Autumn 2013 Proof X7

Old Caledonia Artificer Apprentices’ Association
www.ocaaa.org
OCAAA
Newsletter
Autumn 2013
Newsletter: [email protected]
Chairman's Report
Mike Ketley
Telephone 01702 428971
Some five and a half years after retiring from my last
parish, I still officiate at church services several times
each month and at funerals for the local undertaker.
This keeps me in touch with clergy colleagues and
members of church congregations, and gives me a
continuing pastoral role, thankfully without the
responsibility of full time ministry.
Address
Very best wishes,
Mike
Membership of O C A A A has refreshingly reestablished my Royal Navy 'Boiart' roots and brought
new friendships. It is an honour to have been elected
chairman of the Association and to have contact with
members far and wide, the more so through editing the
newsletter.
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Secretary’s Report
Phillip Alder:
Having been secretary of the Association for one year,
I am finding that I am able to serve the Association and
still hold down my day job. This was always my main
concern when I was volunteered into the post. There
are still times when I think ‘did I really volunteer or was
I pushed?’ in the last 12 months we have welcomed 12
new members and have said our final farewells to 13
who have crossed the bar.
These links with the two careers it has been my
privilege to embrace are certainly helping to ensure
that my later years are both fulfilling and enjoyable.
The Reunion in May 2014 is further highlighted in this
newsletter and promises to be just as enjoyable as the
very successful Bristol venue in 2012. Booking details
are repeated and there is more information about
Chatham and Rochester - as the collage says:
'Heritage and Nostalgia' in Chatham; 'History and
Culture' in Rochester, not to mention fun in our
gathering at the Hilton Maidstone.
As secretary I would like to thank all our members in
the response to the change of secretary and help in
process of establishing the new email address for the
office. The advice and support from Alan Petrie in the
handover process was invaluable.
I look forward to helping the committee and all our
members in the years to come. We are always looking
to find new members and any ideas are always worth
considering.
--------
Together with the Committee, I am looking forward to
meeting friends old and new. If you are able to come,
and I hope you are, please read the notes and book
directly with the Hilton Maidstone as soon as possible;
wives and partners too! The widow of a former
member 'phoned me to ask if she could come to the
reunion and bring a friend - the answer was 'yes, of
course, please come!'
Report From
Scottish Representative
Please feel free to contact me by email, post or
telephone:
E [email protected]
40 Commonhall Lane
Hadleigh
Benfleet
Essex
SS7 2RN
1
Lionel Fisher
The latest FA / OCAAA Reunion lunch was held at the
Rosyth Civil Service Club on Saturday 5 October.
Although not as well attended as in the past, the
OCAAA was well represented and we all had a good
time. Our Chatham reunion was high in the conversation
and hopefully we will have a strong Scottish contingent
next year. The next Reunion Lunch will be on
Saturday 26 April 2014, again at the Civil service
Club; details from Des Goodwin or Lionel Fisher.
The BSS: How many of us had a locker at the BSS in
Rosyth? Remember the dash to get the bus back from
Dumps in time to change into uniform and run up the
road to get back before leave expired? Perhaps you
spent an odd night in one of their dingy cabins! Well
no more, the BSS, latterly the Forth Club, has finally
been demolished to make way for temporary Dockyard
workers working on the carrier build. Planning
permission is being sought to place accommodation
modules previously used at the London Olympics on
the cleared site as temporary accommodation for these
workers. It is a clear flat space at the moment, as
hundreds of locals have objected to the plan.
The BSS (almost as we knew it)
-------If any entrepreneur wants a bargain, then grab it, The
Kinema Ballroom is up for sale!
A prayer:
Almighty God,
Let the pain of our grief be tempered by fond
memories as we give you thanks for our loved ones
now departed. May we always remember their loyalty
and devotion to family, friends and nation. We rejoice
to have shared this life and enjoyed their love, and
leave them in your eternal love and care; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
--------
Obituary
Keith ‘Topsy’ Turner 1954 - 2013
Jason Ironside, a good
friend who served with
Topsy Turner in HMS
Coventry attended his
funeral with many other
friends and relatives.
Topsy's life in the Royal
Navy and afterwards was
celebrated in style. The
Funeral cortege included
a convoy of Harley
Davidson motorcycles,
including Topsy's own
'Road King' model. In his
address, Jason spoke of Topsy's training as an
Artificer Apprentice at HMS Caledonia, including
learning to play the 'screaming handbag', otherwise
known as bagpipes, and his subsequent service at sea.
Rest in peace Topsy.
--------
Obituary
Ken Nicholson 19 March 1931-30 August 2013
Ken Nicholson was born
in Sunderland in 1931 but
grew up in Portsmouth.
He attended Southern
Grammar School for Boys
and was evacuated to the
New Forest during the
2nd World War.
