2014 Christmas

HMS OPOSSUM ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2014
1945-1958
Welcome to our Christmas Newsletter. As you will see there has been some Committee changes to HMS
Opossum Association. But first grateful thanks to the generosity of members Peter Davies, Gary Holmes,
Kathie Hare and Ian Janes who have each given a monetary boost to our funds – greatly over and above
their subscriptions. Also to Lewis Trinder who has given unselfishly as he promised at this years AGM by
giving two £100 cheques towards attending funeral costs. Sadly two of our shipmates former Chairman
and website manager Charles Parker [31st July] and our former Treasurer Alan Percival [20th August] have
Crossed the Bar, we wish them a safe anchorage. Their funerals were attended by me and Sam Edgar our
Standard Bearer who has taken on the additional duties of Treasurer and website manager. The transfer
through the bank and website providers was somewhat protracted and drawn out but all is now sorted. In
addition sad to report the passing of Alister Hunter Blair [June] and Ron Blundy [2nd July] these details were
not known until some time later.
Apologies if the content of this Newsletter is not to your liking, but I have asked repeatedly for members
personal naval stories or later in life, it’s a continuing request, other than efforts from Lewis Trinder, John
Owen Stan Craven and Kathie Hare– zilch!!! So the rest is all my contributions, that I hope will be of interest
to the membership!!!
In this issue are:- Designate Chairman’s Comments, Treasurer’s Report, and Roll of Honour. Some Royal
Naval mutinies, plus a phonetical story from Lewis Trinder, Children’s favourite Captain Pugwash and his
saga, By whom and how are names chosen for British warships, A short story of the demise of troopship
Empire Windrush, Shipmates humour [1], The popular Opossum Christmas quiz, Naval personalities [9]
R.J. Ricketts [British March King,] Naval personalities [10] Captain Matthew Webb of swimming fame, The
Mary Rose story, Grenville of the Revenge, Shipmates humour [2], HMS Edinburgh and the recovery of
Stalin’s gold, The Hong Kong we knew, Make a Signal – a sample of humorous naval signals , HMS Pepperpot
– a WWll cruiser that refused to die, Gallipoli-1915- the naval side of the action.
[In Bury, the former home of the Lancashire Fusiliers, on the nearest Sunday to 25th April a Gallipoli Parade
is held by serving and retired Soldiers as well as cadets who attend a Service at the Parish church then
march through the town. Next to the Fusilier Museum and information centre is the Gallipoli Gardens.]
A MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HEALTHY, HAPPY NEW YEAR to ALL OUR MEMBERS
HMS OPOSSUM ASSOCIATION REUNION Friday 29th May – Monday 1st June 2015
RED LEA Hotel Scarborough. Arranged by Isle of Wight Tours Tel. 01983-405116
President
Chairman [Designate]
Secretary/Editor
Treasurer
Website
Rear Admiral D.J. Mackenzie Rtd. [52]
Lewis Trinder 108 North Lane, Aldershot, Hampshire GU12 4QT
01252-323861 [45] [email protected]
Eddie Summerfold 28 Greymont Road, Limefield, Bury, Lancs.
BL9 6PN 0161-764-8778 [54] [email protected]
Sam Edgar 21 Heath Lawns, Fareham, Hampshire PO15 5QB
01329-235732 [57] [email protected]
www. hmsopossum.org.uk
1
CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS
As the new occupant of the Chair, I must commend the work of the past Chairman Stan Oldfield through
to Charles Parker plus that of former Treasurer Alan Percival. As you have read sadly we lost Charles and
Alan this year, we have happy memories of them both and thank them for the work they did on our behalf.
I hope their families will keep in touch.
Your Committee is now down to three – stalwarts Eddie and Sam to whom we owe so much. New committee
members are required, please follow my example and put your name forward.
This Newsletter gives details of our next reunion at Scarborough – Vera, Marg, Jan and I have along with
others made a booking – have you?
Greatly looking forward to seeing you there.
All that remains now is to wish everyone a Wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Lewis Trinder Designate Chairman
TRESURER’S REPORT
Balance after 2014 Reunion
£1,395.37
Income since
£470.00
Expenditure
£262.11
Balance
£1,630.26
Expenditure incurred was for attending funerals of Charles Parker and Alan Percival, travel costs and
accommodation in Sheffield, Standard bearer and Secretary sharing a room. Lloyds Bank donated £75 for
their appalling service during the change of Treasurer.
ROLL of HONOUR
John C Cartwright
Harry[Scouse]Barlow
Les Wood
Ken Harris
Harry Roach
Fred Thornton
Fred[Mick]Bodel
John Davison
Stephen Hart
Jack Marshall
Dick[Ginger]Bird
Joe Gornall
Cornelious[Scouse]Canon
Pate Maddox
John Hardman
Harry Catterson
Jack[Yorkie]Richards
George[Jan]Lobb
Ken Slater
John Blair
Peter Lockwood
Jim Payne
Willie[Jock]Mitchell
Alan Percival
John Eardly Wilmot
Albert Corless
Bob Gray
John Williams
Reg Parker
Gordon Fletcher
George H Richards
Sid Pemberton
George Brown
Arthur Pope
Jackie Scholes
John Bray
Jim Tribe
John Fraser
Cyril Mason
Mike Swayne
Bill Bovey
William[Bill]Wilder
Martin George
Bert Rimmer
Edward[Ted]Longstaff
Ken Carson
Tony Harris
Alister Hunter Blair
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Ronald Bradley
J W Powell
David Jarvis
George Scott
Pat Norman
Ivan C Haskell
Fred King
George Curry
Cliff Harthill
Stewart A Porter
Les Dimmock
Doug Banks
Harry Wollams
Doug Goulding
Bill Bolton
Ken Phillips
Bill Price
Ron Hare
Stewart Coltherd
Roy Cope
Mike Cole
John W C Clark
Charles Parker
Ron Blundy
ROYAL NAVY MUTINIES
Bligh and loyal men being cast adrift from HMS Bounty
There have been a few Royal Naval mutinies, Spithead, The Nore, Invergordon [1931] HMS Hermione and
some friction on a ship called HMS Bounty. The year 1797 was one of note.
First there was Spithead, 16th April to 15th May, a peaceable affair, when the fleet downed tools with
justifiable demands for :- shore leave, [previously none was given,] improved pay [at a time of high inflation,]
quality provisions and a stop to the Purser nicking two ounces per man from every pound of food issued.
The Admiralty met these demands and did not carry out reprisals. A month later The Nore mutiny followed,
12th May to the end of June. Of course news spreads as news do does and the Chatham men not only wanted
what their mates at Portsmouth enjoyed but much more, laying down a list eight demands, the last of which
the Admiralty would never grant - negotiate with the French and put an end to the Napoleonic War! More
so for this reason that amounted to not only mutiny but to treason the mutineers were rounded up tried,
many pardoned, but the ring leaders condemned, hung and left on the gibbet to rot as a warning to other
would be mutineers.
On the evening of 21st September 1797, in the West Indies, somewhere between the Dominion Republic
and Puerto Rico, there occurred on board the 32-gun fifth rate frigate HMS Hermione the most notorious
bloody mutiny in British naval history. Discontent had been simmering for sometime under the command
of 26 year old Captain Hugh Pigot, a most cruel officer who meted out severe arbitrary punishment to his
ships company. On his previous ship, HMS Success, in a year he ordered 85 floggings, equivalent to half the
company, two died of their injuries. On Hermione was a certain Midshipman David Casey an experienced
junior officer who had distinguished himself in many previous cutting-out operations against the French
and Spanish squadrons in the Caribbean theatre, noted by Captain Pigot. A week before the mutiny Casey
was at his station high up on the main top, when Pigot noticed a gasket [a rope to secure the sail] had not
been tied by the men under his supervision. Casey was brought before the Captain, he apologized for the
oversight and took responsibility. Pigot demanded he got down on his knees and make further apologies,
this debasing humiliation Casey refused to do. So Pigot not only dis-rated him on the spot, effectively
ending his naval career, but additionally sentenced him to a dozen lashes [a sailors punishment.] This
incident was one of the primary triggers to the mutiny, others were to follow. Captain Pigot had developed
the practice of flogging the last sailor down from working aloft. The day before the mutiny, as a squall
struck the ship, Pigot ordered the topsails to be reefed. Dissatisfied with the speed of the operation the
last men down would be flogged. This meant that the most skillful topmen at the end of the yardarm would
unreasonably be last and so would receive a flogging. Three young sailors in their haste to get down on
deck, fell to their deaths, Pigot ordered their bodies to be thrown in the sea, ”Throw the lubbers overboard,”
he said. Not the best of words to chose in fact an offensive insult to seamen’s vocabulary; in short another
nail in the Captains coffin! However, had Pigot been more even handed in his dealings with ex-shipmates
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from ‘Success’ instead of favouring them against Hermione’s company a mutiny might have been avoided.
