NAVY NEWS, OCTOBER 2011
Company, 42 Commando. Joined the Royal Marines September 30 1991 and served in many operations including Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Iraq as a reconnaissance operator, platoon weapons instructor and recruit troop sergeant. Fatally injured by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the Sukmanda area of Nahr-e Saraj Helmand Province, Afghanistan August 30. Aged 40. See page 4.
Sergeant Barry ‘Baz’ Weston RM Kilo
Volunteered for the FAA, learned to fly 1940 and was commissioned into the RNVR. In 1942 he was flight commander of Manchester’s two Walrus seaplanes (Operation Pedestal) when she was hit and scuttled. Although 312 crew were picked up he was in a group that reached the North African coast where they were interned by the Vichy French. After being rescued by the US Army in November 1942 he was appointed personal pilot to Admiral Sir Lumley Lyster, Flag
Rear Admiral ‘Chico’ Roberts DSO. Officer Carrier Training and 1944
qualified as a batsman and joined the escort carrier Trumpeter on Arctic convoys and mine-laying duties off Norway. Post-war he was Commander in Glory and later Senior Pilot of 815 NAS and CO of 813 and 767 NAS. During the Korean War he commanded 825 NAS, leading rocket and bombing raids, however, after an unsuccessful attack on a radio station, he was hit by small arms fire and his Fairey Firefly ditched five miles off the coast where he was picked up by an American amphibious aircraft and returned to Ocean. He was forced to make two other emergency landings, one in Seoul, another on Ocean; for his service off Korea he was promoted commander and awarded a DSO. After the Korean War he was lent to the Royal Australian Navy as Deputy Director Naval Air Warfare, to help build up the Australian FAA, then returned to Britain where he commanded the naval stations at Portland (1962-64), Culdrose (1964-65); was Flag Officer Naval Air Command (1968-71) and appointed CB 1970. July 29. Aged 93. Capt George Edward Hunt DSO*, DSC*. As a Reserve officer his training involved anti- piracy operations up the Yangtze. In 1936 he passed his second mate’s certificate and joined the Blue Funnel line and the following year took up a permanent commission in the RN qualifying as a submariner and at the outbreak of war was navigator of the Unity. 1940 after six war patrols she was run down by a Norwegian merchant ship off Blythe and sunk, but nearly all the crew survived and he was mentioned in despatches for his service in Unity. 1941 he was appointed second-in-command of Proteus, based at Alexandria, and was awarded his first DSC. 1942 he flew back to UK to complete the commanding officers course and was given command of H50 followed by command of the newly-built Ultor. On her first patrol 1943 she sank a ship at anchor inside Augusta harbour in Sicily, then bombarded a wireless station on the Aeolian archipelago. He was awarded his second DSC for these early patrols and a mention in despatches for Ultor’s creditable role as a beach marker during the amphibious assault at Anzio in 1944 (Operation Shingle). On one occasion off the south coast of France, Ultor sank a large tanker which was escorted by nine surface vessels and five aircraft, obtaining hits with both torpedoes; she was pursued and counter-attacked with more than 100 depth charges; he was awarded the DSO for eight war patrols to February 1944 and a bar in December. After a total of some 32 war patrols, 17 in Ultor, with two DSOs and two DSCs, he was still a lieutenant aged 28. Receiving accelerated promotion to Lt Cdr he finished the war at Staff College. After an appointment to the aircraft carrier Triumph he returned to submarines and commanded Ambush before being appointed as CO of the commanding officers qualifying course Perisher; promoted captain 1953 at the age of 37. As a commodore he commanded Bigbury Bay and the 7th Frigate Squadron as the Senior Naval Officer, West Indies; subsequently he was Chief of Staff to the Flag Officer Submarines and retired 1963. August 16. Aged 95.