The Kinema Balloom (though not as we knew it)
--------
We remember our friends who have
‘Crossed the Bar’
Keith ‘Topsy’ Turner Shipwright
New Zealand
Roger Strood
OA
Hawke
1952
Ken Nicholson
ERA Grenville 1947
It is with great sadness that we report the passing
of Patricia Smith, beloved wife of Don, the
OCAAA Reunion Secretary, on 19th October 2013.
Our sincere condolences to Don and his family.
May you rest in peace Patricia
2
Ken joined the Royal
Navy in 1947 and passed
out of HMS Caledonia in
April 1951. He was drafted
to HMS Starling, a
wartime Black Swan class sloop, built for escort duties.
Operating out of Liverpool under the command of
Captain Johnny Walker, she had an enviable wartime
record. Starling with others, sank 14 U-boats, including
six in one 20 day operation. In 1951 she was serving
as a Navigation Officers’ training ship for HMS Dryad
as part of the Portsmouth Squadron. Ken’s time
onboard was spent tracing out various pipe runs as
well as boiler room and auxiliary watch keeping.
Happily for HMS Starling Ken got the necessary watch
keeping certificates only eight months later! In a small
but happy mess he enjoyed sunny weeks around the
Scottish Islands as the ship spent two years sailing the
coasts of the UK and Ireland teaching Naval officers
the art of navigation. In 1953 HMS Starling was
classified as an Admiralty Yacht for the Review of the
Fleet and sailed fourth in line behind the Trinity House
vessel Patricia, the Royal Yacht, HMS Surprise, and
HMS Starling’s sister ship, HMS Redpole.
married a naval officer and their son, Jonathan, was
born in 1990. This coincided more or less with Ken’s
retirement and he was a very active, hands-on
grandfather. No request was ever turned down and
grandfather and grandson shared a passion for football,
although not always supporting the same team! Ken
and Betty celebrated their Diamond Wedding in July
2012 with a dinner for family and friends. They
considered themselves extremely fortunate to have
had such a long happy marriage, particularly in light of
Ken’s heart problems.
In 1953 Ken was drafted to HMS Theseus and after an
eight hour flight arrived in Malta and joined the ship at
anchor off Valletta. Life onboard an aircraft carrier was
very different to that on HMS Starling. The mess was much
larger and less personal but the size of the ship meant
that Ken’s seasickness evaporated. Back in the UK in
1954, Ken was drafted to the Reserve Fleet moored off
Whale Island in the shape of HMS Mauritius, alongside
HMS Sheffield. In 1956 he was transferred to HMS
Ceylon in refit but shortly afterwards left the Royal
Navy on compassionate grounds.
Ken remembered his time in the Royal Navy and
particularly at HMS Caledonia with great affection. He
was very much involved with the organization of his
class reunions and enjoyed reminiscing and the great
feeling of being amongst old classmates.
He was a generous, kind-hearted man, a ‘constant’ in
many people’s lives and he will be very much missed.
Ken’s Service of Thanksgiving was held at the Church
of St Thomas, Bedhampton on 18 Sept 2013.
Jackie Parry (nee Nicholson)
--------
In the the same year Ken joined the Admiralty
Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE) as a Lab.
Mechanic working on Underwater Weapons and
Counter Measures. He also attended Portsmouth
College of Technology to take his Higher National
Certificate in Engineering and Management which he
completed successfully in 1962. In 1959 he had
transferred to the Admiralty Surface Weapons
Establishment (ASWE) as a draughtsman. Three years
later he was promoted to the Production Department
and spent 18 happy years procuring various weapon
systems for fleet and shore installations. In 1980 a
cost-saving exercise meant that the Production
Department was disbanded and outsourced to
contractors. Ken continued working until 1991, at
which point he had a spell of heart trouble and took the
opportunity to take early retirement. He finished his
career with the Civil Service as a Senior Professional
and Technological Officer.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote ‘Crossing The Bar’ in 1889,
three years before his own death. He insisted that the
poem be the last in any published collections of his work.
The poet compares death to crossing the sandbar between
the tide or river of life and the ocean that lies beyond death,
the boundless deep.
Tennyson clearly believed that though death is the end of
life on earth, it is not the end of life:
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
CROSSING THE BAR
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Ken always loved sport, particularly cricket and football,
but when he had his first heart attack on St Valentine’s
Day in 1973, whilst playing squash, his sporting
activities came to an end. He subsequently joined the
local Umpires’ Association, took a course, passed the
exams and started umpiring serious cricket including
the Hampshire 2nd XI and other county matches! The
highlight of his umpiring career came in 1983 when he
was selected to umpire the final of the William Younger
Cup between Shrewsbury and Hastings at Lords.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness or farewell,
When I embark;
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.