In the Dog watches of the 21st some of Hermione’s crew, about 18, had had enough, they broached the rum
locker, drunk their fill and with daggers and cutlasses overwhelmed the marine sentry and broke into the
Captains cabin. Half awake he asked for mercy, since he never gave any that is what he received from the
daggers and cutlasses of his assailants. In a half murdered condition, he was the first to be thrown over the
side. Sadly these drunken seaman now took further retribution on the remaining officers – first , second
and third Lieutenants, the Bosun, Purser, Surgeon, Captain’s clerk, and also 2 Midshipman a total of nine
murdered, their bodies followed that of the Captain. The master of sail, 3 warrant officers, the gunner and
carpenter were spared! Fearing retribution the mutineers steered towards the Spanish Fleet, surrendering
the ship to them. Admiral Sir Hyde Parker demanded the return of the ship and the surrender of the
mutineers. He also set up a system of informers and posted rewards that lead to the capture of 33 mutineers
who were tried on his ship HMS York. Eight were acquitted, 1 sent for transportation to Australia - but 24
hanged and gibbetted.
Then we come to the mutiny on HMS Bounty. Surprisingly this was a full eight years before 1797,
on 28th April 1789. In the light of what followed the so called harsh discipline Bligh was supposed to have
meted out was as nothing compared to above blood bath. Captain Bligh has gone down in history , perhaps
because of books, films and television programmes as a hard task master. It must be recorded that not a
drop of blood was split in this drama. Fletcher Christian, second in command, had been reprimanded
numerous times by Bligh perhaps unfairly, as the Bounty lay at Tahiti longer than planned – waiting for the
breadfruit crop to mature and be transported to the West Indies as food for the slave population, [See
Opossum Newsletter Spring 2014 - the Royal Navy and the Slave Trade] The verbal attacks on Christian by
Bligh, in front of the men while at Tahiti, over the trival matter of the theft of a few coconuts came to a head
when Christian contemplated an honorable escape from the Bounty in a makeshift raft intending to land
ashore. Bolstered by favourable views of the ratings he believed that it was Bligh who should leave the
ship.
Early on Tuesday morning 28th April, despite Bligh’s protestations to Christian for mutual
forgiveness, Bligh was dragged onto the upper deck in his night shirt told of his fate that he and any loyal
crew members would be put into the ships cutter and abandoned to their fate. The 23ft. long ships cutter,
a 2 masted lug-rigged boat designed for a maximum of 10 men, was lowered into the sea in went Bligh and
18 loyal seaman, plus a weeks provisions, so over loaded that there was little freeboard from the start.
Gathering further food supplies from an island a quarter master was killed by hostile natives, the only
fatality. For navigation Bligh had a compass, sextant, nautical tables, but no charts or a chronometer. With
only basic navigational aids, against the riggers of a Southern hemisphere winter of gales Bligh managed
in 47 days to arrive at Timor [a European colony] a distance of 4,162 miles with out losing a further man,
in short a great feat of endurance and navigation by an officer so misjudged by history. Meanwhile Christian
had abandoned Bounty near Pitcarn Island, squabbles broke out and murder ensued, Christian being among
them. Eventually Bligh reached England and was court-marshaled for losing his ship and acquitted.
Meanwhile HMS Pandora had been dispatched to the Pacific to bring the mutineers to justice, this took a
further 3 years. In 1792, back in England 14 stood trial, most were acquitted but 3 were hung for their
crimes. Bligh was given the Governorship of New South Wales, to stamp out the rum rebellion, a difficult
assignment, that was only moderately successful. Bligh finished his naval career as Vice Admiral of the
Blue. He died in London on 7th December 1817.
A PHONETICAL STORY by Lt. Lewis Trinder [SCC] RNR
After learning from the Greek alphabet especially about ALPHA and DELTA with their PAPA, CHARLIE,
VICTOR, MIKE and OSCAR. They went to the following places, INDIA, LIMA, QUEBEC and on the high SIERRA,
the latter in NOVEMBER. In the past they stayed at a HOTEL where the doorman wore a UNIFORM and
played GOLF on a course which had an ECHO, drank WHISKY, and in the ballroom danced the FOXTROT and
TANGO with ROMEO and JULIET. Conversations with a YANKEE and a ZULU watching dancing shouted
BRAVO, dropped a KILO weight were an X-RAY was needed.
4
CAPTAIN PUGWASH
Children’s cartoon character and television favourite - myth, buffoon, sexually exploited by unscrupulous
journalists or the folly of his creator, the TV programme banned by the BBC.
All the above is true. Separating truth from fiction is more difficult to unfathom. Cartoon creator John Ryan
published Captain Pugwash and his ship the Black Pig, in the first issue of the popular comic ‘Eagle’ on 14th
April 1950 and ran for a further 16 weeks. Between 1958 and 1967 Ryan produced for the BBC - 86, 5minute episodes first in black and white later in colour. Also serialized to other overseas English speaking
countries. There was also 21 Captain Pugwash books printed between 1957 and 1991; just to emphasise
the series popularity that was turning into an industry. Who was Captain Pugwash, a cowardly, bumbling
pirate who but for Tom the cabin boy, an intelligent resourceful crew member, would have been sunk
without trace before the end of the first episode. Other members of the Black Pig crew were – Master Mate
[more about this name later] a dopey chap mispronouncing common words and having no authority
whatever over the crew. Also pirates Barnabas and Willy, both incompetent landlubbers. The adversary
of Pugwash was Black Jake, a fearsome arch enemy, aboard the Flying Dustman [a pun on Flying Dutchman]
a competent pirate with a stereotype West country accent, recognisable with his eye patch and enormous
black beard.
However, there is a persistent myth that sexual innuendo and double entendre with risqué maritime names
such as Seaman Stains, Master Bates and Roger the Cabin Boy were among the nautical crew. Even the word
Pugwash was suspected of being obscene [Australian slang for oral sex] Further it is believed that somehow
these names got past the naïve TV censors and onto kiddies television much to the delight of older children
and mortification of their parents, until others such as the famous campaigner for decency in the media,
Mary Whitehouse, brought the matter to the attention of the BBC. Another myth is the Corporation simply
omitted the offending episodes containing Bates, Stains and Roger. Puns that play on homophony of
Masturbates-Master Bates and seamen-semen; people seem to find this type of humour particular titillating.
Creator John Ryan was not only losing income from the BBC’s effected ban on showing the Pugwash
programmes but he was livid that his innocent children’s stories were being twisted for some cheap jokes
at his expense and furthermore the perpetrators even went into print. Resulting action was a court case
in September 1991 against the London Evening Standard, The Guardian, The Sunday Correspondent. Not
only did Ryan receive damages and legal costs but a public apology that it was entirely untrue that such
characters ever existed in his Pugwash stories. There you will think the matter ended – not so! Millions
of giggling school boys through the generations at the very mention of Captain Pugwash burst out into
laughter, sharing in grown up jokes. The Pugwash stories are not the only innocent children’s TV
programme to be lampooned by adults, others include Andy Pandy, Teddy and Loopy Loo. “The Sun,” 20th
January 2004, quoted a series narrated by actor Tom Conti that Andy Pandy is littered with sexual
innuendoes and double entendres, such as Randy Andy playing with his big chopper [a model helicopter.]
While The Magic Roundabout has quite a few drug references, at it’s expense Muffin the Mule has many
long running jokes; but it is the Captain Pugwash myth that remains most remembered .
5
BRITISH WARSHIP NAMES
Ever wondered how warship names are chosen? Before the creation of the M.O.D the Admiralty had many
ship naming committees, changed at regular intervals, who would submit names, then there was the
Admiralty Librarian and his department making recommendations and lastly it was their Lordships who
would have the final say. As an example taking 1950’s to 1960’s when there was over fifty ships and
submarines being designed built and put into service to replace the aging war time surface and under sea
vessels and what of their chosen names? These groups of warships and a single group of subs were all
built around the same time.
