 725 orvisit: www.britishlegion.org.uk.

www.navynews.co.uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 9

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People in the NewsProud Steve

WARRANT Officer SteveSpackman of RNAS Culdroscdescribed himself as "proud andhonoured" when he was presentedwith the MBE by the Queen at aceremony at Buckingham Palacerecently.

Steve also thanked his familyand colleagues for their supportover the years since he joined theRoyal Navy in 1970. His wife Lynnand parents accompanied him tothe investiture.

ROYAL SAILORS'HOME CLUB

NOJICE...NOJICE...HOTICEThe 138th Annual General Meeting of the Royal Sailors'

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Ex RN REPRESENTATIVEApplications are invited from all ex-RN/RM members to

serve on the Advisory Committee as the ex-Servingrepresentative. Nominations with proposer and seconder,

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Boats becomebridges to

new careersFORMER naval commander TimGedge set up the Lyme RegisInternational School of BoatBuilding five years ago.

The school prides itself onunderstanding the new careerproblems faced by service person-nel when they enter civilian life.

As a result, Tim has devised afive-week resettlement course thatintroduces its students to all theskills of boatbuilding - but withouttaking on a longtcrm commitment.

One of the bonuses of thecourse is learning how to workwith wood, plastic and glass fibre -skills that are transferable to othersectors of the manufacturingworld.

The Lyme Regis school is a sup-plier to the Career TransitionPartnership, and the course isopen to all service personnel, maleor female, whatever age.

The school claims to under-stand the problems of transitionfrom service life.

Contact: 01297 445545 or visitthe school's website at:www.boatbuildingtraining.com.

A tale of twoMike Smiths

Jim Davidson's GenerationGame sprang a surprise onone contestant, MikeSmith, by bringing out amystery guest, CPO MikeSmith!

The two Mikes had beenwriting to each other since1987, when they had got incontact through the pages ofNavy News.

CPO Mike Smith at the timewas coxswain of HMSML Gleaner,and had been photographed at thePlymouth Boat Show. The pictureof Gleaner and seven of the ship'scompany appeared in this paper.

After he'd read the article, theother Mike Smith had written tohis namesake saying that he hadspent many years in the RoyalNavy, and requesting a Gleaner

ship's crest. This was the beginningof a long and regular postal corre-spondence, but the two never actu-ally met.

So the still-serving Mike wasamazed when he received a phone-call from the BBC asking him toappear as a surprise guest for cx-RN Mike on Jim Davidson'sGeneration Game.

Serving Mike and his familywere whisked up to London andhidden in a separate hotel so as notto spoil the shock meeting.

Mike says: "I'll never forget thelook of real surprise on Mike's facewhen he looked around and sawme standing there.

"Mike was as pleased to meetme as I was him, and strangely weshared a lot of common interests."

The two families got on reallywell, and look forward to anupcoming visit.

Ex-RN Mike left the Navy after10 years as a Leading SeamanRadar, and was awarded theGeneral Service Medal for theSuez conflict. Mike now runs alarge fabrications company inNorfolk.

The still-serving Mike is current-ly drafted to HMS Drake as a divi-sional officer for junior rates, andhas also served in HM shipsRoebuck, Hecla and Scott.• The programme is due forbroadcast on the BBC at theend of March.

Final plungefor ExcellentcommodoreCOMMODORE Adrian Munns,who is leaving the service andhis post as Commodore HMSExcellent, visited the DefenceDiving School at HMSExcellent, Horsea Island, forthe last time in January.

He was treated to a surprisedive in Siebe Gorman standarddiving equipment by the RoyalEngineers.

Enthusiastic from the startand watched by his wife Gilly,who was rather more nervousthan he, Cdre Munns showedhimself at ease in the waterand enjoyed himself tremen-dously.

On completion, Cdre Munnswas presented with a com-memorative certificate fromCdr Chris Ameye, CO of theDefence Diving School.

• A smiling Cdre Munns aboutto be encased in diving gear atthe Defence Diving School.

SaminarescuersheraldedFOUR members of a Culdroscaircrew were honoured with brav-ery awards for rescuing survivorsof the Greek ferry disaster.

The Express Samina sank in theMediterranean in September 2000after striking rocks. At the time,the men were serving withCuldrosc-bascd 814 Naval AirSquadron embarked in HMSInvincible.

Rescue 66, the ship's dutysearch and rescue helicopter, waslaunched immediately to searchfor survivors in a pitchblack nightwith worsening weather.

The Commander in Chief Fleet,Admiral Sir Alan West, presentedLt Tim Hayden and Lt GaryMilton with the Queen'sCommendation for ValuableServices, and Lt Al Hinchcliffeand LA Nick Hipkin with theQueen's Commendation forBravery in the Air.

• A stunned Lt Stuart Antrobus face-to-face with his youngerself, LA Phot Antrobus, at RAF Cosford. pic,ures: m phot Chris

• Lieutenants Gary Milton, Tim Hayden, Al Hinchcliffe andLeading Aircrewman Nick Hipkin receiving their bravery awardsfrom Admiral Sir Alan West.

Step back in timeWHEN Stuart Antrobus first joined the Royal Navy photograph-ic branch more than 20 years ago he set his sights high - hewanted to end up at the head of the section.

And the former rating, now a lieutenant, is well on his way toachieving that as he takes over as Officer CommandingTraining Flight at the tri-Service Joint School of Photography.

Stuart (45) spent 20 years as an RN photographer, rising tothe rank of warrant officer, and he was awarded the BEM in1992.

His work took him round the world, providing memorableimages from locations including Sierra Leone, Mozambiqueand the North Pole.

His last job saw him covering the Kursk submarine rescueattempt.

His current post is at RAF Cosford, near Wolverhampton -and the establishment was recently dubbed as the best photo-graphic training body in Europe.

Stuart was selected for officer training in 2000, and complet-ed the training at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, inthe summer of 2001.

But Stuart still has ambitions - one is to complete 32 yearsservice with the Royal Navy, and another is to become Head ofthe Photographic Specialisation. I

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 11

People In the News

• Polly anna the Trident reindeer pictured with her commanding officer, Cdr Geoffrey Sladen.Pictures courtesy Royal Navy Submarine Museum

Trident guestremembered

RECENT tales of reindeer in the media brought it all back to one former submariner.George Steele was an Engine Room Artificer in HMS Trident, the first submarine of manyin which he served during a 32 year career in the Royal Navy.

When the stories ofPollyanna the Trident reindeerresurfaced in the newspapers,George came forward to tellhis tales. As a result, the RoyalNavy Submarine Museum atGosport invited George andhis family to spend a day reliv-ing his experiences in theSilent Service.

The adventures of Pollyannafirst appeared in Navy News back inthe late 1980s.

Back in the days of WWII, whenBritain and Russia were alliedagainst the German threat, theBritish submarine Trident put intothe Russian port of Polyarnoe torepair one of her engines.

The commanding officer,Commander Geoffrey Sladen, wasinvited to dine with the portAdmiral, and over the course of ajovial dinner, talked about hiswife's trials coping with a young

• Trident ERA submariner,George Steele.

baby in a pram while living at thetop of a steep hill. The Admiralreplied with a smile that he wouldgive her a reindeer to help pull thepram along.

No more was said, until dayslater, a squirming bundle was low-ered gently into the boat's hold asTrident prepared to depart.

Unwilling to reject the gift, CdrSladen set off back to the UK withthe quickly-named Pollyanna onboard.

The Russians had providedenough 'reindeer moss', the idealdiet for a growing reindeer, for thejourney back to the UK. ButTrident received a signal from theAdmiralty: "Stay on patrol.German warships in the vicinity."

George tells that Pollyannasteadily ate her way through herown supplies, then rapidly adjustedto naval fare, including that peren-nial favourite Carnation milk.George also recalls with a laughthe day when Pollyanna added thenavigation charts to her diet, whichwhile it didn't go down too wellwith the CO, was obviously veryagreeable to the reindeer.

Indeed Pollyanna did see actionduring her time under the waves.Trident encountered patrollingGerman ships in the area, and suc-cessfully attacked the Germanheavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.

Pollyanna settled down to herlife below the waves of the Northsea, and made herself a stable inthe back of the seamen's heads. Bythe time Trident returned to herBritish home, Pollyanna had grownso much that George had to sawthe tips off her horns to allow herout of the submarine after herextended subaqua experience. Hedescribed her as a gentle, good-natured animal.

As George explored inside HMSAlliance at the RN SubmarineMuseum he stopped to point to thecurtain material that he remem-bered from his time in an A-classsubmarine, or the glass-fronteddials in the control room. Uponentering the engine room, hisdomain, a big smile lit up his faceas he looked at the lathe: "We usedone of those to make cigarettelighters to sell on the train on theway home."

George was joined on his visit byhis wife Myra, and their daughterSue Bligh with her husband Dave.All of them described the trip as:'Fascinating".

For further information on theRoyal Navy Submarine Museum,contact 023 9252 9217 or theirwebsite: www.rnsubmus.co.uk.

• PO MATHEW Swinnertonis pictured receiving theQueen's Commendation forValuable Service for his timein HMS Monmouth while shepatrolled the Gulf in 2000.

PO Swinnerton is current-ly serving as an instructor tothe Artificer Apprentices atHMS Raleigh. He describeshimself as: "delighted andproud" to receive the award.

Abbey Wood men add up long service

i WO Doug Branson.

TWO Warrant Officers at theFleet Liaison Cell at Abbey Woodboth became entitled to the claspto their Long Service and GoodConduct (LS&GC) medals withinmonths of each other.

Between them, WO DougBranson and WO Jan Wonnacotthave racked up 63 years of service.

The LS&GC medal is presentedafter 15 years of good conduct,with the clasp awarded after 30years.

The Deputy Chief Executive ofthe WSA, Rear Admiral JonathonReeve presented the awards to thetwo men.

Medicalflyers are

regularrescuers

MEDICAL Assistants at the RNair station at Prestwick have beenquietly carrying out a unique rolein the Naval Medical Service.

These 'flying doctors' travelwith the HMS Gannet Search andRescue Flight, formerly part of the819 Naval Air Squadron whichdecommissioned last year.

Last year they carried out 200sorties - the air station on theAyrshire coast was again one ofthe busiest rescue units in thecountry.

The MAs are unique in thatthey carry out an intensive periodof training, which involves a ses-sion in the "dunker" at RN air sta-tion Yeovilton, and aircrew train-ing including winching from thedecks of ships and cliff rescuetechniques.

This equips them for the 150-200 hours a year spent flying withthe unit.

POMA Nick Carter of RNASPrestwick and his team often findthemselves first on the scene at anincident, providing advanced firstaid for casualties until they can behanded over to hospital or ambu-lance staff.

Their duties take them to a widerange of incidents involving majortrauma, including road traffic acci-dents and fallen climbers in theremote Highlands.

They also offer aid toHebridean communities wherelocal ambulance services areunavailable, providing a fast andreliable emergency service in allweathers.

• HMS Gannet's flying doctors - back row, from left, MA AlanJackson, POMA Nick Carter, LMA Rob Pointon; front: MA NabeelSalama, MA Trevor Abraham.

Surprise visit to DryadBRENDA Brown arranged a special birthday visit to HMSDryad for her husband Walter on his 65th birthday.

Walter joined the Royal Navy in 1956, and spent the nextnine years as a steward, including a couple of years at Dryad.

He had a chance to see round the site, visiting both old andfamiliar locations and the modern warfare simulators, beforebeing given aerial photos of the base in 1958 and 2001.

• WO Jan Wonnacott.

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12 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navy news. co. uk

• One of the flying classroom' Jetstreams of 750 Naval Air Squadron.

50 not outfor 750

• The Sea Venom. Picture: Fleet Air Arm Museum.

A NAVAL air squadronwhich trains flight observershas become the first toclock up 50 unbroken yearsin commission.

750 NAS, now based atCuldrose, first appeared atFord on May 24,1939, and wasfrom the start associated withthe RN Observers School.

Flying Sharks and Ospreys, theunit moved to Yepvilton whenFord was bombed in 1940, butsoon after the squadron shippedout to Trinidad.

The squadron disbanded onOctober 10, 1945 - but reformedon April 17, 1952, and has been incommission ever since.

Again operating as part of RoyalNavy observer training, thesquadron was based at St Merryn,in Cornwall, and operated 12Barracudas and four Ansons.

But these were soon replaced bythe Firefly and the first of the 'fly-ing classrooms', the Sea Prince.

The Observer School moved toCuldrose on November 30, 1953,becoming the Observer and AirSignal School in 1955.

Shortly after, the Fireflies went,and 750 concentrated on basicnavigation training for observers inSea Princes. There was also train-ing for air telegraphists in Morseand the operation of Sono-buoys,but in May 1959 750 Squadron wasagain the Observer School.

In October 1959 the Sea Princesflew out to Malta, where weatherconditions permitted a bettertraining environment, and the fol-lowing July the squadron tookdelivery of Sea Venoms, used forhigh-level navigation training.

During this period observerswould find themselves on exercisesto locations such as Naples, Palmaand Rome - a far cry fromCornwall, and from Lossiemouthin Scotland, where the squadronflew to in the summer of 1965

There were still overseas naviga-tional flights, on a reduced scale,to places including Amsterdam,Copenhagen, Brussels and Oslo,but on September 26, 1972, thesquadron was back at Culdrose.

The venerable Sea Prince air-craft soldiered on until the autumn

of 1978, when Jetstream T2sarrived to replace them, comple-menting the Jetstream Tls alreadyon the roster, and in turn thesewere superseded by the T3.

750 NAS today has eight pilots,seven of whom work for contrac-tors Serco - all experienced ex-mil-itary flyers.

Of the 15 Qualified ObserverInstructors (QOIs), ten are mili-tary and the remainder again workfor Serco. The contractor also pro-vides all engineering maintenance.

750 NAS puts on three 32-weekBasic Observer Courses of eightstudents, increasing to 12, a year.

Of their nine aircraft, any fiveare available to fly twice a day.

The squadron aims to transforma beginner into a competent crewmember who can navigate aircraftover land and at low and mediumlevel throughout the world.

As such, navigation training isconducted all over Europe.

There is also the Heron FlightYeovilton, which provides VIPtransport across Europe, using twomilitary pilots, four Serco pilotsand a Serco crew member.

1 The Fairey Firefly T7. Picture: Fleet Air Arm Museum.

' The Hunting Percival Sea Prince T1. Picture: Fleet Air Arm Museum.

750 Naval Air Squadron hashad 12 types of aircraft, in dif-ferent variations, on its bookssince it first formed in 1939,eight of them in the past 50years, according to RaySturtivant's book Squadrons ofthe Fleet Air Arm.

Starting with HawkerOspreys and BlackburnSharks, the wartime roll wascompleted by Fairey Albacoresand Fairey Barracudas.

Under its current commis-sion, the squadron flewBarracuda TR3s (1952-53),Avro Anson Is (1952-53),Hunting Percival Sea PrinceT1s (1953-79), Fairey Firefly T7s(1953-55), Airspeed Oxford Is(1957), de Ha villa nd SeaVampire T22s (1962-65), deHavilland Sea Venom FAW 21s(1960-61) and 22s (1961-70), deHavilland Sea Devon C20s

(1957-61) and Jetstream T1s,T2s and T3s (1976 to date).

The unit has had sevenbases in total, four since 1952.

Those were Ford, in Sussex,Yeovilton, in Somerset, andPiarco Savannah (HMSGoshawk) in Trinidad between1939 and 1945, and St Merryn,in Cornwall (1952-53),Culdrose, in Cornwall (1953-59), Hal Far, Malta (1959-65),Lossiemouth, in Scotland(1965-72) and Culdrose again(from 1972).

• Plans for the 50th anniver-sary of continuous commissionare based on a day of celebra-tion on April 24, which will startat 1030.

The day is scheduled toinclude a flypast by an AvroAnson and a Pembroke, and adisplay by the Jetstream T2.

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 13

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14 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

News in brief• TYPE 23 frigate HMSRichmond is gathering trophies atan alarming pace following a spateof recent successes.

The warship took the WigleyTrophy, awarded annually to theship that achieves the highest stan-dards of aviation during basicoperational sea training.

That was quickly followed bythe BAE Vertical launch SeawolfTrophy and the Fleet SonarEfficiency trophy for 2001.• A SPECIAL memorial trophyfor promoting positive imageof the Royal Navy was present-ed in February to Devonport-based HMS Argyll.

Mrs Gillian Wettern present-ed the award in memory of herhusband, the distinguishednaval writer Desmond Wettern,for many years the naval corre-spondent for the DailyTelegraph.• THIS YEAR'S Navy Days spec-tacular will be held at Devonportover the Bank Holiday weekend ofAugust 24-26.

Visitors will see warships, sub-marines, and visiting foreign ships.The sky will be full of flying dis-plays by Royal Navy aircraft.• LT COL RICHARD Waterer,Commandant of the RoyalMarines School of Music, wasone of the principals behindthe Mountbatten Festival ofMusic 2002 in mid-February.

His final engagement in theCorps is co-ordinating themusic of the Queen's GoldenJubilee celebrations inPortsmouth in June.• ON SUNDAY, February 10, theFleet Air Arm Association of Kentremembered the heroes of "TheChannel Dash'.

Sixty years ago six Swordfishtook off from RAF Mansion toattack two German battleships,the Scharnhorst and theGneisenau, and the cruiser PrinzEugen.

All aircraft were shot downwithin 20 minutes, and only fivemen survived the raid.

Two survivors. 'Pat' Kingsmilland Edgar Lee, took part in thecommemoration.• THE ROYAL Naval PhilatelicSociety based at Portsmouthhave launched a limited editionof Commemorative Covers tomark the Queen's GoldenJubilee and to celebrate the30th anniversary of the society.• THE JOINT ServicesCommand and Staff College hasbeen declared a success by theNational Audit Office (NAO), butit could improve even more.

The NAO, an independent bodythat scrutinises public spending onbehalf of Parliament, decided thatthe MOD "did well to establishthe College", and that the newestablishment at Shrivenham, nearSwindon, had obtained value formoney through a Private FinanceInitiative.

Pay boost for theArmed Services

THE DEFENCE Secretary,Geoff Hoon, announcedthe new pay deal for theArmed Forces in lateJanuary with high praise forthe nation's Armed Forces.

This year's annual award

amounts to a 3.7 per centincrease, with larger amountsin a few cases. The awardcomes from the annual recom-mendations of the ArmedForces Pay Review Body(AFPRB).

Geoff Hoon said: "British

Navy names setin sea and stoneTWO NAMES of Royal Navy per-sonnel have been linked with geo-graphic features - one a large areaof sea, the other a tiny, lone rock.

The first involved a change tothe familiar - and to some, sacred -list of sea areas for the ShippingForecast, as broadcast four times aday on BBC Radio 4.

As of midday on Monday,February 4, the area Finisterre wasrenamed FitzRoy, in honour ofAdmiral Robert FitzRoy, the firstprofessional weatherman.

The change of name becamenecessary following an internation-al agreement that Britain, France,Spain, Portugal and Moroccoshould use a co-ordinated set ofsea areas in forecasts.

FitzRoy was a resourceful offi-cer - he introduced the first stormwarnings for shipping using thetelegraph in 1861, and he has alsobeen credited with creating theword "forecast".

Meanwhile, far to the south, liesa small rocky outcrop which couldin future years be known as RobbieIsland.

For POMA Robbie Robinson,who has served in the Royal Navy'sice patrol ship HMS Endurancefor two years, spotted the square-mile island while a survey team wassetting up a tide monitoring sta-tion, and realised that the islandhad no name.

"I noticed that it was not namedon any of our charts or maps, andsuggested as a joke that it shouldbe called Robbie Island," he said.

Team members agreed - andwent on to make their own smallmark in history. Mne BeanyWalker conquered the summit, sixmetres above sea level, provision-ally named Beany's Mount, whileLSA Rob Stephens was the first tocircumnavigate the island, givinghis name to Rob's Beach.

The proposal to name the out-crop Robbie Island will go to thenext meeting of the biannualAntarctic Naming Committee, onwhich the UK HydrographicOffice has a place.

• PO Robbie Robinson showsthe co-ordinates of the islandthat could bear his name.

Armed Forces have had an excep-tionally busy year, both at homeand abroad.

"From Foot and Mouth, toMacedonia, to Afghanistan, ourService men and women havenever failed to achieve what wehave asked of them.

"This year's pay award isnothing less than theydeserve for their tirelesswork as a force for good."

The Chief of the Defence Staff,Admiral Sir Michael Boyce, told ofhis pleasure that the pay recom-mendations were accepted in fulland without the need for staging.

He added: "Over the last 12months, our Armed Forces haveworked across the five continentsof the globe to protect Britain'sinterests, sometimes in very diffi-cult and dangerous conditions.

"I would like to extend mythanks to all the members of theArmed Forces for this work."

The pay award will come intoeffect from April 1.

The Pay Body made addi-tional recommendations foraircrew to boost the earlierretention packages offeredby the Armed Forces.

At five years before theImmediate Pension Point, a£30,000 incentive will be payable topilots, navigators, RN observers,officer rearcrew and selected NCOpilots. Once the ImmediatePension Point is reached, there is

an incentive of £50,000 for pilots,navigators and RN observers, and£30,000 for officer rearcrew andselected NCO pilots.

All the recommendations fullysupport the Armed Forces strate-gic personnel policies, particularlyin terms of recruitment and reten-tion. The additional costs to thedefence budget will add up to £236million.

To give one example of a resultof the increase, Chief PettyOfficers' pay will go up from therange £25,298-33,029 to £26,313-£34,252.• There has been a four-foldincrease to the Get You Home(Stability Assistance) (GYH(SA))allowance.

This warrant-based packageprovides UK shore-based person-nel who rent or own their ownhomes with some assistance intravelling between their place ofduty and home address.

From April 1, the yearly entitle-ment will increase from three totwelve warrants.

Announcing the increase,Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral SirPeter Spencer said: "Disparitybetween entitlements of single andmarried personnel has featuredregularly in the ContinuousAttitude' Surveys and the 2SLPLTfeedback."

He added that the Navy Boardhas long recognised the strength offeeling expressed by single person-nel and sought to deliver betterbalanced allowances.

Picture: LA Phot Paul Punter

PASSENGERS waiting forthe next train from HMSWestminster will have towait a while - she's busybreaking new ground innavigation and gunnery.

The Type 23 frigate hastwinned up with WestminsterLondon Underground sta-tion, and now boasts one ofthe famous red signs to callher own.

The 'passengers' picturedabove are representatives ofthe new state-of-the-artLondon Tube station whovisited the warship at theend of January for the officiallink-up.

While the connection mayat first glance seem slightlysurprising, as theCommanding Officer, CdrDavid Reindorp, says: "Themodern warship is an awe-some feat of engineering,operated by a highly skilled,well-motivated team.

"The new WestminsterUnderground station is amasterpiece of design andoperating it safely and effi-ciently demands equal com-mitment and skill."

Westminster, the ship,stays at the forefront of thelatest technology as the firstBritish warship to abandonnavigation by pencil andpaper.

With a radical new devel-opment, the Type 23 hasintroduced a new electroniccharting system, ECDIS,replacing the traditionalchart table on the bridgewith three computer moni-tors.

The frigate's gunners havealso got the bug for settingnew standards. The shipfired the first salvoes of newextended range ammunitionoff the Dorset coast, throw-ing 4.5 inch shells twenty-five per cent further than anyother warship in service withthe Royal Navy.

"Digging in the present and pastSAILORS from HMS Nottingham took time out from theirpreparations for their upcoming Far East deployment tovisit their affiliated city of Nottingham.

A large chunk of the call saw many of the lads don overallsto help the children at Woodlands School for special needs digout a vegetable plot, and put on their sports gear to offer theirexpertise with gym classes.

A whirlwind two-day programme included visits to the SeaCadets at Newark, the RNR communications branch atSherwood, the Nottingham Pakistan Centre and the StamfordSchool Combined Cadet Force.

Not forgetting their links to good causes, financial gifts weremade to local charities, and the party from HMS Nottinghamlaunched the Friends of the Waterwings, a St John's Ambulanceservice offering trips for disadvantaged groups.• The current HMS Nottingham is on a quest to uncover thestories of previous ships that carried the name. It is known thatNottingham has an illustrious history, but the ship is looking foranyone with magnificent tales to tell, both in victory and defeat.

. Contact the ship by e-mail: 346@a.dii.mod.uk or by post to:VjjMS Nottingham, BFPO 346. Mark for the attention of YO1.

WOODLANDS "CHOOLWELCOMES /

HMSNOTTINGHAM

• Children at the Woodlands School made a wall-covering toshow the close ties between school and warship. J

www. navynews. co. ukNAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 15

OF STYLE

- i t • • •

'.».

PRINCESS Margaret's long association with theRoyal Navy was exemplified in later years by herclose links with two of the chief units of the Fleet

- HMS Illustrious and HMS Norfolk.From Capt Alan Massey, Commanding Officer of the carri-

er Illustrious - currently deployed on Operation Veritas inthe war on terror in the Middle East - came the following trib-ute: "Since she launched and named HMS Illustrious in1978, Princess Margaret has shown a genuine and humaninterest in the life of the ship, and we had continuous corre-spondence. She visited the ship on numerous occasions,the last being in October 2000. Although she was sufferingfrom ill health at the time, she displayed enthusiasm andcuriosity. It was an affiliation which was a source of prideand inspiration and her patronage and generous support willbe greatly missed."

And from Cdr L. D. Smallman, CO of the Type 23 frigateHMS Norfolk, presently operating with NATO's StandingForce Atlantic: "Princess Margaret visited several times inthe 1980s and 90s. Her sincere interest in the ship and itsprogress, as well as natural concern for the ship's company,endeared her to all who met her. She maintained a stronginterest throughout, notably in 2000 when, despite illness,she expressed her warm congratulations on the award of theWilkinson Sword of Peace following the ship's humanitarianaid operations off Sierra Leone."

Norfolk's laundryman Mr Shun Chiu Chick, MBE stillproudly displays a photograph of the Princess discussinghis extensive medal collection with him.

Pictures clockwise from top left:• SIXTIES CHIC: The Countess of Snowdon is the epitome

of 1967 style, duly appreciated by Capt D. G. Parker, com-manding officer of HMS Fulmar, the RN air station atLossiemouth where she opened new living quarters for morethan 1,000 RN personnel.• FIFTIES FASHIONS: With her mother, Queen Elizabeth,

embarking in HMS Sheffield at Liverpool in 1951 for a RoyalVisit to Belfast.

• FINAL VISIT: Chatting with LOM Troy Funnell, his wifeSamantha and baby Kiera on board HMS Norfolk in 1997.

• SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Met by Capt Charles Styles andLOM(AWT) Victoria Young on board HMS Illustrious inOctober 2000 - likewise her last visit.

• HANDS ACROSS THE OCEAN: Calling on board thedestroyer USS Vesole, part of the NATO Standing Naval ForceAtlantic which was visiting London for the first time in 1969.

16 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navy news. co. uk

Superb goes East • HMS Superb returns to the Clyde after a deployment of 20,000 miles

of SuezCRUISE missile boats HMSTrafalgar and HMS Triumphmay have grabbed the atten-tion in Royal Navy circles whenthe war on terrorism wasunleashed last year - but thethird submarine in the areahad a major role to play aswell.

HMS Superb returned toFaslane after a 20,000-mile deploy-ment which saw her operatingaway from home for four months,including her stint in OperationVeritas against the Al Qaeda ter-rorist network and the Talibanregime in Afghanistan.

The Swiftsurc-class submarinehad already completed a five-weekintensive training period, coveringeverything from safety to weaponsfiring, before she sailed from theClyde in August as part of theArgonaut 2001 task group whichdeployed to the Mediterraneanand the Middle East.

Her training package continued

as she headed south, and the S-boat practised on other units of thegroup off the coast of Portugal,and exercised with an Americansubmarine before a break in theFrench naval port of Toulon, whenthe training team departed.

By the end of September Superbwas east of Suez for the first timein her three commissions, and a 16-hour stop at Salalah allowed essen-tial stores to be embarked foroperations in support of coalitionforces, having been switched fromExercise Saif Sareea off Omanafter the terrorist atrocities in theUnited States.

Once on station in theArabian Sea, Superb provid-ed force protection and indi-cations/warning to theUS/UK ships - entitling herto fly the Jolly Roger on herreturn.The passage home began in

early November, with an early pit-stop in Salalah to embark the first

• Players from HMS Superb (orange shirts) defy the odds to beatthe Cavalier side 15-10.

at lamail from home in seven weeks, aswell asjresh milk and vegetables.

While heading north up the RedSea several members of the crewraced their boat in a sponsored row- and as they completed the 163kmat an average speed of 9.5 knots,they beat Superb by half a knot - aswell as raising £1,000 for theChildren's Ward atYorkhill Hospital,Glasgow.

Superb's six-day callat Valetta wasbelieved to be the firstby a Royal Navy sub-marine in almost tenyears, and possibly thefirst by a nuclear-pow-ered vessel.

It coincided withcelebrations for theRN SubmarineCentenary - an aptlocation, as the much-feared Fighting Tenthsubmarine squadrondid so much damageto Axis shipping fromtheir base at Maltaduring the last war.

As it was the crew'sfirst port call in overtwo months, and thefirst opportunity forsailors to go ashore inten weeks, much wasmade of the occasion.

The submarine provided opposi-tion for the Valetta Cavaliers rugbyteam, and defied the odds by hand-ing out a 15-10 reverse, LS TaffThomas and OM Willy Paton scor-ing tries - and this despite minimalpreparation, thanks to generousMaltese hospitality.

A cocktail party in the ControlRoom marked the 25th anniver-sary of Superb's acceptance intothe Fleet, and amongst the guestsat the party, and to lunch held ear-lier the same day, were the PrimeMinister of Malta, the British HighCommissioner and Flag OfficerSubmarines, Rear Admiral NialKilgour.

Other visitors during the six daysincluded players from theEuropean Snooker Champion-ships, Ken Doherty, Jimmy Whiteand John Higgins amongst them.

Several members of the ship'scompany went to a local specialneeds centre to help children carefor their garden and look aftertheir pets.

And one man - OM MacFarlane- flew home from the island toensure he made it to the church ontime for his wedding.

After a final call at Gibraltar,Superb completed the last leg ofher deployment, and was wel-comed to Faslane by friends andfamily.

• LS Pengelly and OM Brooke prepare thecasing for entering the Suez Canal.

• S/Lt Ian Maclntyre prepares for Colours in Salalah, Oman, withcarrier HMS Illustrious in the background.

Navy man watchesIraqi ship moves

A ROYAL Navy officer is keepinga personal eye on proceedings inIraq on behalf of the UnitedNations.

Lt Cdr Andrew Griffiths is thesole Navy representative amongthe 185 military observers in theUN Iraq Kuwait ObservationMission (UNIKOM).

And his office, on WarbahIsland on the Kwar Abdullahwaterway, is just a few kilometresfrom the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr.

Andrew's task is the observationof the border between Iraq andKuwait, and the demilitarised zonewhich straddles it, to preventinfringements from either side.

The zone includes the waterwayand stretches five kilometres intoKuwait, ten kilometres into Iraq,and runs about 280km along theborder.

As Deputy Operations Officer,he is responsible for tasking patrolsby land, sea and air - and in orderto do so he has an eclectic mix ofequipment to call upon.

The maritime element, present-ly based at a ramshackle pier, is theresponsibility of two 30ft Kuwaitilaunches operated by Bangladeshipersonnel - BANMAR.

The Bangladeshis also operatethe air wing - BANAIR - usingBell-Huey helicopters.

Lt Cdr Griffiths is pretty isolat-ed - another ten Brits, mainlyArmy, are based further north inthe desert

Andrew sets up patrols by land,sea and air, although he cannottake part in land patrols in theIraqi demilitarised zone - the safe-ty of British and US personnel can-not be guaranteed by Iraq.