the war, serving in destroyers on convoy duties until his ship Hardy was sunk by torpedo; he and other survivors leapt onto the deck of Venus which was also sunk. As torpedo officer in Saumarez he was part of the Flotilla stalking the Japanese cruiser Haguro in the Malacca Straits and he managed to fire all eight of his torpedoes and assist in the sinking of Haguro, even though Saumarez was badly damaged; he and several officers and men of the 26th Destroyer Flotilla received awards for their outstanding courage coolness and skill during the action. Post-war he commanded Creole, served on the staff of the Flag Officer Flotillas in the Mediterranean (1952-53) and in Trincomalee while the Sri Lanka Navy was being established. Later he commanded Vernon (1963-65),
Capt Douglas M H Stobie. Joined before served on the British
Naval Staff in Washington and was captain of the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment at Portland; he retired in 1971. August 16. Aged 92.
of the cadet force at school, he enlisted in the Corps in 1942. After training at Chatham which included the use of landing craft he was sent to command RM Flotilla 561 in the Adriatic where he acquired the nickname ‘Pug’. In 1944 he was off the Dalmatian coast in command of a flotilla of Landing Craft (Assault) and landed a large raiding force but after four days of heavy fighting and numerous casualties the main body of commandos was forced to withdraw; Davis landed reinforcements but these were ambushed. Waiting in his LCA he organised five men into a search party, arming them with rifles, he recovered the force’s heavy weapons which had run out of ammunition and without waiting for
Lt Colonel ‘Pug’ Davis DSC. A member
Veterans Agency: 0800 169 2277,
Royal Navy recruitment: 0845 607
Royal Naval Association: 023 9272
RN and RM Service records: 01283
Charity: 023 9254 8076, www.rnrmc. Royal Navy and Royal Marines
Contact sheet Ministry of Defence: 0870 607 4455,
any more commandos to return, he set off to the village where the ambush had been staged. After a two-hour climb he found a wounded officer, who had been left for dead and evacuated him safely back to the beach. He was awarded a DSC for his initiative and courage far beyond the call of duty. Post- war several small groups were rationalised into the Combined Operations Beach and Boat Section (COBBS) and in 1951 under his command it was renamed Small Raids Wing. He was sent to Germany and set up the RM Demolition Unit of the Rhine Flotilla, intended to deny the Russians any means of crossing the Rhine and on his suggestion his team was renamed the 2nd Special Boat Section (2SBS), while 1SBS remained in England; later several sections were formed, each comprising an officer and a dozen or so men; some of which operated behind enemy lines in Korea. 1952-54 he created a Special Boat Section in Malta to support 42 Commando RM and this became 6SBS which operated in the eastern Mediterranean and the SBS moved their
headquarters to Poole and
it was retitled the SB Wing. 1957-59 he became senior RM officer in Eagle taking command of the SB Wing (1959-61). As company commander 40 Cdo RM deployed from Albion he landed by helicopter deep in the jungle (Indonesia Confrontation), he served at HQ Plymouth Group RM 1964- 65 then returned to Albion as Amphibious Operations Officer (1965-67). 1968 he returned to Poole as second-in-command of JSWAC and on his rapid promotion he moved to the Joint Warfare Establishment at Old Sarum to teach amphibious warfare; he retired in 1971. August 18. Aged 87. Lt Cdr Peter Twiss DSC*. Joined the
Heron, Ark Royal, Daring and Drake. August 6. Aged 80.
James ‘Jim’ Payne. AB RP3. Served 1950-60 in Opossum and Veryan Bay. HMS Opossum Association. August 27. Aged 80. James ‘Jim’ Harris. CPO Mechanical
Engineer. Served 1938-62. Survivor of Dainty sunk by German navy torpedoes at Tobruk, also served MGB, Wasp, Indomitable, Despatch, Loch Katrine, Indefatigable, Whelp,
Barcote, Barndale, Whitesand
Bay, Brocklesby, Laleston Castle, Solebay, Bellerophon, Starling and Trafalgar. August 29. Aged 94.
ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION Maurice ‘Bud’ Abbott. Served 1948-56 as AB in Peacock 1952-53 and a member of HMS Peacock Association. committee
at Peterborough RNA for
number of years, latterly Vice Chairman. July 14. Aged 80.
Lilian ‘Lil’ Mary Trevethan. Wren. Served 1942-45. Nuneaton branch. August 7. Aged 91.
John Sweeney. Telegraphist. Served Allington Castle and Arctic Convoys 1944- 45. Past Secretary West Lothian RNA. August 13. Aged 86. Roy Stanley Richards. Electrician. Served 1943-45 in rocket ships during invasion of France June 1944 then infantry landing craft. Long-serving committee member of both Dereham and Swaffham branches and founding member Swaffham. June 11. Aged 88. Tom Thompson. Seaman gunner. Joined aged 15 and served 1948-66 in carriers including during Borneo Confrontation and Malay
FAA 1939 and trained as a pilot, initially flying Hurricanes with the Merchant Ship Fighter Unit. 1942 he was flying Fairey Fulmar fighters with 807 Squadron from Argus in support of the Malta convoys (Operation Harpoon) and was awarded the DSC for shooting down an Italian fighter and damaging an enemy bomber. His squadron converted to the Seafire and flying from Furious over Morocco and Algeria (Operation Torch landings) he was awarded a Bar to his DSC. 1943 he transferred to night fighters before joining the RAF’s Fighter Interception Unit where he flew Mosquitoes over France and the period after D-Day shot down two Junker 88 bombers. In 1944 he joined the British Air Commission in the United States to test naval fighters; he returned 1945 to join the Empire Test Pilots’ School before a loan period with Fairey Aviation as a test pilot. Upon leaving the RN he remained with Fairey and became chief test pilot. 1955 at the controls of the Fairey Delta 2 (FD2), a supersonic research aircraft he broke the world speed record and was appointed OBE 1956; the aircraft is now on display at the FAA Museum at Yeovilton. He appeared in the film Sink the Bismarck (1960), when he flew a Fairey Swordfish torpedo aircraft and the Bond film From Russia with Love (1963) at the helm of a Fairey Marine Speedboat; his autobiography, Faster than the Sun was published in 1963. August 31. Aged 90. Lt
Joined the RNVR 1939 and was spotted and commissioned whilst serving in his first ship Southdown. After training at King Alfred he was appointed to the fast minelayer Manxman. In 1942 he commanded a flotilla of boats which landed Royal Marines during the capture of Madagascar. He next took part in minelaying operations in the Mediterranean during the relief of Malta which were briefly interrupted when Manxman was torpedoed and he spent several hours clinging to a raft. Attached to the staff of Admiral Sir Frederick Edward- Collins in Gibraltar he was successfully involved in an undercover wartime mission to arrest Princess Philippa of Braganza who was known to be smuggling industrial diamonds from Uruguay for use in German munitions factories, by posing as a civilian at an hotel in Estoril where the diamond handovers were believed to be taking place. 1943 he was appointed to the new destroyer Savage and spent two years on Arctic convoy duties and was the torpedo control officer during the Battle of North Cape; he fired a full salvo of eight torpedoes against the German battleship Scharnhorst claiming three hits before turning away to allow other destroyers to deliver the coup de grace; he was awarded a DSC. In 1944 he was posted as a Flag Lieutenant to Melbourne to prepare for the arrival of the Pacific Fleet under the command of the US Navy, and his last duties were the relief of a Japanese prisoner-of- war camp and helping to re-establish British administration in Hong Kong. May 8. Aged 88.
Simon George Warrender DSC.