The four Anti-Aircraft frigates, designated names from the cat family, Leopard, Lynx, Jaguar and Puma;
[obviously no room for ships named “tiddles” or “sooty!”] These were ordered 28th June 1951, and all in
service by the late 1950’s. Panther was to follow, but defence cuts, transferred the ship to the Indian navy.
The four Aircraft Direction frigates, would have cathedral names, Chichester, Lincoln, Llandaff and Salisbury.
Then we have the fourteen Anti-Submarine frigates, a real break from traditional naming warships after
British seaside resorts such as Blackpool, Brighton, Eastbourne, Falmouth, Londonderry, Lowestoft,
Plymouth, Rothesay, Rhyl, Scarborough, Tenby, Torquay, Whitby and Yarmouth. [Guess the Welsh resort
Aberystwyth was out of the question?] The twelve 2nd rate Anti-submarine frigates were relatively easy to
name after British Admirals or senior Captains Blackwood, Duncan, Dundas, Exmouth, Grafton, Hardy,
Keppel, Malcolm, Murray, Palliser, Pellew and Russell. While submarines building in the 1950’s took sea
monster names, Catchalot, Finwhale, Grampus, Narwhal, Porpoise, Rorqual, Sealion and Walrus.
Surprisingly some ship names have been used many times. There have been 9 Aurora’s from 1762, the last
a cruiser scrapped in 1948. Eight ‘Centurion’s from 1650, the last a First World War battleship, later sunk
as part of ‘Mulberry’ in 1944. And 14 ‘Greyhound’s dated from 1545, the last, a destroyer sunk by German
Stuka dive bombers in 1941. Each would have Battle Honours, as an example the latter had the following:Armada 1588, Dover 1588, Kentish Knock 1652, Four Days Battle 1666, Barfleur 1692, Martinique 1762,
Egypt 1801, Dover Patrol 1915-18, Atlantic 1939, Norway 1940, Dunkirk 1940, Spartivento 1940,
Matapan 1941, Crete 1941, Libia 1941, Malta Convoys 1941-42.
From the middle 1950’s the Third Frigate Squadron consisted of the ships of the -Modified Black Swan
class:- Crane, Modeste and Opossum. Crane was the third ship of that name, the first dating from 1590 had
9 Battle Honours:- Cadiz 1596, Dover Patrol 1914-18, Sicily 1943, Biscay 1943, Atlantic 1943-44, Normandy
1944, English Channel 1944, Okinawa 1945 and Korea 1952-53. While Modeste is a prize, the name taken
from the French in 1759, of which the Royal Navy named a further 6 ships. The sloop of 1944 had 6 Battle
Honours:- Martinique 1762, Egypt 1801, Java 1811, China 1839-42, Crimea 1854 and Korea 1953.
While our own Opossum there have been 6 vessels so named. The first is dated 1808-1819 a Cherokee
class Brig-sloop, the second is of similar class from 1821-1841. The third an Albacore class wooden screw
gunboat 1856-1876, finished as a hospital hulk [then re-named Siren until 1895!] The fifth is the Black
Swan class frigate 1945-60, and lastly the Oberon class diesel submarine 1963-1996. Battle Honours:Fatshan Creek 1857, Pei-Ho forts 1859 and Korea 1952-53. You will gather that the new vessel carried all
the former Battle Honours of it’s forbearers.
Much of the above information is taken from “British Warship Names” T.D Manning & C F Walker 1958,
publisher unknown!
TROOPSHIP EMPIRE WINDRUSH
In the Mediterranean at 6am on 28th March 1954 homeward bound from Kure with 1,700 servicemen, many
women and children the ship caught fire after an explosion in the boiler room. Tragically 4 crew members
died - but the SOS sent out brought many ships to the rescue and all were saved though the ship sank The
aircraft carrier Triumph and the destroyers St. Kitts and Saintes helped in the rescue.
6
SHIPMATES HUMOUR
Charlie a new retired ‘Meeter and Greeter’ at a store somewhere in the United States just couldn’t get to
work on time; everyday he was 5, 10 sometimes 20 minutes late. But the management did note that he
was, always immaculately turned-out and most helpful to customers, in short a credit to the company. One
day the boss called him into his office. “Charlie I have to tell you I like the work you do for us, but your being
late almost every day is becoming a problem. Your work mates on the doors are the ones who complain
the most!”
“Yes I know boss and I’m really working on it.”
“Well that’s good, you are a team player and that’s what I like to hear.”
“Yes sir I understand your concern and I will try harder.”
“I know you have retired from the Armed Forces. But what did they say to you if you showed up in the
morning late so often?”
The elderly gent looked down at the floor, then smiled, chuckled quietly to himself.
“They usually saluted and said, “Good morning Admiral, can I get your coffee, sir.”
[With thanks to Stan Craven who sent in this story]
Somewhere in Victoria, Australia at 2am a female police office got out of her patrol car with not a soul
around on an otherwise deserted country road to confront a 22 year old man. Later the man was charged
with lewd and lascivious behavior, public indecency and intoxication in public. She approach and said,
“Excuse me Sir, why are you having sex with a pumpkin?”
Patrick Lawence immediately froze clearly shocked, but looked the officer straight in the eye and said.
“Shit, is it midnight already!
The editor of the local paper ‘The Geelong Post’ claimed this was the best come back line ever.
A Judge said to a double homicide defendant, “You’re charged with beating your wife to death with a
hammer.” A voice from the back of the courtroom yells, “You Bastard.!”
The Judge continued, “You’re further charged with beating your mother-in-law to death with a hammer.”
The same voice from the back yells out, “You rotten bastard!”
“Sir, said the Judge, I can understand your anger and frustration at these crimes, but one more outburst
from you and I will charge you with contempt of court.”
Standing up the man says, “Sorry your honour but for the last 15 years I’ve lived next door to this arsehole
and every time I asked to borrow a hammer he said he didn’t have one!”
A husband lays dying, his wife at his bedside. He says in a weakened voice,
“There’s something I must confess.” “Shush, says his wife, there is nothing to confess,
holding his hand and caressing his head, everything is all right.”
“No, no, the husband replies, I must die in peace…….I have had sex with your two sisters, your best friend
as well as your best friends mum!”
“I know, she whispers, that’s why I poisoned you, now close your eyes!”
A national magazine photographer was assigned to take pictures of a great forest fire, but the smoke was
too thick. Contacting his editor, hire me a plane he said. A few moments later he was informed a plane
would be ready waiting for him at a small rural airfield. Sure enough a small plane was warming up at the
runway. “Lets go, lets go,” said the impatient photographer. As soon as they were airborne he said, “Make
3 or 4 low passes over the flames and I’ll take the pictures. After a long pause the pilot said,
“You mean you’re not the instructor!”
A woman was so desperate for a husband that she placed an advert in the local paper. Within days she had
500 replies from other women saying, “You can have mine.”
7
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
As usual no prizes – answers on the back page
1.
How old was Braille when he invented his reading system for the blind?
2.
What happens to a ship when it’s careened?
3.
Which film actor played Captain Bligh, Quasimodo and Henry Vlll?
4.
Whose one and only hit record was “Michelle” in 1966?
5.
To five years when was the Nobel Prizes first introduced?
6.
What is the final line of dialogue in the film “Gone with the wind?”
7.
Name the jockey who was the first to record three consecutive Derby winners?
8.
Who was the author of “Seven pillars of wisdom?”
9.
What was found at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk in 1939?
10.
Which bird would be found in a squab pie?
11.
What is Warwickshire’s county motif?
12.
Which country has Guyana to the East and Columbia to the West?
13.
Which 1975 mega hit record remained at Number One for 9 weeks?
14.
In which war was the Battle of Antietam?
15.
Which Queen of England had the most fingers?
16.
What is the legendary ship ‘Flying Dutchman’ doomed to do?
17.
Which wine comes from worms?
18.
Which animal is famously sold at Bampton Fair?
19.
By tonnage which country is the world’s top fishing nation?
20.
King Alba ruled which country?
21.
In Beckett’s play, name the 2 characters who where “Waiting for Godot?”
22.
In 1902 the ship ‘Petit Pierre’ was the first to be driven by what?
23.
The Pulitzer Prize is awarded for which categories?
24.
What is cassata a type of?
25.
Pharmacopoeia gives what information?
8
NAVAL PERSONALITIES [9]
Frederick Joseph Ricketts – aka Kenneth J Alford[1881-1945]
Major Royal Marines, British March King, completed 46
years military service, composed the march “Colonel
Bogey” – inspired the film sound track of “Bridge on the
River Kwai” – in golf one over par – and the 2nd World
War tune used to lampoon the Nazi hierarchy.
British military didn’t allow Ricketts to publish march
tunes under his own name [unlike his rival John Philip
Sousa in the USA] so the world knows him better as
Kenneth J Alford. Born in the East End of London,
brought up fascinated by music, of street musicians,
listening to Salvation Army bands, by the age of ten he
was proficient in piano playing. At 14 he enlisted in the
Royal Irish Regiment as a Band Boy. His playing skill
soon drew attention, posted to the Military school of
music, Kneller Hall, where he received a thorough
grounding in harmony and composition, his
enthusiasm was such that he could competently play
any brass band instrument. A transfer to the 2nd
Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders and posting
to India, where he wrote his first march tune ‘For
Service Overseas,’ followed by ’The Thin Red Line,’ as a
regimental tune. Over the years he wrote many march
tunes including, ‘On the Quarter Deck,’ ‘The Voice of
Guns’ ‘Army of the Nile’ and ‘Standard of St. George;’ as
well as other compositions, piano arrangements,
waltzes, fantasias, Hymns, even xylophone solos. On a
windy golf course in East Scotland, Ricketts wrote his
most famous march ‘Colonel Bogey.’ He or another player, when they teed off, whistled a B Flat and G, instead
of shouting ‘Fore.’ These notes caught on with other golfers, with enthusiastic spontaneity Ricketts followed
with the next few notes and so the Quick March was built up. As all golfers around the world know – a
Bogey is one over par - named after Colonel Bogey.
In 1927, after 32 years Army service Ricketts changed direction and from a Warrant officer 1st Class he
became a commissioned Lieutenant in the Royal Marines Band Service, based initially at Deal in Kent later
bandmaster of the Plymouth Division. Under his direction they became the principal R.M. band and travelled
the world to great receptions.
At the beginning of the Second World War the new generation of conscripts wanted a rousing march song,
Donough O’Brian had a hand in the theme, he was from The British Council [promotion of British culture
overseas] the song was an instant success with civilians as well as Servicemen; of course sung to the tune
of Colonel Bogey.
Hitler has only got one ball
Goering has two but very small
Himmler has something similar
But poor Goebbels has no balls at all
In a scene from the 1957 film ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ British P.O.Ws march into a Japanese compound
whistling “Colonel Bogey’ they wanted to sing the above song but the producers wouldn’t allow such
vulgarity! The films musical director Malcolm Arnold took ‘Colonel Bogey’ as part of his Bridge on the
River Kwai march tune.
As for Ricketts he developed health problems and was compelled to retire from the Royal Marines in June
1944, completing 46 years military service, he died as the Second World War ended the following May.
9
NAVAL PERSONALITIES [10]
Captain Matthew Webb [1848-1883]
Merchant navy Captain, First to swim the English Channel
Captain Matthew Webb
Webb was born at Dawley, Shropshire, one of 12 children of a Coalbrookdale doctor, where he learned to
swim in the local canal. Completed a 3 year apprenticeship with the shipping line Rathborn Brothers of
Liverpool, later transferring to the Cunard line. It was while serving as a 2nd Mate on their ship ‘Russia,’ on
passage from New York to Liverpool when in mid-Atlantic with the ship brought to a stand still he jumped
over the side in an attempt to rescue a man overboard, sadly the man was never found! But Webb’s daring
feat won him £100 [about a years pay] as well as being awarded the Stanhope Medal and a hero in the eyes
of the British Press.
In 1873 Webb was Captain of the steamship ‘Emerald’ when he learned of a failed attempt by J B Johnson
to swim the English Channel. [Someone had achieved the feat but using a bail of straw for support.] Webb
became inspired to try the swim himself – was he to begin serious training or remain a steam ship Captain?
His decision to give up the sea, instead devote his life to swimming feats. At first he used Lambeth swimming
baths, then the cold muddy, polluted Thames River and lastly the Channel itself. It is unknown how he
found finance during the two year training period. However, by the summer of 1875 he declared himself
fully prepared for the Channel swim. He made his first attempt on Thursday 12th August. But an unexpected
storm blew up and the sea conditions deteriorated, disappointingly his swim had to be abandoned. He
carried out further training and distance swimming. More favourable weather conditions came along and
on Tuesday 24th August the day of a second try. Smeared in porpoise oil he dived from the Admiralty pier
at Dover, with 3 row boats in attendance, using a steady breast stroke rhythm Webb headed on an ebb tide
for Calais. Despite jellyfish stings and strong currents off Cape Gris Nez that prevented him reaching terra
firma for 5 hours he eventually waded ashore unaided onto the Calais beach; in a time of 21 hours 45
minutes. Without artificial aids Webb was the first person to swim the English Channel. During the following
years many strong swimmers attempted to emulate his triumph, not until 36 years later 6th September 1911
when Thomas William Burgess, on his 16th attempt, was another successful Channel swim achieved.
Webb became a professional swimmer and cashed-in on his fame. He licensed his name for merchandising
including commemorative pottery, pictures and perhaps best remembered his portrait on Bryant & May
matches were among the Webb endorsed products. He wrote a book, “ The Art of Swimming.” He took part
in swimming exhibitions and various water related stunts such as remaining afloat in a tank of water for
128 hours winning himself £1,000. In 1879 at the indoor swimming baths at Lambeth he challenged 4
other contestants to see who could swim the furthest in 6 days [144 hours.] Webb persisted in using the
breast stroke, rather than the sidestroke popular at the time – slow and steady like his English Channel
conquest he easily won to become the Champion of the Country with a distance of 74 miles. As a life saving
10
skill he demonstrated that in case of shipwreck, the man most likely to be rescued will not be the one who
swims fastest but the one who keeps himself afloat the longest. To prove this he settled on another challenge
- a 36 hour swim.
On 24th July 1883 Webb embarked on his final stunt, some said suicidal, attempting to swim the whirlpool
rapids below Niagara Falls. Onlookers gathered at every vantage point watching him swim strongly at first,
later on approaching the rapids only to see him throw up his arms as he was drawn under. His body was
recovered down stream 4 days later. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery, Niagara, New York.
There is a memorial in his home village of Dawley, Shropshire – that reads “Nothing great is easy.”
During his life time he was a hero of the Victorian age, his dogged persistence and self belief captured the
spirit of the time.
Over the years Opossum member JOHN OWEN has told of his naval career and of his much later employment
in the fishing industry that he followed for more than 30 years. Of his 4 sons who all followed him for a life
at sea all hold Master Mariner Certificates. John has devoted much of his retired life in running the Holyhead
Sea Cadet Corps. Here is a list of his attainments.
ROYAL YACHTING ASSOCIATION - Qualifications
of JOHN MERFYN OWEN
who is registered The Principal
based at Newry Beach Holyhead, Anglesey – Holyhead Young Optimists.
Who is qualified to instruct in the following catagories.
Dinghy Courses levels 1. 2. & 3. [start sailing, basic skills and better sailing]
As well as Youth sailing scheme stages 1. 2. 3. & 4.
Keelboat Courses levels 1. 2. & 3. [start sailing,basic skills and better sailing]
Powerboat Courses Levels 1 and 2. In addition Powerboat intermediate course,
Powerboat Advances course and Safety boat course
Classroom essential navigation and seaman
In addition he is also qualified to provide Theory Courses in
Classroom Day Skipper Theory Course
Classroom Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster offshore Theory Course
Marine Radio Short range Certificate Course
First Aid Course
John also holds Master [class2] fishing with unlimited access being awarded for
All courses ashore and afloat.
A RANCHERS TALE
A new rancher bought a spread but had trouble with his wife in naming their new acquisition.
“So what have you called the place,” his mate asked? “It’s named the Double R, Lazy L, Triple Horseshoe
Bar-7 – Lucky Diamond ranch. “Wow, said mate, but I don’t see any cattle, where are they?” “None of em
survived the branding.”
11
THE MARY ROSE
Most of the Port side of Mary Rose now on permanent display at Portsmouth
[Picture supplied by member Kathie Hare]
The story of raising the wreck in 1982 is well known, but just how much of the ship remains to be seen in
the new constructed museum? After the passing of 470 years much of the port side including a section of
the stern remains in tact as well as many artifacts. The Mary Rose was built in Portsmouth and completed
in 1511, not far from where she now rests. She was 135ft. long and had a bream of 38ft. had high castles at
bow and stern and was initially of 400 tons, designed and built as a warship. Over the following years she
received many modifications including the strengthening of the decks that now carried much heavier brass
cannons. By the time of her last voyage the ship displaced almost 700 tons and carried many more mariners
and soldiers than originally intended. She sank in 1545 within a mile of Portsmouth harbour engaging a
French invasion fleet, perhaps being top heavy with many more men and equipment and went over quickly
taking nearly all of the 700 personnel with her. There she lay on her port side that settled into the mud
the rest of the wreck subject to tidal currents over the years was washed away. The coming and going of
Monarchs, The English Civil War, Battle of Trafalgar, the First and Second World Wars came and went, until
Mary Rose was discovered in 1965. Sadly no plans or drawings survive of Mary Rose but we do know that
she was entirely built of oak with an elm keel; and it’s inconceivable that she would have been built by ‘rule
of thumb.’ Many volunteers have been involved with the project of recovering the wreck and it’s many
artifacts at one stage over 600 volunteer divers were involved together with many more volunteers on shore,
who cataloged and registered the 25,000 finds. A further 17 years elapsed after 1965 before the wreck
saw the light of day. It proved a delicate operation and much painstaking effort to maintain the wreck for
preservation and viewing. While all this is admirable equally of interest are the many artifacts discovered
and the story they tell. For instance the brass cannons were found low down in situ on the starboard side,
run out, loaded and ready for action. In Medieval times the long bow was the supreme short range weapon
only much later superseded by the wheel lock pistol. More than 138 long bows were discovered together
with more than 3,500 arrows. They would be made of poplar and bows of beech, ash or hazel. The remains
of over 200 individuals were found and have been studied. Most being in their teens or early twenties, there
were some boys and men in their 40’s. Average height being 5ft 6in. Food was cooked in a massive brick
built structure in the ships hold, using two huge cauldrons supported by iron bars over a fire. Officers ate
from pewter dishes, plates and spoons of the same metal and drank from tankards, while the sailors and
soldiers used wooden bowls, dishes and stave built drinking vessels. A barrel of tallow candles was found
in the orlop deck, candleholders of pewter brass and wood. The only light available at night, because of
12
the fire hazard of from candles would be a lantern made from sheets of horn instead of glass. In off duty
time officers relaxed with books, music and games. The most elaborate found was a backgammon set made
of oak with spruce and yew inlays, closed and folded complete with it’s counters and dice. There were
musical instruments, a couple of stringed fiddles, a shawn, an early form of oboe, drum and tubor pipes.
While some men were literate, book covers survive, but the pages have long since disappeared. Many others
could not read, but their personal possessions have been marked with graffiti to signify ownership. Many
objects were made, repaired or modified while the ship was at sea. A bag of leather shoes awaited repair,
the sole of a shoe cut out of the side of a leather bucket, indicated that help was on hand to repair old shoes
and make new ones
from old materials. There was ribbon, braid, thread, buttons, pins – combs made from wood and bone all
have survived so too are carpenters tools a mallet, brace, various planes, rulers even a mortise gauge. A
grind stone for sharpening knives and swords. The contents of the barber surgeon’s cramped compartment
provided a wealth of items for he would also be apothecary and physician that included a large wooden
chest and a four legged bench, wooden-lidded canisters containing ointments, metal syringes, razors, many
flasks and canisters, mortar and pestle. Deeply buried in the silt was found knitted and wool woven
garments, together with silk and leather have lasted for centuries, while items of linen that were known to
be around have totally disappeared.
For all to see at the Mary Rose museum is not only the ship itself and the Tudor skill and craftsmanship
who built her but also the many artifacts on display covering three floors that bring the Sixteenth century
to life.
[Opossum members - Kathie Hare, Tom Quirk and myself made a visit during the reunion weekend at
Southsea and all enjoyed the experience, except for the price of admission at £17 and no concessions! Such
an attraction on an early summer Saturday brought the inevitable crowds and a long wait was unavoidable!]
GRENVILLE of the REVENGE
Sir Richard Grenville [1542-1591] was only 3 years old when he lost his father Sir Roger Captain of ‘Mary
Rose’ that suddenly sank off Portsmouth.
The family were associated with Bideford in Devon and Buckland Abbey. Richard was a soldier adventurer,
entrepreneur, sailor who made many sea-going voyages as a captain in search of fame and fortune especially
in the American colonies. Had a part in repelling the Spanish Armada and was eventually appointed ViceAdmiral under Thomas Howard in command of the 46 gun galleon Revenge. Aged 49 his ship was off the
Flores island in the Azores group in August 1591 when they were suddenly surprised by a large fleet of
Spanish men of war. Howard and other ships made a successful retreat to safety. But Grenville chose to
confront the 53 enemy by attempting to sail right through their midst, what amounted to a suicide mission,
Grenville said he would rather die than dishonour himself. For over 12 hours he and his crew fought off
the Spanish until all their powder was spent, all the pikes broken and the best of his men slain; in the
process causing damage to 15 Spanish galleons.
Alfred Lord Tennyson in his poem “The Revenge” wrote of Grenville “Sink me the ship master gunner, split her in twain. Fall into the hands of God and not into the hands of
Spain.”
Two days later Grenville died of his wounds.
13
SHIPMATES HUMOUR [2]
A farmer walks up to his deep slurry pit next to his cow shed where a man is fishing around with a stick.
The farmer asks what is he doing.
The man replies, “I dropped my jacket down there and I’m trying to get it back.”
The farmer says, “Are you crazy your not going to wear a jacket that’s been down in that smelly slurry
pit?”
The man says, “No way, I wouldn’t be that daft! But there’s a sandwich in one of the pockets.”
A man is in bed with his wife when he hears a rat-a-tat-tat on his front door. He rolls over and looks at
the clock, it’s 2.45am. Hell, he rolls over and an even louder knock follows.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” says his wife. So he drags himself out of bed and goes down stairs He
opens the door and this bloke is stood outside in the dark.
“Eh mate, says the stranger, can you give me push?”
“No, get lost, it’s quarter to three in the morning and I’ve had to get out of bed!”
Shuts the door and returns to bed, and tells his wife what happened.
“Dave you’re so unhelpful. Remember that rainy night when our car broke down and the sleeping kids
woke up and you knocked on the door of that deserted cottage and eventually the owner got us going
again? What would have happened if he had said get lost?” So the husband gets out of bed again, gets
dressed and returns down stairs. Opens the front door and not being able to see the stranger in the dark
shouts out, “Oi mate do you still want a push?” He hears a voice cry out, “Yes please.“ So still being
unable to see the stranger he shouts, “Where are you?” To which the stranger replies.
“I’m over here …….. on the swings!”
So I was in the jungle and there was this monkey with a tin opener, I said, “You don’t need a tin opener to
peel a banana!” The monkey said, “No this is for the custard.”
Mortal: “What is a million years like to you?”
God: “Like one second.”
Mortal: “What is a million pounds like to you?”
God: “Like one penny.”
Mortal: “Can I have a penny?”
God: “Just a second.”
A crusty look Old Salt walks into a bank and says to the women behind the window. “I want to open a
damn account.” To which the astonished woman replies, “I beg your pardon sir, I must have
misunderstood you, what did you say?” “Listen up, damn it, I said I want to open a damn account right
now.” “I’m very sorry sir but we don’t tolerate that kind of language in this bank.” With that the woman
leaves the window and goes over to the manager to tell him about the confrontation. They both return
and the manager asks the Old Salt, “What seems to be the problem?” “There’s no damn problem, he
replies, I’ve just won 50 million pounds in the damn European lottery and I’ve come into this damn bank
this morning to open a damn account, in this damn bank.
“I see, says the manager, and this damn bitch is giving you a hard time.”
A husband got into trouble for forgetting his wife’s birthday. His wife gave him an ultimatum:
“Tomorrow there’d better be something on the driveway for me that goes from zero to 200 in two
seconds!” The next morning the husband woke his wife and urged her to look out of the bedroom
window.
She did and let out a scream when she saw he’d bought her a set of bathroom scales.
He bought his wife an electric typewriter, now he’s looking for a chair to match.
14
HMS EDINBURGH and the recovery of STALIN’S GOLD
HMS Edinburgh [10,000tons, sister ship of HMS Belfast anchored at Tower Bridge, London] sailed from
Murmansk, Russia with 5 tons of gold ingots 28th April 1942 leading homeward bound convoy QP11, part
payment for mostly American and some British war equipment. The second day she was torpedoed by a
U-boat wolf pack and succumbed the following day to further U-boat attacks trying to return to Murmansk
for repairs. Undisturbed there she lay at the bottom of the Barents Sea, for the next 39 years, a designated
Commonwealth War grave of 62 officers and men. Until Keith Jessop[47] came on the scene , a self taught
diver from Yorkshire found the evidence at the Public Record office that when the cruiser sank she was
carrying gold bullion. He was certainly not put off about the great depth of at least 800 feet in inhospitable
seas, nor the fact that recovery would desecrate a war grave. An ex-Royal Marine National Serviceman
who having received rudimentary instruction about shallow water diving thought there was money to be
made. He and two mates began to spend long periods diving on wrecks around Scotland salvaging copper,
brass and other saleable materials. A modest living was made but Jessop was more ambitious that lead to
the trio breaking up. He survived dives more by luck than good judgment, conducting trial and error
experiments with such things as explosives, in short to conduct salvage operations as quick as possible.
Jessop must have done well for he bought an old oil covered ex-Fleetwood trawler and named it the ‘Black
Pig’ in tribute to a boyhood favourite, Captain Pugwash. This was his ticket to a fortune, a platform from
which to conduct bigger and more lucrative dives. Through work for the Salvage Association he sought
and eventually obtained the salvage rights on HMS Edinburgh, but time went by trying to get an experienced
diving team together, permission to dive on a designated war grave and most of all financial backers.
Salvage rights didn’t last indefinitely. By the Spring of 1981 a survey of the wreck site that proved positive,
nearly made him bankrupt. But with more finance available operations went ahead and in a six week
window at the end of summer, hoping for fair weather conditions. At that time the worlds deepest salvage
began; despite a 160 Edinburgh survivors protesting that their old ship , a war grave, be left undisturbed!
The Stepheniturm, 1,500 tons, by computers positioned herself over the wreck 800 ft. below and with Soviet
warships and aircraft guarding nearby operations got underway. Twelve divers worked round the clock in
shifts of two men, descending from the parent ship in a diving bell. Doing a saturation dive breathing a
mixture of oxygen/helium with warm water circulating in their suits against the cold; when they completed
the shift spent their off duty time inside a decompression chamber on board Stepheniturm. For nearly a
week all the divers, found they got tired very quickly, all they could do was cut open the hull plates with
oxyacetylene torches and grope their way into what was thought to the strong room containing the gold.
First they had to clear much mud and debris. Six days and 27 shift dives later diver John Rossier thrust his
hand into the thick sediment on the floor and lifted a short heavy metal bar which proved to be a gold ingot.
Called excitedly with this news on his inter-com to the parent ship far above. There after the metal cages
brought more ingots to the surface, eventually 431 gold bars were recovered 34 still remain in the wreck.
The value recovered amounted to £40 million, half going to the financial backers, hire of the Stepheniturm,
divers and all other costs. Russia whose gold it was received £14 million while Britain had the remainder
a shade over £6million. All on board the recovery ship attended a commemoration services , two minutes
silence observed and a wreath put in the sea. At last the wreck of Edinburgh was left in peace.
15
THE HONG KONG WE KNEW
In the foreground The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banks, Victoria Harbour, Kowloon and beyond to the New
Territories. All HMS Opossum commissions spent time at this Crown Colony. Maybe the 1954-56
commission had longer stays than others, including a long refit in the autumn of 1954 and two self refits
and two Christmas’s. The ships company would be housed ashore at the Fleet Accommodation Barracks
[FAB] also use would be made of HMS Tamar. Hot airless days spent on board, with upper and lower decks
strewn with electrical cables or air hoses, masses of paint chippings filling every corner, Chinese dockyard
maties in abundance and the smell of new paint everywhere. Noisy riveting or windy hammers, the flash
of a welding torch and fire extinguishes to hand in every compartment in case of a fire outbreak. At the
close of work each day Chiefs and Petty officers would tour the ship checking their working areas that all
was safe and secure before proceeding back to barracks. The dockyard school house, situated at the far
end against the dockyard wall, consisting of a large lofty single room, was in daily use, here Instructor
officers and Coder [E]’s gave lessons to Boy ratings and others in preparation for taking the ET1 examination
for advancement. Some were being primed to sit ET2 and a tiny few being prepared for HET examination.
The annual musketry course for all the officers and ships company was held on Stonecutters Island, rifle
shooting by day and living under canvas by night. Swimming was a popular recreation over in Repulse Bay
or the dockyard pool, salt water of course. Early in the commission lists had gone on notice boards asking
for names interested in all manner of sporting activities:- football, rugby, cricket, hockey, tennis, sailing and
water polo. Trials and training sessions followed. Only at such times as refits could sport be played
regularly. Happy Valley with it’s wide spacious grassy fields proved a well used venue. On pay days not
only did the Hong Kong bars and the China Fleet Club [CFC] do a roaring trade but also the tattoo parlours.
Saturday nights at the CFC was a chance to win a few Hong Kong dollars at the ever popular Tombola.
Foreign warships in port along with the many British soldiers garrisoned on the colony boosted the kitty.
[One Saturday night John Owen and his mate John Fraser made a killing there.] From the dockyard and
HMS Tamar down Hennessy Road the district of Wanchai beckoned it boasted many bars, restaurants and
air conditioned modern cinemas showing the latest Hollywood films. The noisy bustle of down town
Chinese life, the smell of burning joss sticks, the rattle of mah-jong games being played – Chinese love
gambling, washing seen drying from many flats overhead and double decker trams plying to and fro. After
a night on the beer the Wanchai stalls did a brisk trade for hungry Jack before he returned to his ship.
In days of innocence and only very limited Boy seaman’s pay [18 HK dollars a week, [at one shilling and
three pence a $] that included KUA and LOSA] the height of my run ashore would be a cinema run and
ending up at the China Fleet Club for a meal of steak, egg and chips. If I was really flush to follow would be
- banana split, always served on a pale green glass plate, consisting of two full bananas with chocolate on
top and grated nuts, in between would be two scopes of ice cream one strawberry the other vanilla with a
glazed cherry on top of each; what mouth watering bliss. Then leg it as fast as my legs would carry me
towards the dockyard before leave expired at 2030. Happy Days!
16
MAKE A SIGNAL
In the past each Yeoman of Signals was the Captains right hand man, especially when close fleet manoeuvres
took place. His staff would read flashing lights and flags run up to yardarms not only with speed but
efficiency and be ready at hand with repartee replying to senior officers communications. Most signal
traffic is mundane or just routine. Occasionally a gem slips in, some took time to compose others are straight
off the cuff, some are serious some sarcastic and a few humorous here are few of interest. In the Royal
Navy it was perfectly feasible to tell an Admiral to “get knotted,” always provided a signal was sent in an
acceptable way. For instance a certain battle cruiser was returning to harbour after enduring many days
at sea, only to receive a signal from the flagship that she for some reason could not go to sea and so the
battlecruiser must refuel and take her place. On her way out of harbour this ship was purposely passing
close to the flagship and had the Royal Marine Band playing on the quarter deck rendering a rude tune. She
received the following signal. WHO CHOOSES THE TUNES WHEN YOU LEAVE HARBOUR? Reply NORMALLY
THE BAND MASTER, BUT ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS THE CAPTAIN. Or a biblical quote can seem quite
meaningful such as. During the Second World War a submarine after a hazardous patrol was returning to
port and sent the following. PSALM ch.17 v.4 [Concerning the works of men, by the words of thy lips I
have kept me from the paths of destroyers] A certain submarine had broken down on the surface and
another was ordered to take her in tow considerably delaying the second sub’s return to harbour meaning
less time in port before her next patrol. On the conning tower a gnashing of teeth as they approach she
flashed TAKE MUMMIES HAND! Elsewhere another submarine in windy conditions got herself into
difficulties trying to berth, the Senior officer signalled WHAT ARE YOU DOING, in frustration she replied
LEARNING A LOT. Technically in the wrong the destroyer Diamond collided with the cruiser Swiftsure, after
they had sorted themselves out the cruiser signaled WHAT DO YOU INTEND DOING NOW? Diamond replied
BUY A FARM! Corvette on returning to Base AM TIED UP TO NUMBER 5 BERTH. From Base SHOES LACES
ARE TIED UP – HM SHIPS ARE SECURED. At Salima Creek Malta, destroyers have to reverse between buoys,
ready when called to proceed to sea. One destroyer was doing this very well, the Admiral signaled GOOD,
then things started to go wrong and she manoeuvred badly. ADD TO MY PREVIOUS SIGNAL – GOD. Peace
time manoeuvres can be nerveous times for officers on the bridge such as the time a destroyer tried to cut
between a line of aircraft carriers, with the inevitable result when she caught her davits on the stern of the
flagship! The Admiral growled “Make that blighter a signal.” Everyone waited to hear what the great mans
anger in words would be. Flagship to destroyer IF YOU TOUCH ME THERE AGAIN I SHALL SCREAM. During
the Second World War when tiredness and tension are strained some light relief is called for. During foul
weather a Senior officer in Atlantic convey questioned a subordinate corvette WHY HAVE YOU TAKEN SO
LONG TO REJOIN THE CONVOY? Reply IT WAS UPHILL ALL THE WAY. A frigate had lost the top of it’s
mast, on being asked the circumstances by his Admiral HOW COME? SCRAPING UNDER A LOW CLOUD
Flashing signal lights and more so bunting could not only be read by the recipient but all eagle eyed flag
deck crews of other ships in company. For instance Flag G was a known signal meaning MANOEUVRE
WELL EXECUTED. If proceeded by Flag D [Damn Good.] However, should Flag N [Negative] be flown above
this meant the opposite! At sea the flagship signal staff have been known to get things wrong, for instance
THE FLEET WILL ACT AS A HOLE IN A BAYONET – long pause - THE FLEET WILL ACT AS A WHOLE IN
OBEYING IT.