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"One of my main tasks is to reg-ister shipping, to build up a pictureof shipping activity in my area ofresponsibility, and we report ourfindings and any suspicions back tothe UN.

"My office is about 3km fromIraq - and I can see the shippingfrom my window."

Andrew estimates that he couldspot up to 50 unregistered ships inone day from his base.

The UNIKOM chain of com-mand demonstrates the interna-tional nature of the mission.

"The force commander is anArgentinian general, and the sec-tion commander here is Fijian,"said Andrew.

"His deputy is a Ghanaian, andmy observation base leader is aPolish submariner. There are 34nations represented.

"The people here are cracking,and the social life centres aroundcommunal meals, where you cantaste each other's food or talkabout differences in culture orsociety.

"I live with ten different nation-als in my observation base."

Andrew took up his UN post inNovember, and will return to theUK in May, when he takes up thepost of Senior Fleet EducationOfficer - he is, by background, anengineer training manager.

• UNIKOM's two 30ft launch-es, run by the Bangladeshis, attheir base on Warbah Island.The boats are due to movefrom the delapidated pier to anew base at some point in thefuture.

• Lt Cdr Andrew Griffiths nearthe remains of a tanker whichwas wrecked during the Iran-Iraq war. The wreck - which isjust outside UNIKOM's juris-diction - is believed to be acontraband trans-shipmentpoint.

,~"

www.na vynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 17

Mourners recalllost K-class boatsTWO memorials for ill-fated World War I K-class submarines took place in Scotland at the end of January. The K13 sankon January 29,1917, in the Gareloch after its four intakes in the boiler-room were left open before diving, and on January31, 1918, several submarines were damaged and two, K4 and K17, lost in an infamous chaotic clash in the Firth of Forthknown as "the Battle of May Island".

The annual service tookplace at Faslane cemetary forthe 32 men who lost their liveswhen the submarine K13 waslost during trials in theGareloch in 1917.

The retiring National Presidentof the Submarine Association,

i The remembrance service for K13. Picture: LA Phot G Bivce

Rear Admiral Tony Whetstone,completed his final duty by layinga wreath. Wreaths were also laidon behalf of the Royal Navy andserving submariners, and Argylland Bute Council.

Cadet Ross Stobo and OrdinaryCadet Kelly Court volunteeredfrom TS Neptune, theHelensburgh Sea Cadet Unit, totake on the task of sounding theK13 bell every second for eachman who lost his life that day.

In memory of a later incidentwhich also involved the K13 but ina different guise, the Royal Navyand Fife Regional Council dedi-cated a cairn in Anstruther har-bour on behalf of the men of thesubmarines K4 and K17.

Both submarines werelost in the Firth of Forth fol-lowing collisions during anaval exercise later knownas "the Battle of MayIsland" in January 1918.

A 20-mile long procession ofover 40 vessels set off from theFirth of Forth on a pitch-blacknight. The fleet was darkened withonly dimmed stern-lights visible.

On reaching May Island, theleading vessels of the fleet, HMSIthuriel and three submarines,altered course east and accelerat-ed. Unknown to this vanguard, thefollowing boats had encountered agroup of minesweeping trawlerswhich had not been briefed on theevening's movements.

K14 swerved to avoid two of theminesweepers and her helmjammed for six minutes. The othersubmarines changed course in alldirections to avoid each other andthe battlecruisers and destroyerswhich followed close behind.

The retrieved and repaired K13,now called K22, struck K14, andthen herself became the victim ofanother impact.

HMS Ithuriel, the flotillaleader, received garbled word andturned back to help with Kll, K17and K12 astern. This movebrought them into a collision pathwith HMS Fearless. K17 was hit,and sank in just eight minutes. K4and K6 accompanying Fearlesscrashed together trying to steerclear of the mess.

K4 sank, fatally damaged, in theicy waters and almost took K6down with her. K7 scraped againstthe sinking boat before drawingclear to rescue any survivors, indanger all the time of being hitherself by the escorting destroyers.

The eight men rescued by K7were the only survivors - 103 offi-cers and ratings lost their lives.These men are now permanentlyremembered by the cairn in frontof the Lifeboat house at the villageof Anstnither.

In the midst of war, the realevents could not be openly told inpublic, but the true story has beenwritten up several times in theintervening years.

i K4 and K17 memorial.

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The Queen andher NaviesA GOLDEN Jubilee photo-graphic exhibition atPortsmouth celebrates theQueen's enduring relationshipwith the Royal andCommonwealth Navies.

It has been produced by theRoyal Naval, Royal Marines,Submarine and Fleet Air ArmMuseums (the first on whichall four have collaborated)with contributions from theCanadian and AustralianNavies - and from Navy News.

Said RN Museum Curator ofPhotographs Stephen Brooks:"There are plenty of Navalassets and formal inspectionson display - but also somecharming portraits. We hopevisitors will enjoy the nostal-gia and reflect on the supportthe Queen has given the Navythroughout her reign."

It was opened at the RNMuseum by the LordLieutenant of Hampshire, MrsMary Pagan, and will continuethere until until May 2, re-opening at the Royal MarinesMuseum from June 1-September 2. After that it canbe seen at the RN SubmarineMuseum, Gosport fromOctober 5-January 2, 2003.Last stop will be the FAAMuseum at Yeovilton,February 5-June 2, 2003.

• Ship's company of HMASVengeance (formerly HMSVengeance) spell out theRoyal signature during the1954 World Tour. Inset: TheQueen and the Duke ofEdinburgh arrive at HMASPenguin

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www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 19

Draftv

USIWC THREE U

Tell that to the Buffer... he prefers four-letter expletives!'

CND'S DCMLOsaka RDCAs. OK?

The RN has had a long-standing fondness foracronyms and three letterabbreviations, or TLAs.

Some acronyms aregrandiose, most are contrivedand a small minority serve auseful purpose but, if we arehonest with ourselves, few ofus will be able to say that wefully understand what the pur-pose of the organisation is thatit describes, and fewer stillwhat each letter stands for.

In the cut-and-thrust world ofmarketing and management-speakthis might he known as 'brandawareness', and those of us whoprofess not to understand theacronyms might be referred to asbeing 'brand blind' or 'corporatclychallenged'.

A company cannot afford any ofits potential customers to be 'brandblind' and must take steps to makethem more aware - or risk goingout of business.

The same is true for any phonet-ically-obscure organisation withinthe RN.

Everybody knows what CND or'Drafty' does, but how many ofyou, as potential customers, knowwhat DCMLOs, WMOs andRDCAs are?

With almost 9,000 customers todate, it would seem that many ofyou already have a grasp for whatDCMLO stands for and its func-tions.

For those who have forgotten,they are, of course, the Draftingand Career ManagementLiaison Offices - 5 in total in thethree base ports and both TypedAir Stations.

Manned by an experienced WOand CPO, they are a source ofimpartial career-related advice forany, and all, members of theRatings' Corps.

From April 2002 there will betwo RM variants, in CTCRM andFaslane, to augment the RMCareer Manager at Whale Island.

That explains DCMLO, butwhat are 'WMOs' and 'RDCAs'?

What is a WMO?The Waterfront Manning

Offices were established inPortsmouth and Devonport onOctober 1, 2001, and will be estab-lished in Faslane on April 1, 2002,to manage the drafting of Able

Rates under the TOPMAST SquadSystem (another acronym withwhich readers should be familiar)from October 2002.

The WMO will aim to facilitatethe needs of the Service, platformsand individuals in conjunction withships' staff and will be accountableto the local Fleet WaterfrontOrganisations.

They will be led by a WO (CPOin Faslane) and by 2003, whenTOPMAST will be extended to allAble Rates, will have a staff of upto eight people.

What is a RDCA?To reflect the enhanced regional

stability that the TOPMAST sys-tem will generate for junior rat-ings, the DCMLOs mentionedabove are being refilled RDCAs(Regional Drafting and CareersAdvisors) to reflect their broaderarea remit, and will continue tooffer impartial drafting and careermanagement advice; liaisingdirectly with Drafting Desks andthe Promotion Section of CND asnecessary.

They will continue to be mannedby experienced WOs and CPOs.These offices are an extension ofthe Naval Drafting Directorateinto the front line and will remainaccountable to CND.

A further RDCA will be openedin RAF Cottesmore/Wittermg in2003 for the Harrier force.

What is the difference?The relationship between

WMOs and RDCAs will be devel-oped to prevent duplication ofeffort and ensure you receive acoherent career and drafting ser-vice, while offering you a greaterrole in your own career develop-ment.

However you need to be awareof what each organisation isdesigned to do.

Key roles of the WMO are:• To assist CND in placing trainedAble Rates in appropriate ships, inconjunction with local/Fleet priori-tics.• They will assist units in the effec-tive management of personnel andfacilitate the booking of PJTs orarrange for them to be run locallyto meet unit requirements.• They will provide a localresponse to OPDEFs/REQLEFsby facilitating short notice moves

between ships and planned moveswithin/between Waterfront organi-sations and monitor numbers ofmedically-downgraded personnel.• Finally, they will monitor andfacilitate employment and distrib-ution into mixed complementships, female bunk availability andsea-going parents.

Key RDCA tasks areunchanged from those carriedout by DCMLOs:• To advise on longer-termemployment aspirations andattempt to arrange drafts commen-surate with individual preferences;and to discuss and identify promo-tion and career prospects andopportunities for commission.• They will encourage/developindividual use and understandingof Drafting Preference Forms andensure that individual preferencesare submitted for consideration

£"ior to initial drafting action.Finally, they will provide career

advice interviews/career reviews inconjunction with existingDivisional resources and to ensureindividuals continue to receive per-tinent advice on career opportuni-ties.

Why do we need both?You can see that the WMO,

within the Fleet organisation, isinvolved in the deployment of peo-ple to meet Service requirementsand will provide more localisedmanagement of people in eachbase area, while CND retains over-all drafting authority.

The RDCA retains the role ofprovider of impartial career adviceand as such, the WMO and RDCAhave separate tasks and separatemasters.

How will it affect you?In simple terms you shouldn't

notice much change apart fromgreater input to, and predictabilityin, your drafting movements.

The WMOs will move some ofDrafty's work nearer to the frontline and the work being done bythe DCMLOs will be continued bythe RDCAs.

Above all, your access to impar-tial career and drafting advice.andregular health checks «f the infor-mation contained in your division-al documents, such as yourPreferences, will remain.

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'We'll need a magic carpet to get past that lot'

NEWSVIEWAn agreed and

accepted authorityTHE QUEEN comes from a Naval family - her grandfather,

her husband and all her sons spent time in the NavalService, some of them a long time as virtual career offi-

cers, before the call of royal duty intervened.Her daughter, too, is married to a Naval officer - and as

Chief Commandant for Women in the Royal Navy thePrincess Royal spends a good deal of time in a blue suit, asher Navy News file amply testifies. In fact almost all the RoyalFamily have links with the Senior Service - the late PrincessMargaret with two of the most prominent units of the currentFleet.

This is worth noting on several counts. In the first place,while a career in the Armed Forces, and in the Royal Navy inparticular, has long been seen as the traditional pattern foryounger members of the Royal Family, some of them haveserved on active service with genuine distinction, as opposedto that purely accorded to their royal status.

More importantly, perhaps, it has undoubtedly afforded thempractically their sole opportunity to enjoy a "normal" life, to mixwith their contemporaries of all ranks in the Naval community- which, while exclusive and protective in its own way, has atleast allowed them an appreciation of how ordinary people liveand operate outside the Royal milieu.

While this career pattern may nowadays be seen as a mitetoo exclusive, and so somewhat anachronistic, it is still hard tosee how it may be bettered as an introduction to the demandsof Royal life, given all its parallel demands of diplomacy andceremonial, plus the opportunity to visit foreign countries andgain understanding at first hand of other cultures and politicalsystems.This is clearly shown in the current exhibition at theRoyal Naval Museum, which portrays the Queen's many con-tacts with the Royal and Commonwealth Navies in the courseof her reign.

An essay by Ian Bradley, God Save the Queen - TheSpiritual Dimension of Monarchy (Darton, Longman andTodd, E14.95) published to mark the Golden Jubilee of

Elizabeth II, makes a strong case for the institution in the mod-ern world.

In a review in the 77mes Literary Supplement, FerdinandMount notes that "the introduction of a republic in Britain facesmany more pstacles than its proponents like to contemplate."

'The first is that nations are always reluctant to change theirfundamental constitutional arrangements without an over-whelming reason to do so, such as catastrophic militarydefeat, an economic collapse or a change in the national terri-tory or population.

'The result in the recent Australian referendum on themonarchy was a neat little example of popular scepticismdefeating fashionable enthusiasm for change.

'This reluctance to disturb stable arrangements has behindit a deeper anxiety. Reformers are congenitally insensitive tothe appalling difficulty of achieving effective and lasting author-ity in a territory. This task must logically come before all themore enthralling business of establishing liberty, democracy,justice, equality and anything else you fancy . .."

Mount concludes that the great majority of the world'srecent horrors - including Afghanistan and Kosovo, both areaswhere the Royal Navy continues its watchful presence -derive from the absence of "such agreed and accepted author-ity".

'The mystic reverence, the religious allegiance, which areessentials to a true monarchy, are imaginative sentiments thatno legislature can manufacture in any people'

- Walter Bagehot, The English Constitution

Fancy a tour ofduty near the surfcapital of Europe?LACM RogerAngliss sings thepraises of a JamesBond-style bunkerrun by the USNavy - andpacked with thebest facilities thatUncle Sam and theRAF can provide:

IT's a new, state-of-the-art bunker likesomething out of aJames Bond movie.Designed like a war-

ship with blast doors, acitadel and standby power,it would swallow Wembleystadium and has a similardisplacement to a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.

It is, in fact, under US com-mand - but it is set in thewarmest part of the UK, and ithas billets for 33 RN person-nel.

The Joint Maritime Facility(JMF) at RAF St Mawgan on theoutskirts of Newquay, Cornwall ismostly manned by US Navy andcivilians, assisted by RN and RAF.Its role is to provide anti-subma-rine warfare and ocean-borneaccoustic information to appropri-ate maritime forces 24 hours a day,365 days a year, and it acts as a linkbetween UK and US forces andtheir headquarters as part of theworldwide Integrated UnderseaSurveillance System (IUSS).

Here, from within this massive,partially buried reinforced con-crete structure, subsurface contactsare detected, classified andtracked, using a vast array ofaccoustic and communicationsequipment.

Also within the TerminalEquipment Building at St Mawganare classrooms, a mini-gym on thewatch floor, computers linked tothe inter- and intranets for emailand training and a small eating andrecreational area.

But the wider base facilitiesoffer all the best that the RAF andUSN have to offer, including afree-to-view cinema, bars and club.The USN complex has a fast foodoutet - the 'Market Street Grill' -and the Raven's Eye bar.

For sporting types the MaritimeLeisure Centre has all the latest fit-

Surf in' UK andthe worldwideundersea net

ness equipment you would expectin a modern health club, with satel-lite TV and a four-lane tenpinbowling alley and separate gymwith climbing wall.

The centre also offers a freeaccess Internet cafe and licensedsnack bar.

The Command - headed by aUS Navy Captain under opera-tional control of the CommanderUndersea Surveillance at DamNeck, Norfolk Virginia - runs acontinuous competitive event, theCaptain's Cup, covering all aspectsof sport and participation fromfamilies is welcome.

A big bonus is the US-run travelcell which arranges its own dis-counted tours to various parts ofthe UK and Western Europe. Theoutdoor recreation departmentorganises trips for hiking, biking,water skiing and surfing. Also, thebase boasts a new, all-weather soft-ball field.

Married quarters are availablearound the base. Within thebiggest estate, St Estval, there is a

youth centre and subsidised ChildDevelopment Centre providingday care. For single personnel,accommodation is available withinUSN-run single sailor barracks,which provide fully furnished sin-gle cabins, shared en-suite andcommunal lounge areas with Skysatellite TV and DVD/video sys-tems. Newquay nightlife is just onthe doorstep.

So if you are looking for a fresh

and challenging change of sceneryand want to live the "work hard,play hard" life close to the surf cap-ital of Europe, why not think abouta tour at JMF? Speak to Drafty oryour nearest DCMLO.

• CPOACM Andy Gill,LS(SSM) Tim Jones and LACMRoger Angliss discuss a freshcontact on the Watch Floor ofthe new Joint Maritime Facilityin Cornwall (inset).

fwww. navynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 21

New approach toNaval training atHMS CollingwoodBig changes are afoot

at HMS Collingwood.The naval establish-

ment's role is changing, nolonger can Collingwoodsimply be called a weaponengineering establishment,she is now the IntegratedMaritime Warfare School(MWS).

In her new role, the Farehamsite will become "a one-stopshop" for the broad range ofweapons, communications andwarfare training for the Navy,affecting 10% of the Service.

To keep that commitmentstrong, new build is springing up allover the Collingwood base. Thefirst arrival was the Mantle HallClose Range Gunnery simulator.This hi-tech simulator involvesthree genuine - but unarmed -20mm and 30mm anti-aircraftguns, but plunges its user into a vir-tual reality world, where friend andfoe aircraft race overhead, andeach move and firing of the realgun corresponds to the actionflashing before the trainee's eyes.

The gunnery simulator providesa good example of the MWS's aimto focus the limited defence budgeton providing the best, state-of-the-art instruction for the men andwomen of the Royal Navy.

For many years, gunnery train-ing had involved live firing fromHMS Cambridge, but after the clo-sure of that base in March 2001,close range gunnery tuition movedto Collingwood.

The advantage from the loss oflive firing is the increased flexibili-ty in the learning. While once atrainee would have to wait for realaircraft to provide a limited num-ber of runs in limited time, the newsimulators at the MWS allow formultiple passes, numerous targetsand instant analysis of firing.

Now it is no longer only orangedrag-targets being shot from thesky and sea, the new sophisticatedsimulator has up to 50 differenttargets, including attacking fastpatrol boats and pirate junks onthe sea, Hercules aircraft andExocet missiles in the sky. Eachone targetting the ship, and eachone moving at the real speed ofattack.

The simulation is more than just360 degree, as wearing the virtualreality helmet, the gunner can lookoverhead into the entire dome ofairspace above.

The touch of a button can createenvironmental conditions likedawn on a flat sea in the Gulf, or adreary onslaught of rain in the tur-bulent Bay of Biscay.

The gun fires only as many bul-lets as the magazine can genuinelyhold, before stopping to allow timefor a reload. As the Close RangeOfficer, Warrant Officer BobBainbridge, says: "There are noHollywood rounds here."

The builders of the simulator,Manchester company VirtualPresence, sent designers to HMSCambridge to see the real guns inaction. They watched live firings,took sound recordings, and tooknote of the finer details of gunneryaction. Smoke trails wisp from theend of the gun after each shot, andthe sound of the sea is interruptedby the bursts of gunfire.

There are also definiteplus-points to this new sim-ulated approach to weapontraining environmentally. Nonoise, no used cartridges,no waste.

It also allows the trainee to con-centrate on learning, rather thanwishing that the English rain wouldstop dripping down his or her neck.

In real life there is a vibrationfrom the gun during firing, but asWO Bainbridge says: "It's only aminor trade-off when you considerhow much else it offers."

From one extreme to the other,this hi-tech facility has been fol-lowed by the construction of tradi-tional muddy outside-courses -cliff and chasm, assault and leader-ship hurdles. Now passingmotorists outside the Farehambase can see Naval teams strug-gling to overcome the concretecliffs that would daunt lesser foes.

Next to arrive at Collingwoodlater this year will be the two newbridge simulators. These encom-passing simulators will be able toact as everything from a landingcraft to a not-yet-built Type 45. The3D graphic simulations of harbourentrances, marine hazards, andcoastlines will challenge the navi-gator and bridge teams, allowingfor team learning in total safety.

The Royal Navy is not just com-

mitting money to the practice ofeducation and training, it is makingsure that every student is support-ed 24 hours a day.

New single-living accommoda-tion blocks are being added to theCollingwood estate, and the con-centration is on the necessarydetails of student life.

Each room will have networkconnectivity to allow learning tocontinue away from the traditionalclassroom environment. The com-fortable, en-suite cabins will alsoboast multiple plug sockets tomanage the many electricaldemands of modern life.

The scattered elements at theestablishments had meant that thecosts of supporting the estateamounted to 47% of the entiretraining budget. By bringing theseparate units together under onecentral control, the MWS will domore than simply save money, itwill improve the learning experi-ence for all users.

As the MWS was born, supportto various external sections of thenaval training estate has fallen toCommodore Philip Wilcocks,Commodore of the MaritimeWarfare School and CommandingOfficer of HMS Collingwood.

Areas as diverse as the RoyalMarine School of Music, theHydrography and MeteorologyTraining, PT tuition at Temeraire,and the instruction offered at HMSExcellent are now within the newSchool's remit. Some elements arebeing pulled into the Collingwoodestate, and for others the long armof the establishment will managethe support and administrationfrom afar.

HMS Dryad's training units willmove gradually over time tobecome part of the new MaritimeWarfare School before its closurein 2011. The introduction of HMSDaring, the first of the Type 45s,will prompt the big shift of team-based training, bringing the simu-lators from the Cook enclave atDryad down to their new home atthe growing Fareham base.

The School of Leadership andManagement (SLAM) has movedfrom HMS Excellent to theCollingwood site with a new title,Command Training Department,but the damage control and fire-fighting units will remain in theirPortsmouth island home.

The methods and results of

TutS* ...» iwju-

Naval training are allbeing assessed rightnow. Rather than justmove equipmentfrom one site toanother, the value ofwhat is currentlyoffered is beinglooked at closely -what can be added tomake this instructionmore useful, what canbe learnt from whathas gone before?

Cdre Wilcocksstresses: "I am deter-mined not to lessen inany way the trainingto individuals, I planto enhance it."

sitecommunity as well. Ongoing talksare taking place with the localFareham and Hampshire Countycouncils to keep the growingdemands on the existing site fromdisrupting the local area in termsof traffic or environment.

Cdre Wilcocks describes the cur-rent state of change as "excitingtimes for the Maritime WarfareSchool", and commends the totalteam effort from everyone con-nected to the Collingwood base

• An officer in a headset searchesthe virtual skies for enemy aircraftat the Gunnery simulator.

Not only is the new school into- that is making this newgrated, but efforts are concentrat-ed on making the new work at the

harmonised with the local

approach possible.By freeing a portion

of the tight training bud-get from the supportarea, money can beinvested in the latestequipment and expertiseto make sure that offi-cers and ratings leavingCollingwood are fullyprepared with the rightabilities and know-howto go into a conflict situ-ation, according to theMWS's stated aim"ready to fight and win".

• MWS trainers tackle the traditional hurdles of the assault course in HMS Collingwood.

Effective personal finance tactics

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NI\S, \IAR( II 21X 1,

Lusty becomesflat-top ConVE

CARRIER

HMS Illustrious,the Royal Navy flagshipin Operation Enduring

Freedom in the Middle East, hastaken flexibility to new levels asher role in the war against ter-rorism develops.She kit the UK at the beginning of

September with her ---escort of choice",

11 MS Southampton. to take part in aseries of exercises, expecting to return

before Christmas.But as she and her task group made their

way through the Mediterranean. the terror-ist attacks on the United States on

September II changed all that.And in the following months, the carrier

has embarked 12 different aircraft

squadrons. three battle staffs and cateredfor hundreds of visitors ranging from royal-ty IojournalisLc, from round the world.Many Gulf port visits were cancelled. and by

the time the ship returns to Portsmouth inwards

the end of this month he will have went 1.11 %C,I and ouil 3-4 days, in seven mtmttis

alongside- more than half of those in her new

t.ssc port* of Salalah in Oman.Indeed. so often did her programme change

that Daily Orders were viewed as the Longcast.tier aircraft complement has changed dramat-

ically over the course of the winter.As she worked towards Exercise Sail Sari-ca.

she embarked eight RAF (iR7 Iiarncrs to bringher aircraft total up to 23.

By the end of September .he arrived inSalulab to pick up uugmcntces from the Arm.the Royal Marines and RAF for the Oman exer-cises, but all the while other options were beingmapped out by operations staff.Accommodation was stretched, with many on

camp beds, the Wardroom ante room handedover to Joint Force 110 stalland the dining room

split in two. By this siage the ship had a comple-ment of around 1.2.51).

During Sail Sarcea. the RAF liisrricrs ofIV(AC) Squadron transferred ashore toMastrah, in Oman, achieved in only live hourswith the help of RAE Ill Squadron (liinookx.

$01. 949 and $20 Naval Air Squadronsremained on board as preparations were made tomm American wzmrImips in the area. with air

RN hosts battle group chiefsTHE COMMANDERS of five carrier battle

groups met on board British flagship HMSIllustrious in a demonstration of coalition

unity.Th. five, all rear admirals, flew in from their

carriers inthe North Arabian Sea to confer on thewar against International terrorism.

Their ships also met up in dose formation asthe commanders exchanged views and plannedfuture activities before returning to their respec-tive stations off the coast of Pakistan.James Zortman (USS John C. Stennisj.

Francols Ckjzel (FS Charles de Gm~), James

Burnell-Nugent (HMS Illustrious), Maurlzlo

Gemlgnani (ITS Garibaldi) and Mark Fitzgerald(USS Theodore Roosevelt) all spoke of their prideat participating in the coalition, which currentlyembraces more than 100 ships from 12 nations -

believed to be the most powerful internationalmaritime force assembled since World War II.Admiral Burnell-Nugont, who is also the

deputy }olnt maritime coalition commander tothe US Central Command's Admiral Keating,said: "This is a remarkable coming together offorces from around the world."We haven't seen a coalition formed as quick-

ly as this and with a strength as this since formany years"

Admiral Fitzgerald said 'This is a truly Interna-tional coalition against terror which has accom-plished a lot in a short time.

'As well as flying hundreds of sorties over

Afghanistan each week, the coalition has beenconducting leadership interdiction operations todetain fleeing Al Qaeda and carrying on the sur-veillance and Intelligence-gathering to supportthe operation."Admiral Zoitman, on board his 102,000 ton

ship USS St~. said of the coalition: "It'sa for-midable force. What surprised me was not somuch how fast it came together but the strideswe made in Interoperability that would normallyhave taken years.

"Each country brings its own strength, and alltogether create a force more powerful than thesum of as parts.."Where we had any Initial teething problems

involved in working our systems together, the

smart young sailors from all these navies figuredout technically how to resolve them.

"Increasingly these days the kit is quite similarand we have normally only needed to sort out lit.be differences.in the crucial area of disclosure too, which

involves the sharing of sensitive codes and prac-tices, we quickly found ways to solve any opera-tional issues"

iperil ion'. miser Alghmnm'.ia0At the end it ( ktubcr. with .i Christmas in

whiles seeming more likely thin a whiteChristmas, it was announced that Illustriouswould be reconfigured as a helicopter earner andstay in the region for contingency operations.the rule switch - the first time it has been

attempted at sea - meant the resident air winghad to leave before new aircraft could fly in.

820 and $4 Squadrons went on the penulti-mate evening of Saif Sarcea. along with the hulkof )I Squadrons maintainers - another slick

operation, completed in seven hours, mostly atnight. wilh the help of two Sea Kings from $45Squadron which happened to be in the area.The following day saw the departure of the

last jets and personnel of 801 Squadron, leavingthe carrier with no aircraft to carry.

F irst of the newcomers were a number ofRAF Cli 47 Chinooks, which joined in

work-up exercises with Royal Marines andspecialist Army units.The Chinooks proved impressive machines -

their massive lilting capacity and extended rangemake them useful assets.Some weeks were spent working off the coast

of Pakistan in support of combat operationsashore, but the rapid fall ofthe Taliban regime in

Afghanistan meant B Company had to be disem-barked for Kabul at very short notice. where theyprovided assistance and protection for GeneralMc('oll as the flcdling UK-led InternationalSecurity Assistance Force (ISAF) found its feet.

Alter calling in at Satalab. the carrier turnedsouth to Momha.a and the first real run ashoresince leaving the UK.

Many of the ship's company were introducedto King Neptune's Court for the first time asIllustrious crossed the Equator tin Decembcr 21.going from midwinter to midsummer as shepassed from northern to southern hemispheres.Th add a further twist, the RAE offered a trip

in a ('hinook of 1$ Squadron to raise money for

charity, allowing some to crow the line twice.In Mombasa the ship's captain, Capt Charles

Style, left on a camel, and Capt Alan Mass"assumed command before the earner returnedto patrol in the Northern Arabian Sea.A maintcncncc visit to Bahrain had to be can-

celled because of the security state, but once

again the Chinooks came into their own, allow-

ing tons of stores and mail to he picked up.845 Squadron was wetsaned hack, and D

Company of 40 Commando KM came on hoardax the new Embarked Military Force. while personncl from 18 (B) Squadron RAE left. to bereplaced by 27

Squadron RAEFollowing a visit to Dubai, the ship is planning

to re-embark oil the helicopters, including ele-ments of847 Squadron, who have spent much oftheir time aboard RIMS Fearless.She can then hand over to helicopter carrier

RIMS Ocean mid-March before heading home.

But

although the carrier - as always -

attracts most attention from the media,there arc other ships out in the region.

The amphibious assault ship RIMS Fearlesshas once again proved age is no obstacle as shehas taken part in interdiction operations in theregion, checking shipping for smuggled goodswhich could he supporting the terrorists' cause.

Escort destroyer IIMS Southampton hasbeenshadowing the carrier throughout the period.and supply ship RFA Fort George has been min-istering to the needs of RN and coalition ships

" Cp Gaby Green of 4ASRM HMSFearless, keepsa watchful eyeon his colleagues and members of the craw on board a vesselboarded during Maritime Interdiction Operations MOP*) ki theGuh' Fearless is pictured in the background.

" The five battle grotqs commanders -all rearadmirals -confer on HMSillustrious. From left, MastP Fitzge,-ald (USS Theodore Roosevelt). Maurfrlo Oemignanl (175 Garibak*J, James Bumell-Nugent(Commander UK Maritime Forces), Francois Cluzel (FS Charles do Gaulle) andJames M. Zcrtman(1)55 John C. Stennis).

"From the front,' (JSS Theodore Roosevelt, ITS Gonbakil, FS Charles do Gatthe HMS Illustrious andUSSJohn C. Stannls, with escorts.

" HMS illustrious (foreground) with Type 42 destroyer HMS Southampton (left of Illustrious) and RF.ADiligence following astern.

Navy's,Plible

ivpe 23 frigate IIMS Kent hasbeen breakvicrecords on Armulla patrol in the Gulf, andNin tteis went to press she was due to berelieved by sisicr frigate IIMS Portland.IIMS Ocean, which will take up the reins from

Illustrious, hasbeen delayed twice 1w had weath-er in theUK -once at l)esonporl andlater from

Portsmouth -but enough time was built into her

programme of work-upand escrcises on herwayeast of Suez that she was expected to maintainher schedule.

Before leasing home waters there wastime fora nostalgic visit by a 9I)-car-old Wcsi Sussexmanwho had vivid memoriesof her predecessor.Cdr Peter harper (retdl was the Supply,

Officer of the aircraft carrier Ocean. which took

part in the Korean War.1k wasinvited on to the helicopter carrier to

mcci his 21st century counterpart. Cdr Paul

Cunningham. and hada look around the ship.Also on its way from the UK to provide relief

for Illustrious is a bundle of videos, after oneofthe ship's company wrote to say the carrier'sstock of films, was wearing a bit thin.1.MIEM Paul Ncvillc mentioned it to his father

Cohn in a letter home, and ('olin. of CastleDouglas in Scotland.started alocal campaign tocollect more tapes. Also helping out were news-

papers the Galloway News and the l)umfnr.('uurH'r, plus radio station West Sound.

Ills pica resulted in a haul of more than 350

tapes -and only three ofthem were duplicates.

c Commander of the UK maritime tortesin the region, Rear Admiral James

uric Feels that the spirit of his

troops is still good. despite the uncertainties.

Speaking after hosting a meeting of battle

groupcommanderson hoard the British flagship.Admiral Bumcll-Nugent said: "Our Navy, alongwith others.has had acontinuous presence here

for years. This new coalition will bring its corn.

poslic land, sea and air capability to bear in the-atre for as long as it takes.

"Morale is good, because the people hereunderstand that what they are doing is importantandwhat they do is to support apurpose statedat the highest political level.

"Ships are being incredibly flexible in the roles

they arc called on toperform.

and everyone is

finding a lot of job satisfaction in responding to

any task andcontingency in ahighly flexible way,andoften at short notice.

Thc ships of the Thsk Group have shownremarkable versatility.

"Illustrious, oriinally built as ananti-.subma-rinewarfare earner for the Cold War, sailcdfrom the UK with air defence Sea Harriers, was

joined by a squadron of RAF (iR7 tlarncrs forSad Sareca - and then converted to a

Commando llchcop(er Carrier fur the remain-

der of the deployment."During this time she has also been a

maritime 110andaJoint 110."Fearless, the landing ship whichwasinvolved

in tr'sp lindings for ,.iul irei out here in the

.piIIu'nn. tiis sii) I5.rfl

md oil smugglersand car-rviui out maritime inter-diction jules, well as

being borne to hundredsof Marines andrehearsinglandun."Rl'A Diligence sailed

as a mine cnuntcrrnea-sures mother ship and Lt -

tcrly has had roles as botha submarine repair shipand tanker.

"All this shows greatflexibility and adptabilityof our people. They are

doing remarkably well.

"By hnngin thisflexi-bilityand continuing withrotational deployments.together with the supportof the other coalition members, we will light isteam for as long as it takes."Tenor is aworld problem that affects tens of

dozens of countries: its in the interests of allcountries to light against Al Oacda and other

groups."The coalition is hued for anymission and the

longerwe work together the better we get."Wehave the logistics to sustain the thousands

of Service people out here, and the coalition is

learning howtocarryout all the contingent operations we are beingasked todo as our assets joinand leave,

"Our attention ix clearly movingout toawiderareabut thanks in part to ourpresence here ship

ping operators have been greatly reassured, .inIinsurance premiums they pay for the area hasreturned to normal since September II."Our ships. submarines, aircraft and marines

have a very tangible effect on enforcing security

throughout the region and helping to maintain

stability in the world markets."We are carrying out often up to a dozen

more boardings each day, sometimes oppose I

and preventingoil smugglers breaking Ir.ip

Sanctions.

"Q)alition aircraft are enforcing the Iraqi no Ii-.

zone too, so there is still a lot ofwork to he done

"Germany too is now joining the force, and

Spain has announced it is sending ships."In late January the Japanese tanker lbwad.m

began supplying fuel to RFA Fort George for

onward fuelling to ships of the task force, mark

ing a significant first with our two countries, seprusted by IKO degrees geographically, yet operating closely together."By sharing coalition logiatios ships be~., ii

partners and replacing ships on task with nt"ones there is no doubt the maritime coalition e,ir

keep up its contribution indefinitely."The coalition force is a broad, capable to

prepared to stay in the area for the long haul 1

necessary (ml see the tack through."

, .r.-

L

" An FA2 Sea Harrier of &)l Naval Air Squadron fires oil HMS Illustrious during a .nas'ftime demon-stration off Oman. In the background are wasJiIps of the Royal Navy and the Oman Navy. From theleft are 1)'pe 42 destroyerHMSSouthampton. the BrItish carrier's escort Omani ccdvett. AlMuse'zzar.1pe 22 ~to HMS Cornwall Omani corvette QahirAlAmwaJ, Omani support ship, Fulk Al Saiamahand h&icopt.r carrier HMSOcean, which returns to the region this month.

Next month: More news from thecoalition maritime forces in the Gulf

and the Arabian Sea.

NAVY MVI'S, MAR( II 2tMI! ,

r'er-

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" hut tot! U-orqe tijIjt,l let "ve-. bcce frurri her Jmp.inesC counterp.ic-r, J.i/l,ifl"m Ue"!iii) T:)-..mI,m or the 4r.en.m,i S4 ..I. 8rita,nand Japan are both members of the coalition lighting the war against terrorism and this evolution was a first for thetwo navies.

0RAF Chinooks operating from HMS IllustrIous,

24 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www.navynews.co.uk

At Your Leisure

Cheers for 'Old Glory9ADMIRAL Sir David Beatty and British seamen cheering the arrivalof the US 6th Battle Squadron at Scapa Flow on December 1.1917.- from The Battleships (Channel 4 Books, £12.99) by Ian Johnstonand Rob McAuley.

Full centuryof conflict inIWM showsMARKING the 20th anniversary of the Falklands War, theImperial War Museum presents 'Traces of Conflict', an artexhibition of interactive, digital and print-based mediafrom March 23 - June 23.

It is by a group of artists anddesigners from Duncan ofJordanstone College of Art,University of Dundee, who vis-ited the Falklands in 1999 at theinvitation of the CommanderBritish Forces there.

Meanwhile 'Voices fromKorea', a show featuring oralhistory recordings, pho-tographs and other memen-toes provided by thoseinvolved in the war of 50 yearsago, continues throughout thisyear.

And 'Submarines', the popu-lar hands-on exhibition aimedparticularly at children anddesigned to mark the cente-nary of the RN SubmarineService last year, has been

extended until June 30.On March 21 at 7pm Sir

Martin Gilbert will be lookinginto the part which signalsintelligence played inChurchill's war direction.

For tickets for 'Churchill andEnigma' (£8 including wine) tel02074165439.

Also opening at the IWM thismonth is 'The TrenchExhibition' linked with a majorBBC2 series about daily life ina World War I trench - an expe-rience shared by the men of theRoyal Naval Division createdby Winston Churchill when hewas First Lord of the Admiraltyand christened by PrimeMinister Asquith as 'Winston'sLittle Army'.

Trinder classicsout on video'Sailors Three' one of Tommy Trinder's best-loved and most successful wartime comedies,has been released on video - together with its sequel Tiddlers Three'.

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D

'Sailors Three', made by thelegendary Haling Studios in1940. has Tommy serving inHMS Ferocious.

He and his two best mates havea little too much to drink duringshore leave and end up in thewrong ship. In a panic, they pinchthe ship's boat and scramble backon board.

Only it isn't the Ferocious, asthey discover when they sober up.They've accidentally boarded themighty German battleshipLudendorf!

Naturally their attempts to passthemselves off as Germans don'tgo too well and they are quicklycaptured.

But, with the help of an anti-Nazi on board, they trick the entireship's company into abandoningship. Now our intrepid hero andhis chums - played by ClaudeHulbert and Michael Wilding -must sail the Ludendorf back toBlighty - if the RN doesn't sinkthem first.

'Fiddlers Three' sees Trinder(still in rig) catapulted back in timefor some comedy adventures in

ancient Rome.It's still wartime and Tommy and

his best mate the Professor areenjoying a spot of shore leave onSalisbury Plain. After rescuing adamsel in distress, they stop off todo a bit of sightseeing atStonehenge - and get struck bylightning.

And this is the freak accident oftime and place that has them wind-ing up as slaves of the Romans.Britons don't make good slaves,however - and soon the trio findthermselves destined for the arena- and a date with some very hun-gry lions ...

Whatever its other merits, thisone has the distinction of introduc-ing James Robertson Justice andKay Kendal, two major luminariesof British postwar cinema.

'Sailors Three' and 'FiddlersThree' are now available directfrom DD Video at £10.99 plus£1.755 pp (£2.75 for both), Unit 1,Pool Bank Business Park, HighStreet, Tarvin, Chester CH3 8JH.Credit card customers can order byringing the 24 hour DD Videohotline on 01829 741490.

Takingalongview

AB Newall, look-out inHMS Suffolk who firstsighted the Bismarckand Prinz Eugen in thehunt that led to thefamous action in May1941 is equipped withBarr & Stroud's classicCF41/AP1900A binocu-lars mounted on enemybearing indicators.

The long associationbetween the Royal Navyand the Glasgow-basedcompany - described as"by far the most suc-cessful optical instru-ment makers in theannals of Scottish tech-nology" - is told byWilliam Reid in 'We'recertainly not afraid of Zeiss'(National Museums ofScotland Publishing£20), an ironic referenceto its less happy endeav-ours to compete world-wide with its Germancounterpart, whose time-less 1894 Feldstecherdesign dominated theglobal market for muchof the next century-

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 25

At Your Leisure

Palmerston's magnificent folliesSOME of the most majestic sights in British militaryarchitecture are provided by the fortifications built inthe 1860s to guard the Fleet at Portsmouth.

Fort Brockhurst (below) was built as part of LordPalmerston's campaign to protect the country's portsfrom invasion, as was Hurst Castle (inset), which coversthe western sea approach and incorporates a gun towerof 1540.

The latter possesses the largest range of casemates ofany British fort and is built of granite reinforced bywrought iron shields.

Palmerston's anti-invasion forts are an extraordinarymixture of the traditional and revolutionary inspired, aswith the design of warships, by the events of theAmerican Civil War.

Traditional is the basic form, including deep and low-profiled earth ramparts, wide ditches, bastions,caponiers and casemates.

Revolutionary are the materials of construction,though. To give the traditional forms additional strengthto withstand the impact of new powerful artillery, ironand mass-concrete were used along with earth, brick

and granite.Fort Brockhurst, completed in 1863, featuresa large circular 'keep' with projecting bastion-likecaponiers set in a wide water-filled moat.

Hurst Castle, facing the western end of the Isle ofWight, for all its magnificence and commanding struc-ture never fired a shot in anger - not even in World War

Both feature in Invasion - Defending Britain from Attackby Dan Cruickshank. from the BBC2 television seriesand published by Boxtree at £18.99.

- - • , &" v-^f J^ *S^ • •B ^ *-tije

ScreenScene - by Bob Baker

When Hollywoodwas sent a rocket'W!r

e've passed a lot of water over thebridge since then," mused SamuelGoldwyn, as he contemplated the

long gone days of silent movies.And that more or less summed up how film makers

felt, in I960, about World War II: it had been over fora decade and a half, new alliances had come into play,old enmities had been forgotten - hadn't they?

Well, no, as events proved when almost simultane-ously two pictures opened in Britain which togethergenerated such heat and commotion that editorialsand correspondence columns sputtered and fizzedwith indignation for weeks on end.

I Aim at the Stars was a co-production(Hollywood/West Germany) about the life and doingsof German scientist Wernher von Braun. He it waswho devised the V2 rocket which laid waste entireneighbourhoods of London in the summer of 1944.Post-war he transferred his allegiance to the USA,where the expertise in rocketry he had developedunder the Nazis was put to use by the Pentagon andthe fledgling Space Agency.

The presentation of von Braun as a heroic figureand all-round good egg, combined with the implica-tion detected by some of the film's critics that thou-sand of dead and maimed Londoners was a reasonableprice to pay for the advancement of the Americanspace programme goaded many in the UK to fury. A

bitter graffito appeared on the film's posters: "I Aimat the Stars ... but mostly I hit London".

And then along came Under Ten Flags, this time aHollywood/Italy co-production, describing the exploitsof the German raider Atlantis, which sent 22 Alliedships to the bottom before herself being sunk by HMSDevonshire in November 1941.

Atlantis's modus operandi was to get close to herprey by posing as an unarmed merchantman flying anyconvenient flag. Only when there was no possibility ofescape would she reveal her guns.

She was captained by Bernard Rogge who by 1960had become a senior NATO admiral and who was por-trayed in the movie as a character of such saintliness asto cast even Wernher von Braun in the shade.

He was played by Van Heflin, a middle-rankingHollywood star of the day. At any other time the filmmight have slipped by unremarked, but following soclose on the heels of 1 Aim at the Stars it had to endurea broadside almost as ferocious as that inflicted on theAtlantis's victims.

What do they look like now, these vexations of 40years ago? Well, we can't say, since unlike the filmsusually discussed here, they have both disappearedfrom sight - never programmed on television, neveravailable on video, and perhaps locked away in somedeep, dark vault with a sign on its door reading"Embarrassments! Do not Open!"

'Psst! Hey, Jack wanna know where the loot's hidden?'You can find out by reading the action-packed new novel 'Some Distant Shore' by Reg Osborn. ISBN: 0-9541565-0-1.Available by post now from:

Banyan Books, 55 Norbury Hill, London SW16 3LA £11.99 plus £2.20 p&p UK

£3.00 EU - £5.00 world-wide surface mail. Payment: Sterling cheque or Postal/Money Orders only.'Some Distant Shore' A faction novel set in the Aegean Islands during WW2 telling of RN under-cover operations by the LevantSpecial Schooner Flotilla and the Army's S.B.S. raiding patrols. An exciting and gripping talc of violent action both at sea and onland, love and sex, religious and political chicanery, hidden looted treasure worth millions of pounds, courage, duplicity, betrayalsand brave comradeship as seen through the eyes of a young AB who grows to manhood while serving with Special Forces. Manyof the scenes described in the book are based on true events, albeit written-up for dramatic impact, and are validated in the footnotes.This is the first work of fact-based fiction that tells the little-known story of the covert operations that took place hundreds of milesbehind enemy-held islands in the Aegean.

^Va^ning! Some may find it politically incorrect; it contains much coarse, lower-decklanguage... and humour as well. Scenes of explicit sex and terrible atrocities are describedso graphically that it is definitely not a read for the easily shockable!

Calm Seas and Safe Harbours, shipmates. Reg Osborn - author/publisher and bookseller:

Banyan Books, 55 Norbury Hill, London SW16 3LA(10% of the firs! three months sales are donated to: The Royal Star and Garter Home for Disabled Servicemen and Women}

This Month's Book BargainsTHE ARK IS BACKThis book has been published to mark the'ededication of Ark Royal V after her extensiveRosyth refit. Outlining her recent activities itcomes with a FREE interactive CD

p/b £16.50ARK ROYAL (Poolman) The courageous story ofArk Royal one of the best loved and best fought

ships to fly the white ensign in WWIIWas £8.99 Now £4.99

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HMS HERMES 1923 & 1959By Neil McCart

T~*or the firsl time in one volume, here are Iher comprehensive histories of the two aircraftcarriers named Hermes. The stories take the readerfrom the 1920s into the Second World War, the late1950s and 60s, through to the Falklands campaign

and into the Indian Navy where the last Hermes serves as [NS Viraat. There arc 137photographs, including seven in colour and a foreword by Rear-Admiral K. A. Snow,the Hermes' last CO. Hardback with full-colour laminated dust jacket.Price £24 plus p&p. ISBN 1 901225 05 4Also Still Available in Hardback:HMS VANGUARD 1944-1960 BRITAINS LAST BATTLESHIP £19.95 + P&PHMS EAGLE 1942-1978 £18.95 + P&PHMS VICTORIOUS 1937-1969 £21.00 + P&PHMS CENTAUR 1943-1972 £16.95 + P&PTHREE ARK ROYALS 1938-1999 £23.00 + P&PTIGER, LION & BLAKE 1942-1986 £21.50 + P&PILLUSTRIOUS & IMPLACABLE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS £23.00 + P&PPlease add £2.50 p&p for the UK & EU or £4.00 for worldwide surface mail. Payment bysterling cheque, postal order, or by VISA/MASTERCARD. Telephone/Fax orders welcomed.

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26 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

• Captain-class frigate HMS Calder, seen here in mid-Atlantic in 1943 in a photo probably taken by a US Coast Guard aircraft.

The forgotten class• A young Harold Fine, of HMS Calder.

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AN OFT-overlookedclass of warships fromWorld War II will be

enjoying a spot in the limelightwhen the Captain-ClassFrigate Association celebratesa diamond jubilee next month.

The get-together, inWarwick, marks 60 yearssince the first of the classwas laid down, and theintroduction to the fray ofan escort type which had acrucial impact on the Battleof the Atlantic.

The importance of the shipsto the UK can be gauged fromthe fact that more than 500were ordered from America,although many were eventuallyretained by the US Navy.

Numbers were gradually cutback until the class was completedby 78 hulls, of two types.

At 46 the more numerous werethe longer Buckleys, powered byturbo-electric engines, while 32Evarts had dicscl-electric power.

Buckleys had a ship's companyof 200, 25 more than the Evarts.

The Captain-class was designedin the US as destroyer escorts(DEs) and ordered in 1940, beforethe States entered the war.

RN ships were ordered withouttorpedo tubes, so by definition theywere frigates, while their identicalAmerican sisters were destroyers.

The Admiralty provided anoutline specification for keycriteria such as length andspeed, giving the ships thecapability of outrunning a U-boat on the surface and withthe range and endurance toremain at sea for severalweeks, often in the harshestof conditions, while theAmericans did the detaileddesign work.Their main armaments were

three 3in guns and a Hedgehoganti-submarine bomb-throwinginstallation, backed up by a varietyof Oerlikons and Bofors, 40mmand 20mm guns and 2pdr pom-poms.

The first of class was Bayntun,which arrived in the UK in April,1943, and by the following summerthe entire RN complement hadbeen delivered, with British crewscrossing the Atlantic to join theirship and train in it before joiningthe war effort.

"About 16,000 men served inthem, and we lost about 700 men,"said Harold Fine, one of the dri-ving forces behind the Captain-Class Frigate Association and aradar operator in HMS Calder foralmost three years.

"We know we sank at least 33 U-boats and 20 or so E-boats - so wepaid our way."

The ships were not perfect,though: "They would roll on a wetteacloth - they had a murderousroll, something like 42 degrees insix seconds was recorded."

But it gave Harold and his col-leagues a chance to get away fromthe war for a few weeks, to pick upthe ship in the United States andspend a couple of weeks trainingaround Bermuda before beingplunged into the life-or-deathstruggle with U-boats in the

Atlantic."Back in the UK certain modifi-

cations were made," recalledHarold.

"The water fountains weretaken out, for example, and sowere the washing machines - theywere too modern. All sorts ofAmericanised things wereremoved."

Between them the Captainsdestroyed possibly as many as 38German submarines, three midgetsubmarines and more than 30 E-boats - a score which surpassedany other class.

One of eight of the frigates con-verted for use as a Coastal ForcesControl Frigate, HMS Torrington,destroyed one of the midget sub-marines on Christmas Day in 1944,just as the ship was going to anchorfor Christmas lunch.

But there was a price topay, with 17 lost throughenemy action - one of thehighest loss ratios of anyclass.With the war won, surviving

ships were returned to the UnitedStates with haste under the termsof the Lend-Lease Agreement -there were those in the Servicewho strongly believed that thecomfortable ships, with goodaccommodation, large bathroomsand showers, and advancedpropulsion systems, did not showcomparable British-built ships in agood light.

The get-together in Warwick,at the Hilton Hotel, willinclude a display of model

ships in the hotel's swimming pool,one built by a model-maker in hon-our of his brother, who died inHMS Bickerton.

There is a roll of honour to the700 sailors who died in the class,and a mobile museum which getsits third airing.

"When the reunions startedthree years ago, people broughtpictures, and we persuaded thehotel to let us have a room for atemporary museum," said Mr Fine.

This year's reunion, from FridayApril 5 to Sunday April 7, promis-es the best display yet, featuring aU-boat pennant, the battle ensignfrom HMS Calder's first U-boat

Captains tableBayntun (K310), Bazely(K311), Barry (K312),Blackwood (K313) torpedoedJune 15, 1944, Surges(K347), Drury (K316), Cape/(K470) Torpedoed December26, 1944, Cooke (K471),Dacres (K472), Domett(K473), Foley (K474), Garlies(K271), Gould (K476)Torpedoed March 1, 1944,Grindall (K477), Gardiner(K478), Goodall (K479)Torpedoed April 19, 1945,Goodson (K480) TorpedoedJune 26, 1944, Gore (K481),Keats (K482), Kempthorne(K483), Kingsmill (K484),Lawford (K514) Bombed June8, 1944, Louis (K515),Lawson (K516), Pasley(K564), Loring (K565), Hoste(K566), Moorsom (K567),Manners (K563) TorpedoedJanuary 26, 1945, Mounsey(K569), Inglis (K570), Inman(K571)

Buckleys:Bentinck (K314), Byard(K315), Calder (K349),Duckworth (K351), Duff(K352) Mined November 30,1944, Essington (K353),

Affleck (K462) TorpedoedDecember 27, 1944, Aylmer(K463), Balfour (K464),Bentley (K465), Bickerton(K466) Torpedoed August 22,1944, Bligh (K467),Braithwaite (K468), Bullen(K460) Torpedoed December16, 1944, Byron (K508), Conn(K509), Cotton (K501),Cranstoun (K511), Cubitt(K512), Curzon (K513),Dato'ns (K550) Mined January16, 1945, Deane(K551), Ekins(K552) Mined April 16, 1945,Fitzroy (K553), Redmill (K554)Torpedoed April 27, 1945,Retalick (K555), Halsted(K556) Torpedoed June 10,1944, Riou (K557),Rutherford (K558), Cosby(K559), Rowley (K560),Rupert (K561), Stockham(K562), Seymour (K563),Spragge (K572), Stayner(K573), Thornborough(K574), Trollope (K575)Torpedoed July 6, 1944, Tyler(K576), Torrington (K577),Narborough (K578),Waldegrave (K579), Whitaker(580) Torpedoed November 1,1944, Holmes (K581),Hargood (K582), Hotham(K583)

kill, and video of ships under con-struction.

Around 400 people from as farafield as California are expectedto attend the reunion dinner.

40 of the guests will be from theAmerican version of theAssociation, and they will be tour-ing other sites of military signifi-cance across the country on apackage organised by the hotelchain.

The Navy veterans have booked178 of the 181 rooms at the hotel,and have spilled over into thenearby Holiday Inn.

Harold Fine said that more than520 British Captain-class veteranshave been located to date, and

that he had been in touch with atleast one representative of everysingle ship of the 78 in the class.

As a result, 66 of them will berepresented at the DiamondJubilee dinner in Warwick.

For more information on theclass, Don Collingwood's book isrecommended reading by theAssociation.

Details of the Association canbe obtained from Harold Fine on020 8455 9400 or Dave Lingard on01926 497514.

A full article on Captain-classfrigates, with material from MrFine and Charlie Chivers, will beposted on the Navy News websitein the coming weeks.

> Captain-class frigate HMS Duckworth.Picture: Maritime Photo Library.

www.na vynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 27

At Your ServiceReunions Calling Old Shipmates

The Fisgard Association: There has been achange of venue for the lunch reunion, whichwill now be at HMS Forward, Tilton St,Birmingham. Contact Des Goodwin, 36,Southbrook Rd, Langstone, Havant PO91RN, tel 023 9247 2384.

AprilHMS Brilliant (1980-84) and 20thFalklands Anniversary: Officers and ship'scompany, with partners, are invited to areunion at the Belgrave Hotel, Torquay, April5-7. Contact Pete Parry 01579 320896, JanSully 01579 344053, Dave Swift 023 92425225 or Reg Briers 01337 842580.

RN Engineering Colleges, Keyham &Manadon: A reunion weekend is planned forApril 19-21 with a reception in PlymouthGuildhall at 1830 on Saturday 20th, by tick-et only. All who worked or trained at theRNECs are welcome. Details from N.J.B.Morrison, Velden, Yeoland Down, YelvertonPL20 6BY, tel/fax 01822 853320, email:reunion@rnecmanadon.com or websitewww. rnecmanadon. com

750 Naval Air Squadron, RNASCuldrose, celebrates 50 years of continuouscommission on April 17. A day of reunion andfestivity is planned at the squadron onWednesday April 24 with a Mess Dinner forprevious COs and wives on Tuesday, April23. Previous members of 750 MAS staff,including wives or partners, wishing to attendeither of these events should contact Lt AndyDrodge at Culdrose as soon as possible, at750 MAS, RNAS Culdrose, Helston TR127RH, tel: 01326 557267 (mil: 93781 7267).

HMS Serene 1944-47 reunion, April 26-27 at Lingfield, Surrey. Details: EricDrummond, 5, Green Way, Syke Lane, Scar-croft, Leeds LS14 3BJ, tel: 0113 289 2222.

HMS Black Swan Association reunionat Widnes, April 26-28. All commissions andfriends welcome to commemorate the 60thanniversary of the ship's adoption by thetown in Warship Week 1942. Details: JohnDunstan, 47, Abbotsbury Rd, Newton AbbotTQ12 2NS, tel: 01626 354294.

Sherborne RNA Hospital reunion at theSwan, Cheap Street, Sherborne, April 27,12.30. All staff and ex-patients welcome.Contact Mrs Doris Scholefield (nee Miller),The Bungalow, Augustus Rd, Hockliffe,Leighton Buzzard LU7 9NF, tel 01525210867.

HMS Gravelines - St Kitts 50 YearAnniversary, April 27, at the Royal FleetClub, Devonport. All enquiries to JohnMacpherson on 01752 212915.

The 2nd Northern Area luncheonreunion of the Fisgard Association, inalliance with the Old Caledonia ArtificerApprentices Association (OCAAA) is at theCivil Service Club, Rosyth, on April 27.Contact Des Goodwin, 36, Southbrook Rd,Langstone, Havant PO9 1RN, tel 023 92472384.

MayCaptain Walkers Old Boys Association

reunion and dinner at Bootle, Merseyside,May 3-5. Details from Pat Marsh, 33, SouthDrive, Liverpool L15 8JJ, tel: 0151 722 2080.

HMS Narvik 1955-59 reunion, May 3-4.Details from Rod Jenkins, 33, PastonRidings, Paston, Peterborough PE4 7UR, tel:01733751019.

HMS Hermes Comms 82: May 3-4, aget-together has been arranged inPortsmouth, staying in the Home Club.Contact Gary Brown, 3, Crosier Court,Upchurch, Sittingboume ME9 7AS, tel: 01634365796, email: garySbrown6348.fsnet.co.uk

Series 15 Artificer Apprentices, 50thanniversary reunion, May 5, 1952, at theQueens Hotel. Portsmouth, on May 4.Details: John Aspel on 023 9225 1953 oremail: jonaspel@aol.com

HMS Redoubt reunion, Victory ServicesClub, Seymour St, London W2 2HF, May 7.Details from Doug Wiltcher, 7, ElmbridgeAve, Surbiton KT5 9EX, tel: 020 8399 6233.

HMS Royal Arthur reunion at Skegness,May 9-12. Enquiries to G. Housden, 84,Wilton Ave, Chapel St Leonards, SkegnessPE24 5YN, tel: 01754 873811.

HMS Conqueror: The 20th anniversary ofHMS Conqueror's Falklands War patrol will

Over to YouStoker Gill: Leeds City Art Gallery are tryingto find living relatives of Stoker Gill, believedkilled in action on December 15, 1941. Thegallery own a pastel portrait of Stoker Gill onHMS Exeter by Eric Kennington and wouldlike to learn more. Contact Corinne Miller,Senior Curator, Leeds City Art Gallery, TheHeadrow, Leeds. LS1 3AA, tel: 0113 2478248.

Victoria Rugby Football Club: The clubstarted in a pub called The Victoria inPlymstock, Devon, in 1981, finally mergingwith Plymstock RFC in 1993. Many playershad RN connections. Anyone who played1981-93 is invited to a reunion at PlymouthArgaum RFC, Bickleigh Down Rd,Roborough, Plymouth on March 22 at 1930.Contact Kathy and Martyn (Whiskey) Walkeron 01752 767276 or emailkath@walker560.freeserve.co.uk or PaulTottman on 01752 207370.

RFA Fort Grange: The boyfriend, whoserved on RFA Fort Grange, of BeckyThompson would like to get a copy of a bookcontaining pictures taken by personnel dur-ing the Gulf War. Contact Becky at NAAFI,London Rd, Amesbury SP4 7EN, tel: 01980627029 or email: bthompson@naafi.co.uk

RNAS Arbroath 1942-48: Anyone serv-ing at Arbroath during this time may be ableto help with research into 60ft FSMB 4195,currently undergoing restoration work - helpis needed for her service history. ContactTony Wager, 5, Hill Rd, Gloucester GL4 6ST,tel: 07941 115273.

Seeking Roger Penney, who was in theNavy around 1950. The only info available isthe great-grandfathers name; ThomasCorfield, Penn Fields, Upper Penn,Wolverhampton, and Roger's parents Elsieand Horace Penney, last known at BallardCourt, Bury Rd, Gosport. Contact MissMargaret Alderson, 14, The Lye, Morville,Bridgnorth WV16 5NR.

HM Submarine Syrtis: Seeking infoabout Hugh Jupp's brother, Lt Michael HughJupp DSC, in command of HMS Syrtis whichwas lost in the Norwegian Sea on March 28,1944. He attended Cheltenham BoysCollege, Britannia RNC and served in HMSTigris under Cdr Bone. Contact Hugh Jupp,30, Richmond Place, Bath BA1 5QA, tel:01225 334653.

HMS Majestic: Does anyone knowwhere to obtain a model of HMS Majestic?Also looking for a copy of the book TheTribals, about the Tribal-class destroyers ofWWII. Contact Richard Miller, Dunvegan, 75,

be marked by a dinner for all members of theship's company and embarked personnel onMay 10. Contact Cdr Jonty Powis (020 72187249 or 01403 270300) or Laurie (Taff)Dymock on 01291 423314 or 01275 464450.

HMS Comus York reunion, May 10-12.Friday, 1930 at Conservative Club, ClarenceRd, Saturday 1930, buffet and dance at YorkHealth Services Club. Contact Geoff Harperon 01302 708135.

HMS Concord Association reunion atBridlington Spa Hall from May 10-12. Detailsfrom Peter Lee-Hale, 53, Shelburne Rd,Calne, Wilts SN11 SET, tel: 01249 811405,fax: 01249 813870.

HMS Gambia Association mini-reunionin Llandudno, May 10-13. Former crew mem-bers welcome. Details from Les Newman, 3,Coppice Rd, Whitnash, Leamington SpaCV31 2JE, tel: 01926 831599.

HMS Victorious (1941-45) ReunionAssociation: Personnel who served are wel-come with partners to reunion in Yeovilton,May 10-12. Details: Mansel Evans, BrynDeryn, Lon Yr Eglwys, St Brides Major,Bridgend CF32 OSH, tel: 01656 880459.

HMS Revenge, 1939-42 reunion atPortsmouth on May 10. Contact Len Rose on01903 767592.

HMS Khedive reunion, May 17-18, forship's company and 808, 899 and 1700 FAASquadrons. Details from Bob Evans, 40Merrick Rd, Wednesfield, WolverhamptonWV11 3NZ, tel: 01902 603281.

HMS Warspite Association reunion atthe Hotel Prince Regent, Weymouth, May17-19. Details: R. Foster on 01753 653915.

HMS Volage 1944-45 crew: reunion atLakeside, Hayling Island, from May 24.Contact Lofty John Mills on 01243 542158.

HMS Opossum (f33) Associationreunion at the Trecarn Hotel, Babbacombe,Torquay, May 24-27. Details: EddieSummerfold, 28, Greymont Road, Limefield,Bury BL9 6PN, tel 0161 764 8778.

HMS Coventry (Falklands 1982):Interested in a reunion on May 25? SamMacFariane (RS) and Les Kellett (POCK) arewilling to make the arrangements. Locationpossibly Chatham (or London). Tel: 01634684817 or e-mail sam@lineone.net

Devonport Heavy Ls reunion, Plymouth,May 25. Anyone who would like to attendwho served in L, OE and ME(L) branches onDevonport ships and FMBs, contact PeterBrum Gosling, 65, Kenmare Drive, Plympton,Plymouth PL7 2YJ, tel: 01752 344639.

23rd Destroyer Flotilla Association:Saumarez, Scorpion, Scourge, Savage,Serapis, Swift, Svenner and Stord; reunion,SR mess, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, 1800,May 25. Details: Billy Swift, 37, New Road,Lovedean, Waterlooville, Hants PO8 9RU, tel023 9259 1032.

42 Cdo RM MT Section (1959-62) Assnreunion, May 25, Home Club, Portsmouth.Contact R. Hunt, 023 9226 2427.

LST & Landing Craft Assn reunion, MillRythe Holiday Village, Hayling Island, May27-31. Remembrance Service at ChichesterCathedral on May 29. Details: Mike Cress-well, 1, Gamrudding, Green Lane, NorthOutfield, Selby YO8 5RR, tel: 01757 288752,email: mike&gamrudding. freeserve.co.uk

JunePetty Officers' mess, HMS Invincible

1982 (Falklands): Contact Jimmy Quinn on01935 426259, email: jimmyq@euphony.netwith regards to a reunion in June 2002.

Cleethorpes & Grimsby RNA are organ-ising a Parade for June 2 in honour of theQueen's Jubilee and Falklands 20thAnniversary. Contact Mike Altoft,Cleethorpes RNA, 4 Alexandra Rd,Cleethorpes, tel: 01472 693799.

HMS Sparrow reunion, June 7-9, at theRoyal Hotel, Great Yarmouth. Details fromGeoff Middleton on 01562 700689.

Hawke 45 Association, HMS Fisgard,January 1945 Entry reunion atBabbacombe, June 7-10. Details from GeoffLooker on 023 9238 3585 or email:geoff@looker. demon, co.uk

Senior Rate Stewards reunion, WO andSR Mess, HMS Raleigh, June 7. All servingand ex-serving Senior Rate Stewards wel-come. Contact WO Gary Slater on 01752811571 (mil: 937541571).

Rathdown Park, Greystones, Co. Wicklow,Ireland.

ML 345: Seeking info about ML 345; theCO was Lt A. Priestley. ML 345 survived thewar and was sold to the Merchant Navy in1946 and renamed Warrior Geraint. Any infoon ship or her company to Alfred Watts, 23,Mapplewell Crescent, Ossett WF5 ORW, tel:01924 263120.

Marine Ernest Senior, served with 443LCPs Flotilla at HMS Cricket at Bursledon1943-45. His son is seeking info about HMSCricket during this time, group photographsetc. Contact John Senior, 59. Elm Grove,Didsbury. Manchester M20 6PQ, tel: 01616136559.

HMS Arlingham M2603: Does anyoneknow the whereabouts of the ship's bell?Does anyone remember PO Barry Scott?Contact his son at 40, Haroldsway, StamfordBridge, York YO41 1DW, tel: 01759 371010or mobile: 07759 350942.

M/S Trawler Ouse, mined in TobrukHarbour, February 20, 1941. Seeking sur-vivors of this ship. Malcolm Ellis's uncle,Walter Ellis, was one of those killed. ContactMalcolm at 2, Bridge Cottages, High St, Bury,Cambs PE26 2NR, tel/fax: 01487 813680,email: 100606.77@compuserve.com

HMS Sandwich - ex LAM(L) EddieJenkins seeks info and crew photographfrom about 1944-45. His uncle HaroldJenkins was an Asdic operator in her crew.Contact Eddie at 2, Old House Villas,Parsonage Rd, Takeley, Bishops StortfordCM22 6PU.

Kota Muru: Does anyone recall takingpassage on this Japanese ship in 1946. Itcame from Hong Kong carrying POWs andAmerican Red Cross nurses. Contact S.Tiffin, 2, Falconry Court, 7, Fairfield South,Kingston-on-Thames KT1 2UR, tel: 020 85490326.

Battle of Cape Matapan: Dr Giani lost aclose relative on one of the Italian ships dur-ing this battle. He has read much on the sub-ject but wants to contact someone on theBritish side. Contact John Deverill, 52, KingsRd, Alton GU34 1PY, tel/fax: 01420 83146,email: john@jjpdeverill.fsnet.co.uk

Portsmouth Field Gun Crew (1961): ABLloyd, a member of the team that season,seeks photos, film, medals and memorabilia.He will pay any expenses accrued. ContactJohn Lloyd, 1, Hillcrest Place, Northfield,Aberdeen AB16 7BP, tel: 01224 697578.

HMS Monkshood (K207): Seeking any-one who served in this Flower-class corvette

HMS Glamorgan, Falklands Reunion inthe Home Club, Portsmouth, June 15.Details from Jess James, 50, Lancaster Way,Northampton NN4 SLY, tel: 01604 660401 oremail: jessjames@cwcom.net

HMS Fearless Petty Officers andSergeants: De-commissioning dance onboard from June 24-28. All sen/ing and ex-serving Petty Officers/Sergeants and guestsare welcome. Contact PO George Kirkwood,Ohio Mess, HMS Fearless, BFPO 283, oremail: 2839a.dii.mod.uk

JulyHMS Kale 1942-47 reunion at Southdene

Hotel, Bridlington, from July 2. Contact LewAyres, 44, Tring Gardens, Harold Hill,Romford RM3 9EP

HMS Glasgow (C21/D88) Associationreunion at Victory Club, HMS Nelson,Portsmouth, July 6-7. Details from AllanMercer, 89, Royal Ave. Hough Green,Widnes WAS 8HJ, tel: 0151 510 2445.

SeptemberHMS Euryalus Association reunion at

the Home Club, Portsmouth, September 6.All ranks of all commissions are invited.Details from Eric Owen, 82, Heath ParkDrive, Cardiff CF14 SQL, tel: 029 2075 0022.

846 NAS (HMS Albion 1962-64) reunion,Trecarn Hotel, Babbacombe, Torquay, Sept14, also ex-Albion Air Department or 845 Sqnmembers of that commission. Dave Scowen,34a, Louvain Rd, Horns Cross, Greenhithe,Kent DA9 9DZ, tel: 01322 395054, email:davescowen@ao/.com

Russian Convoy Club (Bridlington)reunion, RBL Club, Hilderthorpe Rd,Bridlington, September 18, noon. Details:Albert Higgins, 48, St Johns Walk,Bridlington YO164HJ.

Fourth Destroyer SquadronAssociation (HM ships Agincourt, Aisne,Alamein, Barrosa, Corunna, Dunkirk,Jutland and Matapan) reunion, September20-23, King Charles Hotel, Gillingham, Kent.Contact Terry Parker, 54c, Cheriton Rd,Folkestone CT20 1DD for details.

HMS Cavalier 1961-63 Commissionreunion, September 27-30 at Llandudno.Details from Sid Anning, 14, Kipling Gardens,Crownhill, Plymouth PL5 3DD.

HMS Crane Association U23/F123(1943-62) reunion and AGM at GatewayHotel, Nottingham, from September 27-29.Details: Tony Nurtall, 85, Conway Rd,Carlton, Nottingham NG4 2PW. tel: 0115952 6363, email: cranesnest@ntlworld.com

HMS Duff reunion at Solihull onSeptember 27-28. Contact N. Johns, The OldChandlery, New Road, Instow, BidefordEX39 4LN, tel: 01271 660578.

Castle-Class Corvette (Frigate)Association reunion at Scarborough fromSeptember 27-30. Details from Mike Biffen,81, Beakes Rd, Smethwick, West MidlandsB67 5RS, tel: 0121 429 3895.

OctoberHMS Phoebe Association reunion. Hotel

Leofric, Coventry, October. All ranks 1939-92welcome. Details: Roy Pavely: 01235211501, email: roy.pavely@intlwortd.com

HMS Swiftsure Association, Cruiserand Submarine reunion, Littlecote HouseHotel, Hungerford, October 4-6. Details:David George, Mullion, Shipton Green,Itchenor, Chichester PO20 7BZ, tel 01243512998, email: davidanngeorgeQlineone.net

HMS Poriock Bay Assn 1946-48 reunion,County Hotel, Llandudno, Oct 4-7. Contact K.Faulkner, 22, Clovelly Rd, Swinton,Manchester M27 OFU, tel: 0161 7948962.

HMS Arethusa Association reunion,October 4-7 in Llandudno. Details from TomSawyer, 1, Manor Drive, Flockton, WakefieldWF4 4AW, tel: 01924 848191, email:hmsarethusaf38@yahoo.co.uk

HMS Ocean Assn reunion,King CharlesHotel, Gillingham, Kent, October 4-7. Details:Don Lord, 74, Montague Close, Walton-on-Thames KT12 2NG, tel: 01932 241116.

HMS Crane 1943-62: shipmates willmeet informally at the Home Club,Portsmouth, October 5 at 1800. Details fromJohn Cantle on 01822 834398.

during the war commission. Contact Maj R.Woodfield (Retd), 11, Chantry Crescent,Alcester, Warks B49 5BT, tel: 01789 766217or email: rgwoodfield@tesco.net

Laughing Water Camp, situated inCobham Woods, just off the A2 near Strood.Does anyone remember this hutted encamp-ment? Alex Sutherland would like to find infoabout the camp where he did his Officer'sSteward course. Contact Alex at 126, TuftonRd, Rainham, Gillingham ME8 7LQ, tel:01634 374857 or email:dibby126@laure. freeserve. co.uk

Jason Nelson (Scouse) served 1989-97; asa WAFU was predominantly at RNASPortland (829 and 815 squadrons). AlsoHMS Edinburgh, 1992-3 on Armilla and OpSharpguard, and a spell at RNBC Dartmouthon the barrack guard in 1997. He wants toarrange some social events with old friends;contact him at 21, Cromer Drive, Wallasey,Wirral CH45 4RR, tel: 0151 630 4850, email:slapheadwallasey21@cwcom.net

Liz Neath (Lady Liz) QARNNS: 1968RNH Bighi, then Haslar, Stonehouse andBMH Singapore in early 70s. Any info pleaseto Bruwer Ken on 01243 864298 or email:bognonboafs@supanef.com

Seeking PO(R) Jon Bomber Wells, lastknown whereabouts Ramsgate, an old friendwho served in HMS Norfolk with Sid Habensduring the Group 8 Deployment to Australiain 1979. Contact Sid at 33, Rosewood Glen,Jerrabomberra, NSW, 2619, Australia, oremail: shabens@bigpond.com.au

Ex-Navy CH Tony Harry, last ship HMSChatham, seeks, LCH Dave Yuen, on boardHMS Illustrious until recently; DickieMcMayon, ex-POCK in HMS Active, Stretch,who was in HMS Chatham in 1995-97, CdrA.B. Spence, formerly the Supply Officer ofChatham and Staff Legal advisor to FOST,and anyone who may remember him fromHMS Antelope, in which he served during theFalklands War. Write to Tony at 2690, JoppaRd, Leader Heights, York, Pennsylvania,USA 17403, or email:tharriso75@hotmail.com

Seeking the father of Laurie-AnneBradshaw: Tim Grinold and he were basedin Plymouth on HMS Torbay in 1988. He wasthen drafted up to Faslane. When they met in1991 he was living at Helensburgh. Alsoseeking Richard Greaves in Plymouth await-ing to join a Fleet Submarine when last seen(late 80s). Contact Tim Grinold, 47, BlackPrince Ave, Market Deeping, nrPeterborough, Lines, tel: 01778 347725 or0776 5257958 or email: hanxQbtopen-world.com

HMS Andromeda first commission 1968-71: Rick Matty Matthews seeks anyone whoserved in F57 during this time under CaptStacey. Contact Rick on 01522 868623 oremail: hckmatthews@btintemet.com

HMS Puma (F34): Seeking shipmates,especially those that commissioned HMSPuma in 1957. Also photos of the old shipand stokers messdeck for Captain's rounds.Contact Roy Cox, 44, Severn Ave, Weston-super-Mare BS23 4DQ, tel: 01934 429269,email: JENNiFERCONCORDE@aol.com

HMS Newcastle 1980-81: Seeking ROsJoe Riley. Pete Caims, Elkie Brookes, BobChapman, Dan Maskel, John Kilby et al.Contact Terry Radford, 162, Victoria Rd,Saltney, Cheshire CH4 8SZ, tel: 01244676313, email: terry@cartton2.fsnet.co.uk

Alan Goodridge seeks shipmates fromNavy service days, between 1957-68 onboard HMS Ganges, Belfast, Jaguar andSheraton. Contact Alan on 023 8089 4093 oremail: Slyten09@hotmait.com

849A Flight Maintainers (all ratings)1986-89: Remember Global 43? Did you sur-vive 7E Mess? Ever wondered if Nevs is stillalive? If you answered yes to any of thesequestions, contact The Gastric Master, SteveKnight, re a reunion. Tel: 01234 241465 oremail: bogie.knight@btinternet.com

Bunny Warren (HMS Antelope, 1979-82;HMS Norfolk 1977-79) Looking for POGIJohn Goldsmith. If anyone knows of John'swhereabouts, contact jfoxwarren@beeb.netor mobile: 07774 654583.

John King seeks old oppos who servedin HMS Whitby 1966-71. He was an ABWeapons and lived in the after Seamansmess deck. All Barber, Taff Davies, DennyFinch, Caber and Eli Ghani and any otherswho remember him should contact John at17, Hillson Close, Marston Moreteyne, BedsMK43 OQN, or email: john6king@lycos.com

HMS Ganges Association (West WalesDivision) is up and running, covering fromLlanelli to Aberystwyth. If you would like tojoin or for info, contact Dennis Morgan, 17,Uppercross Rd, Llanelli SA15 1NX, tel:01554 771701, email:dennis_k_morgan@hotmail.com

Pat Hindley seeks Ian (George) McLeodor George Blakeley, gunners HMS Arethusa

HMS Pandora: John Kirton (cook) waskilled in this submarine in April 1942. TomMoore would like to find his widow as he hasacquired a personal item which she shouldhave. Contact Tom on 01626 365205

Does anyone know what happened to thefast target towing boats of Drake -Langmark, Scharon and Schelds? Are anyof the crews still around? How about HMSChivalrous (D21) in the Med 1952? If youhave any information, contact Banjo Best, 4,Westbank Court, Macmerry, East Lothian,Scotland.

At your Service entriesNotices for this page should be brief, clearly written or typed and

addressed to - The Editor, Navy News, HMS Nelson, Portsmouth. PO1 3HHor email: edit@navynews.co.uk. If you are sending your notice in via email,please include your full address and telephone number.• Reunions appear in date order, and requests to place an entry in a par-ticular edition cannot be guaranteed.• Please send in Reunions at least three months (preferably four) beforethe month of the event.• There may be a delay before items appear, due to the volume ofrequests.• Entries are free to non-commercial organisations. Items pertaining tocommercial work, books and publications for profit can only appear aspaid-for advertising.• The Editor reserves the right to edit or refuse publication of submittednotices.• Space does not allow us to accept more than one free insert. Any sub-sequent notice will have to be paid for at advertising rates.

Navy News on tapeNavy News is available free of charge on tape fromPortsmouth Area Talking News for those withdifficulty reading normal type.For more details, contact 023 9269 0851 and leave amessage on the answerphone with a contacttelephone number. No special equipment is requiredto play the tapes, which are standard 90-minutecassettes.

1970-72. Pat left the RN in '87 and now livesat 27, Marten Crescent, Tableview, CapeTown, South Africa, or email:phindley@mweb. co.za

HMS Hurworth Gulf Deployment 1987:If you served on board from comissioning,rating or officer alike, maybe a reunion couldbe arranged? Contact LS Carl Scott at 109,St Margarets Rd, Lowestoft NR32 4HT, tel:01502 562982, email: carl.scott@lineone.net

Nik (Wally) Walpole seeks Darren Wake,Stu (Charlie) Cottage, Brian Edmundson, JimCotes, Slinger Wood or anyone HMS Hecate1987-88 or Roebuck 1989-91 and NP 1016,or any of the Hydrographic School who recallhim. Contact him at 56, Newdegate Rd,Bedworth, Warks CV12 8EF. tel: 02476733565, email: watpole@ntlworld.com

Tim (Bert) Weedon is 40 and leaving themob in April. He would love to hear from oldshipmates, Battleaxe, Apollo, Cleo, Active,Cumberland, Chatham, Boxer to name but atew. If anyone remembers him and would liketo get together at a party/reunion on April 13in Guzz, contact him on 01752 290141,email: Timjweedon@aol.com

HMS Manchester Would all crew whowere aboard during Pedestal Convoy toMalta in 1942 contact the Secretary, MauriceBroad, 2, Park Farm Rd, Purbrook, HantsP07 5HN, tel: 023 9226 8696. In August2002, TekMed propose to search for HMSManchester, lost on the Convoy.

HMS Avenger, 1983: R.D.Williams(Bungy) - does anyone know his where-abouts? Stephen (Buster) Crabbe's mumwould like to get in touch. Stephen andBungy served together in 2 Delta Mess.Contact Mrs Crabbe on 01364 73624 oremail: Crabbegom@aol.com

LSBA Peter Carr, RNH Haslar, RNHPortland 1952-54, would like to hear fromanyone who remembers him. Contact him on0121 444 7885.

HM Submarine Toredo, Malta 1953-55:Dave Coombe would like to hear from any-one who remembers him, especially killickStoker Taff Nicholls, last heard of in SouthWales. Contact Dave at 16, Hands Orchard,Great Comberton, Pershore WR10 3D2, tel:01386710664.

HMS Mercury 1962, Comms 27: It is 40years since they joined the WRNS. Proposedreunion. Tel/fax: Pauline (Taff) 023 92598073 or email: swanvate@supanet.com

HMS Raleigh: Spencer (Ceefax) Luxfordseeks old pals from Cunningham 49 Class of1996, especially Paul Proctor and BarryTieman. They can contact at 44, Walton Ave,North Cheam, Sutton SMS 9UB, tel: 0208287 1368, mobile: 07905 748165.

HMS Royal Arthur, Keppel Class,

September 1946: George Murray is in touchwith two of the class, Bob Culshaw (Scouse)and Bill Wilkins (Cardiff). Where are the oth-ers in the class photo? Contact George at 84,Green Rd, Stubbington, Fareham PO142HB, tel: 01329 663632.

HMS Ganges 1962-63, Duncan 13Mess, (77 & 78 Classes), are holding areunion at the main Ganges reunion atPakefield in April. Still seeking Dave Keating(instructor) G. Davies, A. (Tiger) Edwards, A.Fitzgerald, J. Hall, Chris Howell, T. Hunter, R.Ryan, W. Steele, Gerry Williams and R.Williams. Contact Dave Tail on 01482881001 or email: davestait@hotmail.com

John Godfrey is seeking messmatesfrom LSTs 3520, 3513, 3003 and 3044, espe-cially Yorkie Evans and George Todd fromthe 1945-48 period. Les Carter has alreadybeen found. Contact John at 9, WillowCrescent, Preston, Weymouth DT3 6DX.

HMS Diamond: calling all ex-Diamonds,especially ex-GI Fred Beech, or any mem-bers of the 1967-69 commission: contactRay (Legs) Shipley on 01634 267084.

Nobby Clark(e), PO Naval TransportDriver, Pompey Barracks 1948-49. ContactWhiteley, 6, Matheson Rd, London W148SW.

HMS Leander 1968-70: Would anyonewho served in the TAS department duringthis commission ring Bungy Edwards on01304 212224 or Mike North on 01983812184 for a chat.

HMS Wizard, Stokers mess 1961-62:Seeking Jerry Pigram and Sid Southgate,also Len (Stretch) Blair from HMSBlackwood 1964-66, to join in the 60th birth-day party of Tony (Charlie) Moon in March.Contact Maureen Moon on 01329 287437.

HMS Andromeda 1967-70: Get-togetherfor first ship's company, RNA Club, Gosport,1100, March 9. Contact Birdy Cage on 01394461082 if you can OR cannot come.

HMS Widemouth Bay 1944-57: ContactBob (Topsy) Turner, 17, Mill Way, EastGrinstead RH19 4DD, tel: 01342 323801,email: reg@rudgwick2b.freeserve.co.uk

Loch Class Frigates Association seeksmore members, particularly from Achray,Eck, Dunvegan, Gorm, More, Shin andTarbert. Others welcome, including thosefrom Loch variations such as Owen, Cook,Alert and Surprise etc. Reunion in April.Contact Edward Freathy, Elmbank, MartowRd, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5NL, tel: 01628523711, email: EdwardFreathy@aot.com

Wrens 1952-56: Marjorie Unthank wouldlike to hear from old friends and shipmates.Contact her on 01923 675199.

Navy News Online carries updated reports and back-ground material, as well as a selection of articles fromthis edition of the paper. There is also a gallery of pho-tographs, some of which have not been published in thepaper. Check the website at

www.navynews.co.uk

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28 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www.na vynews. co. uk

Roval Naval AssociationDonationsamount to£5,000DURING the past year theSouthend-on-Sea branchdonated £5,000 to various chari-ties, raising £2,000 during theirannual street collection alone.

Led by the Air Force Cadetband, 200 shipmates displaying28 standards took part in theannual Pearl HarbourRemembrance Service andparade.

The occasion was attended bythe Association's President,Vice Admiral John McAnally,Capt M! Crochet of the UnitedStates Navy, Lt Col Ron BernalUnited States Marine Corps, theMarine Attache to the USEmbassy and CommandingOfficer of the US 100 AirRefuelling Wing, the Mayor ofSouthend-on-Sea, Cllr HowardBriggs, and other dignatories.

The Southend-on-Sea branchheadquarters is at 73-79 EastStreet, telephone (01702)612255 (Branch office) or(01702) 465052 (club office).

Pembroke Housewing honours RNATHE ROYAL NavalAssociation, with its appeal tobranches, has raised the sum of£42,276 towards the refit ofPembroke House.

The presentation of this dona-tion was made at PembrokeHouse, in Gillingham, Kent, by thePresident of the RNA, ViceAdmiral John McAnally.

Rear Admiral Tony Norman,President of the Royal NavalBenevolent Trust (RNBT),received the donation on behalf ofthe home.

A wing of Pembroke House hasnow been named the Royal NavalAssociation Wing in recognition ofthis donation, and of theAssociation's long-standing sup-port of the establishment.

After the presentation of thecheque, Admiral McAnally toured

the home and met some of the res-idents.

In recent years the RNA hasdonated £145,000 to the House,and three branches have roomsnamed after them - those atDartford, Newbury andPeterborough.

A fourth room is named afterNo 4 Area RNA.

The RNA also presented thehome with its current minibus.

Pembroke House is a residentialnursing and care home for morethan 50 former sailors, RoyalMarines, their wives and widows,situated two miles from ChathamHistoric Dockyard.

Run by the RNBT, it maintainsstrong links with ex-Service organ-isations.

The home recently underwent a£2.5 million extension and refur-bishment project.

• (Above) Admiral Norman (front left), President of the RNBT,receives the cheque from RNA President Admiral McAnally.Standing by the door are Mick Withington, Isle of Sheppey RNAstandard bearer (left) and Chatham RNA standard bearer DonRitchie.• (Left) Admiral McAnally and Admiral Norman enjoy the viewfrom Pembroke House in Kent.

Peer callsfor actionon healthissuesFORMER Minister for theDisabled Lord Morris hascalled for action over healthissues which directly affectServicemen and women.

Speaking in Washington DC,Lord Morris said: "Troops cur-rently on active service must notbe exposed to the same dangers aencountered by many of those whoserved in the Gulf War."

Among the concerns listed bythe peer were post-traumaticstress, multiple vaccinations andoil pollution from burning oilwells.

Lord Morris called for urgentaction by the UK Government:"None of us at Westminster, leastof all British ministers - any morethan anyone in Congress or execu-tive government in the UnitedStates - wants to see the afflictedand bereaved of the Gulf conflictmade to suffer added strain andhurtful, demeaning indignities thatpreventable delay in dealing withtheir concerns can impose."

The peer was speakingon behalf of the BritishInter-Parliamentary GulfWar Group, and it is the firsttime the group, whichincludes MPs from all par-ties, medical specialists,researchers and legalexperts, has addressed anAmerican audience.Lord Morris added that there

were "important questions aboutthe protection of troops who arenow engaged in the 'War againstTerrorism' facing an adversaryPresident Bush says is known to beseeking chemical, biological andnuclear weapons."

The British Inter-ParliamentaryGulf War Group was establishedby the Royal British Legion in1994 to focus attention on theproblems and needs of veteranswith Gulf War-related illnessesand dependants of those whoserved in the Gulf but have sincedied.

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issss Harare keep the flagTO MARK the Queen's GoldenJubilee and the 20th Anniversaryof the Falklands, theCleethorpes branch - in con-junction with Grimsby - plans tohold a short service and parade onJune 2, followed by a gala celebra-tion.

As the programme is beingplanned it would be helpful ifthose keen to attend would informS/M Mike Altoft on 01472 317742,or write to him c/o RNA HQ, 4,Alexandra Road, Cleethorpes, assoon as possible.

The branch would like to hearfrom any Service personnel orcivilians involved, including RFAsand commercial ships.

flying in tough timesAS THE outcome of the presi-dential election in Zimbabweis keenly awaited, news fromthe Harare branch is that theyhave not lowered the flag orbattened down the hatches,despite the climate of unrest inthe country.

According to branch secretaryS/M Noreen Potter, members

continue to meet monthly andthough they are feeling thepinch, due to the rapid declinein the Zimbabwe dollar, they arekeeping their spirits up.

Undaunted by the downturnin the economy, they got togeth-er for a Trafalgar Night celebra-tion, hosted by S/M Iris Goughin her home.

If it was modest in compari-

Rewarding yearsTHE COMRADESHIP the RNA offersserving and ex-serving personnel isaptly summed up in the following letterfrom Capt Mike O'Reilly (retd), outgoingpresident of the Southampton branch.

"My involvement goes back to 1992,when I was Guest of Honour atTrafalgar Night in HMS Wessex," writesCapt O'Reilly.

"I became president shortly after-wards.

"Since then our monthly meetingshave all been enjoyable with a finegroup of shipmates, with much leg-pulling centred generally around theinevitable raffle.

"Trafalgar Night dinners have beenheld in a variety of venues, including aconverted dredger, and we haveenjoyed superb relationships with HMSSouthampton and Southampton SeaCadets.

"The various members of the com-mittee have worked hard to keep theAssociation on a steady course, guestshave always been made very welcome,and welfare has been high on the agen-da.

"I shall miss the friendship and thefun. I am very grateful for nine reward-ing years spent in such excellent com-pany."

son with past occasions, it wasmost enjoyable - especially thebraai, provided by S/M BrianEvans.

Soaring prices and shortagesdid not stop the branch organis-ing a Christmas lunch, if a veryinexpensive one.

The wine was provided thanksto a generous donation from theBritish High Commission.

And, even better, they man-aged to hold a Christmas draw.

While local firms were unableto be as generous as in the pastwith donations of prizes, thematter was resolved in-house.

Members dug deep in theirpockets and provided sufficientprizes for the raffle, including a'liquor hamper", though the costwas too high to include a bottleof Scotch.

Shipmates in this country whohave experienced similar diffi-culties will appreciate the spiritbehind the effort members ofHarare branch are making tokeep the ship afloat.

Far from giving up the ghostthey are, writes S/M Potter,"continuing to hope and praythat Zimbabwe will return to aprosperous and vibrant coun-try."

And here's hoping that it will.

www. navynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 29

Roval Naval Associoflon

Initiative aimsto reclaim tax

A PAINLESS way to ensure asteady flow of cash to HQ forthose who pay tax is beinghighlighted in a new campaign.

The Gift Aid DeclarationScheme is a far simpler method ofrecovering money from the taxman

than the scheme it replace, whichmeant covenanting over a fixedperiod and having to renew thecovenant when the period expired.

Gift Aid is a one-off declaration,requiring no renewal, and valid aslong as a donor pays tax.

) Action from the Hanworth branch Sods Opera. Rum ration raises £150Talented branch members

keep opera buffs happyMEMBERS of Hanworthbranch do not hide their tal-ents under a bushel.

To raise funds for charity,they staged a Sods Opera,providing their own cos-tumes and props, whichplayed for two nights, sup-ported on each occasion by200 shipmates and friends.

The entertainment raised£1,114 for Cystic Fibrosisand the Shooting Star Trust,a children's hospice appeal.

A repeat performance isplanned to take place in theLinden Centre, in Hampton -details from S/M BrendaWhite, tel 020 8570 7702.

The popular Burns Night,held in the clubhouse, wasenjoyed by 140 members andguests.

Mr T. Wilson piped theHaggis aboard and Mr RonSyme made the address, theevening ending with dancingto the Pete Charles Sound.

PRO thanked for his effortsTHE PUBLIC Relations Officerof Gloucester branch, GeorgeFerney, has retired, and hisreplacement is Wendy McKinnon.

Wendy's telephone number is01453 547495.

The committee has expressed itsthanks to George for his unremit-ting efforts on the branch's behalf,and to thank him for all the years

he has done behind the bar.Branch chairman Stan Joiner

has stood down in order to becomethe Rep to Area - a position whichhas not been filled for some time.

Darren Brown was voted intothe chair in Stan's place.

The club had a belated BurnsNight, which was enlivened byPiper Russell McKinnon.

£50 PRIZE PUZZLE

The mystery ship in theJanuary edition was HMS LochFyne.

The winner of the £50 prizefor identifying her was Mr D.Trigger, of Tavistock in Devon.

This month's mystery vesselis pictured in the 1950s. What isthe name of this submarine?

The correct answer winsanother £50.

Complete the coupon and send it toMystery Picture, Navy News, HMS Nelson,Portsmouth PO1 3HH. Coupons givingcorrect answers will go into a prize drawto establish a winner.

Closing date for entries is April 12,2002. More than one entry can be submit-ted, but photocopies cannot be accepted.Do not include anything else in your enve-lope: no correspondence can be enteredinto and no entry returned.

The winner will be announced in ourMay edition. The competition is not opento Navy News employees or their families.

MYSTERY PICTURE 85

Name .

Address

My answer

The occasion raised £200for the children's hospiceappeal.

The club provides liveentertainment, free food anddrinks at club prices everySaturday night and a warmwelcome.

Those keen to enjoy agood night out should con-tact S/M Alec Clements, tel01895 238760, in advance.

A GREAT night out was the ver-dict on the Redruth andCamborne branch annual din-ner dance, enjoyed by 100shipmates and guests, includ-ing friends from RNASCuldrose.

A raffle distributed an almostequal share of prizes for mem-bers and visitors.

A bottle of Pusser's, provid-

ed by the Culdrose WOs andCPOs Mess, was auctionedduring the evening, raising£150 for the local Sea CadetTraining Ship Shakari.

The branch meets on thethird Wednesday at 8pm in theupstairs lounge of the RoyalBritish Legion and welcomesex-serving and serving Navalpersonnel.

Social evening planned at NelsonAREA Number 3 is holding asocial evening at the Senior RatesMess at HMS Nelson on May 11.

There will music, a quiz and raf-fle and a finger buffet, with ticketscosting £6.

The National Standard Bearer'strophies will be presented by RNAPresident Vice Admiral McAnally

at the event, following the compe-tition at HMS Temcraire that day.

Tickets by SAE to the AreaSecretary, Peter Reed, at 165,Surrenden Road, Brighton BN16NN, tel 01243 503953, by April19. Car registration numbers andnames of occupants must be statedin advance.

All 447 UK branch secretariesare being sent the required forms,which are easy to complete.

All that is required is the dele-tion of two sentences and a signa-ture.

On completion, the forms arekept in HQ and each year the freemoney is recovered from the tax-man.

However, the change of schemefrom covenanting to Gift Aid hasresulted in a loss of momentum forthe Association.

At one stage, the RNA amassedthe paperwork for more than 4,000four-year covenants, gathering atidy sum from the taxman whichhelped keep subscriptions at £6 ayear since 1995.

But with the introduction of thenew system, the number of GiftAid declarations from a member-ship of 34,500 now stands at amodest 1,320 - which represents aconsiderable loss of free income.

Now, with the distribution offorms, branch secretaries are beingencouraged to dish out copies tomembers in the hope of achievinghigher levels of uptake to thoseunder covenanting.

Naval Quirksl 0U\ST£D

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WHICH REMINDS ME OFTHE USS'WASP'WHICHFLEW IN SPITFIRES TO0£SIEGED MALTA MM

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HISTORY IS ABOUTTO REPEAT ITSELP.