Ken married Betty, a Dunfermline girl, whom he met at
Nelson Hall at Caledonia in November 1950. They
were married in Portsmouth in July 1952 and their only
child, Jackie, was born in 1954. She subsequently
3
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Caledonia Crest
The Caledonia Crest, kindly loaned by HMS Sultan,
has now been presented to the Wardroom, MOD
Caledonia for safe keeping.
Ashbury Manor
If OCAAA members show enough interest I would be
happy to organise a Golf Break, but one that non
golfers would also enjoy (this is not intended to take
the place of a reunion, but as an additional item on our
calendar). If you are interested please contact Don.
--------
STOP PRESS!
A Visit To HMS Queen Elizabeth
Cdr Buchan Steele - Lionel Fisher - Ray Nolton
The Crest was presented to the Wardroom Mess
President, Cdr Mark Buchan-Steele RN, by our Scottish
Representative, Lionel Fisher, on Friday 11 October
2013. Also present were members of the Wardroom
and our Associate Member Ray Nolton.
The Crest now hangs proudly between the Association'
paintings above the bar for all to see and admire.
Lionel Fisher
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Fancy A Leisure Break?
An offer from Don Smith, the Reunion Secretary:
01329 318440
[email protected]
On the outskirts of Dartmoor is a golfing complex
known as Ashbury Manor. It consists of 2 Hotels and 7
Golf Courses! In addition to Golf there are numerous
other activities available: pottery, woodworking, art,
yoga etc, all aimed at the non-golfer. The Fisgard
Association have run a successful Golf Break using
these facilities.
On 24th October 2013, the OCAAA Committee met in
MOD Caledonia. Following the meeting, committee
members were privileged to be given a guided tour of
the new Aircraft Carrier now being built by Babcock in
Rosyth Dockyard and scheduled to be launched next
Summer. Queen Elizabeth and her sister ship Prince of
Wales will be the largest ships ever built for the Royal
Navy.
Our hosts, W O 2 Mick Nolan and W O 2 Vinny Jones,
have only been in post for a few weeks, they are
however very knowledgeable and very helpful; in fact
extremely nice guys and a credit to the service.
Time and space preclude a full report of the visit in this
issue. There will be a more detailed account in
the March newsletter but as a taster of our visit,
some comments by OCAAA Treasurer Alan Williams:
‘The size of the hangar put me in mind of the stock
picking warehouses used by online retailers like
Amazon.’
‘The ships will be awesome when complete. I certainly
want to be on the harbour wall to see HMS Queen
Elizabeth enter Portsmouth for the first time!’
WATCH THIS SPACE!
4
HISTORY
&
CULTURE
OCAAA
REUNION
2014
HMS GANNET
HMS CAVALIER
CHATHAM
HERITAGE
&
NOSTALGIA
THE ROPERY
HMS OCELOT
SOME
FUN
TOO!
5
PROGRAMME
OCAAA REUNION
Friday 9th - Sunday 11th May 2014
Saturday 10th May
10.00am & 11.00am
Coaches to Chatham Dockyard
Hilton Maidstone
Bearsted Road
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 5AA
3.30pm & 4.30pm
Coaches return to Hilton Maidstone
The dinner/dance will take place in the evening.
Discounted wine and bar prices!
Booking details were published in the last newsletter
and are repeated here.
Sunday 11th May
The Biennial General Meeting will take place in
the morning.
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PLEASE MAKE YOUR BOOKING
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
THE COST
IN AND AROUND CHATHAM
The Historic Dockyard is the main attraction in
The rate for the standard weekend with double
occupancy is £252.50, this includes B&B and the gala
dinner dance. The rate for single occupancy is £202.
For anyone wishing to stay one night only, to include
the gala dinner/dance, the double occupancy rate is
£167.50, single occupancy will be charged at £122.
Chatham. The former naval dockyard is an award
winning Maritime Museum. For all ages, with naval
connections or not, the dockyard is a great day out.
The Ancient Town of Rochester is nearby
and is well worth visiting. In addition to the Cathedral,
Castle and Museum, there are narrow streets and
small shops. If you like second-hand bookshops,
Rochester is a must.
Anyone wishing to attend the dinner dance only the
rate is £30 a head.
For a one off payment of £25 delegates may reserve a
deluxe room. This will include slippers, towelling robe,
spring water, and a view overlooking the courtyard
gardens, as opposed to the car park.
Leeds Castle and Sissinghurst were
mentioned in the last newsletter. Both are a short drive
and both make enjoyable visits. Sissinghurst is a
National Trust property with beautiful gardens.
Delegates in possession of Hilton Honours will have
their own booking-in system.
However PLEASE inform Don Smith of your intentions
so that your names may be included in the list of
members who are attending the reunion.
Hever Castle , once the home of the Boleyn family,
was later owned by Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of
Henry VIII. In the 20th century it belonged to William
Waldorf Astor. Hever is now a conference centre, but
the castle and grounds are open to visitors.
BOOKING
Telephone: 01622 734322
Email:
[email protected]
Magic Group Code: GOCAA
Canterbury is a 30 minute drive. The Cathedral is
CHECKING IN
craving for retail therapy and is easily reached.
Bluewater is huge and has all the top names in
consumer goods and fashion. Another good shopping
centre, Lakeside, is on the other side of the Thames.
magnificent.
Bluewater Shopping Centre should satisfy any
On arrival please book in at main reception. From there
please make yourself known to yours truly (Don)
and/or a Hilton associate when you will have the
opportunity to select your table for the dinner dance
and order your wine.
All this plus the hospitality of the Hilton
Maidstone and the OCAAA
NOT TO BE MISSED!
Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available.
6
a prominent share in the action off St. Vincent in
January 1780. On returning to England Duncan quit
the Monarch and had no further command until March
1782, when Keppel became first lord of the admiralty.
He was then appointed to HMS Blenheim of 90 guns,
and commanded her at the relief of Gibraltar and in the
encounter with the allied fleet off Cape Spartel. He
became Vice Admiral in February 1793 and Rear
Admiral in June 1795.
ADMIRABLE
ADMIRALS
Adam Duncan,
First Viscount
Duncan of
Camperdown, First
Baron Duncan of
Lundie.
1st July 1731 –
4th August 1804
The Battle of Camperdown
In February 1795 Duncan was appointed commanderin-chief in the North Sea and hoisted his flag in HMS
Venerable. During the first two years of Duncan's
command the work was limited to enforcing a rigid
blockade of the enemy coast, but in the spring of 1797
it became apparent that the Dutch fleet in the Texel
was getting ready for sea. The situation was one of
extreme difficulty, for the mutiny which had paralysed
the fleet at the Nore also broke out in that under
Duncan and kept it for some weeks in enforced
inactivity. Duncan's personal strength held the crew of
the Venerable to their duty.
Duncan was the admiral who defeated the Dutch fleet
off Camperdown on 11th October 1797. This victory
was considered one of the most significant actions in
naval history.
Adam Duncan was the second son of Alexander
Duncan of Lundie, Forfarshire, Provost of Dundee, and
his wife Helen, daughter of John Haldane of
Gleneagles. In 1746, after receiving his education in
Dundee, he entered the navy on board the sloop HMS
Trial, under the care of his maternal uncle, Captain
Robert Haldane.
Duncan, with the main body of the fleet, was at the
time lying at Great Yarmouth revictualling. The Texel
was being watched by a small squadron under Captain
Henry Trollope in HMS Russell, from whom Duncan
received early information of the Dutch being at sea.
He at once weighed anchor and with a fair wind
approached the Dutch coast and saw that the fleet had
not returned to the Texel. Steering towards the south,
he sighted it on the morning of 11th October about
seven miles from the shore and nearly halfway
between the villages of Egmont and Camperdown.
In 1749 Duncan was appointed to HMS Centurion,
then commissioned for service in the Mediterranean,
by the Hon. Augustus Keppel and was confirmed in the
rank of Lieutenant on 10th January 1755. In August
1755 he followed Keppel to the Swiftsure, and in
January 1756 to the Torbay, in which he continued until
his promotion to Commander on 21st September 1759.
From October 1759 to April 1760 Duncan had
command of the Royal Exchange, a hired civilian
vessel employed in petty convoy. It is likely that a
misunderstanding with merchants was the cause of the
ship being put out of commission after a few months.
As a Commander Duncan had no further service, but
on 25th February 1761 he was appointed to HMS
Valiant, flying Keppel's broad pennant. He returned to
England in 1763 and notwithstanding his repeated
request, then had no official employment for many years.
The wind was blowing straight on shore and the Dutch,
forming their line to the north, preserved a bold front. It
was clear that if the attack was not made promptly the
Dutch would speedily get into shallow water where no
attack would be possible. Duncan at once realised the
importance of cutting off their retreat by getting
between them and the land. At first he was anxious to
bring up his fleet in a compact body, for at best his
numbers were not more than equal to those of the
Dutch; but realising the necessity of immediate action,
he could not wait for the ships astern to come up, so
without waiting to form a line of battle, and with the
fleet in very irregular order of sailing (in two groups, led
respectively by himself in the Venerable and ViceAdmiral Richard Onslow in the Monarch), he made the
signal to pass through the enemy's line and engage to
leeward.
During this time Duncan lived in Dundee. On 6th June
1777 he married Henrietta, daughter of Robert Dundas
of Arniston, Lord President of the Court of Session. It
would seem that his alliance with this influential family
obtained him the employment which he had been
vainly seeking for fifteen years. Towards the end of
1778 he was appointed to HMS Suffolk, from which he
was almost immediately moved to HMS Monarch. In
January 1779 he sat as a member of the court-martial
of Keppel, and that of Sir Hugh Palliser.
During the summer of 1779 the Monarch was attached
to the Channel fleet and was one of the squadron with
which Rodney sailed for the relief of Gibraltar and had
7
It was a bold departure from the absolute rule laid
down in the Fighting Instructions, still new. The
engagement was long and bloody; for though Duncan,
in passing through the enemy's line had prevented
their untimely retreat, he had not advanced further in
tactical science and the battle was fought out on the
primitive principles of ship against ship; the advantage
remaining with those who were the better trained to the
great gun exercise, though the Dutch by their obstinate
courage inflicted great loss on the English.
Monaco, hosted by Prince Rainier. 'Mm nice', I thought,
'makes a change for the rich to share their spoils with the
hoi polloi.' Feeling in magnanimous mood, I decided that
the generosity of the Prince should not pass without
some appropriate recognition.
How to start my letter was the first conundrum, but
politeness is always an appropriate opening:
Dear Sir,
I was reading in a recent magazine about your very
egalitarian gesture in hosting a Christmas party for all
the children of Monaco. I was very impressed and felt
that your generosity should not go unrecognised.
I am an engineer on H.M.S. Hermes, currently in Malta
and we will be visiting Villefranche, just along the coast
from Monaco, in three weeks time. You are welcome to
come aboard and I would be happy to buy you a beer;
if you would like to bring Princess Caroline with you, she
also would be very welcome.
Yours faithfully
Duncan's victory relieved the threat of invasion. He
arrived back at Yarmouth on 18th October 1797 to a
hero's welcome. He was created 1st Viscount Duncan
of Camperdown and awarded the lands which are now
Camperdown country park and mansion, his family
home on the Perthshire-Angus border. The news of the
victory was received in England with the warmest
enthusiasm. Duncan was raised to the peerage as
Baron Duncan of Lundie and Viscount Duncan of
Camperdown. He was awarded the Large Naval Gold
Medal and an annual pension of £3,000, to himself and
the next two heirs to his title - this was the biggest
pension ever awarded by the British government. With
the pension he built the imposing neo-classical
Camperdown House in his home city of Dundee.
Additionally, he was given the freedom of several cities,
including Dundee and London.
HMS Hermes
Three years later, on 4th August 1804, he died quite
suddenly, aged seventy-three, at the inn at Cornhill, a
village on the border where he had stopped for the
night on his journey to Edinburgh. He was buried in
Lundie.
A street in Leeds town
centre is named Duncan
Street. The pub on this
street honours Duncan
with its name and many
pictures and paintings.
Our time in Malta concluded, the letter had been posted
and I thought nothing more about it as I again settled
into the regime of watch keeping in the engine room.
'Mail plane has just landed, and the sorted mail will be
available at 1500 hours' was announced over the Tannoy.
This event was much anticipated and welcomed by most
men aboard. It was only after I had concluded the
afternoon watch that I had the opportunity to check the
mess for my eagerly awaited mail from wife at home.
Great, a few envelopes addressed to me in my wife’s
familiar handwriting. Among them was another envelope
also addressed to me, typed and with a very unusual
stamp in the top right corner. After a cursory glance at
the ‘foreigner’, I sat back to enjoy reading the letters from
my wife. Almost as an afterthought I opened the ‘odd’
envelope.:
Dear Mr Lunn,
His Serene Highness Prince Rainier has directed me to
write to you expressing his gratitude for your kind words
and to communicate his acceptance of your offer (subject
to the approval of your captain) to host a visit by His
Serene Highness to your ship.
Yours faithfully
Senior Private Secretary
In 1997 a statue of
Duncan was erected in
Dundee. A gay pub in
the Old Compton Street
in London has the name
of Lord Duncan.
------
The King and I
A cautionary tale from John Lunn:
To be honest he was not a King but in fact Rainier III,
Prince of Monaco (Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand
Grimaldi, Count of Polignac; 31 May 1923 – 6 April 2005).
It all started when I was off watch just sitting in the mess
on board H.M.S. Hermes, idly passing the time by flicking
though a magazine that had been left on the table. At
the time we were anchored in Valletta harbor, Malta, half
way between Customs House steps and Fort St Angelo.
‘Prince Rainier of Monaco gives a Christmas party’, was
the headline of an article that caught my eye: a
description of a Christmas party for all of the children of
8
‘Acceptance of your offer; excellent,’ were the first words
that went through my head.
‘Subject to the approval of your captain;’ not a big issue
I thought, I expect that the skipper will enjoy the
opportunity to also be a guest in our mess and share a
beer with the Prince. The Captain of an aircraft carrier is
‘God at sea’ personified, so I thought that perhaps I
should go through the chain of command and speak with
the Commander who was the ships executive officer.
‘the choices’ I had been offered. 'Yes Lunn, go, just go
and do not do anything like this again,' he thundered. As
I turned to leave I asked, 'by the way, can I have my letter
back?' His jaw dropped, his face becoming very bloated
and red as I plucked my letter from his hand and
retreated down the corridor. 'You are duty engineer,
every other day while we are in Villefranche, was my
sentence screamed down the gangways.
‘No time like the present’ is an adage I like to adopt and
found my way to the Commander’s cabin. It took a few
hearty blows on his cabin door before I got a response
and a dishevelled commander opened the door and
invited me in: 'Excuse me sir, I have this letter'. Before I
could say anymore, 'Lunn I would advise you to learn
when your commander is having a siesta, and in future
do not disturb him at that time; now where is the letter
that you think is important enough to interrupt my sleep?
I was stunned into silence and just passed him the letter.
I think he read it about three times, before looking over
the top of his spectacles and slowly and softly saying,
'Just leave this with me Lunn, and I will get back to you.'
'Well I would like to keep my letter if you don’t mind' I
asserted. 'Oh you will get it back; now just go' he
commanded. Fair enough, I thought as I wandered back
to my mess with some excitement as thoughts of the
impending royal visit occupied my mind.
Villefranche sur Mer
Years later, while I was on attachment to H.M.S Phoenix,
a Chief Bosun who was an avid stamp collector heard
my tale and gladly accepted my gratis donation of the
letter and stamped envelope to his collection.
------
A couple of days later, ‘E.R.A.1 Lunn report to the
Commander’s cabin' was the order broadcast over the
Tannoy. 'Ah good’ I thought, 'this will be to inform me that
I have the Captain’s approval for the Royal visit and I will
get my letter back.' Feeling very chirpy I knocked on the
door of the Commander’s cabin. 'Come in Lunn, I wish
to talk with you about your correspondence with Prince
Rainier,’ invited the Commander. 'Yes sir,' I responded,
pleased that we appeared to be on the same page, not
dealing with some engineering issue. 'You have some
choices to make,' was his opening gambit. 'Do you wish
to be charged under breaches of the Official Secrets Act
or perpetrating serious offences with regard to
International Diplomacy?' was his next move. ‘Mm
choices,’ this was not the way I had envisaged the
conversation going. 'Well Lunn, which is it to be?' the
Commander bellowed. Having a couple of seconds to
consider I replied, 'well neither actually sir,' which I
thought a rational response. 'I don’t understand why you
are so upset.’ 'Well. let me explain Lunn; you have
breached the Official Secrets Act by divulging the
movements of a warship to a foreign power and
committed a gross offence against International
Diplomacy by inviting a Head of State, i.e. Monaco, to
visit another state, i.e. France. Any such invitation to visit
France can only be extended by the French President’,
was the Commander’s checkmating elucidation.
'Hmm, sorry sir I had not thought about that,' I offered
humbly. 'Clearly', he paused, adding, 'I have been in
touch with the Foreign Office and they have directed the
Captain to write to Prince Rainier apologising on your
behalf and withdrawing the invitation.' 'Sorry sir, will that
be all sir?' I questioned, hoping to divert attention from
Memories …….
They say that pictures speak louder than words. This
pre-modernisation picture certainly brought memories,
good and not so good, flooding back:
HMS Caledonia Dormitory - Date Unknown
------
New Members have joined us since the last
newsletter. We welcome to the Association:
Robert J H Piggott S 52
Roger Holness
S 21
9
1959
1955
Artapp Ye Scribe
Alan Petrie sent me a CD of the 1953 Coronation
Edition of the Caledonia Magazine. The artwork on the
front page may be a memory jogger for boiarts in Cale
at the time.
N
ow Hear Ye! Will not the summer
now past be remembered among the
few when sunshine and warmth were so
fre-quent-ly the order of the day? Lang
may yer lum not reek! It was however
whispered along the highway of W W W
by one Douglas of Twitchen, seated in his
humble croft, that in the Isle of Skye,
where methinks only the hardiest deign to
reside, the evenings required much burning
of peat to stave off the pneumonic chill.
T
he dockyard of our first acquaintance
doth ring with hammer blows and
glow with the light of wel-ding torches as
the mighty, promised to be, sometime in the
distant future, karrier of birds of war,
H M S Queen Elizabeth, doth rise from the
dry dock. The Campe of Cale, no longer
worthy of H M S, having been demoted to
Em Oh Dee, is nev-er-the-less in demand to
provide victuals and shelter for the
assembling crew of said H M S Q E.
W
eep not ye chosen ones who laboured
mightily and studied assiduously in
the establishment that for long years
provided the fleet with artificers of diverse
skills. Remain proud to be among that
number who are called Boiart. The names
Artificer and HMS Caledonia, etched in
stone at the National Arboretum, surely
liveth as a perpetual memorial.
One article caught my eye. The opening statement:
‘now that Everest has been conquered there only remains
the great depths of the oceans to be explored’ may be
sweeping and inaccurate, but it does reflect the impact
of Hilary and Tensing’s great achievement, almost
coincident with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. (Ed):
UNDER-WATER TELEVISION
Every day new things are being brought to light, and
now that Everest has been conquered there only
remains the great depths of the oceans to be explored.
Today, with the aid of under-water television, which is
only in the relatively early stage of development, this
seems to be nearing the possibility of thorough
exploration. The study of plant and fish life in shallow
waters has already been successfully carried out with
these sets, as well as the direction of salvage work on
sunken wrecks on the sea bed.
In spite of this, there are still many problems which have
to be overcome. The set must be kept in a watertight
compartment. Special lenses have to be fitted. The
greater the depth, the greater the pressure on the set
and there is also the absence of light at great depths.
As a point of interest, there is today salvage work on a
wreck which is believed to be, or rather has been
proved to be, Greek and was sunk in 400 BC. So far
much valuable pottery etc has been recovered from
the mud on the sea bed. The wood of the vessel has
long ago decayed. All this work has been directed with
the use of under-water television.
Who knows what new things will be brought to life in
B D Furse Ex. 5
10 the near future.
Postcard from Ted
When Ron and Beryl said that they were going to Scotland, I jumped up and down with glee as I knew that they
would take me along too. I knew I wouldn’t need my tropical rig this time although the summer has been quite
redders. We were going up to celebrate two Golden Weddings so I smartened up my No. 1s and polished my
boots.
The first occasion was in Edinburgh and I thought that we may have
bumped into Lionel. However I was told that I was going on board.
Somewhat confused we turned away from the Forth and ended up in
Ratho. Did the Grey Funnel line have a depot there? Imagine my
surprise when we approached the Bridge Inn and found The ‘Pride of
the Union’, a longboat, berthed alongside with an excited crew ready to
board. We were going to sail along the canal, have a few wets and
lunch and enjoy the surrounding countryside.
.
I was even more excited
when I was allowed to have a
shot at the wheel. The sun
did shine for us and we all
enjoyed being on board
without a force 8 driving us
along.
We left the east coast to go west (by land fortunately) to spend several
days with Digger and Prue Briggs who were also celebrating their Golden
Wedding at Craigengillan. I had forgotten how troublesome the midges
were in that part of the country. Gil was able to come up from Somerset
as he had been best man at the wedding and it was a good excuse for us
all to splice the mainbrace. I
felt very honoured to be sitting
at the top of the table with the
VIPs and helped the happy
couple to cut their cake. It had been a long time since I had heard the
skirl of the pipes and asked if I could play them. I didn’t have enough puff
though and after a big effort had to let the piper entertain us.
I’m ready to go
abroad now if
somebody can take
me along too!
11
and found copies of our exam results, both Factory
and School.
Series 19
On the 14th September 1953, 237 young men joined
HMS Fisgard to be termed Series 19. Over the years
this number varied as some left the service through
sickness, thickness or unsuitability; similarly we gained
by those who were back classed and who swelled our ranks.
Over the weekend 20 to 23rd September this year we
gathered at the Prince of Wales hotel at Berkeley on
the A38 to celebrate our 60th anniversary. We mustered
39 members with the majority accompanied by wives
or partners. Ted came along, well he would wouldn’t
he; and Melanie, the charming manager of the hotel,
was only to pleased to hold him – Ted didn’t complain.
At the annual reunion of the OCAAA in 1993 Sid
Hygate, John Turner and Ron Emerson, all of series
19, sat down and discussed how nice it would be if we
could get the class together again. Each of us had
kept in contact with some members and from this a
web effect took place where one knew A then A had
Throughout the years this small association has never
numbered more than 100, in fact 99 has been the
maximum. Members have come and gone and at this
stage it us unusual to find a new member but
regardless, when we get together the chat is endless.
Our members are distributed throughout the world and
we had attendees from Canada, Australia and South
Africa to share our mutual heritage.
kept in touch with C and D and so it went on. Our first
reunion was held at the China Fleet Club in 1995 and
was just for those who had Caledonia as their part 2
establishment. We then decided to form an association
‘Old Fisgard Artificers September 1953’ and opened it
to the whole class. Since that time biennial reunions
have been held all around the UK including Wales and
Scotland. In 2003, to celebrate our 50th, we met in
Torquay and had visits to Raleigh (Fisgard Squadron)
Should you know of a Series 19 member who is
unaware of the existence of the association, please
refer him to Ron Emerson who has recently taken up the
post of secretary again. (contact details are on page 14)
—------------------------------------copying process. All that is needed is a reasonable digital
camera and a tripod. Each magazine takes about 5 minutes
to copy. Alan Petrie can advise:
CONGRATULATIONS!
To Norman Proctor (Anson 1944) on being awarded the
M B E in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to
business in Plymouth and charity work.
