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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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 Posted -
11/02/2006
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16:01
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SIX GENERATIONS. I WAS THE FIFTH ,& THE OLDEST MAN TO JOIN THE NAVY SINCE WW2. I ENTERED THE RN. ON MARCH 13th 1972 JUST UNDER THE AGE LIMIT OF 32. BASIC TRAINING WAS AT HMS RALEIGH (TORPOINT) AND I WAS MADE CLASS LEADER IN THE FIRST WEEK. 22 MEN FROM ALL OVER THE UK MADE UP COLLINGWOOD CLASS 11, JOHN GREENBANK FROM EARBY WAS IN MY CLASS. WE ALL WORKED HARD AND WON THE "CAKE"FOR THE BEST TURNOUT EACH OF THE SIX WEEKS WE WERE THERE. I WAS AWARDED THE CAPTAINS PRIZE FOR THE HIGHEST OVERALL MARKS AND AT "PASSING OUT" PARADE, I WAS PRESENTED WITH MY GOLD INSIGNIA BY PRINCESS ANNE. PART TWO OF TRAINING TOOK PLACE AT HMS SULTAN(GOSPORT) THE NAVY MARINE ENGINEERING SCHOOL. JOHN GREENBANK PROVED HIMSELF TO BE A GOOD ATHLETE AND MY LADS TOOK THE LIONS SHARE OF FIRSTS ON SPORTS DAY. AT THE END OF PART TWO TRAINING THREE OF US STAYED AT SULTAN TO DO THE SSMEM COURSE HAVING GAINED THE MARKS REQUIRED FOR ACCELERATED ADVANCEMENT, THE OTHERS WERE DRAFTED TO SHIPS. A FURTHER TWO MONTHS WERE SPENT ON TRAINING AND I THEN JOINED HMS GRENVILLE(FRIGATE) FOR SEA TRAINING. THUS IT BEGAN. MORE TO FOLLOW.
thomo
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frankwilk
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 20:41
Jesus David,
I would only take it down to 480,and give the POME a chance to catch up. He should have had 2 and a half on ready to turn over to three. Feed water regulators you must have been on a posh ship!!!!!!! The Chief Tiff was always on the Starboard Throttle it used to take the old guy 20 seconds to realise what the engine order was. Thats why I never sucked all the steam out of the drum. You must have been caught a few times to remember so clearly LOL What ships did you say you was on ???
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy  |
davidA
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 21:31
>>
You must have been caught a few times to remember so clearly LOL What ships did you say you was on ???
>>
Eagle was the worst for losing the water Frank. When we did full power trials the boiler casings (at the back) were glowing red. We manged about 45 Knots I think. We were also fortunate enough to watch the Israeli planes as they flew over during the six day war during that commission..
Dampier was my first ship (Survey Navy) She had a four stage triple expansion engine. Dampier was a proper ship LOL (scroll to the bottom)
http://www.middle-watch.co.uk/Bay_Class.htm
Last Ship was Fawn (another survey ship) She was almost brand new (second commission) We had an Australian skipper a South African first officer and a British Doctor (who outranked all the other Officers) We cruised the west indies for a year and a half - what fun that was 
A NATO crew they called it I believe....
Cheers
David
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frankwilk
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 23:19
Hi David,
Did you know a POME on the Eagle , Dan Dare ??? He was my Chief Stoker on the Fearless first commission in 66 ??? also Scouse Brady was another POME from the Eagle. The last time I saw the Eagle was off Aden at the final handover. We had just been relieved by the Intrepid which was about 3 months late if I remember correctly.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
davidA
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 23:52
I am looking for the commissioning book (for Eagle) Frank. I was on Eagle in 66 but don't remember the exact dates. Dan Dare doesn't ring a bell but Brady sounds familiar.
I joined Eagle in 66 (mid commission) and left at the end of the next one.
Here is an old photo (it's on the front of the commisssioning book when I find it)
http://mypics.photo.eml.cc/public/?imagepage=Eagle.JPG
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frankwilk
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Posted - 20/02/2007 : 12:47
Nice one David, Good photo of the Dampier.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
moh
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Posted - 20/02/2007 : 21:20
I used to have a penpal on the Eagle called Stan from the North East but before your time ( 1950's) would it be the same ship?
Say only a little but say it well |
davidA
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Posted - 20/02/2007 : 22:28
Yes it would moh 
Eagle saw service from 1951 to 1972
Ark Royal was her sister ship and Eagle was kept in reserve (for parts) until Ark Royal was decommissioned in 1976; at that point she was scrapped.
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davidA
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Posted - 20/02/2007 : 22:44
Some interesting facts about Eagle and Ark Royal:
Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audacious_class_aircraft_carrier
Edited by - davidA on 20 February 2007 22:44:46
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moh
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Posted - 21/02/2007 : 13:49
Thanks - just been reading my Dad's service record - did they call shore bases by ship's names? His demob was from HMS Lucifer
Say only a little but say it well |
davidA
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Posted - 21/02/2007 : 16:08
Yes they did moh. I had never heard of HMS Lucifer until I read your post though. It seems it was a shore base in Swansea during the war. Earlier on it was also a ship.
God knows why they would call a Ship that .
Edited by - davidA on 21 February 2007 16:09:29
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moh
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Posted - 21/02/2007 : 20:29
He was based at Milford Haven before he was demobbed - we went to visit him and I remember the barrage balloons over the harbour. His other ships were Drake , Western Isles, Drake, Pretoria Castle; Carnarvon Castle' Alcantara; Cicilia; Drake again; Skirmisher; and finally Lucifer.
Edited by - moh on 21 February 2007 20:30:34
Say only a little but say it well |
frankwilk
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Posted - 22/02/2007 : 09:45
Hi moh,
I think HMS Drake would be the shore base in Plymouth, you could be barracked in Drake waiting for your ship to come out of Devonport Dockyard.
I will look the others up later waiting for the postman right now !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
moh
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Posted - 22/02/2007 : 11:59
Hope you were lucky with the postman - yes he talked about Devonport and 'Pompey (Portsmouth) - he said he saw more action there than on his trips. The only two he mentioned were they got told of a sub. in the area - dropped charges - and fled to be told later wreckage had been seen, and they stopped to pick up US survivers from the water after their ship had been torpedoed - one of the guys had a towel round him which he gave my dad and which I still have with USN on it. I think the Castle ships were ex. Cruise liners of the Castle line.
Edited by - moh on 22 February 2007 12:02:22
Say only a little but say it well |
davidA
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Posted - 22/02/2007 : 15:17
I looked up Western Isles. That was an interesting ship:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Western_Isles
David
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frankwilk
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Posted - 22/02/2007 : 19:33
See what you mean David, nice draft if you could get it !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
MY FAMILY AT SEA