Bad weather failsto cool Burns NightDESPITE awful weatherthere was a full house forthe Burns Night Supper,organised by the BurgessHill branch and attended byCommodore LaurieBrokenshire, branch presi-dent, and his wife Ethel.

As Commodore Broken-shire is now based at HMSRaleigh and an infrequentvisitor, a great welcomeawaited him.

With great splendour andceremony the Haggis waspiped to the table.

Served with tatties andneeps it was duly dis-patched, after which a clan

Six standardsSIX standards were paraded atthe Cwbran branch annualRemembrance Service, conductedby the Rev Malcolm Ainscough,which was held in the Missions toSeafarers in Newport.

The Lessons were read by S/MMervyn Hodge, chairman of No 7Area, and S/M Lt Cdr FrankSpendlow (SCC), the branch pres-ident.

The occasion was attended bymembers of I.vden and Newportbranches and the Merchant NavyAssociation.

of guests from north of theborder led the dancing -Scottish, of course.

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N.V.T.C. BECK HOUSE. ESCRICK, N.YORKS Y019 6JH 01904 728239

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32 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

NoticeBoard

THE TIME OF YOUR LIVESNAVY NEWS looks back through itspages to recall some of the Marchheadlines of past decades...40 years agoAs HMS Ambush arrived in Karachi, the men onboard the submarine had only one thing on theirminds - cricket!

Would some of the boat's company be able towatch the second day of the final Test Matchbetween England and Pakistan?

Much to their delight, the captain of the touringcricketers, Ted Dexter, was only too pleased toarrange seats. The crewmembers were taken tothe very best seats in the players' enclosure, andhad a chance to meet with the cricketers through-out the day. They also got to see Ted Dexter scorehis first double-century in world-class cricket.

The submariners invited the sportsmen back tosee life on board a Royal Navy boat, and despite ahectic schedule of official engagements, on thenext rest day the crew of HMS Ambush hosted abevy of English cricketers.

30 years ago• HMS Ambush and her cricket-mad crew.

20 years agoThe band of the Seventh Duke of Edinburgh's OwnGurkha Rifles were out in style to welcome home"their ship" - HMS Gurkha, which returned home toPortsmouth after an eight-month tour of the East.

The ship's journey had provided stop-offs atexotic locations such as Mauritius, St Helena andMombasa.

Events took a dramatic turn while HMS Gurkhawas in a maintenance period at Singapore. As con-flict flared between India and Pakistan, the ordercame to steam in just 12 hours, and the RoyalNavy ship stood by in the Bay of Bengal ready toevacuate British nationals.

Confirmation came that HMS Invincible was to besold on to the Australian Navy in late 1983, despiteprotests in Britain and Australia.

The plan was to keep the older carrier HMSHermes operational until both Illustrious and ArkRoyal joined the Fleet.

Speculation concerned the fate of the two assaultships Intrepid and Fearless, and the possibility they"might run on longer than was intended".

And under a headline: "No to Endurance", despitestrong pleas for retention, the Government haddecided that the ice patrol ship's current Antarcticseason was to be her last.

Farewell marchby Beagle crew

IN A LAST farewell to the people of NewtonAbbot, the ship's company of HMS Beaglemarched through their affiliated town's streets inmid February.

The 34-year-old coastal and today was no exception,survey vessel had formally "All those who have servedcome out of service at a °" HMS Beagle take withceremony at Devonport a them fond memones of visits

week earlier.Among the groups march-

ing with the 37 members ofthe Beagle's company was JanSpray, Vice Chairman of theSurvey Ships Association.

Jan was the Master-at-Armson the ocean survey vesselHMS Hydra during theFalklands' conflict.

He said: "I was invited totake part on behalf of theSurvey Ships Association.

"It was a magical experi-ence as we marched along. Iwas quite choked."

Lt Cdr Derek Turner,HMS Beagle's CommandingOfficer, said: "We have alwaysenjoyed a warm welcome fromthe people of Newton Abbot

to the town."It's a great honour to

march through the town cen-tre to mark the decommis-sioning of the ship."

In the crowds lining theroute were excited school-children who had been talkingabout Beagle's affiliation thatmorning in class, and still tookpride in the link.

The Band of the RoyalMarines Dartmouth led theparade as the ship's companymarched through the towncentre accompanied by pla-toons from the RNA, theRoyal Marine Association andRoyal British Legion, withmembers of the MerchantNavy and the Royal TankAssociations.

• Members of the ship's company ofHMS Beagle in Newton Abbot.

Picture: LA Phot Susan Rose

DeathsRear Admiral Philip 'Percy' Gick DSC

and Bar. Served 1931-64. Flew Swordfish inWWII. Attacked the Bismarck. The only navalofficer to be fined for speeding in the Suezcanal. Ships and establishments include:Nelson, Godetia, Lupin, Furious,Courageous, Ark Royal, Victorious,Vengeance, Daring, Bulwark, RNASLossiemouth, and appointed Flag OfficerNaval Flying Training. Aged 88, January 16.

Rear Admiral Edward Ellis. Served assecretary to Admiral of the Fleet Sir VarylBegg for 5'/2 years, while Begg was CinC FarEast, CinC Portsmouth and 1SL. Retired in1974 after final tour as Admiral President ofthe Royal Naval College Greenwich. Aged83, January 13.

Capt Michael Lumby DSO, DSC.Wartime submarine captain. As CO ofSaracen in 1942 sank two enemy sub-marines, one German, one Italian. Capturedin 1943, PoW at a Manag und Milag camp atTranstedt, near Bremen. Ships include:Sturgeon, Tribune, L23, Saracen, Vanguard,Bermuda, Belfast, Apollo and Maidstone. COof Admiralty Underwater Weapons ResearchEstablishment and 3rd Submarine Squadron.Aged 84, December 7.

Cdr J. M. B. Walkey. CommandingOfficer in HMS Cassandra from 1962-63.HMS Cassandra Association. Served:Newfoundland, Jutland, Decoy, Gambia,Cassandra, Mercury 11, President, Heronand Excellent. Aged 75, January 8.

Cdr Jim Moore, ex-pilot in Fleet Air Ann.Responsible for leading the raids upon TorreyCanyonto after she foundered off the Comishcoast. January.

Anthony Hogg. Served 1926-56. Servedin an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, a destroyer,

two minesweepers, including Whitshed,Grafton and Black Prince, as well as a Navalbarracks and representing RN at rugby.Retired as Lt Cdr and went on to be a suc-cessful wine merchant and writer. Aged 89.

Ken Fasham, ex Able Seaman. RussianConvoy veteran. HMS OpportuneAssociation.

Reginald W. May. Algerines Association,Bramble. November 11.

Raymond H. Jones. AlgerinesAssociation, Cockatrice. November 27.

Ian p. Briggs. Algerines Association,Tanganyika. December 7.

R. B. F. Elliott. Algerines Association,Rifleman, Clinton. December 15.

G. D. Stuart, BEM (Sailmaker). Served1955-87. Aged 63, January 8.

E. R. Bromige, ex AB ST. Served in HMSCaprice and others. Sixth Destroyer FlotillaAssociation 1944-46. Aged 85, May 12.

P. Hornby, ex Supply Assistant (JackDusty). Served in HMS Caesar. SixthDestroyer Flotilla Association 1944-46. Aged74, December 18.

J. Mulvey, ex Leading Seaman, QR2.Served in HMS Cassandra, Sixth DestroyerFlotilla Association 1944-46. Age believed80, January.

Lt Cdr Sydney Wakeham. Served inCentaur, Hart, St James, Malta, Mauritius,Northwood, MOD, Mt Wise, Forest Moor, COof Inskip. Anson Div. 1944 Fisgard. Aged 72.

Peter Gunning, ex CPO. Served in manyships and shore establishments. Particularlyworked on the Sultan Steamer. After leavingRN, joined Vickers. Aged 57.

Lt Cdr Geoffery W. M. Thompson. FleetAir Arm Observer. Ships and establishmentsinclude: Bulwark, Albion, Fearless, Culdrose,

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Follow Ronald Bell'RIDING MADLY OFF IN ALL DIRECTIONS'

WITTY, REFLECTIVE, MISCHIEVOUS,THIS IS NO ORDINARY MEMOIR!

Through the years in the Royal Navy tomixing with the stars of the music industry

"Ron Ri'll is it ilillunil story-teller with u #(»*! story to tell.In years to come tin account sucli us this will he invaluableto historians, telling as it does the life of tin ordinarytwentieth century man who lived a full life during times ofmassive social change. On almost every page of this hookone perceives an intelligent, perceptive observer of thehuman condition at work.

If you want to krum what life was like for the everydayperson during the last 80 yearn, you'II find much of whatyou seek here " R^ Connolly, THE DAILY MAIL

To order or for further details contact: Mrs Caroline Pedley,The Memoir Club, Whrtworth Hall, Spennymoor, Co. Durham DL16 7QX

Telephone: 01388 811747 Fax: 01388 811363

Brawdy, Portland, Old Sarum andNorthwood. December 21.

Ronald Segal, ex AB. Served in HMSLondon, 1941-46.

Percy Edwards. Served in HMSBirmingham, HMS Redpole. HMS BruceAssociation. January 12.

Stephen Blomley, ex Able Seaman.Served in 1967-74. Ships include HMSNaiad, HMY Britannia. Aged 51, January 12.

R. H. E. 'Robbie' Garden, ex CERA.Served 1951-76. Ships included: Fisgard,Caledonia, Ocean, Enterprise, Puma,Bulwark, Salisbury. Old Caledonia ArtificerApprentices Assn. Aged 67, January 14.

Ken 'Gigsy' Woolford. Served in Maltaand Russian convoys, ships included Ashantiand Mashona. January 11.

Robert 'Bob' Theobald, ex signalman.Served WWII, 1941-46. Ships includeVictory, Collingwood, Drake, Newcastle,Dauntless. Euphrates. Europa. Aged 78,January 7.

Richard 'Rich' Blacke, ex RadarOperator. Served in HMS Consort 1946-47.December 14.

William 'Bill1 Ainley. Served in HMS Ajax1940-43 and took part in Mediterranean cam-paigns. Also served in HMS Victorious. Aged79, November 24.

Jack Kirk. Served in HMS Ajax 1940-41.Aged 81, November 1.

Tony Poole. HMS Sparrow Association.January 18.

Keith Burton, ex CPOMA. Served 1952-84 in ships and establishments: RNHChatham, Drake, Eagle, Highflyer, Verulam,Simbang, RNH Plymouth, POST Osprey.Aged 69, January 16.

Raymond 'Robbie' Robinson RM, exMusician. Served 1936-48. Ships include:Furious, Glasgow. Aged 78, January 28.

Harold Love, ex Chief ERA. Served theRN 42 years: RN, 1937-58; instructor, RNCDartmouth 1958-78. Ships include:Foresight, Neptune, Furious, The Bootle",Cavendish, Barbastel, Unicom, Cumberland.Aged 83, January 28.

Alan 'Max' Faulkner, ex FCEL (Air).Served 1951-76. Ships include: Ariel,Peregrine, Seahawk, Heron, Sanderling,Fulmar. Triumph, Victorious, Ark Royal 800,Eagle 800, RAF Nicosia 847, RAF Honingtonand RAF Lossiemouth 849. Aged 68,January 30.

Laurence 'Laurie' Castagnola, exSubmariner. Boats include: H26, Oberon andTantivy. Served 1942-46. London Branch ofSubmariners Assocation. December.

Hedley 'Ted' Charles Woodley, exSubmariner, CPO Coxswain. Served 1936-51. Boats include: Shark, Severn, Salmon,Sealion, Tribune, Seawolf, Tapir. Anchoriteand U3017. London and SouthamptonBranch of Submariners Association. January.

Edward Ted' Sydney Brown, ex ChiefAircraft Artificer. Served 1940-68. Aged 77,November.

Tom Bovingdon, RM. HMS PenelopeAssociation, 1942-44.

Albert Orman, ex Able Seaman. HMSPenelope Association, 1939-44.

Lawrence 'Nobby' Clarke, ex LeadingSeaman. Served 1952-65. Ships include:Burghead Bay, St Brides Bay, Gambia,URSA, Salisbury. National Malaya andBorneo Veterans Association. Aged 66,January 6.

Richie Williams, ex L/Tel. HMS CheviotAssociation. January.

Anthony Fowler, ex Leading StokerMechanic. Served 1945-52, ships includeHMS Glasgow of which he was very proud.Aged 72, February 2.

Lt Cdr B. C. Hutchinson. ConsortAssociation. Served in Consort 1946-49,Yangtze incident.

Sam Coley. Consort Association. Servedin Consort 1946-49, Yangtze incident.

John Brierley. Consort Association.Served in Consort 1946-49, Yangtze incident.

Gordon Backhouse. ConsortAssociation. PO Tel, served in Consort 1953-55. Also Devonshire, Eagle, Cockade.

Trevor Godard. Consort Association. LdgPair, served in Consort 1949-51. Also KGV,Mendip, Roebuck.

Michael Penman. Consort Association.LSM, served in Consort 1952-54. Also

Newfoundland, Indefatigable, Illustrious,Jupiter.

Len Phillips. Consort Association. LSmn,served in Consort 1952-54. Also Howe,Cleopatra, Oakham Castle. All EnglandBisley Pistol Champion.

Harold Woods, Leading Steward. Served1940-46 aboard LCTs and LSTs "198", alsoNoreen, Tyrian, Pembroke and Rooke.Normandy veteran. Aged 82, January 7.

Harold 'Shinner' Charles Albert Wright,ex Colour Sergeant RM. Served 1937-50, atDeal, Chatham. Saw action on D Day andalso in Burma. Aged 81, January 23.

Jan Brimblecombe, ex Chippy. RNShipwright and Artisan Association,Association of Royal Yachtsmen, HolbrookOld Boys. Served in Britannia, Centaur,Bulwark, Hermes, Phoenix, Excellent.February 7.

George Robert 'Bob' Eaton, ex CRE.Served 1943-68. Ships include Ocean,Zephyr, Highflyer, Albion, Bulwark andLondonderry. Aged 76, February 10.

ASSOCIATION OF RN OFFICERS

Cdr J. S. W. Bath. Served: Ceylon, Forth,Newfoundland, Maidstone, Dolphin and HMSubmarines Elfin, Blyth, Tantivy, Tactician,Turpin, Tally Ho!, Aldemey, Seneschal andPolaris.

Lt Cdr P. R. Bishop RNVR. Served:Sparrowhawk, Pursuer and Lothian.

Lt Cdr F. W. P. Bourne DSC RNVR.Served: Mantis.

Lt Cdr L. F. Clark. Served: Frobisher,Ossory, Whitesand Bay, Campania, Acute,Ulster, Daedalus and victory.

Capt R. J. B. Constant. Served: Belfast.Diana, Hochelaga, Bulwark, Naiad,Caledonia, Ark Royal, Defiance, Cochrane,Seahawk, Drake and Warrior.

Cdr J. I. Ferrier. Served: Ajax, President,Maidstone, Drake and Excellent.

Lt Cdr M. Golding. Served: Bermuda,Dinosaur, Berry Head, Duke of York,Penguin. Sultan.

Lt Cdr A. L. S. Hogg. Served: Harrier,Vernon, Whiteshed, Bfack Prince andBirmingham.

Lt Cdr J. Homersham-Golds. Served:Southdown, Contest, Flamingo,Newfoundland, Victorious, President, Sakerand Dryad.

Lt G. W. Jensen RNVR. Served: Copra.Lt Cdr L. A. Jeyes. Served: Implacable,

Centaur, Seahawk, Dryad and Naval AirSquadrons 813, 890 and 891.

Lt Cdr E. R. A. Johnson. Served:Gannet, Indomitable, Bulwark and Heron.

Lt Cdr J. Kane. Served: Valiant, Uganda,Zodiac, Zephyr, Mercury, Falcon andFlamingo.

Cdr H. S. May. Served: Tigris, Tuna, SeaRover and Paladin.

Lt Cdr J. McMillan. Served: Zulu. Orion,Bermuda, Actaeon, Afrikander, Solebay,Leeds Castle, Abbotsinch, Phoenix and ArkRoyal.

Rear Admiral W. T. C. Ridley. Served:Exeter, Firedrake, Lanka, President, ArkRoyal and Victory.

Cdr R. C. Selman. Served: Lamerton,Hartland Point, Ausonia, Pembroke, Raleigh,Tamar and Neptune.

Lt T. E. Shearsby. Served: Turquoise andCochrane.

Lt Cdr W. Tegg. Served: Solebay,Sanderling, Ranpura, Excellent and Dryad.

Sub Lt A. H. Terry DSM. Served: StAngelo and Collingwood.

Lt C. I. Tighe RNVR. Served: President.

ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION

Frank Pennington. Thurrock. December27.

Ronald Rose. Thurrock. January.D. Lloyd, ex L/Sea. Deame Valley and

Mexboro. President Dearne Valley. DSM,Black Swan Association and staunch RBLmember. Aged 80, December 11.

George Brown. Borehamwood. Servedin HMS Liverpool. Aged 73, December 29.

Thomas Thatcher, ex Able Seaman.Letchworth and Hitchin. Served from 1943 inAtlantic, Pacific and Far East in HMS Valiantand mostly in HMS Ruler. "A true Welshman."Aged 77, December 23.

Geofrey Needham. Scarborough. Servedin Eighth Destroyer Squadron. Aged 67,December 16.

W. J. Farley, ex Leading Stoker. Served1939-47. Ships include Dragonfly. JapanesePoW. Life member, past president, life vicepresident, chairman, vice-chairman, standardbearer, branch delegate Kidderminster. TheBurma Star Association. Aged 83.

R. M. Andrews, ex Able Seaman.Kidderminster. Served 1946-54. Aged 76.

G. Wainwright. Wythenshawe. Shipsinclude Frobisher, Suffolk, Bluebell, ArmedMerchant Cruiser.

R. Commander. Associate member,Wythenshawe.

E. Wallace. Associate member,Wythenshawe.

John Henry O'Neill, ex PO. Cromer andformerly Wymondham. Served 1918-33 and1939-45. Ships include Centaur, Vivid,Dauntless, Rodney, Victorious. Aged 99,January 18.

J. W. 'Jack' Davies. Secretary, Bromley.Served 1941-46 in Coastal Forces in WWIIon MGB 320 and later in MGB 611, alsoserved in Korea in HMS Swiftsure. Wrote abook entitled: 'Jack - The Sailor with theNavy Blue Eyes'. Coastal Forces VeteransAssociation. Aged 79, December 31.

Harry Sidney Cheshire. Hariow. Servedin HMS Victorious during WWII as a Stoker.December 15.

Ernest Brooks. Bury. Served 1941-47 asPO Writer. Ships include Queen Elizabeth,Campania, Waxwing, Goshawk,Sparrowhawk. Aged 87, January.

Richard 'Richie' Williams, ex L/Tel.Uxbridge. Served 1941-49. Ships includeGanges, Cheviot and Sheffield.

G. W. 'Bill' Smith, ex US Minesweepers.Tyne. Last ship: Maidstone. Served 1962-73.No. 11 Area Committee member, and pastvice chairman. Aged 55, January 24.

C. J. 'Colin' Carr. Tyne. Writer, served1956-58. Aged 67, January 5.

Bill Campbell. Skelmersdale January21.

Vic Jobber, ex A/RPO. Life member,Runcom. Ships include Rodney, Forsyth,Repulse and Renown. Served 14 years.Aged 81, January 23.

Bob Fox. Paddock Wood. Joined 1938 atHMS Ganges. Ships include: Resource,Barham, Duchess, Curacoa, Orwell (Battle ofBarents Sea), Widemouth Bay, Alert (KoreanWar) and Reward.

Ronald George Doughty, ex RNVR andT124X. Nuneaton. Aged 77, January 31.

Roy Jefferis, ex CPO (OA3). Wansbeck,founder and life member, previous chairmanand vice president. Served throughout thewar in Eastern Mediterannean, Suez Canaland UK Coastal Forces.

William 'Bill' Welch. Shipwright 2 Class.Perth (Western Australia). Arctic VeteransAssociation of Western Australia, veteran of11 Russian convoys. January 12.

Kenneth F. Carter. Harwich, treasurer.Served in Barie as A/Yeoman Signals, also inLedbury, Canopus, Fleetwood and LST 35.

Swop draftsLCH Burns. Contact and draft: HMS St

Albans, not deploying until 2003. Will swopfor: any Devonport ship, deploying or not.

LST Stubbs. Contact and draft: HMS StAlbans, not deploying until 2003. Will swopfor: any ship deploying.

CH Truesdale. Contact and draft: HMSLiverpool, 07811 404 683. Will swop lor: anyship going on a long deployment.

WCH Cox. Contact: 6TI Mess, BFPO212. Draft: HMS Ark Royal. Will swop for:any Portsmouth ship deploying or not.

LOM(C) Bradley. Contact: HMSCollingwood, Inglefield Block. Draft: HMSExeter, July 02. Will swop for: any Plymouthship, deploying or not.

LOM (AWt) Abrams. Contact and draft:3P Mess, HMS Nottingham, deploying endof March for 8 months. Will swop for: anyType 42 not deploying.

LWTR David Price. Contact: UPO SCU,93825 2484. Draft: HMS Illustrious, 4 Jun 02- refit. Will swop for: preference - any carri-er deploying; all other enquiries considered.

AppointmentsSurgeon Captain J. J. W.

Sykes to Royal DefenceMedical College, Blockhouse,on 22 Jan 02 as Commandantand Dean and to assume therank of Surgeon Commodore.

Cdr P. N. Lambourn asCommander 2nd MineCountermeasures Squadron on7 May 02.

Cdr I. T. Roberts to HMSTriumph as CO on 12 Feb 02.

Lt Cdr J. S. Bark to HMSSceptre as CO on 20 Dec 01.

Lt J. A. Herriman to FleetDiving Unit 3, HMS Excellent,as Officer in Charge on 14 May02.

Lt M. T. J. Jarrett to HMSBiter as CO on 1 Aug 00.

Col J. S. Mason toCommando Logistics RegimentRM as CO on 13 Mar 02.

LtCdrT. I. Chrishop to HMSDumbarton Castle as CO on 8Apr 02.

Lt Cdr P. D. Craig to HMSBridport as CO on 28 May 02.

Lt Cdr T. J. Lewis to HMSWalney as CO on 7 Dec 02.

Maj P. F. Watson to RoyalMarines Band Portsmouth asDirector of Music on 28 Jun 02.

Lt S. G. Capes to HMSDulverton as CO on 23 May 02.

Capt J. A. Kelly to RoyalMarines Band Scotland asDirector of Music on 14 Jun 02.

Cdr S. P. Hardern to HMSKent as CO on 1 May 01.

Rev B. K. Hammett QBC tobe Director General NavalChaplaincy Service in succes-sion to Venerable SimonGolding QHC on 31 May 02.

Lt Cdr J. A. Lawler to 801Squadron as CO on 2 Apr 02and granted higher rank ofActing Cdr.

Lt Cdr T. J. Lewis to HMSWalney as CO on 7 Dec 01.

Maj C. J. Davis to HQ BandService as Commandant on 1Jul 02.

Lt Cdr J. H. Dible to HMSGuernsey as CO on 28 May 02.

Lt Cdr P. J. Dutton to DCSARadio HQ as CO on 26 Apr 02.

Lt Cdr A. Thorburn to RFAN-SU as CO on 2 Jul 02.

Ratings seeking to swop draftsmust meet the requirements ofBR14, article 0506. In particular,they should be on or due the samekind of service - sea or shore; havetime to serve in their current draft;be the same rate; and be of similarexperience. All applications must bemade on Form C240 to NDD,Centurion Building.

www. navynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 33

Education

Explore the worldat Action StationsACTION Stations is

saying: "Welcome tothe World Wide

Web!"The Millennium attraction

at Portsmouth historic dock-yard goes on-line this monthwith the opening of the ultra-modern .Navy News CyberDeck by the Second Sea Lord,Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer.

This state-of-the-art educationalfacility is available at no extra costto visitors to the Portsmouth enter-tainment which opened its doorslast year.

It allows full exploration of NavyNews' own award-winning website,that changes daily, with updatednews and features on the modernRoyal Navy and a unique perspec-tive on the fascinating history ofthe Senior Service.

Action Stations describes itself

as truly delighted with the gener-ous funding that it has receivedfrom the Navy News.

Barbara Barnes, Action StationsGeneral Manager, says: "TheCyber Deck brings an addeddimension to the attraction andplaces it firmly at the cutting edgeof new developments in the leisureindustry.

"Cyber cafes have alreadyproven their enormous popularityin the big cities and there are acouple here in Portsmouth, but Ibelieve we are the first visitorattraction to offer this service."

She added: "It's been great funworking with Navy News on such anunusual project."

Beyond the fascinating on-lineworld of Navy News, the sophisti-cated space-age terminals willallow access to the wide expanse ofthe Internet with links to the RoyalNavy's own website and otherdefence sites.

Visitors can surf the net or e- Landmark projects, and wasmail friends and relations across launched last year by the Duke ofthe world.

Action Stations is one of theMillennium Commission's 12

York.• Visit the Navy News websiteat: www.navynews.co.uk.

Navy NewsCyber Deck

> The Navy News Cyber Deck opens at Action Stations in March.

BOUNDARY OAK SCHOOLCo-educational Nursery & Preparatory School (Day & Boarding)

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You will be warmly welcomed, when you visit the school. Early application isrecommended, to avoid disappointment. Please contact Lesley Cunningham

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Tel (01626) 774138 Fax (01626) 771541e-mail: Trinscl23@aol.com www.trinityschool.co.uk

Member of AEGIS, BSA, ISA, ISIS. Accredited by British Council & ISC

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We think there are 3 important points, above all others, that make QueenEthelburga's your ideal choice as the boarding school for your child.

Firstly, we understand the needs of service families and seafarers as wehave been serving their needs for over 80 years. We have experience inensuring your child will settle well, be confident and successful. Our campusis safe and away from city centre problems. Secondly, our boarding facilitiesare the best in Europe. Every bedroom has direct dial in/out telephone, voicemail, TV/Video (on timer), music centre, hot drink facilities and much more.Many bedrooms are ensuite. Our house parents are friendly and caring.Thirdly we are a Sunday Times

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QUEEN ETHELBURGA'S COLLEGEThorpe Underwood Hall, York. England.

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road, rail & air.10 minutesfrom A1M

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www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 35

FBHhave immediate vacancies for the following:-

HELICOPTER FITTERSAVIONIC FITTERS

to work in I st & 2nd Line maintenance at Middle Wallop.Suitable applicants for these positions will have aservice background and hold BTEC (or equiv.) inaero/electrical engineering. Experience of Lynx and/orGazelle helicopters would be an advantage.

Salary range: £15,500 - £18,700 pa.Applicants should write, fax or 'e' giving full details of experience andqualifications and quoting Ref: NN to:Mr A Biles, Engineering Manager,FB Heliservices LtdMiddle Wallop, StockbridgeHampshireSO20 8DY

FB Heliservices LtdAn FR Aviation Group Ltd and Bristow Helicopters Ltd

Joint Venture Company

Tel: 01980674314Fax: 01264 782439

e-mail: alan.biles@bristow.co.uk

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I N M ' S I O K IN HOI ' I I

The MOD is introducing a policy of routine notification of reserve seivice to civilian employers. With effect from 1 July 2001, you will be required to

provide full details of your employer on joining the reserve fortes and you will then be expected to inform them of your reserve liability. Recruits are

normally British or Commonwealth subjects, aged between 16 and 40 (45 for en-UN), male or female and physically fit.

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Self-employed (or wish to be),right attitude, motivated.Then for details of a superb

opportunity not to be missed ring.

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Want to jointhe Police?I day workshopsPeterborough

The fitness test, assessmentcentres, the interview, lots and

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prospective Police Officers

Contract ManagerSerco Aerospace

Serco Aerospace is a division of Serco Limited and is a major provider to military and civilaviation customers, with over 100 contracts in the UK and overseas. The companyprovides a i rc ra f t engineering support, operational support, facilities and estatesmanagement, and air traffic control services to a wide range of customers including theArmy, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.

We are looking for a Contract Manager to manage the Multi-Activity Contract for theRoyal Air Force on Ascension Island. The Contract provides a ful l range of airfield andoperational services to the strategically positioned base situated in the South Atlantic.Ascension Island is unique both in terms of the remote geographical location and the task.The combined ability to manage in such an environment and to ensure service deliverywill be an essential attribute of the successful applicant.

The successful applicant will have a Degree in Business Administration/Management orEngineering, plus at least 3 years' experience or, if no formal qualification at least 5 years'experience in a position of overall management responsibility for a services supportcontract of similar complexity. To be successful he/she must be numerate, computerliterate and have excellent written and verbal expression. Although not essential, previouscommercial experience would be an advantage.

If you are interested in this position, please send your current CV to:

Karen Barker, Serco Aerospace, Serco House,11 Bartley Wood Business Park,Bartley Way, Hook, Hampshire RG27 9XB serco

To advertise on our Recruitment pages Tel: 023 927 25062 or 023 927 24226

What did

Youdo at

WOrK today

Deputy Divisional Inspectors of Lifeboatsc.£26,500 pa + car allowance + benefits

When our crews are out at sea, perhaps battling againstthe worst possible weather conditions, we have to knowthat our lifeboats are capable of doing exactly what theyare there to do - saving lives. It is vital that every singleone of our vessels meets our high standards, and as oneof our Deputy Divisional Inspectors of Lifeboats, that'swhat you will be there to ensure.

With recent developments including lifeboats on theThames and inland waters, and the introduction ofhovercraft, these are certainly challenging times for theRNLI. We're looking for people with proven managementskills who can inspect lifeboats and their equipment andprovide ongoing competence-based training to crewmembers throughout our 229 stations.

Ideally, you will have a British Class 1 Master Mariners'Certificate of Competency or have held a commission inthe Royal Navy with full Bridge Watchkeeping and OceanNavigation Certificates, followed by at least three years'experience. However, we are also prepared to considercandidates with other professional maritimequalifications, such as an RYA Commercial Yachtmaster.Extensive, professional seagoing experience, includingknowledge of small boats, is essential, along withexcellent communication skills and the ability to manageteams of volunteers from all walks of life.

You will need a clean driving licence, a willingness totravel throughout your division and to work hours whichsuit volunteer lifeboat crews. Due to the physicaldemands of operating in inflatables in adverseconditions, these positions are ideally suited toindividuals who are under 38 years of age and inexcellent health.

Future relocation to any of our six operational divisionsor our headquarters in Poole, is a fundamentalrequirement, both for operational reasons and as part ofyour career development. Our operational divisions arein the Republic of Ireland (Dublin), Scotland (Perth), theNorth (Stockton-on-Tees), the West (St. Asaph), the South(Saltash) and the East (Ipswich).

In return, we offer comprehensive training, relocationexpenses, generous holiday entitlement, good promotionopportunities, excellent pension scheme and a competitivebenefits package.

If you believe you have the right qualities for this positionand are prepared to relocate, please forward your CV and acovering letter outlining why you are the ideal candidateto Sarah Burgess, RNLI, West Quay Road, Poole,Dorset, BH15 1HZ or email sburgess@mli.org.uk

Please quote reference DDI/NN/543/02.

The closing date for applications is 15 March 2002.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to anAssessment Centre in Poole on 11 or 15 April 2002.

The RNLI treats equality of opportunitysensibly and seriously.

LifeboatsRoyal National Lifeboat Institution

Registered Charity no. 209603

Over 177 years of saving lives at sea 'ww.lifeboats.org.uk

36 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews.co.uk

Sea Cadets

Ocean's apartfrom schoolfor lucky 15

BEFORE leaving for hercurrent deployment inthe Gulf HMS Oceanfound time to host aparty of 15 cadets fromHuddersfield Unit.

As reported in January,TS Highburton had earli-er been flown out to jointhe helicopter carrier offGibraltar for the last legof her voyage back for aperiod of maintenance atDevonport.

Ashore, they were ableto climb to the top of theRock - and also visit theunderground tunnelsand fortifications.

The cadets were laterasked by their schools togive talks about the visit.

• Seen here keeping aclose eye on develop-ments are Cadets Johnand Martin Hayes andChristopher Speight.

Not Ready forCivvy Street Yet?MediterraneanLife Style AwaitsDisciplined Ex-Service personnel wanted to work abroad.

Leading International Holiday Company requires serious

applicants for sales positions.

Benefits:

• Mallorca based

• Accommodation provided

• Full ongoing training

• Excellent pay structure

A well paid break or a career opportunity, it's your choice.

Interviews will be held in the UK, dates to be confirmed.

Telephone Monday to Fridaybetween 12.00 - 18.00 Mrsfor more information on the following number:

00 34 971 890 960 Ext. 354

GreatgoingDutch

THE Dutch Navy put onan action packed pro-gramme when the MiltonKeynes unit TS Invinciblewas invited to spend aweek with them at theirAmsterdam base.

A visit to Den Helderwas laid on, including atour round in a fleet ten-der and a day at sea.

Host Capt Van Beekwas presented with aplaque and a first editionstamped cover fromBletchley Park where TSInvincible is stationed.

• Capt Van Beek withTS Invincible's party inAmsterdam.

First aidtrainingwas hisfather'slifesaverFIRST aid skills learned at Sheppey Unit let ABChristopher Crimes save his father's life.The TS Kent cadet - who hassince joined the RN - knewexactly what to do when hefound his father Nicholaschoking to death at theirQueenborough home.

Nicholas had swallowed histongue and was unable tobreathe.

Helped by his motherSarah, Christopher slappedhim smartly on the backuntil his breath returned,then laid him in the recov-ery position, making surehis airway was clear - hismouth was full of bloodwhere he had bitten into histongue.

Mrs Crimes later told her localpaper, the Sheerness TimesGuardian: "Chris stayed absolutelycalm and was working on him allthe time while I called the ambu-lance. He was following all the cor-rect procedures he had learned onfirst aid courses.

"He's been a cadet since he wasII- years old. It's been the makingof him."

Recovering in MedwayMaritime Hospital, NicholasCrimes said: "They tell me I wasout of it for at least 15 minutes.I'm just glad that Chris was aroundand that he knew what to do."

TS Kent's Unit President DavidBrown told Navy News: "Manylocal people have contacted me tocomment on the article in thepaper, which I th ink is an excellentendorsement of the training acadet receieves in the Sea CadetCorps.

Legionbandasksfor aidCHELTENHAM unit is appeal-ing for 'redundant' instruments toreviatalise its band as TS Legionapproaches its 65th birthday.

Management Committeespokesman Steve Smith told NavyNews it once paraded a band 30-strong.

"When the unit numbersdiminished, the instruments werepurloined by others, but now wehave a large membership again(including RM and juniors) weare faced with the need toretrieve, beg and borrow anythingthat is not needed by other SCCunits, volunteer bands and thelike.

"Fund raising for this exerciseis restricted as we are just goinginto the new unit mode and allfunds will be channeled intobricks and mortar."

Contact Steve Smith at 31Farriers End, Quedgcley,Gloucester GL2 4WA.

www.na vynews, co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 37

Sen CadetsNOW in its fifth year, theRoyalist Regatta wasestablished to raise fundsfor Sea Cadet training -and last year netted over£36,000.

Lightweight airs, heavy-weight fun and more than asprinkling of competitivenessis the winning formula.Identical yachts are used -and this year they will beReflex 38 boats which shouldonce again make for someexciting racing on the Solent.

The Regatta is run over oneand a half days on May 14-15and a donation of £5,000 peryacht is required.

It begins with sailing prac-tice with informal races runby the Royal Thames YachtClub, followed by a cham-pagne reception at HMSExcellent, Portsmouth and theRegatta Dinner in theWardroom Mess.

Next day breakfast in theSailing Centre precedes arace briefing and racing in theSolent for the SilverShipwrights Trophy and vari-ous other prizes, ending withprizegiving and buffet back atthe Sailing Centre.

Arrangements can be madefor watching the race, if youdo not wish to take part,which will also include theformal dinner with breakfast,lunch on board and afternoonbuffet on the race Day - £300per head.

Since the inception of theRegatta, the prizes have beenpresented by the Duke of York(Admiral of the Sea CadetCorps), Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and the LordLieutenant of Hampshire, MrsMary Pagan.

J Tel Janet Picton on 0207928 8978 for details. Fullpayments must be receivedby March 31.

ROYALIST REGATTAFOR THE SHIPWRIGHTS TROPHY 2002

Barry are bestof everything

BARRY Unit had theirmost successful year inmemory in 2001, havingcompeted in and wonnearly every Districtcompetition.

The haul of trophiesincludes first aid(seniors and juniors),sailboat handling,pulling, power boat han-dling, armed drill,shooting, five-a-sidesoccer and swimming.

They also gained BestDressed Cadet at bothDistrict and Area com-petitions.

The Guard marched atthe Remembrance DayParade for the first timein many years and theyalso provided a guard atthe Cenotaph.

TS Cossack, based atHMS Cambria, Sully inthe Vale of Glamorgan,now has nearly 40cadets on its books.

• Seen here (boys tooshy!) is the girls footballteam, POC Moremonand ACs Co/toy, K. andR. Lake and Richards.

WWftlASERVICE

A Naval Charity for all ranks and ratesin the Royal Navy or Royal Marines.A source of sound advice and sanecomment on most matters.Provides help on personal finance,resettlement and employment onleaving.

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4

38 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www.na vynews. co. uk

• Adventurous training is enough to make your head spin atCroatia. Picture: Cpl Sylvain Bourget

Trainingfor all at

Banja LukaTHE BRITISH haveopened up their adven-turous training activitiesto troops of any nation-ality serving within theStabilisation Force(SFOR).

This means the chanceto take part in trekking,dinghy sailing, wind surf-ing, kayaking, diving, rock-climbing, mountain bikingand orienteering is up forgrabs to all nations.

Royal Navy men andwomen serving as part ofboth SFOR and KosovoForce (KFOR) can visit theisland of Brae in Croatia tospend a week learning new- and exciting - skills.

Places are available forBritish and now interna-tional Service personnel onthe one week courses.

Participants travel toBrae on Thursday andreturn to their units on theWednesday, with differentactivities on offer each dayof the week.

The island of Brae isknown for its porous lime-stone 'Karst', loved bystonemasons and loathedby farmers, and said to bethe stone used in the pil-lars of the White House.

Drug patrolship sets off

DEVONPORT-BASED HMS Sutherland set out in earlyFebruary for her latest deployment to the West Indies. The Type23 will be working with the US Coast Guard and other Europeannavies in the ongoing fight against drugs.

Commander Paul Thomas, theCommanding Officer, describedthe task as an important and excit-ing part of the battle against thedrug trade.

He said: "I have had no difficul-ty in motivating my ship's companyfor the challenge ahead as we areall too well aware of the impactthat illegal drugs can have onlives."

The Duke class frigate will useher sophisticated sensor and com-munication systems to help catchdrug-runners using the Caribbeanislands as a route to the rest of theworld.

RN ships also have an importantrole in humanitarian aid in thearea, and British sailors have giveninvaluable assistance to hurricane-struck islands in the past.

This trip to the sunny Caribbeanmakes a change for the Devonportfrigate. Last November the shipspent four weeks with theNorwegian Navy in the Arctic cir-cle, working in chilly temperaturesof minus 40 degrees C.

Since then, HMS Sutherlandhas been through a maintenanceperiod at her home port.

Two navies swapin Double DutchTHE ROYAL Navy minehunterHMS Atherstone joined shipsfrom other nations to celebratethe Dutch royal wedding.

Moored in the heart of theDutch capital Amsterdam, sheflew the flag for the UK and RN.

Ten of the ship's company alsohad the chance to attend a massiveprc-wedding party, described assimilar to a Royal Variety perfor-mance, at the giant Ajax footballstadium for the Prince of Orangeand Maxima Zorreguieta.

Two Dutch warships are visitingPortsmouth over the course of themonth. The submarine Zeeleeuwis first to arrive followed by thedestroyer De Zeven Provincien.

The visits form part of brieftours of northern Europe.Apparently the Dutch sailors hadheard about Portsmouth's mar-itime history, and wanted a chanceto include the city in their tour.

The De Zeven Provincien is dueto be commissioned in March.

Dine in stylein Painted HallTHE PERFECT Sunday lunchcan be had in the Painted Hall ofthe Old Royal Naval College inGreenwich.

On Sunday, April 28, a three-course Sunday lunch will be servedat the tables which have enter-tained royalty, world leaders, dig-nitaries and celebrities.

After lunch, one of the college'sexpert yeoman will provide a guid-ed tour of the site, including a visitto the James 'Athenian' Stuart'smuch admired chapel.

The cost of this dining experi-ence is £39 per person.

For further information contactDavid Green on 020 8269 4791.

Walk the pathof heroesTHE RAID by the Cockleshell heroes on German shipping at Bordeaux in 1942 iswell-known through books, film and articles. Now walkers can follow in the foot-steps of the two survivors across the French countryside.

A hiking trail is being provided me with a roast chickendinner."launched on June 12 that runs

along the 100-mile trek takenby Marine Bil l Sparks andMajor Goldie Hasler from StGenes de Blayc on theGironde estuary to Ruffec.

Major Mark Bcntinck, RMCorps Historical Records Officer,explains: "The idea of the trail is toperpetuate the memory of the raidhy the Cockleshell heroes, and tocommemorate those who died."

He describes it as analternative to the traditionalmonument, offering a livingmemorial which will appealto all ages who can walk thetrail and remember the sac-rifices of World War II.

Accounts of the Cockleshellheroes tell of the daring raid fromthe coast up to Bordeaux hy tenmen in five heavily-laden canoes,where they attached limpet minesto German supply ships. This walk-!tig trail follows the escape route ofthe only two survivors.

Bill and Goldic ahandoned theirtrusty canoe at St Genes beforesetting out to trek the dangerousroute across German-occupiedFrance in the depths of winter,using only a tiny survival compassand a silk escape map for a guide.

Despite the terrible penaltiesand risk to themselves, many of theFrench people helped these two ontheir desperate journey throughthe vineyards and fields of this fer-tile region of Bordeaux.

At one farmhouse the Marineswere only able to rest themselvestor one hour before they had tomake a run for it away fromsearching German troops.

Eventually on December 14. thetwo exhausted men had covered 60miles on foot, after rowing over105 miles in their canoes.

The bitter weather and condi-tions had taken their toil, and indire need, the two realised theymust find food and shelter. Theywere fortunate in that the doorthey knocked on was owned by aMonsieur Pasquereau, a friendlyvillager who offered them a night'srest and a hot roast chicken dinner.

The two British commandoesleft the next morning, indebted tothe generosity of their host, andpromising to send a messagethrough the BBC.

In time, the Pasquereaus heardfrom their wireless radio: "Lepoulet est bon"- the chicken isgood, and knew the two men hadmade it safely home to Britain.

The walking route passes by theactual farmhouse near Cognac,and Major Bentinck recalls: "Iwalked the trail last October whichtook one week, and stayed with theFrench people who now own thefarm. In memory of the event, they

Once the two men had reachedRuffec, their trials were not over.The resistance cell there had notreceived the message to look outfor the two men, so the two Britonsstumbled from cafe to cafe lookingfor any friendly face.

Eventually they decided on theonly place that would feed themwithout the necessary ration cards,and ate a meal of potato soup.

As Goldie Hasler handed overthe money to pay, he slipped anote to the cafe owner: "We areescaping English soldiers. Do youknow anyone who can help us?"

They were lucky in their choice,and the two men reached homeafter the Resistance led themacross the Pyrenees into neutralSpain.

The route will be shown withwaymarkcrs, and at significantpoints in the journey of the twomen information hoards will tellthe tale of their exploits.

This trail was the brain-child of Monsieur FrancoisBoisnier, the President ofthe Frankton Souvenir(Remember Frankton)Association, and the RoyalMarines are supporting theidea wholeheartedly.

The local French are stillextremely generous to the Britishpeople in memory of the actions of60 years ago. If the Cockleshellheroes had failed, it was possiblethat the RAF would have had tobomb the area, risking the lives ofmany civilians near the port.

The main commemoration isbeing planned for December 12-13this year which will be exactly 60years on from the bombing of theGerman cargo ships in Bordeauxharbour. Wreaths will be laid at theFrankton Memorial at St Georgede Didonne, near the Gironde.

The next day will see the mainceremonies taking place atBlanquefort, just outsideBordeaux. The Royal Marines willbe there in force.

Details of the inaugural walk onJune 12 are still being decided.Please send expressions of interestto: Major V. M. Bentinck at theHistorical Records Office RM,Centurion Building, Grange Road,Gosport PO13 9XA.

• Members of HMS Shetland'sguard recently participated in the1942 Operation Frankton com-memoration ceremony when theship paid an informal visit toBordeaux.

The guard paraded in the pres-ence of Bill Sparks and a smallcontingent of the French army tomark the anniversary and lay flow-ers at a plaque sited where twomen from the raid were shot asspies.

BFBS beamsfrom KabulBRITISH troops in Afghanistancan now receive a string of radioand television services from theBritish Forces BroadcastingService (BFBS).

Two radio stations arc beingbroadcast to all the British basesin the area, along with three BFBSTV channels.

As BFBS says: "We can't doanything about the snow or theminus 16 degrees C overnighttemperatures, but we can do ourbit to maintain morale!"

Smoother ridefor e-bluey mailTHE E-BLUEY post system thatdelivers real mail over the Internethas adapted itself to meet the newworld situation.

Delivery in Afghanistan hasbeen made difficult through poorinfrastructure. A new approachcalled the Blucy Gram means thatletters will reach troops on theground in Kabul in just 24 hours.

Greeting cards can now also besent through this secure method.

For more information, visit:www.bfpo.org.uk.

Royal guest visitsChatham Navy dayPRINCESS ANNE will be a visi-tor on June 3 at the ChathamHistoric Dockyard for the KMNavy Days which run from June 2to 4 over the course of the GoldenJubilee celebration weekend.

The Royal Navy will also bethere, and the organisers promiseall things maritime and military ondisplay over the weekend.

Europe joinstogether to buyTHE UK has joined together withthree other European nations totake a new approach to collabora-tive defence equipment projects.

Defence Ministers from France,Germany, Italy and the UK haveformed the Organisation forJoint Armament Co-operation(OCCAR), aiming to ensure thatthe purchase of defence equip-ment is efficient and cost-effective.

OCCAR will manage a numberof projects including the FutureSurface to Air Missiles family, andin time the Principal Anti AirMissile System (PAAMS).

Membership of OCCAR isopen to other European nationsprovided they commit to theorganisation's principles.

The cradle of theNavy at Greenwich

THE NATIONAL MaritimeMuseum at Greenwichlaunched two new exhibitions inlate February.

'The Cradle of the Navy: TheRoyal Hospital School atGreenwich' is a new permanentdisplay which brings together acollection of rarely seen pho-tographs and memorabilia onthe Royal Hospital School's life.

The facility was Britain'slargest school of navigation andseamanship, founded to trainboys who would later join theRoyal Navy or Royal Marines.The School had occupied the

buildings now home to theNational Maritime Museum untilit moved in 1932 to its present200 acre site at Holbrook inSuffolk.

The images on display comefrom the collections of theNational Maritime Museum andthe modern Royal HospitalSchool, as well as previouslyunseen photographs andobjects from private individuals.

The second exhibition to openat the end of February is called'On the Coast of Bohemia', con-sisting of a number of 17th cen-tury Dutch and Flemish paint-

ings from the museum's perma-nent collection. This takes asits theme landscapes whichemploy imaginary or symbolicelements of coastlines.

Throughout 2002, the OpenMuseum is running a pro-gramme of lectures atGreenwich on seapower sub-jects including 'MaritimeLondon' and 'Royal Greenwich'.

For information, call: 020 88584422 or visit the website:www.nmm.ac.uk.• The view through the gate ofthe Royal Hospital School in1906.

www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 39

TOPMAST - the way to manage tomorrow's manpower

Brand newdeal on thewaterfront

USE IT!

• DEVONPORT: "TheseWaterfront Manning Organ-isations are the key to the suc-cess of our new approach tomanpower management. . . Iam sure this challenge can bemet and is a significant steptowards more fulfilling careersand greater domestic stabilityfor all Naval Service person-nel." - Commander in ChiefFleet Admiral Sir Alan West,seen here with WTR IanLearmonth and LWTR CraigPilley.

D>t month the Navy's three top men each openedne of the three new Waterfront Manning•rganisations at Portsmouth, Devonport andaslane - a clear indication of the importanceicy attach to the WMOs' role in Tomorrow's

Personnel Management System', or TOPMAST'.This is to be introduced progressively during this year and next

for all surface and Submarine Flotilla Able Rates of the Warfare,Engineering and Supply Branches.

In the longer term, TOPMAST will look ahead at the manpower organ-isation for the Navy in 2010 and beyond - particularly to provide the skillsneeded to support new units of the Fleet such as the future aircraft carri-er.

The WMOs are part of the Fleet organisation, under the port FlotillaCommander charged with management of Fleet units in each of the threebase ports. They are there to assist ships and submarines to manage theirTOPMAST 'Squads". They will, for example, in consultation with theirparent units, book Pro-joining Training (PJTs), AdQuals (additional qual-ifications) and career courses, decide on the most appropriate employ-ment for individuals left ashore when their units deploy, and manage theemployment of medically-downgraded personnel.

TOPMAST'S Lt Col Martin Price RM said: "In future, units will planeach AB's personal programme well in advance (typically, up to sixmonths) in conjunction with the WMO, who will be able to react to short-notice changes in programmes and in individuals' personal circum-stances."

At the same time, the Drafting and Career Management LiaisonOfficers (DCMLOs) have become Regional Drafting and CareersAdvisors RDCAs), who will be part of the overall waterfront manpowermanagement organisation. They arc located in the same building as theWMO in Portsmouth and Devonport, but their role is different.

Like the DCMLOs, the RDCAs will offer impartial advice and specifichelp on drafting concerns and queries. The WMO and RDCA togetherwill give individuals the opportunity to have a much greater influence overtheir future careers - one of the key benefits of the TOPMAST pro-gramme.

Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer (who opened thePortsmouth WMO, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh and C-in-C Fleet Admiral Sir Alan West obliging at Faslane and Devonport respec-tively) explained that the present manpower structure had been designedfor a much larger Navy than we have today.

"It divides people into branches (Warfare, Engineering, Supply,Medical and Royal Marines) which in turn are further sub-divided by arm(General Service, Submarine, Fleet Air Arm, Royal Marine General andBand Services) specialisation, sub-specialisation and ADQUALS - addi-tional qualifications which are not required by everyone in a specialisa-tion, often obtained by completing a PJT course.

"This structure results in a large number of mutually exclusive but nar-row specialist groups which are increasingly difficult to manage - manyarc now too small to provide sustainable career structures."

The long-term look at manpower structures, for both officers and rat-ings, would start this year. Meanwhile, the narrow specialisation structurewas already making it difficult for Drafty to place individuals with theright skills in the right place at the right time and this was aggravating thegapping problem.

The TOPMAST 'squad' system would "greatly reduce" gapping at theAB level, said Admiral Spencer.

"The Navy Board has now directed the Naval Secretary to undertake areview of specialisations to see how else we can improve the situation inthe medium term.

"This review will start immediately and consider all RN ratings' spe-cialisations, with work already ongoing into Royal Marines' specialisa-tions. It will look to see where current narrow specialisation groupingsmight be better organised into larger groupings of people with similar

skills. In some cases this can be undertaken by giving people shortercareer courses and then supplementing this with ADQUALS. This willmake it easier for people to top up their skills as they gain experience,rather than do too much training at the beginning.

"An example of where this is being looked at is the Warfare Branch. AsAble Rates, the OM AW/EW/UW sub-specialisations perform very simi-lar tasks within the Ops Room - Picture Compilation and Voice Operator.They can all therefore be given General Warfare training with individualRatings completing AQQUALS for specific skills such as 4.Sin gunbaycrew and ESM Operator.

"Some Ratings will then complete new ADQUALS to meet therequirements of the ship and for career progression.

"There is nothing new in these proposals and TOPMAST is just seek-ing to extend an already successful policy to more people. For example,General Service Marine Engineering Artificers (MEAs) no longer sub-specialise but undertake a common career course which is then followedby an ADQUAL giving them deeper skills in a more specific area, dieselengines for example.

"If at some future date the MEA changes from one work area to anoth-er - say from diesel to gas turbines - then a re-skilling course (anotherADQUAL) is completed."

Admiral Spencer identified four main advantages to this approach:• It concentrates training where and when it is needed.• By putting individuals into larger groupings, it gives a fairer promo-

tion system whereby everyone can compete according to ability for a larg-er number of promotion slots than were available to small groups.

• By making it easier to re-skill with and ADQUAL, it will be easier toachieve the right numbers with the right skills and gapping will be reduced

• It will be easier to adapt for new skills required by the introductionof new equipments, so improving the career opportunities for those orig-inally trained with skills that become out of date over time.

Ratings in specialisations that may no longer be required will be incor-

'Our problems are now sosevere that the statusquo is simply not viable'

porated into the new regime, rather than remaining in isolated groupswith diminishing prospects. This will be accompanied by the opportunityfor re-skilling where appropriate.

"In many cases such Ratings will notice no difference to their employ-ment or prospects - in others they will have enhanced career opportuni-ties," Admiral Spencer concluded.

"Understandably, some of you may be apprehensive about suchchanges, but our problems are now so severe that the status quo is simplynot viable.

"That said, I can assure you that no decisions have yet been taken onwhich specialisations will be included in this programme. As each special-isation is studied in depth, the potential impact on all aspects of terms andconditions of Service will be considered.

"Any potential impact on job evaluation and whole trade scores, pay,promotion opportunities and so on will be fully taken into account beforedeciding to proceed."

There was no plan to change the terms of Service for those currentlywith preserved rights, such as non sea volunteers.

Q Further details will be available in a special edition of the DivisionalOfficers and Troop Commanders Notes on TOPMAST - and on a CDROM that will be issued to every member of the Naval Service this month

• FASLANE: "The Squad Manning regime operated from thisoffice represents the first step in a new era of manpower man-agement in the Royal Navy. Overall, the TOPMAST project isdesigned to better meet the needs of all our people in the Serviceand we must seize this opportunity to improve the future for usall." - First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh.

• PORTSMOUTH: "These facilities will help us to deliver theSquad System which will greatly improve the lives of all seagoingAble Rates. They deliver my predecessor's promise that, in future,ratings will increasingly be subject to personalised appointing aswe move away from the somewhat rigid drafting procedures ofthe past."- Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Sir Peter Spencer

Way ahead toput Warfare on

an even keelMAJOR changes to improve stability for OperatorMechanics (OMs) ashore and afloat are being madein answer to feedback from Warfare Branch per-sonnel at sea.

A highly detailed study ofthe branch at AB level,spread over almost a year,looks at the better arrange-ment of OM specialisationsand training while reducingthe onboard training load;getting a better return fromshore training; and armingthe junior OM with basicmaintainer skills.

It is hoped this will bene-fit team building and soenhance operational capa-bility.

The study found a greatdeal of overlap at AB levelbetween the Above-waterWarfare (AW), ElectronicWarfare (EW) andUnderwater Warfare (UWW)core skills, particularly inthe Action InformationOrganisation (AIO).

So it was decided to cre-ate a new specialisation toreplace these three subspecialisations. Commu-nicators, Minewarfare andSurvey Recorders werealso considered very care-fully - but it was felt thattheir current specialisationstructure is appropriate fornow.

Main recommendationsof the study are:

• Reduction of speciali-sations by removing AW,EW and UW at AB level.

• Creation of a new spe-cialisation, the OperatorMechanic(Warfare)OM(W).

• More focussedADQUALs for job specificskills. Training for an OM'sprimary role, such as 30mmAimer Loader, SurfacePicture Supervisor, 2050 orESM Operator will be deliv-ered to the individual whoneeds it.

• Mechanic training inthe new OM(W)2, OM(MW)2and OM(C)2 courses beforeFirst Sea Draft.

• Removal of therequirement for an OM1career course ashore, withSupervisor level trainingbeing delivered byADQUAL.

From June, recruitinginto the AW, EW and UWspecialisations will ceaseand by late summer ratingsof the new OM(W) speciali-

sation will be entering theService. After Parts 1 and 2training at HMS Raleigh,they will go on the OM(W)scourse at the MaritimeWarfare School, HMS Dryadand HMS Collingwood.

The new OM(W) coursewill teach them how tooperate and maintainweapons and sensors butwill be focused on the oper-ator AIO skills and theappropriate mechanic skillsrequired for the type of shipand billet that they aregoing to first.

All the OM2 courses willalso include modules forNaval General Training,Basic Sea Survival, withtime for personal educationand development under theFoundation for ModernApprenticeship scheme.The first OM2s under thisnew training pipeline willgraduate from the MWSearly next year.

Newly qualified OM2s willthen consolidate their train-ing at sea, gain ADQUALsfor specific professionaltasks and develop theirskills during their First SeaDraft.

Advancement to OM1 willbe on proving to theCommanding Officer thatthey are fully trained mem-bers of the team - thisrequiring completion of aTask Book and beingassessed to be atOperational PerformanceStandard.

Thereafter, OM1s,depending on their ship'srequirement and attitude ofthe individual, will beselected for more advancedOperator and/or MaintainerADQUALs to prepare themfor more demanding super-visory jobs.

The large number of OMsin the AW, UW and EW spe-cialisations currently at seawill need to be re-badgedOM(W) and this willachieved during transitionto the new structure.

A working group has nowformed to guide implemen-tation of the new structureand training pipeline. Moreinformation will be avail-able on a web site and DCI.

40 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www.na vynews. co. uk

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www. navynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS. MARCH 2002 41

Accommodation

Countrvwide Residential LettinssFor a choice of quality properties

in the Solent area contact:Southsea/Old Portsmouth Portsmouth & Surrounding

023 9229 6022 023 9265 0101

SUPPORT YOUR CLU&All booking requirements in writing only, enclosing £5 depositon each Family Room. Enclose a S.A.E. for your receipt.ACCOMMODATION: For Service Personnel, their families anddependents plus ex. serving personnel and R.N.A. memberswho may be visiting the Plymouth area.FUNCTIONS: We cater for all types of functions at verycompetitive prices. Ships Functions, Mess Parties, WeddingReceptions, Reunions of ships, past and present, we offer anideal facility.

Royal Fleet ClubMorice Square, Devonport, Plymouth PL1 4PQ

Telephone inquiries only Plymouth 01752 562723ASK FOR QUOTATION, CONTACT THE MANAGER

WITHOUT DELAY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

Garian House Holiday FlatletsSelf-catering flatlets, near sea and shops. Fully equipped. Colour TV, fridge,

cooker, linen, etc. Ideal for a visit by family or girl friend.CHARGE PER PERSON - MINIMUM 2 PERSONS

WEEKLY JULY & AUGUST - £100.00 WEEKLY JUNE & SEPTEMBER - £80.00OTH ER MONTHS - £70.00 LONG LETS - £60.00

1st SEPT - 1st JUNE ANY 3 NIGHTS (CONSECUTIVE) - £45.00DEPOSIT PER PERSON - £20.00

CHILDREN 12 YEARS OR UNDER HALF PRICE IF SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM AS ADULTS.

BOOKINGS ARE SATURDAY TO SATURDAY ONLY DURING MAY - OCTOBER.MR CURTIS, 70 RESTING GROVE, SOUTHSEA, PORTSMOUTH, HANTS.

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Stalham-NorfolkComfortable Two Bedroom

Holiday Chalets OnAttractive Site.

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Recruitment from P35

ADJOINING PLYMOUTHHOE AND SEAFRONT

Friendly guest house. CTV's,Tea/Coffee, C.H., mostly en suite,

T.V. lounge, parking. From £18 p.p.Edgcumbe Guest House50 Pier Street, West Hoe

Tel 01752 660675E-mail hawton@clara.co.uk

DLOWARSHIP SUPPORT AGENCY, HM NAVAL BASEDEVONPORT, PLYMOUTHThe Naval Base Commander, Devonport (NBCD) is part of the Warship Support Agency and amember of the Defence Logistics Organisation. The principal role of the NBCD's organisation isto provide engineering and logistic support to those ships and submarines either based at,operating from or visiting Devonport Naval Base. The NBCD's Works Group is responsible foroverseeing key elements of the nuclear infrastructure programme. As a centre of expertise inthis role, it also provides assistance to nuclear works projects at Rosyth Dockyard on the Eastcoast of Scotland.

PROJECT CONTRACT MANAGER/WORKS (BAND B2)1POSTRelocation expenses of up to £5,000 may be available (if eligible)

This post may relocate to Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland around January 2005.

As part of the Works directorate, you will be a member of a multi-disciplinary team and one offour Project Contract Managers within the Assistant Director Works Group. Currently based atDevonport you will be responsible for managing all aspects of upgrading the Attack SubmarineNon-refuelling Facility. You will also be responsible for leading a Rosyth based team whoseprincipal task involves the management of the decommissioning of the dockyard's nuclearinfrastructure and as such this post will involve frequent travel to Scotland.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: Nuclear submarine engineering experience and a goodunderstanding of the UK nuclear regulatory framework are essential, as are excellentcommunication and team building skills.

Ideally you will be a highly motivated, enthusiastic and confident engineer, preferably of C Eng.status, with a successful track record of applied Project Management skills. Knowledge ofPrivate Public Partnerships and Private Finance initiatives would also be desirable.

If an external candidate is successful they will be appointed solely to the post. To enable asubsequent transfer to a different post within the MOD, Assessment and Development Centre(A&DC) accreditation will need to be achieved during your time in the post, this is an internalassessment designed to confirm potential for wider deployment at Band B2 level.

If an internal candidate is successful, the appointment will be offered on Long-term TemporaryPromotion (LTTP) terms and existing conditions on permanent transfer will be applied. For widerdeployability at B2 level, AD&C accreditation will first need to be achieved.

SALARY: Pay ranges from £32,328 to £47,083. Starting salary is normally at the minimum ofthe scale but may be increased in accordance with recent relevant experience andperformance at interview. Pay is performance related. You will also receive 25 days annualleave plus 10.5 days public and privilege holidays and membership to the Principal Civil ServicePension Scheme.

Successful internal candidates will have their pay calculated under regrading or promotion terms.

This post is reserved, therefore only UK nationals need apply.

For an application form and job description, please contact Mr Matt Keay on 01225 467745, orwrite enclosing an A4 stamped addressed envelope to DLO PSC Recruitment, Spur 8, Dyrham,Ensleigh, Bath BA1 SAB, or e-mail your full name, address and telephone number topsc.recruitment@dial.pipex.com

The closing date for the return of completed application forms is Friday 15th March 2002.

Please note that all information supplied to the MOD, in connection with this advertisement,will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Ministry of Defence is an equal opportunity employer and is fullycommitced to equal opportunities policies. The Ministry of Defencepositively we/conic'.1-: applications from all sectors of the communityirrespective of racial origin, sex or disability.

UNION JACKCLUB

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situated on Plymouth HoeTelephone: (01752) 661195

• -••

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ROYAL SAILORSHOME CLUB

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Medway 'Golden Jubilee' NavySaturday 1s' June - Tuesday 4

3 Nights Dinner, Accommodation & Full EGala 'Navy Days Ball' Dinner & Cabaret o

Table D'Hote Dinner on Sunday & Monday Nights - Free EntranFree Entrance to the Royal Engineers Museum

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Medway 'Golden Jubilee' Navy Days BreakTuesday 4th June - Friday 7th June

j Nights Dinner, Accommodation & Full English BreakfastFree Entrance to Navy Days on Tuesday 4* June

Free Entrance to the Royal Engineers Museum on Wednesday 5"' JuneFree Day to visit Medway's Dickens Festival in Rochester on Thursday 6* June (Free transport provided to Rochester)

~ £79.00 pp based on two people sharing ~Telephone O1634 83O3O3

42 NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002 www.navynews.co.uk

Sport

Golfers totrain in theAlgarveA RN/RM pre-season golf train-ing camp is to be held in theAlgarvc from April 28 until May 5.

