HMS LONDON SHIPS DEPARTMENTS WEST INDIES September – December 1981 THE WEST INDIES DEPLOYMENT THE REASON WHY

Earlier this year Commander-in-Chief Fleet informed the ship of her forthcoming deployment to the West Indies in September to undertake duties as Guardship. The planning of the programme then started in earnest but it was not, unfortunately, to be an open three month ticket to anywhere in the West Indies!

Two crucial factors had to be considered in planning the programme. Firstly, the ship must steam at economical speed, between 12 and 15 knots, throughout the deployment and aim to spend the majority of time in port rather than at sea, unless involved in exercises, fuel conservation being the name of the game. Secondly, that a number of important dates like Antigua Independence became milestones which the ship had to meet.

Let us now examine factors in detail. Our earliest possible date for sailing was 18th September and the first milestone the visit to Belize, the dates of which 8th to 12th November, were fairly critical. It soon became clear that the only opportunity to visit the USA would be before Belize, so visits were planned to Punta Delgada Azores (22nd September) for a 6 hour refuelling visit, followed by Bermuda (27th to 29th September) and a four day visit to Fort Lauderdale Florida (2nd to 6th October).

The next major milestone was Independence Day in Antigua on 1st November where the ship was to play an important part in the independence celebrations. So between Belize and Antigua two visits were planned, with Rear Admiral N.J. HUNT Flag Officer Second Flotilla flying his flag in LONDON, to Curacao and Martinique. These two visits strengthened our links with the Netherlands and French armed services in the Eastern Caribbean.

During a 3 month deployment a ship must undertake a Self-Maintenance Period for the main machinery and weapon systems. After Antigua the next milestone was to be a major 5 day exercise with the United States Navy called READEX beginning on 18th November, so the preferred time for a maintenance period was to be after Antigua and before READEX. The ten day period was to be our longest period in port so was hence the preferred time for wives and girlfriends to visit. Barbados was chosen for the visit, the island having excellent facilities for all concerned.

The final two visits of St Kitts (24th to 26th November) and Dominica (27th to 30th) were planned being close to the operating area of exercise READEX and as a springboard for the voyage home beginning 30th November.

Superimposed on the above programme was a requirement to refuel every 3 or 4 days from RFA Grey Rover and replenish food and stores every 14 days from RFA Resource or RAF Stromness.

It was hoped that the visit programme would not only fulfil the commitments described above but also proved A balance between the bright lights of Florida and Barbados and the serenity of St Kitts and Dominica.

I hope it worked! OPS

HMS LONDON THE LAST VOYAGE

On Friday 18 September 1981, LONDON sailed for its final voyage, a three month deployment to the West Indies Station.

The first stop the Azores, was only to refuel and embark provisions, and gave the Ships company the first chance of q quick rabbit run, and a game of five a side hockey on the jetty. Fuelling completed the LONDON then headed out west for that island in the famous triangle, called Bermuda. After narrowly missing a hurricane at sea, the ship reached Bermuda and spent two days basking in the sunshine. This was when the barbeque kits came out, and were put to use on some of the beaches. Some visited the capital, Hamilton, whilst others were content to be trapped in the Trap.

LONDON then moved further west towards the USA, and its next stop Fort Lauderdale. Whilst there, the ship was given the Freedom Keys of Fort Lauderdale and Port Everglades. This visit proved to be one of the most interesting of the trip. Many people reverted to childhood when they visited Disney World, and had a marvellous time there which could never be forgotten. There were also coach trips to Kennedy Space Centre, and the Everglades. Fort Lauderdale proved very interesting to many, and shopping was complicated by the large shopping centres, shops the size of Fareham Precinct and Precincts the size of Fareham. The Americans always did things big. After the glamour of the States, LONDON departed to Belize (formally British Honduras).

Officers and Senior Rates of the British Army were entertained onboard, and a return the next day to the Army Barracks strengthened the liaison between Navy and Army. The Royal Marine Detachment landed and did a spot of jungle training, also the ships IS platoons were given a chance to visit the jungle. On the last day of this visit LONDON moved south and carried out surface firings at targets on land and an Operation AWKWARD.

After Belize a Flight Deck Fair was organised and raised over £200 for the Ships charity fund. The Fair consisted of man) stalls ranging from cakes and ice creams to books and dice. That Evening was a special night at the LONDON Horse Racing Meeting run by the CPO's Mess and raised over £70 for the Mess Charity. A 'Miss LONDON' contest preliminary round was also held on this leg of the voyage to select the finalist to appear at the Ships last SOD's OPERA.

The next port of call was Willemstad Curacao, part of the Netherlands Antilles group. The ship stayed here for five days, hosted by the Dutch Navy. LONDON participated in quite a bit of sport, and the marine detachment exercised with the Dutch Marines. Many of the ships departments held their banyans here. Most of the night life and clubs proved very expensive, but the Campo Allegro had the most to offer.

After the Dutch came the French and the next visit was Martinique. This is where LONDON encountered its first sign of tropical rainstorms (every day); even the CPO's banyan was washed out. Despite heavy rain many people soon discovered that the beaches near the Hotel Meridian were the best in the Caribbean and some of the eights superb. The swimming and snorkelling was good too. Whilst some discovered golden beaches others discovered a white liquid called RHUM (a local brew) which proved to be very effective in Zippos, but needed some dilution before it could be drunk.

With the weekend rest for some over, LONDON carried on its journey to the island of Antigua. The main reason for LONDON's presence was the Independence Celebrations. Up until this time the Guard, Cutlass Swingers and Saluting Guns Crews had been spending a lot of time training for the big event. HRH Princess Margaret was in Antigua to hand over Independence and also dined onboard LONDON with FOF2 and the Captain. The celebrations went well apart from the tropical rain again. As in Curacao and Martinique more banyans were organised. Having participated in the Islands celebrations LONDON moved to the south of Antigua to Nelsons Dockyard in the English Harbour for a Flag Raising Ceremony. All ceremony completed LONDON sailed for Bridgetown, Barbados.

Barbados being the longest stay of 10 days was due to the fact that the ship carried out a Self-Maintenance Period whilst alongside. The beaches and shopping were fair and the weather at the harbour was good. Some of the Ships Company flew their wives or girlfriends out for a short holiday, and at St James where they stayed it rained nearly every day. Despite the weather they had a good time. The ship liaised with the BDF (Barbados Defence Force) and on the day the ship sailed we took 30 BDF personnel and the wives who were in Barbados with us for the day. During the stay some of the Ships Company went on bus tours of the Island, or a Jolly Roger cruise. Others relaxed in the bars and on the beaches. Banyans a. d sport was also well featured whilst in Barbados.

Next stop was a brief 2 day visit to Roosevelt Roads, the large American Naval Base in Puerto Rico. The PX (Post Exchange) was the highlight of this visit and gave everyone a chance to buy some reasonably priced rabbits and Christmas presents. The main purpose of this visit was to get the ship ready for exercise READEX, which came after Roosevelt Roads. READEX a large exercise with the Americans consisted mainly of large scale anti-aircraft warfare and a little anti-submarine warfare and lasted for five days with the ship in modified defence watches. Seaslug and 4.5s were fired. During READEX a team of Shipwrights were deployed to the Island of Tortola onboard the RAF Stromness to repair a Church Bell Tower. At this point this newsletter had to be sent for publishing and so what follows is just a rundown of what is expected over the next few weeks.

After READEX the ship is due to spend two days at St Kitts and then sail on to spend three days at Dominica, LONDON's last foreign port of call. After Dominica, LONDON sails for Portsmouth and arrives on 11 December 1981 flying the Paying off Pennant. During the voyage home LONDON will hold its finals of the 'Miss LONDON' contest and its last SODs OPERA. LONDON will then dispose of all remaining Seaslug Missiles, having the honour to be the last ship to fire a Mk.1 Seaslug. On the return journey LONDON will also fire a Seacat Missile and carry out the last broadside in the Navy, a historical event due to be televised and which LONDONERS will never forget.

The ships future at this time is still uncertain but it has neared the end of its career with the Royal Navy, and in the next few months most of the Ships Company will be drafted to other ships and establishments around the globe carrying with them the memories of LONDON.

THE END WEMN1 Mick Parsons

ANTIGUA INDEPENDENCE VISIT

HMS LONDON visited St Johns, Antigua between 28 October and 2 November for an operational visit with FOF2, Rear Admiral N.J.S. HUNT, MVO embarked. The visit was planned to coincide with the occasion of Antiguan Independence, and LONDON played a significant role in independence ceremonies and celebrations.

Antigua along with its associated islands of Barbuda and Redonda was a much fought over prize between England, Spain and France during the sixteenth century. The islands remained British throughout their subsequent history and are now populated principally by people of African descent, the natural language being English.

The islands became a State in Association with Britain in 1967 and as such were fully self-governing internally. November 1981 was designated as the date for Antiguan Independence and LONDON was asked to assist in the formal ending of British Rule in Antigua.

The main event was to be the Independence Ceremony at midnight on Saturday 31 October, and LONDON was asked to provide a ceremonial guard and flag lowering party ae well as some entertainment and displays to add colour to the proceedings. As soon as LONDON arrived on 28 October plans were finalised with the Antiguans and rehearsals began at the scene of the Independence ceremony, the Antigua Recreation Ground in St Johns. LONDON provided a cutlass swinging display and an abseiling display from the ship's helicopter, Busby.

For Independence the Queen was represented by HRH Princess Margaret, and she arrived on 30 October by air at Coolridge Airport. During her visit she stayed at the Governor’s official residence in St Johns, Clarence Rouse. On her arrival at Clarence House LONDON fired a 21 gun salute in her honour.

The day for the celebrations arrived and so, unfortunately, did the rain. This posed a serious problem because the ceremonies were all planned in the open and the recreation ground surface consisted of turf. As the day wore on little improvement came about with the weather and several contributions to the Independence ceremony, by the Antiguans, were cancelled. This left little more than LONDON and the Royal Marine band who had flown in the day before, to make the occasion a success.

As the appointed hour approached, people began to fill up the recreation ground and LONDON'S ships company arrived in force to see the festivities. Displays by the RM band, the cutlass swingers, team and the abseiling team followed and were all received well by the growing crowds. The rain by this time had stopped but the condition of the ground was very bad as the surface gradually turned to thick mud.

Finally the Antiguan Premier, V.C. Bird, arrived with HRH Princess Margaret and the Independence ceremony began. LONDON's guard carried out their duties faultlessly, despite the mud and as midnight arrived the Union Jack was duly lowered, to be replaced by the Antiguan flag.

After a speech by the Premier the Antiguana launched into a very impressive fireworks display, and other less formal celebrations which continued until dawn broke the following morning.

LONDON's duties were still not over, FOF2 gave a formal dinner for HRH Princess Margaret on the evening of 1 November, and Preparations also began for a further ceremony at Nelson's Dockyard, in English Harbour prior to leaving. English Harbour has had a long tradition with the Royal Navy since Nelson built a Dockyard there in the late eighteenth century. It had been decided by the Admiralty Board to allow the Dockyard the singular privilege of flying the White ensign as a mark of its association with the Service. LONDON was tasked with presenting the ensign and organising a ceremony for the purpose.

In order to save time the ship sailed after disembarking the guard and sailed round to the English Harbour where the ship anchored just offshore. When the presentation was completed ship's personnel were embarked by boat and LONDON sailed for a well-earned period of relaxation in Barbados, after one of the busiest weeks in its deployment.

HMS LONDON LIST OF OFFICERS CAPTAIN JOHN GARNIER MVO OPS DEPARTMENNT ME DEPARTMENT WE DEPARTMENT

CDR G.S. CDR R. CDR P.F.SHELBY PEARSON SWITHENBANK LT CDR C. GILFS LT CDR R. LT CDR K. LT C. LOCKYER WILLINGALE LIVINGSTONE LT CDR C. LT C. CLEMENT LT A. TILLING HOOKER LT P. PITTARD LT A. STICKLEE LT CDR C. S/LT P. LAMBERT LT A. MORRIS STEVENSON S/LT J. BAILEY LT R. GRIMSEY LT R. DAVIS. LT H.C. COOK LT B. HARPER LT S. WILSON LT I. RIMMER LT T. HORNE LT S WOZNICKI S/LT S. BATEMAN S/LT D. GREEN MID B. WARDEN

SUPPLY MEDICAL SHIPS FLIGHT DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT LT R. COLBORNE

CDR M. APPLETON SURG LT D. LUNN LT J. BLACKETT SURG LT V. LT I. DENNISON PATEL - REV M. CHAPMAN

JOUTS S/LT G. BALL S/LT M. BISHOP S/LT P. FOWLER S/LT C. GARNER S/LT A. GRAY S/LT A. LOVELL S/LT J. OVENS S/LT W. CORBETT

THE MARINE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

E3 SECTION

LT. CLEMENT CMEA (P) THOMAS MEMN(M) HOLMES MEA(M) HOLLAND POMEM(M) BELL MEM(M) SMITH GA MEMN(M) LINDBERG MEMN(M) LUCKINS LMEM(M) ATKINS MEM(M) MURPHY MEA(M) HOWELL MEA(M) CHAPLIN LMEM(M) HACKNEY MEM(M) SAXTON MEMN(M) YOUNG MEMN(L) SCOTT LMEM(M) ROWDEN MEM(M) SMITH R W LMEM(M) CRAIK MEM(M) HINE MEM(M) MEA(ML) SKIPPINGS SPENCE MEM(M) MEA(ML) ALLARD POWELL MEM(M) HALL MEA(ML) LOWEN MEM(M) LAWLEY MEM(M) APPS MEM(M) 1".EEKER MEM(M) JONES MD A

The stout men of E3 section man amongst other spaces, the largest single compartment within the ship. This is the Steam Turbine Room and it is here that the four primary roles of the section are undertaken- a. Production and Utilisation of steam. b. Conversion of steam to propulsive power. c. Provision of electricity and hotel services. d. Consumption of Pina Coladas. Our machinery plant is not as complex as a microchip but certainly has more moving parts than a bicycle we have hundreds of valves down below and nobody knows what all of them do. In fact there are some of us who do not know what any of them do but are retained on the team as they are good at dirty jokes and asking for permission to blow soot.

Now for the technically minded, here is an in depth appraisal of how the plant works. We boil some water and make steam. The steam drives the engines. When it's through, we condense it back to water and finally pump it back into the boilers to be boiled up again. "What could be simpler", I hear you say. Quite, but somehow down in the E3 section, we manage to lose about 25 tons of the rotten stuff every day! On the rare occasion that the bridge allows us to blow soot, we can lose even more. This mysterious water loss manifests itself as rather small leaks here and there. They might only be drips or minute trickles, but they're there. Let’s say each one spills forth an average of just 5 gallons a day, a quick sojourn around a calculator will reveal that somewhere, we have one thousand, one hundred and twenty leaks. In response to this, charged with enthusiasm and threats from MEO we rush out and fix a few of them each day but still that 25 ton loss persists. Could the undetected ones be getting bigger? Perhaps by the end of the commission, we'll narrow it down to one, pipe it up to the wardroom bathroom and invite a Royal personage to come and wash her hands.

OOW on bridge to MEW OW in MCR:

"If you look over to the right you will see the island of St Thomas".

MEO OW to OOW:

"Wait one. I will just put up the periscope."

E4 SECTION

S/LT LAMBERT (MANAGING DIRECTOR)

CMEA( P) GRANT I( HEAD CURATOR)

GEAR ROOM HIRED HELP GAS TURBINE ROOM MEM(M) FERNANDO POMEM(H) SPRUCE MEA(M) 1 DAGLISH POMEM(M) DALY MEM(M) FISCHER LMEM(M) HOLDEN MEA(M)1 HEARSEY LMEM(M) BARNFS MEM(M) LONGHORN HEM(M) LACEY MEA(M)1 MARCHANT LMEM(M) CONSTANCE MEM(H) OWEN MEM(M) M.EM(M) LANDYMORE MEA(P)1 JEFFERIS LMEM(M) FOSTER WHITEHEAD M.EM(M) M.EM( M)' NELSON MEA(ML)2 BOYNTON MEM(M) BURCHELL WING MEM( M) TURNER MEM(M) EDWARDS AJL MEM(M) EDWARDS S J

Ever since the concept of combined steam and gas or COSAG came off the drawing board the argument as to whether the steam turbine end pulls the gas turbine end or that the gas turbine end pushes the steam end has raged back and forth. Actually most people down the gas end would agree they are quite happy being pulled.

Moreover whilst the high speed gas cut the 1 Get to Sea• time by seventy to eighty percent it was at great cost because the G6 gas turbines are truly thirsty beasts. This then brought about the myth that the gas end was a museum piece, for the taking out, re-fuelling and shutting down of as quickly as possible.

Over the past two or three years “The Beasts" have been in the tender loving care of various ERA's & MEA's of one sort or another, with the exception of the young Chief Mech who brought us out of the last refit, along with LT. EDWARDS. Since then the said museum piece has pushed us through Portland, along several inland waterways (Milford Haven, London, Bremen & Antwerp) and more recently Island Hopping in the Caribbean. As we go to press the "Window shopping at C&A's" is behind us and we look forward to the part of ship banyan and SMP in Barbados, plus much conjecture as to whereabouts the cutlass swinging team will be performing at the end of next March.

Otherwise itis now all downhill, the present gas curators are still looking for the elusive 'Ten first time starts' and the prize of a bottle of bubbly at the end of the rainbow. To achieve this aim the curators are very ably assisted by a cast of thousands as seen in the family tree, and we all know it's the roots that hold up the trees. Thanks lads.

E5 SECTION

S/LT BAILEY

O.M.S. D.B.s HULL CMECH HEWICK POMEM HATHAWAY CMEA(H) HOWES MEA( P) ROCHESTER LMEM(M) COX TOP SHOP BOTTOM SHOP MEMN1 CLIFFORD MEA(H)1 CARMICHAEL MEA1 TROMANS MEA1 LARGENT MEA(H)1 ROWE POMEM COLLEY IBEH MURRAY mEA1 BAILEY LMEM SCHOFIELD MEM BROWN MEM HORSUP LMEM ANDERSON MEH MADDOCK MEM PAGE MEM COX MEH CRABTREE MEM CUSHING MEM LYNCH MEM SMITH GBH MEM(L) DAVIES MEM SMITH WF WEM(R) HURST MEM VALVONA MEM CHARALAMBOUS MEM CARLE MEM McMULLEN MEA3 SYKES

E6 SECTION

FCMEA (P) PATEMANMEMN1 MEMN1 HOLLOWAY MEA1 EDWARDS POMEM (M) JONES MEM (M) DICK MEM (M) DOUGDALL MEM (M) GOODWIN MEM (M) WOODMAN

OUTSIDE MACHINERY

During the set to work after the 79 refit the section Chief Mech, Jim Booth, stopped chain smoking and transferred his allegiance to valium sandwiches. Since then the section has been known as "Happy Old outside Mach". Over the past two years the personnel have changed with the exception of the Raccoon who is the only person on board to understand the idiosyncrasies of Freon. The truth is that he is the only person with sufficient Mandarin to understand No 1 when he reports "Laundly bloke". The hotel services provide OSMs with sufficient work to stop us getting bored, usually when it is Sunday routine. Everyone in the forward section of the ship now understands just how excellent the air conditioning is after the melt down situation on the way to Barbados.

The Port after ACP has caused continual problems and has been the main supply force of pistons for presento's for people leaving the ship. During Christmas '80 the ship was very cold and the "vittlies" complained that they had to wear woolly pullies in bed. Each to his own. So, the section spent three weeks setting up the steam heating system and repairing the many leaks caused because the system had not been used since the Old King's Funeral. When the system was working correctly the Doctor complained because everyone had colds and the vittlies said it was too hot. Back to the woolly pully.

In the laundry the Chinese Olympic sprinting team is continually improving their times. They now manage to avoid the hydro extractor drive pulley as it chases them between the dhobying. April 81 saw the untimely death of No 1 laundryman and OSMs were called upon to pack the remains in ice in the Senior Officers Bath. Unfortunately No 1 was longer than the bath so the body had to be wrapped in polythene with the ice outside. The Raccoon duly receive a tot for his services in a very unpleasant task.

So to the West Indies Deployment and the whole ships company suddenly required 97 ice cubes per goffa. Unfortun11tely the Scotsman only makes 102 cubes of "Penguins" every twenty five minutes. Therefore demand exceeded production and the Scotsman was invariably empty. So to the Welfare meeting. The Committee was informed from a reliable source, but not OSMs, that unless the bottom of the bin was covered in "Penguins'' poor old Jock forgot how to make them. This statement appeared in black type on the minute sheet, therefore it must be true. "Penguins!!"

The ships company is very astute so if they cannot have ice for their goffas they must have a boat for banyan. Super idea. Unfortunately the boats keep breaking and Tricky Dickie has worked long hours to mend them. Fortunately most of the damage has been of a minor nature and been repaired in a short space of time. Thank you to the Great Fishing Race team for keeping the motor boat Tiff in full employment during the cruise. Also during the cruise the ice cream making machine broke and was beyond repair by the ships staff. A new machine was flown out to Barbados and after a few weeks of tweaking not even Raccoon could get it to work. So in Rosy Roads we called upon the greatest ice cream mechanics in the world, our friend Elmer and he could not make it work either. Sorry chaps, no ice cream till Pompey.

The forward mess decks are owed an apology. Sorry for the inconvenience of walking aft for hot water but the forward Jackson is a little temperamental and objects strongly to the vibes produced when the 4.5s are firing. To the rest of the ships company, thank you for keeping us off the streets for the last two year. We will be here to serve you until the end of March. Very many thanks to the fridge shop technical supervisor in Portsmouth Dockyard Mr. FHOST. With his experience and our CSB we have managed to overcome numerous problems. Enjoy your next job but remember, when it is too hot or it is too cold, or your motor boat does not work, or you have an HP air leak in your cabin or your hydraulic winch will not work, or you are on No 9's and peeling spuds, call for happy old outside mach and we will fix your problem.

THE DOUBLE BOTTOM PARTY

(FUELISTS INCORPORATED)

I/CS/LT BAILEY (When not off on some jolly) Line Boss POMEM (M) HATHAWAY (George to most people) Avcat Queen LMEM (M) ATKINS (David to his friend) The workers? MEM (M) BEARD (DUNCAN) MEM (M) BROOKE (MEL) MEM (M) JONES CA (TAFF) JMEM (M) FELLS (DEAN or SCUD)

Since starting our sunshine cruise we have covered a fair few miles and consumed 3,042 Tons of Dieso, with another month to go add another 1,500 Tons and that should be our lot. At £150 per ton, a total sum of approx...£680, 000 of fuel. On the fresh water front, that’s another story, poor supplies and weird connections presented us with a few problems, but nothing we couldn’t overcome. N.B. Antigua and its Independence Celebrations we had a very major crisis. Whilst the Admiral was entertaining a certain Lady of High Degree, answering natures call in then the ceremony of washing hands OOP's no water hence the name, Scud. Finally Avcat we've kept the woos happy and Busby topped up with the good stuff. 7 tons, the greedy little blighter, our only complaint is that we wish they would work more social hours.

WELL BOTTTOMS UP, BOTH OF THEM.

THE SHIPWRIGHTS DEPARTMENT

Eventually the refit ended and we started a long uphill slog to get the ship back into top line ready for the next invasion by the dockyard.

"What exactly does a Chippy do" we're often asked? It is a difficult question to answer briefly, but basically our job is to maintain the watertight integrity of the ship and the habitability of the ships company. Or to put it another way, if it doesn't clank, whirr, hiss, fizz, crackle or pop, it's probably ours. In the past we absorbed various artisan trades, i.e. plumber, blacksmith, painter and joiner and, in our turn, we have been absorbed by the engineers. No more chippies are now being trained and we reckon we're probably one of the last proper Shipwright Departments afloat.

The members of the department are:-

Chief Shipwright MICK HOWES, who is responsible for planning the preventative maintenance, shuffling job cards, coordinating AMP etc. defect lists, is the senior hull specialist and divisional chief and climbed a volcano in Martinique.

BOTTOM SHOP

Members are:- Shipwright Gary (the horse) Cartmel and Shipwright Ada (Art Tiles Ltd) Rowe who were both at one time responsible for boats, booms, ladders and presento's.

MEA (Tortola) Ted Bailey joined us later as Gary's relief and looked after the ship generally and supervised the bottom shop planned maintenance.

TOP SHOP

The arch rivals of the bottom shop and whose chief claim to fame was their astounding success at kite flying!

Members are:- M.EA Tony (Art Tiles Ltd) Largent, the plumber and blacksmith and Shipwright Hughie (Whisht! Clunk! Team!) Cannichael the skier and ventilation chippy.

Our main claim to fame (Navy News) hadn’t happened at the time of going to print, but may be the successful repair of the bells in St Georges Church in Tortola. If we weren't successful Ted reckons he'll fix them next year when he comes back on FEARLESS!

Finally we would like to take this opportunity of thanking the lads of all departments who at one time or another filled the jobs of vent party, plumbers mate and chippy's mate.

STOP PRESS: - Operation Tortola Bells successfully completed. For further details see Navy News.

EL DIVISION

S/LT PIT.TARD (ELO) CMEA( L) JARMAN (ELCPO) GENERATION VENT PARYY DOMESTICS MEMN1 LAMB I/C MEM(L) DAVIES CMEM(L) ROGERS I/C MEA(L)1 TIFT POMEM(L) CAMPBELL POMEM(L) JENKINS LMEM(L) TYREMAN LMEM(L) BIDWELL LMEM(L) BUTCHER LMEM(L) IRVINE MEM(L) CURRAN MEM(L) LEWIS MEM(L) HOLLAND MEM(L) COOPER MEM(L) KIMBER MEM(L) NIXON MEM(L) NICHOLSON MEM(L) MARSHALL MEM(L) DUNBAR MEM(M) BARLEY MEM(L) HUDSON MEA(ML)3 COLEMAN

Re-named the Electrical Division in February 1981 with the Introduction of E.B.D. (Engineering Branch Development).This technically sounding phrase is the combining of the Heavy Electrical and Domestic Section into the ME Department. (Many years earlier the ME Department did the same thing to the Shipwright Department) the same work goes on in the hub of the Division which is the Electrical W/S as has always done. At first glance the Division appears to be a large one but if we look at a few of the commitments that have to be met it can be seen that the Division can be stretched to the full at times.

Firstly 4 ME (L)s are used as switchboard watch keepers. Planned maintenance takes up the time of 2 LMEM(L)'s and 3 MEM(L)'s at all times. In these the later stages of the commission perfecting floodlight ship on every visit takes up many MAN- HOURS not to mention illuminating ‘A’ ‘B’ Gun decks for W/R Cocktail Parties. Defects major and minor take up the rest of the working day plus a few hours which are not part of the working day. The Division has had its fair share of major defects over the last year but has handled each situation in its stride with only a few moans and groans from the workers.

GENERATION SECTION

After the ships refit the "McKillowatts" were established, so named because of the strong Scottish influence in the section namely PO FRANK CLEMENTS, PO RAY JENKINS, and CPO BILL LAMB. . PO JOHN TIFT being English and also a Tiff was soon to realise his position in life. These were the happy days under the W.E. Department when Generation Ruled OK" and ‘L’ MECH LAMB was god. We played hard and worked very hard to get the ship to sea.

In February 1981 EBD arrived on our doorstep and we were soon to become the MEs poor cousins. Later on that year drafty took his toll and we lost two strong members of the "Black Mafia" i.e. PO FRANK CLEMENTS and the best Chief Tiff in the Navy TONY GOODALL. All we have left now is memories of the old electrical departments. THE WEAPONS ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT

W3 SECTION

LT LIVINGSTONE FCPO CHRIS McCLAUGHLIN INT COMMS/GYROS ICS SCOT UHF EW PO B BOWLING PO P BRENT CPO B BAVIN PO B HANSEN PO P ENTWISTLE LWEM D BRYSON PO T NEILL LWEM C CHAPMAN WEM S BRINE WEM D HIGHFIELD WEM S CAMPBELL WEM A PADGET WEM H MORRIS WEM G WANLESS WEM B RODGERS WEM E BUTCHER WEM T LLOYD

MCO SIRS/RADIAC PO T WILSON WEM P EWART LWEN J JARVIS

W3 Section is responsible for all internal and external communications, electronic warfare, gyros, log and radiological protection. Now looking at the above family tree the reader may think that the section is rather top heavy. This is due to the fact that whilst serving on the section nearly everyone has gone up a rate, (one exception is the Boss). This doesn't seem to worry him too much though as when he leaves the ship I have heard that he will be starting up "The Livingstone Airways Group". This will be a limited company - limited to seeing off matelots.

Another throbbing enterprise that has developed in the section is the Air EMR Bicycle Repair Shop". I had heard that once, early on in the deployment an unknowing young WE JR from another section actually went into the Air EMR to borrow an AVO, and what’s more surprising is that he actually got one. Alas now the only things available are Cotter pins, Spokes and brake blocks.

A big thankyou I feel should go to our illustrious leader Chris McClaughlin for allowing the other members of the section to use his drying room come bicycle repair shop and an early morning meeting place, well done Chris.

The section has always had a good reputation for supplying the ships sports teams with men, and quite a few of our present members have represented the ship in the following activities:- Rugby, Hockey, Football, Table Tennis and Darts.

I.C.S.

This department can boast its own radio ham (Peter Thumbs Brent), which by the way is short for radio Amateur, fortunately the rest of the I.C.S. team are professionals headed by Tony Two Clips look At the Choo Choo Neill".

Jungle Jarvis is our main man in the section (he repairs the shredder) taking care of the TPs and generally helping out. I think it might be his close association with the communicators but there have been some strange rumors going round about him, nothing of course that can be verified, but how can anyone trust a bloke that plays table tennis and parts his hair in the middle.

You may be asking yourself at this stage, that with all these other activities going on how we manage to find the time to keep the section running and on top line it's funny because I often ask myself the same question.

TELEX

This sub section of W3 maintains the gyros, ships log and the telephone exchange. The main in charge of this department is Bob Bowling who was to write this dit himself, but after his time on Telex the doctor won't let him use any sharp pens, pencils or other implements that might endanger the lives of his band of merry men.

P.S. The reason there is no Ardrox left on the ship is the reason why Bob has a band of merry men.

E.W.

All of our E.W. workload is taken care of by "He of the high forehead" Paul Entwistle, ably supported by his team "Mad Mick" (Paddy Ewart) and "don't ask me to remember two things at once'', (Salty Brine).

U.H.F.

The U.H.F. section being old, outdated and decrepit is always a problem on any ship but on LONDON with our old, outdated and decrepit one legged maintainer Brent Hansen the problems are twofold. Luckily the young and spritely LWEM Chippy Chapman is able to help him up and down ladders when required

M.C.O.

The M.C.O. is a place of work, although it would not appear so if you were to enter within its walls. All you would see would be Brian "Last Of The Old School" Bavin, sitting staring despondently at the SCOT, He has not been the same since he left Barbados, this is due to the fact that he has lost his picture of "ERIC" (his pet dog). He is also a renowned journalist, and his most famous piece being, a piece written for the "Daily Oak" entitled "LIVINGSTONE GOES TO COURT".

It was rumored that the lesser toothed “isk,isk" Wilson bird was sighted in the M.C.O., this sighting has yet to be confirmed. This creature can usually be found in the lateral position in its new abode the POs lounge. The creature can also be seen at night running around the upper deck and pumping iron. This is done to offset the vast quantities of beer that he consumes on rugby runs ashore. He is also a regular subscriber to the "King George 5th Fund for Sailors". On the whole a kinder hearted, gentler, caring person you couldn't wish to meet.

BANYAN

The section held it's banyan in Martinique this was a very successful day out with a special cocktail being invented for the occasion by Paul Entwistle. This consisted of all the spirits and mixers we could “RAS" from unsuspecting bar staff on the beach and with Paul acting as "rum bosun”, we all had to see vast quantities of this “Gut-wrenching, Throat-burning, Eye-watering” stuff off.

On the way back to the ship we managed to have some practical seamanship training with a man overboard exercise. The dummy we used for this event is more commonly known as Eddie Ardrox Butcher. After recovering our wet oppo we return to the ship after a good day’s fun. Well done to all who organized it and to the Coxswain Chief Seaman E.W. Tanzy Lee.

DIT FROM DE BOSS

Seriously now folks, now that everyone's character has be n assassinated, I want to say a big thank you to my ”Merry Men", for all the hard work they have put in over the fifteen months that I have been onboard. Work up at Portland, Springtrain, Roebuck and Ocean Venture, were times of very high workload. The section can take pride in its reputation of maintaining the equipment in a very high state of operational readiness and still retain a sense of humor warped though it may be.

Special mention must be made of Chris McClaughlin (did he really get that scar on his nose in a rugby scrum?), who has been a tower of strength in both technical and managerial matters. He has been instrumental in teaching me that radios aren’t just little boxes with batteri.es in that you can listen to Jimmy Young with and he should be congratulated on his promotion to FCWEM®.

The deployment has been a just reward for the efforts that everyone has made in keeping this fine ship going and I can only hope that the rest of the Fleet benefits from having such a fine bunch of lads injected into it.

W4 SECTION LT TILLING CWEA BOORMAN W4.1 W4.3 W4.5 W4.7 WEA2 RIMMER WEA2 SINCLAIR WEMN1 PARSONS PO(M) DALE LWEM(O) OLIVIER WEA/APP LEONG WEA3 WALKER LS(M) JONES LWEM(O) HOARE AB( S ) ADCOCK WEM(O) JEFFCOATE AB(M) LEITH WEM(O)CAREY WEA/APP ROWE AB(M) DUKES WEA/AFP DYMOND AB(M) WILSON AB(M) SHORE AB(M) SMITH

W4.2 W4.4 W4.6 WEMN1 COOPER WEA2 NICHOLLS WEA2 SMITH WEM(R) GREGORY LWEM(O) HART LWEM(R) ROBINSON WEM(O) TOOMER WEM(R) WEA/ APP HENSON- WARD WEBB AB(M) FINNEY AB(M) FEARON AB(M) ROSE AB(M) PRATT

(NOT FORGETTING) WEMN1 OSBORNE WEA1 McCAULEY RESPONSIBILITIES

W4.1 MRS3 - FLIGHT OF.CK SERVICES W4.2 903Q - GDS5 - CINEMA W4.3 A TURRET - TORPEDOES W4.4 B TURRET - 3" RL5 - 4.5 MAGAZINES W4.5 GWS 22 P+S - SEACAT MAGAZINES W4.6 904Q P+S - TVA1 - MAA - MAB W4.7 SMALL ARMS - 20 mm - SALUTING GUNS

The Section which has helped to foster great friendship and understanding between the Navy and those normally unsung heroes of Portland, Tug Captains and fearless FRADU pilots. To explain the first acquaintance! Towards the end of BOST the ship had to exercise her main armament in the surface mode of firing; normally an exercise which should pose no problem as the target is towed half a mile behind the tug. W4 himself is Blind Fire Safety Officer in the 4.5 ·TS ensuring that the highly tuned 903 radar of 'Cutlass' Cooper is locked onto the correct echo and the point of aim of the turrets is being calculated by the Navy's answer to the technological space-age a whirring, clanking, wheezing, grinding piece of kit (not the section Chief) called the box 10. However on firing the first salvo, a muted 'check, check, check, check' was heard which quick investigation showed came, not from the Chief Writer, but from the Tug Boat.

A bit embarrassing as the shells had landed in a tidy pattern 20 yards on her starboard quarter!! The first near miss for W4 Section! A second friendship was struck up a few months later after a seemingly endless period alongside in AMP and harbour training from January to March 81.In order to remind the MRS3 system (and its maintainers) that its RDP training was over, some aircraft tracking was planned using FRADU Hunter aircraft from Yeovilton in the Plymouth areas. For once the weather was suitable for some good tracking runs and quickly the serial came to end. As is usual for pilots who are ex-Fleet Air Arm and ex-RAF 'sky-cowboys' they like to finish with a bit of stunt flying when a low - pass is made on the ship. Which becomes a trial of strength between the ships whip aerials and the aircraft. The low - pass was piped over main broadcast so that goofers, loafers and David Baileys could turn - out, and overcame the Hunter still being tracked with the gunnery fire - control radar. But, as if to demonstrate what a well maintained system we have, even a non - firing run produced a "May Day, May Day, May Day" from the pilot. In fact the aircraft made an unscheduled landing some 13 miles away on a fairly unsporting, patch of sea never to be seen again, the pilot having ejected a couple of miles earlier.

The PWO (A) in his brief that morning had mentioned that aircraft tracking was a very costly business - although it is not thought he envisaged including the cost of one Hunter aircraft

DOUBLE U FOUR

The people we have in Double U Four are sturdy men like Arty Shore The boss is a man who’s always willing He goes by the name of Acker Bill Tilling

Adcock is a bloke who looks like Hilda He's going outside to be a builder Stumpy Robinson hasn't a care While Detective Dale is never there

Now we come to the man that is super dupe He fixes the sights - we call him 'