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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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davidA
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Posted - 29/11/2006 : 23:35
Hello Thomo:
Name is Dave, I joined the RN in 1963 as a stoker and after basic training was flown out to join HMS Dampier (a survey ship) out in Singapore. After that it was two years on the Eagle (where I made stoker PO) and then HMS Gurkha (in refit at Rosyth) for six months.... Then a year on HMS Wizard (dartmouth training squardon) I finished my time on HMS Fawn a brand new survey ship (mostly out the west indies) I left the RN (after nine years) It's a good life if you don't weaken. Afterwards I went to sea proper (for another ten years) mostly doing delivery jobs on Yachts and working the tow boats on the west coast of the US and Canada.
I am from Yorkshire (Goldthorpe) originally and left home when I was 18 years old - When I was 40 I packed it in and found work ashore.
Nice listenening to your stories... good on yer.
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Another
Traycle Mine Overseer
6250 Posts
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Posted - 30/11/2006 : 09:21
Nice to have you with us Dave. Thomo seems to have been quiet lately but I'm sure Doc, a fellow ex matelot, would share some sea dog tales with you.
If not my lad, Dan, is practicing his "Arrgs" and "Shiver me timbers!" as a pirate in the Burnley Mechanics panto this year. Nolic
" I'm a self made man who worships his creator"  |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 30/11/2006 : 14:58
Hi Dave.
I'm an ex chief engineer. Ellerman lines etc. I put a posting called marine engineers on the site. Take a scan. Welcome to OGFB.
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Doc
Keeper of the Scrolls
2010 Posts
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Posted - 30/11/2006 : 17:57
Hi Dave
I'm ex-Andrew as well, I joined up as a stoker and finished as a PO Mechanician before I got disabled out. I served on the following ships during my 1975-1986 career
Hermes, Ark Royal, Penelope, Ark Royal, Intrepid, Fearless, Hermes, Zulu
Welcome aboard 
TTFN - Doc
Due to the current economic climate, the light at the end of the tunnel has now been switched off.
Click here to make a donation and help support this site and keep it advert free 
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davidA
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Posted - 30/11/2006 : 22:12
Greetings Doc and Invernahaille:
Although I enjoyed my years at sea, I was lucky (at nearly 40 years of age) to be able to relocate and find find a decent job ashore.
In 1979 I landed a job as a stationery engineer at a steam plant (for a multiple building complex) Automated controls and smart buildings were the new buzzwords of the day (this was before the years of the PC) I managed to get in on the ground floor of the computer revolution and worked with smart (computerized) buildings for another twenty years - I also got married and now have a 23 year old daughter. Vancouver Island is a nice place to live :-) My ex wife has gone but I will always be a single Dad I guess. All the best to yer.
Although my Yorkshire accent is flagging a bit I can still try LOL
Cheers
~david
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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 02/12/2006 : 10:09
Good Morning and welcome to DavidA, Yes I have been quiet lately, but i'm still a daily reader and will shortly be adding my ten pen'orth again. It would appear that some of us have a common denominator in that we have had Tribal Class Ships, my ships in chron , order were; Grenville, Ashanti, Blake, Birmingham, Dundas and Intrepid. My early time as MEOW, on Birmingam was during final fit out at Cammel Lairds in Birkenhead where I was also MEOW for the ill fated Coventry. How very different from my Fathers time in the Mob, he spent his entire nine years aboard the Super Dreadnought HMS Thunderer. Once again, Welcome, speak again soon. Thomo. RN RETD, But not regreted.
thomo |
davidA
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Posted - 03/12/2006 : 00:06
My time on Gurkha was spent in refit (at Rosyth dockyard) - a breaf interval between foreign commissions (I spent most of my time in the far east) I did hear the story about the Tribal class Frigate that left harbour in a hurry (on G6 the gas turbine) According to what I heard, the guys on the stern were sunbathing when they felt a prickly burning sensation. G6 exceeded tmax and the turbine blades melted (and went up the funnel) An expensive repair I guess :-)
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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt
2021 Posts
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Posted - 03/12/2006 : 01:27
"Stokers", What a fine breed of men, salt of the earth, work hard and play hard is the bit I remember most. I have been thinking today about some of the men that I have served with, about the life we shared, good and bad. Shortly I will punch out some of my experiences written in the manner that only someone who has been a Stoker can write. "As it was" and no punches pulled. We had a language of our own and a view of life through the eyes of a Stoker though it may not always be politicaly correct, is, nonetheless somewhat colourful and I think worth an airing. Out pipes and good night, Thomo. RN, RETD, but recovering.
thomo |
Another
Traycle Mine Overseer
6250 Posts
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Posted - 03/12/2006 : 08:38
Thomo, I look forward to reading about the stokers life - colourful yes but please be mindful that youngsters visit the site.
I worked at Armoride with a boilermann who had been a stoker during the war. He was a big, strong guy who had very delicate manners and had his brew from a china cup.
He was in one of the ships that tracked the Bismark when Hood was sunk,( the Suffolk I think because he later went on the ship to the Far East )and I recall him talking about the Prince Eugen which he said was the most beautiful ship he had ever seen. He said he was very sad at the end of the war when he heard that the Royal Navy had scuttled the ship. Nolic
" I'm a self made man who worships his creator" |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 03/12/2006 : 09:42
John Plummer who was my last firebeater at Bancroft did his time as a stoker at sea, not a rank but hand-balling coal. He started on steam drifters going up to Bear Island and finished on the Fyffe banana boats. He told some good stories about them setting off for Bear Island with the fish hold full of coal and it all had to be carried back over the deck in two gallon buckets! He said the Fyffe bots were OK going out empty but much harder work on the way back when the refrigeration plant was working flat out.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Invernahaille
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Posted - 04/12/2006 : 20:31
Reefers are hard work. Even modern motor vessels. Like you say Stanley easy when the generators etc are not under load, but, when you have all holds on fridge they're a nightmare.
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Invernahaille
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Posted - 04/12/2006 : 20:37
The Silver Tower (ex Snow Goose) was one. She carried bananas from Almarante and Santa Marta in Columbia, to Antwerp in Belgium. She was in the last months of charter to Belfruico. The owners wouldnt spend a penny on her for maintenence. The purifiers didnt work properly, the generators were falling apart. Most of the seawater pipework was corroded. I was glad to leave that ship.
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frankwilk
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 09:31
Morning Stokes,
So lets list our numbers to see who is who ex RN.
Me I was D/092886
Frank Wilkinson Once Navy Always Navy |
geoffg
New Member
10 Posts
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 09:41
Hi guys
I was D079, but not a "target". Spent most of my time in submarines.
geoff
SLROC 1091 / HMS Firedrake Association
http://www.hmsfiredrake.co.uk/ |
davidA
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Posted - 07/02/2007 : 15:40
D067718 - Joined in 63, left in 72 as Stoker PO
Cheers
David
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MY FAMILY AT SEA