Training will consist of fourrounds of golf at different courses,with an option to play furtherrounds at a discounted price.

Three of the four coursesrequire a handicap of 28, althoughcomplete novices may play a less-challenging course.

Prices for RN/RM will be £271,and non-golfers may travel at acost of £380, with prices includingtransfers, flights, hotels, golf andcar hire.

Any personnel interestedshould contact the RM GolfSecretary, Cpl B.W. Lee, on 938842331.

Rock racersFRIGATE HMS Lancaster hasbeen so busy it was hardly surpris-ing that athletes on board grabbedtop times in the traditionalGibraltar Rock Race - they didn'thave time to hang about.

LOM Sandy Jardine achievingthe fastest time in the Fleet RockRace AWards 2001, and colleagueCPOMEA Ellie Macphersonnotching the third fastest.

Veteranswin the dayNAVY hockey veterans put oneover the current crop at aPresident's Day tournament heldat Burnaby Road in Portsmouth.

After a chance for old acquain-tances to be renewed in the pavil-ion, the action moved out on tothe Astroturf pitches, where theRN played the ex-RN in a highly-competitive and spirited match.

There were plenty of chancesfor both sides, but the currentteam eventually succumbed to thepressure and skill of their oppo-nents, finishing on the wrong endof a 3-0 scoreline.

On the other pitch the concur-rent match between UnitedServices Portsmouth and the Cityof Portsmouth ended 2-2.

In the second round of matchesthe RN manager selected his pro-visional line-up for the inter-Services competition, and the sidegelled immediately as they tookthe game to City of Portsmouth.

A superb goal from John Smithopened the Navy's account mid-way through the first half, and theNavy scored twice more after thebreak to win 3-1.

The next President's Day will beon January 26, 2003, and any ex-Royal Navy hockey players whowould like to take part are askedto contact the US Hockey Clubcaptain, Davy Crockett, on 938432070 (mil) or 023 9254 2070 (BT),or at 023 9263 2069.

Boxers edge closerbut still lose to Army

ROYAL Navy boxersproved they could live withtheir Army rivals - but thereis still work to be done ifthey are going to win.

PORT Q Shillingford's"Magnificent Eight" earnedplaces in the finals of the inter-Services tournament, staged atHMS Nelson in Portsmouth,hut most found their Armyopponent sturdy enough towithstand a blistering openingand with the stamina and guileto pace themselves over thefour rounds.

Shillingford, himself a formerinter-Services winner, said the box-ers' preparations could not befaulted - and that it was now up tocommanding officers and others todetermine how successful theNavy's squad can be.

First into the ring in frontof an enthusiastic crowd ofaround 1,000 spectatorswas MA Khan, but he hadthe simple task of crossingthe ring to the red corner toclaim his light flyweight titleon a walkover.OM Kev Davie was the first

Navy man to fight - and the patternfor the rest of the night was set.

Davie set about Neil Robinsonin the first round, using the ringwell and keeping the Army boxerbusy in fending off flurries of jabs.Davic upped the tempo in the sec-ond round, comfortably dictatingthe bout, but Robinson madeinroads in the third and - crucially- Davie was warned and pointsawarded against him.

The Army boxer finished thestronger, but it was still somethingof a surprise to the spectators whenthe Army man was declared thewinner by 8-6.

So, with first blood to the redcorner, Mne Jim Cusick steppedup for a light welterweight contestagainst Gunner Nick Burchett -and the man in dark blue immedi-ately redressed the balance.

Burchett charged in to the bout,almost bundling Cusick over theropes, but the Royal soon found hisrange, using his height advantageby firing long, raking jabs into theArmy boxer's face.

The contest slowed in the sec-ond, with Burchett getting in closerto trade blows, but Cusick took afirm grip on things in the third,forcing the Army fighter to taketwo standing counts.

Cusick was tiring, and Burchettagain tried to get inside the Navyman's reach, but in the fourth hetook a third count and the referee

• Max Maxwell (blue) lands a punch on his opponent Gunner Alastair Morrison.

then stopped the match whenCusick dished out some punish-ment as the two slugged it out.

Mnc Kev Green was alsothought to have a good chance atwelterweight, despite the fact hewas up against an international-class opponent in Pte Steve Briggs.

The opening round was allGreen, who started with some daz-zling footwork and dodged andfeinted his way round the Armyfighter's shots, making Briggs lookalmost ponderous -- althoughGreen's fancy moves brought anadmonishment from the referee.

The pace slowed in thesecond, though Green, giv-ing away quite a heightadvantage, was still in thedriving seat, but by the thirdthe Marine was tiring andtook to the centre of thering, allowing Briggs tocatch him a couple of times.The final round was a question

of stamina - and it was Briggs whohad the more ample reserves,maintaining his composure asGreen clung on. Again, the deci-sion was met with some surprise bythe crowd, who thought the 7-2decision in favour of the Army wasmore than generous.

After an Army v RAF bout, wonby the Army, and three morewalkovers including MneO'Connell at Heavyweight - cameone of the highlights of theevening, when MEM Max Maxwelltook on Gunner Alastair Morrison.

Maxwell started in a cageymood, but his unorthodox style hadMorrison guessing and the Navyman hurt his opponent with a heftyblow late in the round.

Maxwell was giving as good ashe got in the second - but he wasfielding some telling blows, and he

started to look a lit t le ragged as theArmy man opened up.

The third round was fairly even,with Morrison putting in some tidywork, and he remained cool in thefinal round as Maxwell tried to upthe pace, putting in flurries ofpunches which brought a standingcount for Maxwell, and ended witha 9-2 decision for the red corner.

It was much the same story forMne David Tang in the mid-dleweight contest; Tang, much thesmaller man, started with gusto butas the rounds progressed he tired.The third round had l i t t le action asthe Marine was warned for hold-ing, and L/Cpl Frost kept his com-posure to record a 7-3 win.

Last up was OM Tony Hindleyfor a cruiserweight contest with L/Bdr Nick Okoth - and the boutrounded off a disappointing

evening when the home fighter wasstopped in the second round.

Hindley had begun brightly,matching Okoth, but the Armyman exploded a couple of bighooks on to Hindley's head in thesecond, knocking him down, andalthough the Navy man regainedhis feet the referee stopped it.

Kev Green's conqueror SteveBriggs won the best boxer title forthe show, while Kev Davie wasjudged best runner-up.

After the event Q Shillingfordsaid: "I am really happy with thelads, with what they have done inthe last two years.

"All the bouts were even andwell-contested, and we couldn'thave done that two years ago.

"We are now looking to preparefor next year from tomorrow."

Q also pointed to the fact that

the Army fighters had meaningfulbouts under their belts coming intothe inter-Services, and that theyare training throughout the day aspart of their Army routine.

It is a far cry from the Navy, whotrain outside 'working hours" andare not always released from dutiesto prepare.

A case in point, he said, was OMHindley, who was in the MiddleEast unt i l just before Christmas,and was unable to train intensively.

On his return he had to loseweight rapidly while training forfive or six weeks - then step intothe ring without having thrown apunch in anger for almost a year.

"We need to improve our prepa-ration to get our lads more bouts inbefore the inter-Services," said Q.

"We need to get them ring fitand competition fit. I can trainthem on the track, but there is nosubstitute for bouts in the ring.

"One or two of the results tonightwere a bit harsh - Kev Davie wasvery unlucky, and Kev Green'scould have gone either way.

"When I took over last year wehad few lads who could do it at thislevel, but tonight they all wen thedistance apart from one.

"Now I will be pushing to get mylads off early, pushing theCommanding Officers to releasethem - if they want Royal Navyboxing to take off the units need torelease them.

"It's not fair to ask them to enternational championships halfwaythrough the season and performagainst national boxers with so lit-tle preparation."

On hand to watch the proceed-ings was Earnie Shavers, a heavy-weight world title contender in thedays of Ali and Holmes.

Mr Shavers, who presented atrophy, said: "It was a very goodshow tonight - there were somevery competitive young men there.

"The officials did a great job,too, making sure no one got hurt. Ireally enjoyed it."

• Mne Jim Cusick (blue) on his way to victory in the inter-Services boxing championships.

New talent put through paces

• Hockey players from HMS Sultan have been celebrating a suc-cessful season, winning seven out of eight games to take thePortsmouth Area Champions. Pictured is action from the final fix-ture against Fort Blockhouse, which Sultan won 5-1. LAEMDutchy Holland (quartered shirt) dribbles in towards the FortBlockhouse area.

MORE than 60 boxers ofnovice and intermediate stan-dard representing 20 differentunits gathered to contest theRoyal Navy Knockout Cup2002.

The 40 or so preliminary roundstook up two evenings, leading tothe 15 championship finals.

Following two walkover bouts,the contests began in earnest, andsaw MA Khan gain a majorityresult against a member of the hostunit. WEA Ro.

A strong contingent from theRoyal Marines based at Poolescored victories at featherweight(Mne Goodwin) and light mid-dleweight (Mne Robinson).

The Fleet was also well repre-sented. Wins included LMEMLawson of HMS Grafton at lightwelterweight, who also took thebest novice boxer of the nightaward.

At intermediate welterweight,AEM Butterworth of HMSIllustrious proved too strong forOM Caldwell of HMS Liverpool,

and Buttcrworth was deemed bestintermediate boxer of the evening.

One of the best bouts of theevent came at intermediate mid-dleweight, with OM Chatburn(HMS Manchester) gaining amajority decision against MEMGreen of HMS Ark Royal.

Host unit HMS Collingwoodproduced a very strong squad, andproved too good for the visitors,taking all three relevant team tro-phies, while HMS Ark Royal tooktop Fleet honours.

The event, in its second year, not

only helped to raise the profile ofNavy boxing, but also allowed Navyboxing coach POPT Q Shillingfordto run the rule over the up-and-coming talent for next season.

The RN Boxing Association hasexpressed its thanks to HMSCollingwood for staging the event,particularly to LPT Jason Steele,and to officials, the hundreds ofspectators, and to all the boxers formaking it such a success.

Full results will be posted on theNavy News website.

www. navynews. co. uk NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2002

Snort

• St Albans skipper Si Burns and his team are cheered offthe pitch by their beaten rivals.

Debut successHMS St Albans crownedtheir debut in thePortsmouth Area midi-shipsrugby cup by taking the title.

The new Type 23 frigatehad only played two games- two defeats - before theyprepared to meet HMSWestminster.

Those preparations werehampered by a lack of rugbykit, remedied by the loan ofHMS Nelson's old kit.

Under the coaching andguidance of team managerand captain POWEA SiBurns, a Navy prop forward,the St Albans team enteredthe first match with confi-dence, and finished thematch 24-0 victors, bookingthemselves a second gamewithin 24 hours, this timeagainst HMS Glasgow.

With spirits now sky-high,even the presence of for-ward Burns in the back lineat inside centre failed toupset their rhythm, and themen from the frigate turnedover the destroyer by acomfortable 41-5.

The final match wasagainst another Type 23,HMS Marlborough, and thepattern was repeated as StAlbans touched down withinfive minutes.

Tired legs were forgottenas the new boys went on torepeat their first-roundscore, 24-0, and having con-cede just one try in thethree matches they arelooking forward to pittingthemselves against the win-ners of the Plymouth andScotland competitions.

Under-25s take squashtitle in thrilling finale

THE NAVY Under-25 squashteam made the most of a close sea-son of professional training to winthe inter-Services squash title,writes Lt Cdr David Cooke.

The Navy youngsters, trained bypast RN champion and now inter-national coach Paul Chaplin, setout their intentions early on byconvincingly beating the RAF by 5-0 - without losing a single game -on Day 1 of the event, held atHMS Temeraire in Portsmouth.

During their contest with theArmy the current Navy championand number 1 seed Lt DamienMay RM fought out an epic five-setter with his opposite number,and after finding himself twogames down, May ground his wayback to win 3-2.

OM Lewis Colley (HMSCollingwood) and AEM NeilMartin (HMS Sultan) both won 3-0, while OM Simon Backhouse(RN Sailing Centre, Whale Island)and OM Matthew Noall (HMSRaleigh) secured 3-1 victories.

In the senior event, the awe-some Army side disposed of theNavy and RAF with relative ease.

5-0 in each case. The Army Ladiesdid likewise.

In the veterans event the RAFheld off the Army on the final dayto retain the trophy they took fromthe Navy last year.

Chief of the Defence StaffAdmiral Sir Michael Boycc pre-sented the trophies and medals tothe winners.

RN colours were presented toOM Noall and AEM Martin of theUnder-25s, BC/Sgt Sharp(CTCRM), WO Giddings (POST)and LD Peers (Horsea) of theSeniors, Lt Cdr Edmonds, POMaund, OM McPartland(Collingwood) and CWWTRGarrity (Nelson) of the Ladies,and Lt Dymond (DNR) of theVeterans.

On completion of the champi-onships, Admiral Boyce presentedfarewell gifts to CommodoreRichard Pclly, a stalwart of RNsquash for years, and unt i l veryrecently Chairman of the RNSRA, and to Lt Nick Dymond, for out-standing contributions to Servicesand RN squash. Both leave theService this year.

Sunny skies forNavy ski races

BRILLIANT sunshine litthe slopes of Les Arcs inFrance for the Royal NavySki and Snowboard champi-onships.

More than 600 RN and RMpersonnel, plus a healthy con-tingent of Reservists, took partin a two-week programme splitinto 'Learn to Ski week' andrace week.

Meanwhile more than 250 peo-ple applied for training at variouslevels, far in excess of expectations,and although some of the moreadvanced classes suffered in favourof beginners, this situation wil l beaddressed by next year.

Race week began with sunshine,blue skies - and little snow.

The normal race piste at Arc1800 was unsuitable for racing, andthe first evolution was to move tothe World Cup piste at Arc 1600,some 5km distant.

The first race was the major andminor unit A teams Giant Slalomover two runs which resulted in awin for HMS Seahawk A, with 1Assault Group RM runners-up.

The individual winners were LtMark Campbell of HMS Heron,followed by Sgt Ross Barbour RMof HMS Collingwood.

The fastest lady competitoracross the line was Lt Trish Kohnof HMS Neptune, with CPOWPTCarol Strong, the ladies' captain,also from Nelson, in second place.

The B team and RNWSA ClubTeam Giant Slalom was held thefollowing day over a slightly easiercourse, again over two runs, andhad a massive 134 competitors.

Individual honours went to MrSimon Edgington, skiing in thePresident's pals team (captained

• Lt Andy Way/or of the RN Snowboard Team on the Megeveslopes during the Skiworld Super Giant Slalom at the inter-Services. Photographer: Angus Beaton

by the RNWSA president), whowas followed home by LOM(EW)Spencer-Smith of HM York.

The team race was won by 801NAS. with RMR Bristol B second.

Following each run by the con-ventional skiers on day 2, theTclcmarkcrs took to the slopes.

Maj H. Davics RM finishing topwith Mr Telemark himself, Lt ColMartin Price RM, second.

There was only one femaleTelemarkcr, S/Lt J. Bowker, whocompleted the course in llth.

Individual winners in the men'sSpecial Slalom events were RossBarbour (A race) and MID Fisher(HMS St Albans) in the B event.

Trish Kohn and Carol Strongwere again the pick of the ladies.

The team event was a repetitionof the Giant Slalom, with Scahawkand 801 NAS respective winners.

The inter-Command races were

closely contested, with the RoyalMarines winning the ComamndGiant Slalom, followed by theNaval Air Command.

In the Command ParallelSlalom the result was reversed, butwith the two events carrying differ-ent weighting for the overallCommand Cup, the Royals werechampions, with Naval Air second.

Snowboarding also featuredthroughout the fortnight.

The races consisted of a GiantSlalom, won by Lt Andy Naylor of819 NAS, with CPO MickArrowsmith of 815 NAS second.

The second event was a floodlitDual Slalom, won by AEM TerryHamlyn of HMS Ocean, with MickArrowsmith again second.

A full report on this event willappear on the Navy News website,and details of the inter-Serviceswill be in next month's edition.

Racing pair scoop trophiesTWO MEMBERS of the RN

Automobile Club collected onethird of the prizes available for theAutoscribe Formula 750Championship 2001 at the club'sDinner at the NEC.

LWEM Sean Graham boughthis own car after a year as pit crewfor Cdr Paul Morris, and after asuccessful first year won the RobinRead Trophy for best newcomer.

Sean is on duty in Diego Garcia,so his wife Mary collected theprize on his behalf.

Cdr Morris, of ThundererSquadron, the RN EngineeringSponsorship Scheme at South-ampton University, won cups forsixth place in the championship,second place in Class B, and thehighest-placed non-race winner.He was also promoted to Class A.

The cars are single-seat, singed,slick-tyred machines with ReliantRobin engines - but can be as fastas Porsche 911 road sports aroundmost of the circuits.

Anyone wanting more informa-tion should cither visitwww.750mc.cant or email puulmor-ris@koneshttLfreeserve.co.uk

• Cdr Paul Morris in his Formula 750 racing car.

Hecticstart forrugby XIIIsquadTHE RN Rugby League squadface a hectic start to their 2002campaign with a mixture of repre-sentative matches in the ScottishCourage Challenge Cup and theannua l 9s and inter-Commandtournaments helping to maintainthe momentum of the develop-ment of the sport within theService.

All thoughts at the momenlhowever are focussed on the tourto Australia.

As reported in the last editionof Navy News, a 22-strong squadof players plus support staff aredue to leave for Australia onFebruary 28.

A final training camp was heldat HMS Nelson in late January,which proved very valuabledespite the atrocious weather atthe time.

The tour has been made possi-ble through significant financialsupport from the RN SportsLottery, as well as commercialsponsors NAAFI, Babcock BESand Stag.

Support has also been receivedfrom Area Recreational Officers,unit welfare funds and Mr WalterSimpson of Hull RLFC, with theplayers themselves helping outwith proceeds from matchday raf-fles.

The tour is being eagerly antici-pated on both sides of the world,with several offers of hospitalitybeing received in advance of thesquad's departure, including onefrom the Vice Chairman of theNew South Wales Rugby League,Mr Eric Cox, who served with theRoyal Australian Navy duringWorld War II.

The team is expected back inthe UK on March 15, giving justover a fortnight before the start ofthe domestic season, which openswith a home tic in the ScottishCourage Cup against a BARLAU-21 side.

The following fixtures have alsobeen confirmed at time of going topress: Weds May 1: RNRL 9s atFort Blockhouse; Weds May 15:RM Corps Championships at CdoLogs; Weds May 22: RM v RoyalLogistic Corps at Deep Cut; MonJune 3: City of York GoldenJubilee 9s competition; Wed June12: RM v REME at CTC; WedsJune 19: RN Plymouth v RM atPlymouth; Sat June 29: RN vPrison Service at Burnaby Road

Further details on these fixturesand future matches can beobtained from CPO KeithHumplcby on 023 9272 7749 orWO Fez Wood RM on 01392414132.

Tennis proves a knock-outENTRY lists have opened for the first RN LawnTennis Association (RNLTA) Navy Knockoutcompetition.

Teams of four, from any unit, will be 'gender-free' - there are no restrictions as to the make-up - and each match will consist of threegames; one doubles and two singles matches.

Games will be decided in accordance withthe existing County Cup rules - two sets, and ifsets are equal a tie-break will decide the win-ner.

Lodger unit teams will have prior call on play-ers over a mother unit, and matches will beplayed on the surface most readily available tothe home team.

Matches will, where possible, be based onarea location, except the finals, which will beplayed on grass at Burnaby Road on MondayJuly 29 during the Navy Championships.

Dates for completion of rounds will be setwhen the entries are known.

All entries should be forwarded to theSecretary RNLTA, including a £10 entry fee, bythe end of March.

There is also a men's handicap tennis tourna-ment to be played at the Tennis Dome atBurnaby Road in Portsmouth on March 15 -more details are available from CPOPT DollyGray on 9380 23974.

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New 45s:Defender,Dragon,DuncanTHREE more Type 45 destroyers have been orderedfor the Royal Navy - to be called Dragon, Defenderand Duncan.

It's thatbearagain!HMS NEWCASTLE'S small-est recruit has reported backfor duty after making such abig impression on the destroy-er's world tour of 2000.

Salty Bear was sent by the pupilsof Marine Park School in WhitleyBay to report back on his adven-tures - and the little furry toyproved popular with media aroundthe world as he and the destroyer'sCommanding Officer, Cdr StevePearson, shared the spotlight.

Now Cdr Pearson and his ship,which has taken on the nicknamethe Geordie Gunboat, are prepar-ing for a deployment to WestAfrica, the South Atlantic and theWest Indies. And Salty - suitablykitted out with appropriate cloth-ing and a passport by the MarinePark pupils - is going with heragain.

The well-travelled bear isexpected to put his thoughts ontothe Internet at regular intervals,creating an educational resourcefor Marine Park and other schoolswhich log on.

Cdr Pearson's visit to the north-east further strengthened themany contacts he has fostered dur-ing his command, and also allowedthe ship's team to play a return fix-ture against Newcastle United.

The first match had ended in a10-1 drubbing, but things appearto be swinging in favour of thesailors as they restricted theMagpies - featuring two youngstars who scored in league match-es the following week - to 8-0.

They follow on from the ini-tial order of three in the newclass of up to 12 ships -Daring, Dauntless andDiamond - due to replace theType 42 destroyers from 2007.

Cost of the first six ships whenthey are completed and fullyequipped is expected to be £4.3 bil-lion, making the contract thebiggest single UK surface warshiporder for decades.

They will be built at theScotstoun and Govan shipyards inGlasgow and by VospcrThornycroft UK on the southcoast.

A total of 22 warships,auxiliaries and submarinesare now on order or underconstruction for use by theMOD.

Defence Procurement MinisterLord Bach said the order was "theclearest indication of theGovernment's commitment to amodern and powerful RoyalNavy."

"This year we will take a deci-sion on a further batch of up tothree Astute class attack sub-marines and next year we willselect the preferred bidder for thedesign and construction of twolarge aircraft carriers.

"This is the biggest warship con-struction programme for a genera-tion and a huge opportunity forBritish industry."

The 7,350 tonne ships will be themost advanced air defence ships inthe world when they enter service.

They will carry the world-beat-ing Principal Anti-Air MissileSystem, designed to destroy themost advanced anti-ship missilesenvisaged.

Their construction is expectedto sustain about 2,900 shipyardjobs - 1,200 on the Clyde, 900 atBarrow-in-Furness and about 800at Vosper Thornycroft when workon them peaks - and several thou-sand more elsewhere in the UK.

•HMS Vanguard arrives in Devonport for her first major refit.

Vanguard infor two-yearfirst refitT R I D E N T s u b m a r i n eHMS Vanguard has beenbrought into dock ready forher first-of-class refit atDevonport.

The 16,000-ton nuclear-pow-ered submarine was navigatedinto Devonport on Sunday,February 3, and then nudgedinto the sheltered Five Basin.On February 9 she was movedto Nine Dock for dry-dockingand the start of her refit.

The two-year refit, wonby DML, will see her over-hauled and her nuclearreactor refuelled. Her threesisters, Victorious,Vengeance and Vigilant,will follow in due course.On the Trident boat's arrival in

Plymouth, Devonport Naval BaseCommander Commodore RicCheadle said: "Today was the cul-mination of a lot of hard work toget HMS Vanguard in safely.

"Everything has gone accord-ing to plan, and the whole opera-tion went like clockwork.

"We were very fortunate to geta break in the weather to bringher in.

"The Devon and CornwallPolice and our own MOD Policehave worked well together toensure security. It is a very signif-icant day for Plymouth."

Four cadets and an officerfrom Kelvinside AcademyCombined Cadet Force accompa-nied Vanguard on her passagefrom Faslanc, giving the young-sters a training weekend toremember.

Organised by Lt Ian Thomson,the four cadets - two male andtwo female - plus a female officerwere delivered to Clyde NavalBase and welcomed by the offi-cers and crew of the boat.

They were given a tour of muchof the submarine, and althoughthe weather was foul, with heavyseas and a howling gale, most of

the party managed to enjoy them-selves without too much discom-fort.

On arrival in Devonport theparty were given certificates tocommemorate their trip, andwere given a tour of HMS Drakebefore they flew back to Glasgow.

'Closer link'betweendefence athome andaway - HoonWHILE the United States hasmade it clear that it will not bedeterred from operating abroad byterrorists who threaten the UShomeland, Britain's position mustbe the same, says DefenceSecretary Geoff Hoon.

In a House of Commonsdefence debate he said emergingthreats in Africa, the Middle East,the Gulf and Central Asia couldcome to affect the UK directly,sometimes with little or no warn-ing, and there was now a closerlink between ensuring defence ofthe home base and our ability toundertake deployed operations.

Mr Hoon stressed the role ofthe Armed Forces in homedefence, citing the role played bythe Royal Marines in boarding asuspected rogue ship in theChannel just before Christmas.

Down in blackand white . . .

KING penguins pick up onthe Navy News with OMsAldo Modini (left) and BenWhatton as HMS Montrosevisits Stromness Bay,South Georgia. The Type 23frigate, which deployed inOctober 2001, is due backin Devonport at the end ofthis month.

9II770028II167078

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www. navy news. co. uk NAVY NEWS YOUNG READERS SUPPLEMENT MARCH 2002

A VERYTALLADVENTURE

LEPHANTISLAND;

In our ChristmasSupplement we told youabout the British ArmyExpedition that washeading for thefreezing Southernoceans in the yachtJohn La ing. Theexpedition charted theyacht from the youngpeople's sailing charityOcean Youth Trust.

Well, the crew made it tothe chilly south and hadsome fantastic adventureson the way. One of themost amazing trips wasacross Elephant Island. In1916 a famous adventurer,Ernest Shackleton set outin a small open boat fromthis island for an incrediblevoyage to South Georgia inthe Falkland Islands. Heand his crew were verybrave and he madeElephant Island very wellknown at the time.

The Island is over 90 milesfrom the nearest majorlandmass and lacks any safesheltered anchorage orlanding site. When theExpedition visited theIsland they wanted to dothree things - climb MountPendragon; search the siteof a ship wrecked on thestormy west coast of theisland at a spot known asStinker Point (Giant Petrelbirds are known asStinkers) and to takegeological samples fromaround the island.

The expedition split intothree teams, one to climbthe mountain, one to goacross the Island and oneto stay on the yacht. Allthree teams had some real

adventures and you canread all about them on theExpedition web sitewww.baae.co.uk

To give you a taste of theadventure here's some ofthe things the teammembers said

"James, as lead skier,opened up his first snow-covered crevasse, (ie heskied across a snow bridgeover the crevasse whichcollapsed on his passing,but not with him with itthis time). After 2 hours,we could not have movedmore than 2 km, and had allhad the sinking feeling ofopening numerous crevasseswith skis or poles. Harryrecalls it as something of arelief to actually fall intoone! At least he knew witha degree of certaintywhere it was! There thenfollowed a textbookrescue".

"There, within 3 km, wasthe greatest variety andconcentration of wildlifeyet encountered anywhereon the Expedition. A vastnumber of seals - FurSeals, fiercely aggressiveand defending theirterritory and given a wideberth; Elephant Seals eventhe odd Crab-eater Seal.

Nearby, not only penguinsof all the normal varietiesbut also some Macaroni andeven, to our completesurprise, a pair of KingPenguins".

"It has been the stuff thatExpeditions are made of......in various ways each(member of the team)showed considerablecourage, ingenuity, stamina,team spirit anddetermination in the faceof genuine adversity. And,despite all the turmoil, weachieved every one of ouraims on the Island. It hasbeen a fitting lastAntarctic venue for theteam and culminates theextraordinary experiencesand privilege it has been tosavour the Antarctic overthe last months. None of uswould have missed it forthe world".

For some three thousandyoung people one of thegreatest adventures oftheir lifetime will takeplace in August this year.

They will be greeted bythousands of people asthey arrive in PortsmouthHarbour in a fleet of TallShips for the end of thefamous Cutty Sark TallShips Race.

The people of Portsmouthand the City Council arepreparing a huge welcomefor them. There'll be lotsof parties and a chance tomeet up with the otheryoung people who havearrived in up to 80 TallShips from all around theworld.

If you'd like to take part inthe Cutty Sark Tall Shipsrace or just want to knowmore about the race andits finish why not log on towww.tallshipsrace.com orcontact Jacci Jourdan, TheTall Ships People, 01837840919?

Big note for your Diary:The Tall Ships arrive inPortsmouth Harbour fromAugust 15 to August 18.

RBBFThe Russian Tall Ship 'Krusenshtern' on her last visit to Portsmouth

CYBER ACTION FOR YOUNG READERSIN PORTSMOUTH!

Everyone at Navy News will be celebrating on 11 March!It's the official opening of Navy News' brand new Cyber Deck at

the popular Action Stations in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.The opening will be performed by the 2nd Sea Lord,

Vice Admiral Sir Peter SpencerSo. don't forget to check out the Cyber Deck

when you come to the Historic Dockyard.

^^^^^^^^^

Megcibouil Parlies Up for Grabs inthis Sensational Cosier Competition

If it's the school holidays - then it's time for tenpin bowling!And more than 50 Megabowl centres are ready to bowl you

over with an Easter school holiday jam-packed withtenpintastic action. In case the usual helping of fun andexcitement wasn't enough, Megabowl centres are also

distributing 'Schools Up Vouchers' to schools throughoutthe country. The voucher entitles anyone 16-years old or

under to a special deal on bowling and food.

To celebrate this great Easter holiday offer, Megabowl has joined forces with Navy Newsto offer you the chance to win one of two Mega Parties for up to 10 teenagersOR a Big Birthday Bash for up to 10 children aged between 4 and 11 years old.

Just answer the question below and you could be a lucky winner ofone of these Cool Prizes...

Question: What's the name of the special school holidaydeal available at Megabowl this Easter? (»ouwiiifind«,».»,»,*,,„**cop¥.!*,..>

Send your answers on a postcard with your name, addressand membership number to:

Megabowl, Wavy News, HMS Nelson, Queen Street,Portsmouth PO1 3HH

Closing datefor entries:

4th April 20O2

The Editors' decision isfinal. Relatives and

employees of Navy Newsare ineligible to enter.

III NAVY NEWS YOUNG READERS SUPPLEMENT MARCH 2002

GLOBAL EGGS FAMOUS BUNNIES/Eggs, glorious eggs!There's loads of themeverywhere at Easter,chocolate ones, chinaones, boiled andpainted! But are wethe only country in theworld to go mad abouteggs?

Well actually no, it's aglobal thing!

In parts of Germany andAustria green eggs areused on Maundy Thursday.

In Greece people exchangebright red eggs to honourthe blood of Christ.

In America they roll Eggs

down hills, the most famoushill being on the WhiteHouse lawn!

In Russia and EasternEuropean countries eggsare decorated withbeautiful designs. Some aredecorated using a methodcalled Pysanki. Meltedbeeswax is applied to afresh white egg. It is thendipped in lots of baths ofdye. After each dip morewax is put over the colourso that at the end there isa very complex andstunning pattern.

What will you do with youreggs this year?

CELEBRATEAND GROW/

Easter is a time forcelebration! For yearsand years and yearspeople have rejoiced atthe coming of Spring.It's a time wheneverythingstarts growingagain andmany babyanimals areborn.

So, why notget outsideandcelebrateSpring bygrowingsomething?It doesn't have to beanything grand. You cancreate a mini garden in anempty ice cream tub!

All you need is any kind ofempty container, some soil,a trowel, a lolly stick andsome seeds. Most GardenCentres have special seedsfor children to grow andthey are not veryexpensive.

Your container needs tohave some holes in thebottom to allow water todrain through. The easiest,but not the cheapest soil isthe soil you buy at GardenCentres. Make sure it'speat free and suitable for

planting seeds.

Then, allyou do isput yoursoil in thecontainer.You may needsome gravelto helpdrainage, usethe lolly stickto make thehole or channelfor the seeds

and follow the instructionson the seed packet. Theyshould tell you where theseeds will grow best. Don'tforget, if you bring thecontainer inside putsomething underneath tocatch any water.

Have fun, good luck withyour plants!!

SCRAMBLED EGGSEveryone has their favourite kind of chocolateand most of the best chocolates can be found

in Easter Eggs.

Captain Plank and the crew made a list of thekind of eggs they wanted but unfortunately itgot stuck in the rigging and all the letters of

the words got jumbled up.

Can you work out which chocolates each of thecrew wanted?

Captain PlankTechnocatJackSusieBert the Deck HandJim the Editor

niolrabixwtarmiestsolorsresetlamttubsno

At this time of the year weall talk about the EasterBunny but there have beensome other bunnies thathave become famous.

Captain Plank took a look inthe ship's library todiscover a few names!

Rabbits in Books

Brer RabbitWriter Joel ChandlerHarris invented thisfamous American rabbit inthe late 1800's. BrerRabbit was fond of playingclever tricks on the otheranimals in the stories

FWULY ENTCRUINMWT

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Peter Rabbit

Peter Rabbit was a verynaughty rabbit! The veryfamous writer BeatrixPotter created him, in1893. The book, featuringPeter in his smart bluewaistcoat, called The Taleof Peter Rabbit becameone of the best sellingchildren's book. The booksabout Peter Rabbit are stillpopular and have sold over80 million copies - wow!

RabbitAlthough the character in

A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh didn't have a nameRabbit was still veryimportant in the story.The story of Winnie-the-Pooh was written for A.A.Milne's son ChristopherRobin and included all histoy animals.

Film Rabbits

Bugs Bunny

Walt Disney created thisloveable rabbit. He has hisown famous catch phrase"What's up Doc". But it wasanother rabbit that helpedWalt Disney becomefamous. When Walt firststarted making his now

www.navynews.co.uk

world-famous cartoons heused a character calledOswald the Rabbit. Thefilms sold and Walt Disneywas on his way to being oneof the most famous namesin films.

Roger Rabbit

Another cartoon character,Roger Rabbit, appeared ina film with real life actorBob Hoskins.

Thumper

This bunny appeared in thevery sad "Bambi" film. Hegot his name because hewould warn other animalsof danger by thumping hisback foot.

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WE LOVE POEMSAll of us at Navy News are really impressed withthe poems you send us. They make our day sokeep them coming! We like your drawings andletters too, of course!If you like writing poems just send them in to YoungReaders Page, HMS Nelson etcDon't forget to put your name, age and membershipnumber on them. You never know, you could find yourselfin print in Poet's Corner!!Here's a poem by Alexander Johnstone.

H.M.S. York

HMS York, the subject of Alexander Johnstone's poem.

H.M.S. York the grey sea sprinter slicing through the hostile seas,The engines roar like hungry bears,The 'ops' room bleeps and buzzes.

Suddenly the radar bleeps,'Enemy attack enemy attack'!Shouts the officer of the watch,The alarm sounds,'Action stations action stations' booms the ships megaphone,The captain says 'who dares engage us'?The weapons officer requests permission to fire,The captain says 'permission granted','Boom'! The strenuous sea dart missile strikes '180' on thedartboard of war.

Excellent, shouts the captain,Yet another enemy honourably defeated by the strengthof the Royal Navy.

As H.M.S. York returns to Portsmouth flying her flag of victorywith great pride and honour.

by Alexander Johnstone,SangPlank Member 2046

I

www. navvnews. co. uk NAVY NEWS YOUNG READERS SUPPLEMENT MARCH 2002 III

CHOCOLATE BASKETSIf you're stuck for a present to give your Mumor friends then why not make these prettybaskets to give.

You'll need...

• 6 Breakfast wheat biscuits

• Large heat proof glass bowl

• saucepan

• 2 large bars of chocolate

• Mini eggs

• Baking tray

• Packet of paper cases or home-made cases

Put your paper cases on the baking tray. Howmany you use will depend how big you make thenests. You can use hand-made and hand decoratedcases.

Melt the chocolate by breaking it into pieces,putting it in the bowl and standing the bowl in asaucepan of hot water. If you are not used tocooking please ask an adult to help.

Crumble the biscuits into the chocolate and thenput a spoonful into the cases. Shape into a nest.Leave the mixture to harden, you can put it in thefridge. Then put one or two eggs in each nest.

A yummy and clever present!

SURPRISE, SURPRISE.'.'Cilia Black may be good atsurprises but, many yearsago in Russia, there wasone man who was the bestat giving Easter surprises.He was called Carl Fabergeand he was a jeweller. Infact, in the late 1800's andearly 1900's he madejewellery for most of theroyal families around theworld.He was particularly close tothe Russian Royal Familyand was asked by TsarAlexander III to make asurprise Easter gift for hiswife. In Russia givingpresents at Easter waspopular and eggs hadrepresented Spring.Faberge loved surprisesand he came up with a

FIXING THE

present that looked justlike an ordinary egg but,when you opened it insidethere were beautiful littletrinkets, all in gold andplatinum with amazingprecious gems.This started a traditionand every year Fabergemade more and morebeautiful eggs withsurprises inside. It'sbelieved he made 49 eggsin all.

When Russia had arevolution in the 1900'ssome of the RoyalTreasures were lost but anumber of the eggs stillexist. If you ever get thechance to see one in amuseum don't miss it,they're amazing!

£ IS FOR?E is for Easter and alsoEggs but it also isbeginning of loads ofother words. Here's aquiz to find out if youknow some other wordsbeginning with E.

1. You Hear withthese

2. One of the pointson a compass

3. A snake-I ike fish4. They come from

chickens5. Number before

nine and afterseven

6. A large greyanimal

7. Message sent viaa computer

8. You put a letterin one to send it

9. New currencybeing used inEurope

10. A female sheep

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Portsmouth P01 3HHClosing Date For Entries:

4th April 2002

DATE!•THE MESS DECK,

Have you noticed peoplesaying that Easter is"late" this year orperhaps Easter's a bit"early"? Well, that'sbecause the date ofEaster is not fixed like,say, Christmas Day.

It's all very complicatedto work out the actualday but it's to do with thephases of the Moon. Itcan fall anywherebetween March 22 andApril 25.

In recent years there'sbeen lots of discussion asto whether to give Eastera set date and the secondSunday in April has beenput forward. However allthe various Churcheswould have to agree onthis and they haven't yet!

It's been a jolly busy timefor our postman, yourletters have been arrivingby the bucket full. Welove reading them so keepwriting!

Hello to Kathleen Adamsand thanks for your greatdrawing of Susie in hersummer outfit, she looksvery smart.

Alex Johnstone has justmoved to a small village inLeicestershire and hewrote to tell us all aboutit. Check out our PressGang page on the web toread more of his storywww.navynews.co.uk.

Hi to Thomas Murrant,glad you liked yourstamps, we loved them.Look out for more waysof winning top stamps inthis issue!

Alexandra from Fromewrote to thank us for thestuff we send out toreaders. She was a bitworried we may get tired- well, you're right we doget a bit tired but it'sworth it when you send uslovely letters to sayThank you!

Paul Kitching tells us hisnaval collection is gettingbigger and bigger all thetime! We startedwondering if anyone elsecollects things - if you dowhy not write in and letus know! Our address is:

Young Readers Club,Navy News,HMS Nelson,

Queen Street.PortsmouthP01 3HH

RECYCLEA big thank you!-to all of you who sent in drawings forour Great Ideas competition in theJanuary issue.

Goodie Bags are on their way to thefour winners who are:

Jodie SavoryMegan CoxRebecca LittleKathleen AdamsAnd here's one of the winning entries:

This is a great picture from JodieSavory of Leighton Buzzard inBedfordshire. Well Done Jodie!

%

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OCLE<

ACTION STATIONSA 'Press Gang* reportby OangPlank MemberJames Ware.When you think aboutthe Portsmouth HistoricDockyard you probablywould not think about abrand new State-of-the-Art naval activity centreappropriately named'Action Stations'.Walking up to the boatshed you wonderwhether you have gotthe right place! But,once you get inside youknow you are in for funand a treat.

When you go upstairsyou can play on the navalgames. These have fivedifferent challenges,which are all veryamusing. When you getcalled you go through toHorizon which showsclips of the Navy inaction. At the end, theCaptain of HMSMonarch a Type 23frigate tells you aboutlife on the waves.Suddenly an alarm goesand everyone in thecinema is evacuatedthrough a sliding door atthe back.

After a bit of a walk youare taken through to thecinema to watch the film'Command Approved'which is fairly rated aP6. It is a very excitingfilm about moderninternational piracy andhostages. The filmdeserves a 10/10.When the film hasfinished the fun reallybegins because now it isthe time to 'Be theNavy'. There are somegreat attractions suchas 'Weapons', 'RoyalMarines' and even a'Merlin Helicopter'.When you get peckishyou can have lunch atthe Mezzanine cafe.After lunch you cancarry on with theactivities and even rideon the 'Ride of theMovie1 simulator which isquite breathtaking.I fully enjoyed my tripto 'Action Stations' andwill award it a 10/10.

WORDSEARCHFind and circle thePokemon names

listed here:

ASH, MEWTWO,LUNA, CULLEN,

DOMINO, BULBASAUR,CHIKORITA, BEEDRILL

"GRAB THE GROANMETER" /ORESHere are some jokes to make youreally groan!

FROM BECKY QUINNEY:

Why did the Nurse creep into the cupboard?

So as not to wake the sleeping pills!!

FROM SAM BUTT

Why was the biscuit crying?

Because his mum had been a wafer so long!!

And some Easter jokes...Knock KnockWho's there?EggbertEggbert who?Eggbert no bacon!!!

What do you get when you cross a chickenwith some whiskey?Scotch Eggs!

Where do rabbit pilots learn to fly?In the Hare Force!!

What do you get if you cross a chicken witha dog?Poached eggs!

IV NAVY NEWS YOUNG READERS SUPPLEMENT MARCH 2002

Birthday Congratulations; ;

www. navynews. co. uk

CELEBRATING CARINGMhari-Ann AgnewJack ArnoldReece BaileyKelly BarberKieran BarberKatie BarkerKatie BarnettLewis BarrettJonathan BathardHeather Belllain BlairChristian BonningJonathan BorissSophie BradshawThomas BrazierLesley BrodieLewis BrownRobert BrowneLee BuckleyMark BullDavid BurdessJo-Anne BurfordMartin CalderMichael Castellan!James ChippendaleScott ClewesFreddie CollinsFreddie CollinsStephanie CooperWill CooperJade CopeAlice CoultonRebecca CourtneyAlexanderCox-HockeyDaniel CrockettMark CrookHeather CrosslingHarley DallisonFiona DeaneSamantha DrainWilliam DuellMatthew East

Piers Elliot-SaundersSean ElvidgeAndrew FergusonJames FordTom FranceThomas FrancisDaniel GameWilliam GentConor GibbsRobert GillettSophie GreenKimberley GriffinLoren HancockStephen HaseldenChristopher HaskinsAlexander HattonBen HoosonRobert HowRachel HullSophie JacksonMichael JeffriesAlex JonesAlex Jones-HuckleAlex JowleJoe JowleYasmine KentKirsty KerridgeMartin KerriganRichard Le LerreBethany LeverLeo Licheri-HoodCharlie LockeIsobel MaCauleyShona ManningWilliam MarshallHannah MartinThomas MartinJames McArdleHarrison McGillStephanie MillsJoel MittonCallum MundayLauren Mundy

Lydia MundyImogen NapperLaurence NelsonMartha OswaldSeth OswaldKeith OxboroughAlan PatersonLauren PerrinRobert PlaterJames PointerMatthew PooleJohnathon PyeKirsty QuereeThibaut RawlingsAndrew RichKirsty RogersAdam RollsGregah RougheadRhys ScourfieldAdam SindreyAshley SmithRob SmithSophie SpeddingCarmel SquibbCharlotte StevensCharlotte StevensKeith StevensAdam StirtonMatthew SwannNatalie TatumBenjamin TaylorIsobel TaylorAmy ThackerayJames WareAndrew WellsGuy WestRichard WestPeter WhiddettRhys WiffenLouise WilliamsClaire WoodSean WoodcraftBenjamin Youngs

In the lost issue ofNavy News there wasa special supplementcelebrating 100 yearsof QARNNS

Do you know whatQARNNS stands for? Well,it stands for QueenAlexandra's Royal NavalNursing Service.

Queen Alexandra was thewife of King Edward VTIand she was the person whopersuaded the Admiralty toset up a Navy NursingDepartment. The Queeneven designed the nurse'sbadge and approved theiruniform.

Over the past 100 yearsthere have been manychanges in the service butit remains a vital part ofthe Royal Navy. Thewomen and recently men, inthe service have looked

after injured and sick inevery major war since1902. During peace timethey work in hospitalsaround the world to carefor men and women in thearmed forces.

It's a very worthwhile job,and it can be fun too!Captain Plank has beenfollowing the career of oneof the nurses, HelenMoore. She joined theRoyal Navy in 1993 as aprobationary Student NavalNurse. After doing hertraining she has worked inForces hospitals inPlymouth, Portsmouth andGibraltar. She has alsotaken part in severalexercises with the RoyalMarines and Royal Navy.

She now has a very excitingjob on board HMSEndurance, the RoyalNavy's Ice Patrol Vessel.

She has to run the ship'ssickbay looking after all ofthe ship's company. As theship operates in some verycold areas of the world youcan bet Helen sees a goodfew frozen fingers andtoes!

If you like the sound ofbeing a QARNNS then youcan find out more on the

Royal Navy jobs website at

www.rnjobs.co.uk. You

need to double click job

search and then click on

Nurse.

If you want to know more

about how Helen's doing on

HMS Endurance, log on to

www. internursc. com and

follow the links.

BEARADVENTURESRumours are reachingCaptain Plank that HMSNewcastle has a veryspecial mascot on board,and that the mascot hasbeen on some very specialadventures!

"Salty" is apparently an20cm high teddy bear,given to the ship by aschool in the North East.He's got his own hand madepassport and proper kit forwearing around the ship.

Children can follow hislatest progress as hetravels to the SouthAtlantic by logging on tothe HMS Newcastle website at http://freespace. virgin. net/b .joy/

Salty Bear and friends

ADVENTURES INCYBERMEDICINE

Ever heard of

Cybermedicine before?

Well, that's what the

crews of the amazing

yachts in the Volvo

Ocean Race are having

to rely on to keep them

alive and well in their

great adventures on the

oceans of the world.

ADD TO YOUR STAMP COLLECTIONWe have 25 Presentation Packs of'Coastline Comes Alive' Stamps

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Right at this moment someof the world's top sailorsare racing each otheraround the world. They aresailing in eight Volvo Ocean60 yachts. The racestarted from Southamptonlast September andfinishes in Germany inJune.

The sailors are racing insome of the toughestconditions, in the middle ofhuge oceans. If any ofthem get ill or have anaccident there are nodoctors or nurses to lookafter them and often no

way of getting them offthe yacht.

So, this is whereCybermedicine come in!Using very clevercommunications the crewsget help from the land-based medical team. Onboard each yacht arecameras, satellitetelephones and computers.In an emergency the crewsfilm the patient so thedoctors can actually seethe problem. They can alsochat to the patient on thephones or via e-mail. Threemembers of each crew

have also been given specialtraining and can look outfor signs of illness.

SIQEJPRESSA skipper on board one ofthe yachts has just used avery unusual method oftreating a cut wrist.Gunnar Krantz is skipper ofthe yacht SEB. He cut hiswrist on a knife that wassticking out of a bag onboard and another crewmember used superglue tostick it together. It seemsto be working ok but don'ttry this at home!!!

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TheFalklands

Lessons learnedow News

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N \VY NEWS. THE FALIUANDS, MAR() 2lK2

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" An StiR landing sfl, possibly Sir uaianao,comes under attack

ing at low level over the sea, or by approaching from the hinterla,years before, could have prevented some of these attacks.

Learflifl!

"HMSHomes in foul Atlantic weather typical of that faced bythe task group as it made its way south to the Falklands in lgap

THE

FALKLANDS Warwas a turning pointin many spheres,

not least for the RoyalNavy.The sudden call to arms, and

the subsequent deaths of 252Serviccmcn. sccmcd unimagin-able only months before theconflict arose.The diplomacy. the militarytae-theethics of the war itself.

have all been, and arc being, sub-jected to the minulcst scrutiny.

But one si&~nific.,int aspect for the

.. '---p. rS

Royal Nasy wasthe learneda'. a result of a series of painfulshocks, which have resulted in asafer andmore effective force.

The case of airborne early warn-

ing (AEW) was a typical scenario.

According to Cdr David hobbs.Director of History at the Fleet AirArm Museum in Ycovilton, theRoyal Navy led the way in airbornesurveillance - and ironically in low-

fast jet attacks - but the tech-

niques had been abandoned In thelime the task group was assembled.ALW as a lcchnique is as old as

the hills.- said Cdr hobbs.We launched an aeroplane in

the Rattle of Jutlarid which saw theenemy fleet, though it hadprob-lemscommunicating thatinform-lion."The Admiralty.~ AEW as the'lit' EWjj original role of aviation -

goingback to 19118 the Admiralty formedan air department to see what

" One of the most famous images of the Falklands War - with Stanleyon the horizon, 45 Commando march on, having crossed the island,mountains and marshes included, by foot. The figure has now beenrecreated outside the RoyalMarines Museum at Eastney

- but at thetime, and even today, many members of the public fail to distinguishbetweenArmy paratroopers and (Naval Service) Royal Marines.

" Front: 7pe 21 frigate HMSArrow edges close to theburning Type 42 destroyerHMS Sheffield to help fight theflies which eventually claimed thestricken warship.

1592: English seafarer John l)asics discovers ilti: exclusion iiiiii' around ljtklarid'. could he achicscd with aircraft -

h'alkland lslan(l' April 25, 1982: South Georgia recaptured. and the answer was you can see

1770: Spani'ib forces drive out the first British set April 28, 1982: 2trn-niile total exclusion zone beyond the isiNe horizon."

tier They return the following years when declared around Falklands. AEW~me a priority asSpain apologises. AprIl 30, 1982: British task force enters 200-mile a result of the Pacific War,

1820: Argentina laysclaim to the now-uninhabited exclusion zone. US officially deciarcssupport for when low-flying kamikazel:alkland Islands. or Las Malvinas, JJK aircraft penetrated the

1829: ]lie US declares the islands as being withoutMay 1, 1982 Stan of the Falkiands War, with fleets, defences.

government.1833: Britain occupies the Falklands

British aircraft and ships bombarding Port lib the Ukinassa campaign. 2(i US

1840 Falklands become a Crown Colony Stank. Argentine jets attack British ships. radar picket dcst,os'er'. were lostbecause the Aew in low and

1966: Under a United Nations Resolution, the UK Argentine natal attack on British task groupbegins.

enemysurprised them - the average ship-

agrees to negotiations with Argentina over theluture of the Falklands. The talks continue until May 2, 1982: Argentine naval attack postponed.

borne radar can reach no further

1982. IIMS Conqueror sinks Argentine cruiserthan 18 miles or so.

Accordingly. the US set up1976: IIMS Endurance discover', an Argentine base General Iklgrano: more than 32(1 ArgentineProject Cadillac to create an AEW

on Southern Thulc, in the South Sandwich sailors di.system based on the Avenger air.

Wand, May 4, 1962: 15.pe 42 dcstroyvr UMS Sheffield " cralt - and when the British1981: UK (o,s ernrnent confirms in June that it NI hit l's an Argentine Lxocct missile. The missile

expressed an interest in the l9SD.,wiihdrass lIStS Endurance as part of defence t:iils jo esplode, hut starts a tire which cripples they obtained a variation.res icss. In l)ceember of the same year General

Leopoldo (ialtien assumes power' in Argentinathe ship and causes Capt Sam Salt and his men i%einrdrngIv, in 1952.849 Naval Air

alter a coup.to abandon the ship, which sinks within days. Squadron formed with AEW

January 1982: Planning begins in earnest in May 12. 1982: The QE2 sails from the UK with Skyraiders.

Argentina for a military recapture of the3"' troops on hoard. AIW aircraft were deemed a

Fatktand'. May 21, 1982 British landings take place in San vital element of even' front-line

March 1982: Argentina rejects the outcome of UN ( arks'. Water. Type 21 frigate HMS Ardent carrier's air wing, and from

talks over the islands. bonibvd and abandoned to sink. lO.000ft the early machines were

March 19. 1982: A party of scrap-metal workers May 23,1962: 1IMS Antelope hit by bombs. One capable of detecting a destroyer.lands at South Georgia, eliciting a formal protest explodes the following day and sinks her. sized ship at 180 miles, and a largefrom the I. K aavs later the part)' is rein- May 25. 1982: Is-pc 42 destroyer HMS Coventry

Soviet bomber at 75 miles.

Forced from an Argentine ship bombed and sunk. Helicopter carrier Atlantic These were replaced by theMarch 28. 1982: Argentine invasion force sails (on'.c or is hit by an Exocci and sinks later. Fa'eY Gannet, and AEW was cen-

from South America.May 29. 1982: Argentine garrison at Goose Green

tre stage- until whispers were

April 2, 1962 Argentina invades the Falklandssurrender'. under attack from 2 Pans. heard that manned aircraft were In

Governor Rex Hunt surrenders,June 3. 1982: 2 Pora takes Fitzroy and Bluff Cove,

become obsolete, and missiles wereAprIl 3, 1982: Mrs Thatcher announces the crc-

anon of a task group to recapture the Islands. June 8, 1982: RI As Sir Galahad and Sir ilistramthe way ahead.

Replacement carriers wereApril 5, 1982: British task group leaves UK. bombed at Fitzroy. Sir Galahad is lost, shelved, and with them went the

Foreign Secretary Lord Camnglnn resigns. us June 11-14, 1982 British forces close in on Portability to operate the Gannet.

Secretary of State Al hlaig begins round of shut- Stanley. capturing surrounding high ground. The Royal Navy had, in tandem.tie dinlomacy June 14, 1982 Argentine commander surrenders been developing a devastating abil-

April 1± 198k UK declares 200-mile maritime to the British. ity to attack at speed,at low, levels.

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\ \\ i SEWS. liii .\I KLANI)S. MARCH 21)02 3

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-fçfrom an Argentine Miragejet. Too often, ships of the Royal Navy task group were caught unawares by Argentina jets attack-rd, where ship's radar falls to pick up the contact from the background clutter. Airborne early warning systems, abandoned

using the much-loved Buccaneer,which had sensors allowing it to

pick up radar emissions, at which

point it droppcd to sea level unit

pressed home the attack.We developed these tech-

niques, other navies - includingthat of Argentina

- took it on. andit was very frustrating that it wasused against us in the Falklands,-said Cdr I loWs.

Thc warning signs were soonthere - on May I, 1982, the first dayof action, when the RN task groupbombarded Port Stanley airfield.three Argentine Mirages appearedfrom nowhere and bombed AIM

ship'. Glamorgan. Alacrity andArrow.One bomb damaged one of the

ships engines, and the first casual-ty was sustained from the strafingruns which completed the attack.The ships' radar could not pick

up the lantiward attack of the jetsagainst the background clutter, andtime and time again in the ensuingweeks ships were surprised by tow-level aircraft and missile attacks.The remedy was rapidly sought -

an evaluation project had testedSea King helicopters as AEWmachine'., and Iwo were convenedand dispatched to AIMS Illustriousas $24 NA.S I) Flight.

Its 1984 849 NAS had re-formedwith Sea Kings

- and AEW washack in its rightful place in thefront line.

Ic'.son'. had ii, lierclcirncd in the case ol dam-

age control.In many cases it was not the

explosion of a missile or bomb thatcaused most ofthe damage, but thefire that resulted.

And, according to Lt Cdr ChrisNew, responsible for damage con-trol training at the Phoenix NI3CDSchool in AIMS Excellent, fireitself was not the sole problem."Smoke spread very very quickly

in ships in the Falklands - and peo-ple had to evacuate importantareas of the ships because theybecame untenable." said Lt CdrNew.

"In a matter of minutes, the

Damage Control 110 of Sheffield.Coventry, Plymouth. Ardent and

Antelope all had to be evacuated,"because of smoke."The direct result was that mod-

em RN warships such as Type 23frigates are divided into zones, withsmoke curtains, to prevent smoke

sprcadin.Materials used on board - par-

ticularly in furnishing- have also

been revised as it was found thatfoam rubber benches and plasticsurfaces burned to produce toxicfume.., adding to the problem.

Fire-fighting techniques alsocame under seruliny

In 1982 personnel a'.stpicd it,

the ship's fire and repair partswould have had fire-fighting train-

ing. hut for the rest of the ship'sci.ntpain the situation was lessclear - "it was a bit hit and miss,"said Lt Cdr New."Now you cannot go to sea

unless you have done fire-fightingtraining. Everyone will have doneeither a basic or intermediate sea

safety course, and half of thosecourses are taken up byfire-fight-Equipmentalso had to be

improved. 11815 Sheffield was hit

by a missile which failed to

explode. but which set the ship on

In piercing the hull, theExocet missile virtually sev-ered the single fire-fightingring main, and pressure tohoses waslost-

Explosion shocks a'. es alsounseated pump starter boxes fronttheir contacts, rendering pump'.useless - a problem which had beer.rectified in ship'. during World WarU with shockproof boxes.And Sheffield's diesel genera-

tors were in vulnerable positions;when the last one failed, the shipwas lost.

Post -Falklands warships haveseveral. separaic water mains and

choekproof starter boxes, while ancrl1erceti". diesel generator hasbeen set up in a much sAct los'atii)IiU Continued on page 4

_- -- -- .:

-__ -- - .; -- - - - -r --

- '- -

-

-, -

" Members of 40 Commando Royal Marines carry out cross-decking by landing craft from theCanberra to HMS Fearless before landing at San Caries Water in the Falkiands.

" An Argentine prisoner wearing a Royal Marines colour sergeant's jersey atPort San Caries, He is believed to have obtained thejumperfrom Moody Brookbarracks, when the Argentines first occupied the Falklands.

0Simulated Marble

A-i£80.25

Simulated Bronzeon wood base

£85.99Please telephone

for k)% cr~eas prices

Sculptor Aadtony Leonard was

commissioned in 1997 by the

International NcI'an SICIc't% tocreate this bust oh Lord Ncison. It is an

accepted fact that the likeness he achievedis correct in even detail, including his

medals and award'.. They are the Turkish

Order of the Crescent. The Order ofSt Goachim and The Order in Trinidad.

The medals around his neck are of the

Cape 51 Vincent and Nile battles.

--5

- AM Nelson did not wear an eye patch as.rpi'euivv

Con" to the beliefof many people

- he thought it would detract attention from

his good looks. He did however have a

special green eyeshade made for hibicorne hat to protect hi'. eve.

This beautiful simulated broac bust

is mountedo,i a solid wood.handpolished plinth.

To recuise one of these heritage sculptures please phone us on

023 9282 6040with your credit card details. or fill out the coupon or. page 4.

Or send a cheque/Postal Order for the amount shown to:

The Bu-J~ Manager, Navy News. HMS Nelson, Portsmouth P01 JINN

Please allow 211 days br deli.. en.

Also asailable '. a 7" 4" Limited Edition bust of Sir Winston Churchill featuring him dressed in his

Royal Yacht Stiuadz-on uniform. For more inkinnat.on contact us at the address shine.

'--

_ _

-_-____I- ---' -.----e''0'.-'-- -

-. -

L:-

p me 1aru Wa2

*

4 NAVY NEWS, THE FALKLANDS, MARCH 2002 www. navynews. co. uk

• An Argentine soldier's helmet and rifle mark his grave after the action with 42 Commando RoyalMarines on Mt Harriet.

'

• The burnt-out remains of Type 42 destroyer HMS Sheffield.

• Raising the flag on South Georgia after the island was retaken.

Learning the hard way• Continued from page 3

Ships also now have an 'upperdeck re-entry locker' stocked withfire-fighting equipment. InSheffield, once the fire-fightershad been forced out, there wasnothing left with which they couldforce their way back.

Lt Cdr New also spoke of thechanges in personnel issues - thetreatment of stress and shock, forexample - which had arisen fromthe Falklands War, and trainingwas a key factor.

"It was important to get peopleinto the right frame of mind forwhen their ship took a hit," said LtCdr New.

"They could say: 'We've talkedabout this, we've practised for thisand we've trained for this, so I candeal with this.

"We are much more disciplinednow about regular continuity train-

ing, as well."Between visits to Plymouth for

operational sea training, there areteams which make visits for ship-board NBCD training - fire, flood-ing and so on, and we carry extratimber and practice shoring."

The chances of sailors escapingthe kinds of attacks suffered in theFalklands are now far greater,thanks to rapid developments insea survival techniques, said Lt CdrJohn Herriott (rctd), the Officer inCharge of the Sea SurvivalTraining Centre at Horsea Island.

"You could argue that it wasunforgivable that people died inthe sea survival phase - everyonewho goes into the water shouldhave a very good chance of surviv-ing that part," he said.

"And as a direct result of that,the sea survival module of theNavy's sea safety courses came to

FALKLANDSTask Force

Portfolio

Our "FALKLANDS TASKFORCE PORTFOLIOS"Parts 1 & 2 have beenreprinted £10.95 each

Order both for just £18.00First produced in 1982 as a recordof the ships and units sent to theSouth Atlantic these books were ahuge success (reprinted fourtimes). PACKED with all the factsand photos sent in by officers andmen of theTask Force in 1982.

Don't miss these historic books.Maritime Books, Lodge Hill, Liskeard, PL14 4EL

Tel: 01579 343663 Fax: 01579 346747e-mail: orders.marbooks@virgin.net

Our prices include UK p&p.See our full range at www.navybooks.com

fruition."The only significant change to

equipment in the interim has beenthe introduction of the marineevacuation systems for high-sidedvessels such as RFA Argus, HMSOcean and - in due course - theaircraft carriers.

These are basically long tubeswhich drop down the side of theship, with baffles strategicallyplaced to slow down the descent.

Training was again revamped asa result of the Falklands.

"Training in 1982 was the sort ofbog-standard instruction of thesort that, when you went toPortland, someone inflated a lifer-aft over the ship's side and one ortwo people got into it in once-onlysuits," said Lt Cdr Herriott.

"In some ships lectures wouldbe given, but it varied.

"In the Falklands some peoplehad to do the survival routine forreal, and there were some short-comings, which is why it was decid-ed to make the training mandatoryparts of the sea safety courses.

"We train 8,000 or 9,000 peoplea year in these courses here.

"So if the Falklands were to hap-pen again, everyone in a ship'scompany, and every member ofembarked forces would have hadthe sea survival training to improvethe probability of him or her sur-viving the ship sinking."

Lt Cdr Herriott has first-handknowledge of the situation in theFalklands - as a young lieutenant,he was ballast control officer inHMS Fearless, and saw what hap-pened to HMS Antelope.

"I was walking across the deck,going back to the Wardroom fordinner, when it exploded," he said.

"The blast almost threw me offmy feet - we seemed to be awfullyclose to it."

Don't miss this opportunity to purchase ourtop quality calendar at a reduced price

The Navy MakingHeadlines

Our calendar looks back through theNavy News' files to remember times

when we reported stories about someof the busiest units of the Fleet, and

their activities around the world.

Did you know that in the year 2001alone. Royal Navy ships were

engaged in twelve live operations.

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Some topics featured:HMS OCEAN

'Mercy ships onfMosquito Coast"

. - HMS CROMER"On call force"

ROYAL MARINES"East meets West"

HMS ARK ROYAL"Great Dames"

MK 2 SEA KINGS"Torched"

MS DUMBARTON CASTLE"Biscay rescue"

RFA BRAMBLELEAF"Exercise Kangaroo"

NAVYavy

Weivs