[email protected]
Alan is also the contact for purchase of Magazines on DVD.
Most issues for 1937 - 1946 are available for copying, and
most of the issues for Series 1 to 35, 692/3, 763 and 771.
Many issues have already been copied to DVD - Alan or
Mike Ketley can supply a complete list
------
Norman is still working as a Director of a large Motor Group
having been Managing Director of five companies in the
Tecalemit/Invensys Group for some 20 plus years after
leaving the RN. Well done indeed Norman.
------
THANK YOU
CAN YOU HELP ?
Ted Summerscales for loaning the Easter 1955 issue of
Brian Meakin, ex R E A, wants to contact Tom Fell, ex O A.
the Caledonia Magazine for Alan Petrie to copy.
Currently more 1960, 1970 and 1980 Magazines are needed.
Alan Petrie would be pleased to hear from you if you have
any he might borrow and copy. OCAAA NEEDS SOMEONE IN
THE PORTSMOUTH AREA (male or female) to assist in the
Brian served with Tom in HMS Leopard and Tom was Best
Man at his wedding in 1963. Brian's email address is:
[email protected]
12
Treasurer’s Report (1st October 2013)
The Association continues the year in a financially sound position with no major expenditure
expected in the short term. A summary of the financial year to date is set out below. There are
two major reasons for the current lower cash total – purchase of two Boy Art videos for the
website from the Imperial War Museum and spring newsletter production costs (printing,
packaging and postage of paper newsletters sent to members without internet, or with very
slow reception). The next formal, independent audit of the Association’s accounts will be held
at the end of March 2014.
Accounts as of 1st October 2013:
OCAAA Deposit Account
OCAAA Current Account
Total Cash Funds
-
£5124.44 *(£5122.66)
£338.84 *(£556.84)
£5463.28 *(£5679.50)
* (position at start of this Financial Year)
Cash Flows on Accounts:
Current Account:
Income: £156.00 Expenditure:
Deposit Account:
Income: £1.78
Expenditure:
Change in cash position over year to date:
Cost Value of Slops held:
£374.00
£0.00
-£216.22
at average purchase price costs from April 2012
(held by Slop Master)
£1159.25
*(£1208.68) (position at start of this Financial Year)
Total Assets (incl. slops at cost): £6622.53
*(£6888.18) (position at start of this Financial Year)
Alan Williams
Treasurer
OCAAA Treasurer
Alan Williams has for some years been our efficient and willing treasurer,
and valued member of the OCAAA committee.
Alan will be stepping down after the biennial meeting at the end of the
2014 Reunion with our thanks for all he has done for the Association.
Please consider whether you might succeed Alan as treasurer and contact
him directly, or Mike Ketley, by telephone or email.
—-------
OCAAA Webmaster
Phil Price rebuilt the website to a very high standard and has continued to maintain the
site. However, his day job is very demanding and time consuming and Phil needs to pass
the webmaster baton to a successor. Phil also serves on the OCAAA committee. If this
might fit your skill and time, please let Phil or Mike know.
—-------
OCAAA NEEDS YOU!
13
OCAAA SLOPS - Christmas is Coming!
(all items have Caledonia Crest & OCAAA Logo)
Polo Shirts
£14
M=40”
XL=44”
XXL=46”
V Neck Long Sleeved Jumper £25
M=40”
XL=42”
XXL=44”
Fleece
£20
M=40”
XL=44”
XXL=46”
Blazer Badge
£20
Tie
£9
Baseball Cap
£6
Caledonia Notelets
£4 (per pack of 10)
O C A A A Committee Contact Addresses
All can be contacted by email via our website: http:\\www.ocaaa.org
Chairman & Newsletter Editor
Mike Ketley
40 Commonhall Lane
Hadleigh
Benfleet
Essex SS7 2RN
01702 428971
Treasurer
Alan Williams
9 Metcalfe Avenue
Stubbington
Hants PO14 2HY
01329 668777
Scottish Rep
Lionel Fisher
73 East Craigs Rigg
Edinburgh
Scotland EH12 8JA
0131 539 7110
Secretary **
Phillip Alder
Secretary OCAAA
67 Hankin Avenue
Oakley Grange
Dovercourt
Essex CO12 5HE
Tel. 01255 551944
Reunion Secretary & Slops Master
Don Smith
24 Wakefield Avenue
Fareham
Hants PO16 7RP
01329 318440
Webmaster
Phil Price
Your webmaster can be contacted via:
[email protected]
----------Honorary President
Ron Emerson
‘The Stile’
6 Springwood Lane
Romiley
Stockport SK6 4JL
0161 449 9259
O C A A A MEMBERSHIP UPDATE
** If your details change - ie Name / Address / Telephone / Email / Wife or Partner / etc
Please contact the Secretary, Phillip Alder, as above (E [email protected])
A Membership List is available by email or post (1st class stamp please)
14