Edward ‘Oscar’ Wilde. LS (SEA). Served 22 years from 1985 in Sirius, Westminster, Boxer, Cornwall, London, Cumberland and Campbeltown. August 23. Aged 42. Paul ‘Lumpy’ Lomas. POAEM. Served 1979-2004 in Liverpool, Invincible and RNAS Yeovilton. August 18. Aged 50. A W ‘Ben’ Downer. AB QA2. Served 1949-64 in St Vincent, Concorde, Vanguard, Corunna, Excellent, (XP), Jaguar (FC) and Victory (ASD). March 19. Aged 77. Alan ‘Gardy’ Gardner. Gunner and Diver. Served 1959-69 in St Vincent, Cambridge, Drake, Jutland (Victory IV), Dampier, Lynx, Victory, Bellerophon, Excellent and Fearless. August 17. Aged 67. Reginald ‘Reg’ Harrison. Able Seaman. Served 1948-54 in Royal Arthur, Victorious, Bermuda, Orion, Seagull (Halcyon class minesweeper that became a survey ship in 1945) and Drake. HMS Diana Association. August 1. Aged 81. Darren ‘Daz’ Tully. Served 22 years including Type 42 York. Died tragically whilst restoring
a 54-year-old ex-navy inshore
survey vessel Egeria. August 28. Aged 42. See page 33. Fred Judson. MAA. Served 1946-70 in Ganges, Newcastle, Wizard, Eagle, Rooke,
branch. June. Aged 78. Horatio Wilson ‘Nick’ Nichols. Served 1948-55 in Crispin, Glasgow, Adamant and Undine. A major force behind the recommissioning of Selby RNA in 1999. August 18. Aged 82. Russell ‘Guy’ Cook. CPO Coxswain. Served 1943-68 in St George, Glasgow, Actaeon, Zephyr, Wager, Hardy, Tartar and St Vincent. Selsey RNA member for 31 years including 16 years as Chairman and eight years as Life Vice President. September 1. Aged 83. Tony ‘Nobby’ Hall. Served as Radio Supervisor (RS) on board Loch Fada in Far East (1962-63), Nigeria, MMS1579, Teaser, Apollo, Birmingham, Albion (twice), Devonshire, Verulam, Tartar and Forth also shore bases Bruce, Heron, Sea Eagle and Mercury. Leamington Spa RNA. August 30. Aged 80. Dorothy
Ldg Wren Supply. Served 1948-52 in Dauntless,
Vanda Rawe (née Ceres,
Seahawk (Naval stores). Founder of the RNA in Western Australia with the founding of the Perth branch. Instrumental in founding Rockingham and District branch for which she was made a Life member and later Life Vice President; also served as treasurer and secretary for many years. September 10. Aged 81.
SUBMARINERS ASSOCIATION H ‘Herman’ Eilertsen. Submarine Service Norwegian Navy WW2 in Ula. Scotland NE branch. Aged 89. J T ‘Jackie’ Old. Ch. Sto. Submarine Service 1943-62 in Taurus, Seneschal, Tireless, Acheron, Aurochs, Tudor and Narwhal. Merseyside branch. Aged 94. L ‘Les’ Slack. Sto.1. Submarine Service 1945-48 in Thermopylae, Tantalus and Ambush. Sheffield branch. Aged 83.
HMS UNICORN ASSOCIATION Ronald Spriggs. A/L S Diver 3-3. Served in ship 2nd commission (1949-51). March 10. Aged 84.
Eric Albert Jackson. AB. Served in ship 1st commission (1943-46). June 21. Aged 86.
Rena Houston (née Reading). WRNS. Enlisted for the war. Served in Unicorn, Dundee, Gibraltar including invasion of North Africa (Exercise Torch), Antelope on official visit to the Azores returning to UK on board Activity and worked with Commander Flying at RNAS Yeovilton. Only female member of association. July 3. Aged 92. Deryk Edward ‘Lofty’ Thomas.
Telegraphist. Served 1942-46 at Royal Arthur, Shrapnell, Glasgow, Scotia Ayr, Drake,
Unicorn 1st commission (1943),
Boscawen, Bangor, Owl, Fearn, Ross & Cromarty. August 18. Aged 89.
LST & LANDING CRAFT ASSOCIATION W V Bosanko. Served LCTs 520 and 4098. Belfast. A Arnold. Served LCVP Flotilla
Eltham. August 10. C T Hitchcock. Served LCA Flotillas 523 & 551, LCM Flotilla 485, LSI(L) Empire Javelin and LSI(S) Princess Margaret. London. August 14. A W Busbridge. Served LCT 671. Codicote. August 15. Dick Foster. Served LCI(L)s 380 and 488. Sale. August 17. Aged 95.
Wilfred Foulds. AB. Served in Octavia. April 20. Aged 84. Arthur Watley. Sto1. Served in
Waterwitch. May 31. Fred Bracegirdle. AB. Served in Felicity. July 28. Aged 86. Arthur McEvoy. M(E)1. Served in
Welcome. August 2. Aged 79. S/Lt John Nichols. Served in Mystic. August 12. Aged 84. Walter Ashcroft. AB. Served in Sylvia. August 16. Aged 86. Fred Cook. AB. Served in Gozo. August 18. Aged 86.
Hector Bricknall. AB. Served in Rattlesnake. August 18. Aged 85. Ray Fenn. AB. Served in Fancy. September 2. Aged 87. S/Lt William Burrows. Served in Myrmidon. September 4. Aged 84.
ADULT £9.99 UK £10.99 overseas
RNBT: 023 9269 0112 (general), 023 9266 0296 (grants), www.rnbt.org.uk
British Legion: 08457 725725, www. britishlegion.org.uk
Naval Families Federation: 023 9265
Seafarers UK: 020 7932 0000, www.
SSAFA Forces Help: 0845 1300 975,
RN Community: www.rncom.mod.uk
Medals enquiries: 0800 085 3600
Fleet Air Arm Museum: 01935
Royal Naval Museum: 023 9272 7562,
Royal Marines Museum: 023 9281
National Maritime Museum: 020 8312
RN Submarine Museum: 023 9251
Imperial War Museum: 020 7416 5320, www.iwm.org.uk
Made from 100% brushed cotton, this high quality Baseball Cap is embroidered with the Royal Navy logo and comes in navy blue with a red trim. Available in Adult and Child sizes, buckle adjuster ensures one size fi ts all.
CHILD £8.00 UK £9.00 overseas
All prices include postage and packing. Please send your order to: Navy News, HMS Nelson, Queen Street, Portsmouth PO1 3HH Along with a cheque made payable to: HMG 1800 To pay by Credit/Debit Card, please call on 023 9272 6284 or 023 9272 0494
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Royal Navy Baseball Cap
Reunions OCTOBER 2011
year’s reunion is being held at the Royal Beach Hotel,
HMS Diamond Association: This Portsmouth, on October
29. All welcome. For more information please contact Ray ‘Legs’ Shipley at firstname.lastname@example.org
01634 267084, or write giving all your details to 20, Winchester Way, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 8DD.
The Penelope Association: 26th Annual Reunion at the New President Hotel, Blackpool, FY1 2LG from February 17 to 19 (open to all who served in the cruiser 1938-44 or frigate 1963-92, or are relatives of those who did so). For details of membership and the reunion, contact the Secretary, Mike Bee at mike. email@example.com
, the website at http:// homepage.ntlworld.com/mike.bee/ Index.ht
m or write to 1 Oddfellows Street, Mirfiled WF14 9AB.
HMS Newfoundland Veterans weekend will be held from April 13 to 16 at the Bancourt Hotel, Torquay. Details available from Alan Waite at firstname.lastname@example.org
or tel 01162 833266. HMS Fisgard Series S41/44: A 50th Anniversary Reunion for those who trained in HMS Fisgard in 1961-62 will take place at the McDonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham B2 4JQ from April 27 to 28, 1930 for 2000. Please register your interest and for further information contact Dave Uden at email@example.com
or Bob Mason on 01935 851120.
MAY 2012 HMS Phoebe Association, Cruiser
(C43) & frigate (F42) have their annual (16th) reunion from May 11 to 13 at Hinton Firs Hotel in Bournemouth. All ex-crew are welcome to join us. Please contact the secretary, Roy Pavely, at r.pa
or tel: 01235 211501.
Gib ‘78: A reunion will be held at the Ambassador Hotel, Llandudno, on June 16 2012 for all branches/ratings who served in Gibraltar between the dates of January 1977 to December 1979. Contact Jeff ‘Taff’ Thomas at thomastwicethomas@ hotmail.com
or see website at www. gibraltarcomcen.com
or tel: 07837 386244.
The name of the plan for the German invasion of Britain in 1940 was Operation Sealion. The two winners are D Boden, Kingswinford, West Midlands, and A C John, Winchester, Hampshire.
Please call 023 9272 6284 for details or email:
Passing Out Parade, HMS Raleigh: Please does anyone have the video from the passing out parade at Raleigh on July 26, 1985. My son Glen Larkin was in Benbow 20 Division and won the Raleigh Medal for the highest individual marks, Glen then went on to join HMS Arethusa. I would much appreciate it if anyone has it. I will pay for a copy whether it’s on video or DVD. Contact Alan Larkin at firstname.lastname@example.org
or tel: 01709 380255. Richard Charles Barnes: My father, Alan
‘Gardy’ Gardner, crossed the bar recently. The family would like to trace Richard Charles Barnes with whom Alan served on several ships. Contact his daughter, Michelle Gardner at email@example.com
or tel: 07966 914173.
HMS Diana Association: Trying to find
Lance Royston, who was a chef on the 1963- 64 commission. Lance was best man for his oppo chef Bob Hanna, who was also on the 1963-64 commission. Bob has lost contact with him and hopes that someone out there can help him to get back touch with Lance. Anyone with information please contact J Fisher (Secretary) on johnjackie.fi
or 01163678360. HMS Caprice: Trying to find LME Raymond Price with whom I (Trevor Cole) served in HMS Caprice in 1968. Raymond left the mob shortly afterwards. If anyone has any information on his whereabouts could they contact Trevor Cole at trevor@ trevorcole3.wanadoo.co.uk
or tel: 0191 528 0009.
HMS Jufair, Bahrain: Seeking
whereabouts of Victor Fry, Pay office in 1967. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org
or 01275 855040.
HMS Howe, 1944-46, Mess 103: Are
there many ERAs of that period still around? I am trying to fill in a few gaps in my memoirs, and would like to hear from them, before it is too late! Write to me, Reg Goldsmith (Goldie) at 28 Hamtun Crescent, Totton, Southampton, Hants SO40 3PA or tel: 023 8086 2927.
Speak to John Lister
01395 568028 www.burialatsea.co.uk email@example.com
£1,500 – CPO E R Dunn; £500 – AB1 J E Bowes.
£1,500 – PO E L Edwards; £500 – LH K L McCarthy.
August 20: £5,000 – AB1 R J Brayshaw;
Williams; £1,500 – LH J M Oakley; £500 – LH B Booker. September 3: £5,000 – Lt W J Flegg;
August 27: Hyundai i20 – Mne R S
£1,500 – AB1 C A Sutton; £500 – PO S W Summers.
£1,500 – Lt Col M J Tanner; £500 – PO T J Lee.
Talking Navy News
Navy News is available free of charge as a digital file on memory stick or email from Portsmouth Area Talking News for those with difficulty reading normal type. Contact 023 9269 0851 and leave a message with a contact number, or email patn- firstname.lastname@example.org
, or visit www. patn.org.uk
September 10: £5,000 – Cpl S A Vincent; August 13: £5,000 – Cpl T W Holliday;
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