At times even the Admiralty in London can come unstuck, with this communications howler.
Admiralty to a certain destroyer PROCEED WITH ALL DISPATCH
Destroyer to Admiralty PROCEED WHERE WITH ALL DISPATCH?
Admiralty to destroyer PROCEED TO GIBRALTAR, REPEAT TO GIBRALTAR.
Destroyer to Admiralty AM AT GIBRALTAR!
17
HMS PEPPERPOT
Known officially as the Arathusa class cruiser HMS Penelope [1936-1944]
Built at Harland and Wolff, Belfast and in service late 1936, she was of welded construction - at only 5,270
tons displacement very light for a six inch cruiser. Her first commission was in the Mediterranean where
the ship was employed during the Spanish Civil War ferrying hundreds of civilians to a place of safety. In
the early months of the Second World War she was involved in the Norwegian Campaign where her end
nearly came ripping out her bottom plates for 300 ft. on an uncharted rock. After an extensive refit was
once again sent to the Med where she joined “Force K” along with cruiser Aurora and destroyers Lance and
Lively. During the night 8th/9th November 1941, on RAF reconnaissance reports, the force was directed
North West from Malta where during the course of 40 minutes they annihilated an Italian convoy of ten
heavily laden transports and their escorts, supplies that didn’t reach Rommel’s Afrika Corps. The Force
had no damage or casualties. Because of very limited air cover they had to leave the area without picking
up Italian survivors and head for Malta with all dispatch before dawn not to be caught in the open sea and
a ripe target for German and Italian aircraft and be under the umbrella of friendly aircraft on the island.
Not all actions met with such success, much later on another night time sortie, yet again on the look-out for
Italian convoyes “Force K” was drastically reduced with the loss of a cruiser and a destroyer as well as
damage to other ships that had all stumbled into a recently laid minefield! It was during the many
refueling/ammunitioning times in Malta also refits in the dockyard when stationary Penelope was hit
numerous times mostly by splinters from German and Italian bombs that she acquired her nick name
Pepperpot [it should have been colander but the name didn’t rhyme.] During this period to show how
lucky the ship had been no less than 17 RN vessels had been either sunk or wrecked. The mixed ships
company of Regulars, H.O’s, Reservists were now fully trained to fight the ship and were a happy crowd.
Then Pepperpot was involved in the First and Second Battles of Sirte against a very superior Italian Navy
consisting of battleships with 15inch guns supported by many escorts to prevent any more interference
from the RN to their North Africa convoys. Both actions were broken off with little damage to our Navy.
Now duties were reversed instead of pursuing convoys our cruiser was involved in own convoy protection
working from Malta or Alexandra shepherding merchantmen bringing fuel, stores and ammunition that
had come all the way from the UK via the Cape. These operations lasted many months always attacked by
dive bombers as well as U-boats that strained many a nerve from seemingly none stop action. During a 15
day period docked in Malta for repairs Pepperpot together with other ships withstood 3,000 air attacks she
was hopelessly in need of a full refit, Gibraltar could patch her up if she could get there, so it was agreed
that this would be tried. During the 3 day passage she weathered more dive bombing attacks but safely
made port. A week later she was off over the Atlantic via Bermuda for docking at New York Navy yard.
Two months later Pepperpot was involved in the Sicilian and Italian landings. Sadly her end came on 18th
February 1944 sailing alone zigzagging at 24 knots from Naples to Anzio when U-410 fired two torpedoes,
she sank within 15 minutes with a loss of two thirds of her company. During her wartime career she sank
2 tankers, was involved with others sinking 13 merchant ships, 2 Italian destroyers and 6 German landing
craft.
[Based on “HMS Pepperpot” by Ed Gordon, published by Robert Hale 1985]
18
GALLIPOLI – 1915 – [the naval side of the action]
A Russian appeal for help, that should never have been considered, resulted at Gallipoli in a costly pointless
side show, most doomed, ill planned, ill conceived and a cavalier disregard for the elementary principals of
warfare. But the British War Council sanctioned the operation with Winston Churchill the greatest advocate
and at whose door the failure can be blamed. However, even the Army generals on the ground, a few miles
away safely on Lemnos or Imbros islands, were guilty in lots of dithering and procrastination that didn’t
help matters for the invading troops. How many Allied troops were present, at one time or another about
half a million – the greater proportion being British and Irish regiments, also including Australian and New
Zealand Army Corps [the Anzacs] Canadians and French colonials from North Africa. Facing a well
entrenched, well trained and equipped - quarter million Turks. Britain had a Naval Mission in Turkey, so
did the Germans who had a more robust policy of siding with Turkey and when the First World War broke
out in August 1914 Churchill, as First Lord of the Admiralty, seized the two battleships building in Britain
for Turkey and transferred them to the Grand Fleet any further negotiating with Turkey was futile. To
replace these ships Germany gave their battle cruiser Goeben and cruiser Breslau both became part of the
Turkish Navy; the die was cast, hence forward Turkey would be an ally of Germany.
The Royal Navy was the first to play it’s part, in November 1914 when the battle cruiser Inflexible and
obsolete battleship Irresistible started to bombard Turkish forts, the Turks fought back firstly from their
shore batteries from both sides of the Dardanelles but also from German supplied mines. While the Royal
Navy was aware of this possibility, sadly they sent in civilian fishermen from Aberdeen and Grimsby, in their
minesweeping trawlers to eliminate this threat, these men were not accustomed to being under fire and
refused point blank to take any further part. Had the Navy sent in professionals the position might have
been different. Meanwhile Inflexible had her bow blown off, worse still from an under water explosion
Irresistible began to founder. Two ships out of action! Later worse was to follow when U-boats appeared
that sank Goliath, Triumph and Majestic! Forcing the Narrows by naval gun fire was now out of the question
and a military landing proved necessary. A combined assault on the toe of the Dardanelles peninsular was
planned and delayed, planned and further delayed. Meanwhile the Turks under German supervision had
plenty of time to plan a hot reception for the invaders, well dug in from prepared positions , well armed
with modern German mauser rifles, machine guns and barbed wire. On six landing beaches the first full
scale attack took place on Thursday 25th April 1915.
The Navy’s job was to land the troops, keep them supplied with ammunition and food and to evacuate the
wounded. No one envisaged the slaughter that followed, not just to the troops but the boats crews trying
to put them ashore. The cruiser Euryalas supported the 1st battalion Lancashire Fusiliers. Steam pinnaces
towed cutters under oars toward ‘W’ beach sadly they lost 63 from 80 officers and bluejackets killed or
badly wounded manning the boats. Within the first half hour the LF regiment had 11 officers and 358
soldiers killed, many more wounded! Each heavily weighed down with 60 lbs. of equipment, rifle,
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ammunition, wire cutters, 48 hours of rations; if they weren’t cut down by the withering machine gun and
rifle fire; many drown before reaching the beach. The LF’s did gain 6 Victoria Crosses before breakfast, all
drawn by ballot. But why wasn’t this landing and others carried out under the cover of darkness or dawn
as at ANZAC beach further up the coast? Another blunder! Here the cruiser HMS Baccante put the
Australians and New Zealanders ashore in a method, much the same as Euryalas. Alas a young Midshipman
[why was someone so young and inexperienced given the task to be the marker] he put the troops down
half a mile from the designated landing area, while the ANZAC’s met little opposition the terrain was
formidable a series of valleys and ridges to traverse some a thousand feet high to reach their objective, while
under fire from above. Elsewhere the French landed and took the local fort at terrible cost. The ex-collier
River Clyde purposely grounded on ‘V’ beach, put down long ramps from her sides and tried to land the
Irish regiment the Royal Munster Fusiliers who were enfiladed by the Turks before they could disembark.
It was said the sea around these beaches was red with blood! No one in authority envisaged what was
meant by a well planned amphibious landing on a hostile shore they soon found out - on 25th April 1915,
that raw courage alone isn’t enough. Almost every regiment in the British Army was present, the Border
Regiment, Cheshire, County of London Yeomanry, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire,
Highland Light Infantry, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Inniskilling Fusiliers, Lancashire Fusiliers,
Manchester, Northamptonshire, North Staffordshire, Royal Artillery, Royal Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers,
Royal Munster Fusiliers, Royal Horse Artillery, Royal Scots, South Lancashire, South Wales Borderers,
Sherwood Foresters, Sussex Yeomanry, West Kent Yeomanry, West Somerset Yeomanry, Worcestershire,
Wiltshire, West Yorkshire, York & Lancaster plus many territorial regiments and Royal Marines from the 3
Home Ports.
Also present were a few sailors. Churchill drew on the naval reservists and had them organized into Naval
Battalions of a thousand men each, named after admirals, there were seven at Gallipoli - Anson, Benbow,
Collingwood, Drake, Hawke, Hood and Nelson. Believed to be dressed in army uniforms with naval badges
and caps, only the following year, 1916, were steel helmets issued. They would back-up army regiments
and suffer many losses! The Royal Navy also landed armoured cars fitted with a Vickers machine gun
engine by Rolls Royce, but the rugged terrain made them impractical. Most Royal Naval ships were at least
10-15 years old, unsuited to be with the Grand Fleet under Admiral Jellicoe to face the Germans across the
North Sea, but Churchill did send the pride of the fleet the brand new battleship Queen Elizabeth to test
her 15inch main armament. On many occasions the Navy could and did give the soldiers ashore naval
gunfire support, despite the threat from U-boats, as well as continual ferrying of wounded to hospital ships.
But even more landings further up the coast at Suvla did not produce the territorial gains envisaged, like
the Western Front, Gallipoli was a stalemate of trench warfare under baking conditions by day and freezing
by night. With winter approaching a complete withdrawal was planned, carried out in early January 1916,
with not a man lost - it was the British forces only success! The Turks had won, for the time being! The
Allies did accept their surrender 30th October 1918 and a now forgotten landing did take place 10th
November, when all the Turks gains were in the hands of the Allies.
The eight month campaign was a huge drain on Allied resources Britain and her Empire lost a total of
205,000, 115,000 killed, wounded or missing, as well as 90,000 evacuated sick from dysentery and enteric
fever The Turks losses amounted to 186,000 killed wounded or missing – 64,440 evacuated sick. The
Royal Navy losses can only be estimated:- from the ships sunk about 1,500 - the landed sailors and Royal
Marines a similar figure, but like the army there was much sickness from contaminated water for drinking
purposes, poor sanitary conditions that produced disabling symptoms. British mistakes were many at every
level of command, the absences of adequate army artillery ashore, a gross underestimation of the Turks,
poor intelligence, wooly planning, misplaced confidence and much else.
Based on the book “Gallipoli” by Peter Hart, Profile Books 2011
Last February this humorous ditty was sent by our friend and former Treasurer Alan Percival, and has
recently emerged from my files. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Navy, the sea or anything maritime,
but it’s funny - hope you like.
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A STORY of COWS and POLITICAL THINKING
SOCIALISM:- You have two cows. You give one to your neighbour.
COMMUNISM:- You have two cows. The State takes both and gives you some milk.
FASCISM:- You have two cows. The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM:- You have two cows. The State takes both and shoots you.
BUREAUCRATISM:- You have two cows. The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other then throws
the milk away.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM:- You have two cows, you sell one and buy a bull, you herd multiplies and the
economy grows. You sell them and retire on the income.
BANK OF ENGLAND [VENTURE] CAPITALISM:- You have two cows. You sell three of them to your
publicity listed company, using letters of credit opened by your brother-in-law at the bank, then execute a
debt/equity swap with an associated general offer so that you get all four cows back, with a tax
exemption for five cows. The milk rights of the six cows are transferred via an intermediary to a Cayman
Island Company secretly owned by the majority shareholder who sells the rights to all seven cows back to
your listed company.
The annual report says the company owns eight cows, with an option on one more. You sell one cow to
buy a new President of the United States, leaving you with nine cows. No balance sheet provided with the
release. The public then buys you a bull.
SURREALISM:- You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.
AN AMERICAN CORPORATION:- You have two cows. You sell one and force the other to produce the milk
yield of four cows. Later hire a consultant to analyse why the cow dropped dead.
A GREEK CORPORATION:- You have two cows. You borrow lots of Euros to build barns, milking sheds, hay
stores, dairies, cold stores, abattoir, cheese unit and a packing shed.
You still have only two cows.
A FRENCH CORPORATION:- You have two cows. You go on strike, organize a riot and block the roads
because you want three cows.
A JAPANESE CORPORATION:- You have two cows. You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an
ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. You then create a clever cow cartoon image called a
Cowkimona and market it world wide.
AN ITALIAN CORPORATION:- You have two cows but you don’t know where they are. You decide to have
lunch.
A SWISS CORPORATION:- You have 5,000 cows, none of them belong to you. You charge the owners for
storing them.
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A CHINESE CORPORATION:- You have two cows. You have 300 people milking them. You claim to have
full employment and high bovine productivity. You arrest the newsman who reported the real situation.
AN INDIAN CORPORATION:- You have two cows, you worship them.
A BRITISH CORPORATION:- You have two cows, both are mad.
AN IRAQI CORPORATION:- Everyone thinks you have lots of cows, you tell them you have none. No one
believes you, so they bomb the **** out of you and invade your country. You still have no cows, but at
least you are now a Democracy.
AN AUSTRALIAN CORPORATION:- You have two cows. Business seems pretty good. You close the office
and go out for a few beers to celebrate.
A NEW ZEALAND CORPORATIOM:- You have two cows. The one on the left looks very attractive.
An old farmer decided to visit a pond at the back of his property not seen for a week or so.
As he approached he heard female voices laughing and shouting with glee. He discovered a bunch of
young women bathing in the nude. Being polite made his presence known, where upon they all swam
away to the deep end, shouting they wouldn’t come out until he left. “No Problem, said the farmer, I’ve
only come here to feed the alligator!”
Photographs of this years Gala Dinner from our reunion at the Royal Beach Hotel, Southsea.
The back of heads of Bill Mitchell’s party from Scotland, plus Tony Draycott,
Diane and Ron Brookes.
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Tony Draycott, Diane, Ron Brookes and Dick Wright
Foreground: Brian Healey and Murial, Lewis Trinder, Marg, Ve,
Beyond : Ken Hodgkin, Alan Percival, Sam Edgar and Rita.
In the darkness (no flash) Pat, Harry, Les, Marion, Kathie and Tom
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Bill Mitchell and Tony Draycott get everywhere
The Opossum Reunion group photograph.
Sadly, your Secretary stood at the top of the staircase has - lost his head!
Answers to the Quiz:- 1. 15, 2. Turned on it’s side, 3. Charles Laughton, 4. Overlanders,
5. 1901, 6. Tomorrow is another day, 7. Steve Donoghue, 8. Lawrence of Arabia, 9. A Saxon ship,
10. Pigeon, 11. A standing bear next to a rugged staff, 12. Venezuela, 13. Bohemian Rhapsody,
14. American Civil War, 15. Ann Boleyn, 16. Sail for ever, 17. Liebfraumilch,
18. Exmoor Ponies, 19. China, 20. Scotland, 21.Vladamir & Estragon, 22. A diesel engine.
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