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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 - 08/02/2007 : 21:28
Hi David,
How long did you do on Beira Patrol ?? We also ran out of Mombasa on Patrol, but we never did Guard ship for the Eagle.
Argonaut 71 days. I don't know how to post photos yet but I will soon
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy  |
davidA
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Posted - 08/02/2007 : 21:38
If I remember correctly it was 2.5 months, although I don't remember the exact number of days. I have the old commissioning book hidden away (the one they gave you when the commission was over) somewhere. I will have to dig it out and check.
Edited by - davidA on 08 February 2007 21:38:59
Edited by - davidA on 08 February 2007 21:39:59
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handlamp
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Posted - 09/02/2007 : 16:08
Cheeky!, I'm not quite that old! Anyway I was a Gus rating, never saw Pompey. On Khedive, after working up trials out of Gourock, Belfast and Lamlash and a bit of swinging round a bouy in Scapa we tried to get the Tirpitz in Norwegian fyoid, joined a diversionary task force heading towards Norway just prior to D Day then went into Med and after one or two sorties round the Greek Islands gave cover for invasion of Southern France. I left her at Sheerness October 44 when she was about to have refit for service in Far East.
Ted |
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 09/02/2007 : 16:59
Hello,Good
thomo |
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 09/02/2007 : 17:38
So! I'll try again. Hello, Good Evening & Welcome to all of you. My last ship was HMS Intrepid, The Senior Engineer was Commander Gray Richards who was also In Loco Parentis The Captain. I left the "Mob" from that ship despite his offers of a wonderful future if I remained, But one thing always sticks in my head, His proud statement that the Royal Navy was "The best club in the world" and that with all due respect to the rest of the men "Stokers were the best members". I had been Grays' MEOW, and we became good friends. Sadly he now has asbestosis and for many years before & after his retirement he worked hard for the men and their families for whom this affliction had caused hardship. Stokers were the men often called upon to perform engineering miracles in the most horrendous conditions & circumstances & still behave in the manner expected. In my time I met many of our counterparts from other navies & I must confess that if I were going into combat with any of them, it would have to be the Germans first & the Norweigians second. I will be posting some of my experiences in this topic in the near future & I look forward to you all doing the same You have all been part of lifes rich tapestry, "Be proud, and keep in touch".
thomo |
davidA
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Posted - 09/02/2007 : 18:16
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I left her at Sheerness October 44 when she was about to have refit for service in Far East.
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And I thought that I was an old sailor. You got me beat by a mile Ted 
We fought to hang hammocks in the sixties (in a location by a windscoop) God knows what is was like in the fourties.
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frankwilk
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Posted - 09/02/2007 : 19:14
I slung on the Tenby until I picked up my Hook, and the Chief Stoker called me when I came from the Captains Table. Hey Wilkie that's you finished slinging. You tell that 3 badge FA Stoker that he can sling from now on, and you have the bunk.!!!! The 3 badge stoker was one of the last National Servicemen. Not easy being a killick stoker running a messdeck 20 minutes after being confirmed.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
davidA
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Posted - 10/02/2007 : 04:06
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I slung on the Tenby until I picked up my Hook, and the Chief Stoker called me when I came from the Captains Table. Hey Wilkie that's you finished slinging. You tell that 3 badge FA Stoker that he can sling from now on, and you have the bunk.!!!!
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I guess I got Lucky Frank. After my first commission on Dampier I wanted to stay out East so volunteered for Eagle. After some shore leave I flew out and joined Eagle mid commission (they were short on crew) I was a Killick by that time and went water tending down the Boiler Room. As soon as I was aboard the DO rounded all the Killicks up and pressured them to take their PO's fleet board. There was at least a nine year roster (to be rated up to PO) at that time and I told the D.O that I was not interested (pretty well all the other Killicks took the fleet board and passed) The DO was annoyed (dare I say pissed off here) that I would not take the fleet board and asked me if I would take the boiler watchkeeping ticket exam (even though I would never get to use it) only stoker PO's were allowed to steam the boilers. I said sure and studied for the ticket and passed.
About three months passed by and we were in harbour in Mombasa giving leave. Three stoker PO's took of (went adrift whatever) and one had to return to UK on compassionate leave.
We were short of Stoker PO's and there were not enough men to steam the boilers.
The DO put me in charge of the watch as I was the only one qualified....
After two days at sea the Commander E was doing rounds during the middle watch (although he only rarely went down below) - the Senior Engineer did all the work.
"You're a killick arn't you Atherfold" he said "What are you doing steaming my Boilers" I told him the story. "I knew we short on PO's" he said "but not that short. The people who steam my boilers have to have something to lose" Then he stomped away up the ladder to the air lock.
The next day he cleared lower deck and made me up a PO. Two hours later I moved into the PO's mess (and had a bunk) The other Killicks (some who had been Killicks for years) were flabbergasted....
So, I made PO after only two years in the service - I just got lucky I guess.
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Another
Traycle Mine Overseer
6250 Posts
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Posted - 10/02/2007 : 04:14
We've got a whole new language here lads - just like steeplejacks corner. Keep it coming and I'll try to follow. Nolic
" I'm a self made man who worships his creator"  |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 10/02/2007 : 07:01
I agree Comrade, I'm watching with fascination. One thing Thomo said rings a bell about him preferring the Germans of the Norwegians as comrades. When we were in Berlin it was tripartite control, Americans, French and us. The Russians were all round of course as we were embedded in the Russian Zone. We soon decided that in order of preference we would prefer the Americans as opposition, the French next and the Russians would be serious. We talked a lot with the old German soldiers who were border guards and reckoned that the miracle was that they hadn't walked all over us, they were good men and we should never have been fighting them. I'll bet the Kriegsmarine men were similar calibre and they certainly had the best ships. The Wehrmacht had better tanks, better anti tank guns and their artillery was superb. We used Krupp designed shell fuses in both wars. The Luftwaffe were the first with jets and rockets. We asked the old Whermacht men what went wrong and they all said 'It vas Hitler!' I think they were right....... A damn close run thing.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
frankwilk
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Posted - 10/02/2007 : 09:08
The three watch system was a killer when you were at sea for weeks (or months)
When we were on Beira Patrol we shut down one Boiler to save Fuel, even in the late 60s the Navy had to be cost concious, and of course it cut down on the need to RAS.
I remember we were waiting for mail, and it was brought in by a Shackleton.On the first pass they dropped the mail and the container burst open. Envelopes etc could be seen flying in the sky, and floating on the sea. It was only then everyone watching realised it was a dummy run, on the next pass they really dropped the mail but with a parachute attached. If the seamen had anything about them they would have manned the Twin 4.5s and shot the buggers down!!!! Mind you they probably would have missed.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
frankwilk
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Posted - 10/02/2007 : 11:35
We asked the old Whermacht men what went wrong and they all said 'It vas Hitler!' I think they were right....... A damn close run thing.
And it would have been a lot closer but for the Luftwaffe having to run on very low octane fuel. They reckon that the ME109 had a real edge on the Spitfire ( only repeating what I have read, not taking sides )!!!!.
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 11/02/2007 : 07:37
The Lutwaffe barracks we were in at Gatow Airfield in Berlin (Support Co. was always kept separate from the main battalion) were double glazed, centrally heated from a boiler house and had both showers and baths. Show me a 1940s barracks in the UK fitted up like this, even our officers were worse off.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
frankwilk
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 16:39
Hey,
You throttle jockeys, wake up, gone to sleep or what ? Obey telegraphs and then, Ding Ding Ding as the revs counted up. Fair set the adrenalin going, and the Boiler POMEs heart a racing especially if I was on the throttle, could drop the boiler pressure like a stone. LOL
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
davidA
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Posted - 18/02/2007 : 17:27
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Fair set the adrenalin going, and the Boiler POMEs heart a racing especially if I was on the throttle, could drop the boiler pressure like a stone. LOL
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Which causes ebolution in the steam drum and water carry over (into the turbines) - which causes the guy on the throttles to totally freak out. The end result is the total shutting off of all feed water to the boiler.
When the ebolution stops the water level drops (like a stone) out of the bottom of the glass; only then does the feed controller open (and the water level slowly start to rise) hopefully before it is too late.
There you go Frank, an elephant never forgets
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MY FAMILY AT SEA
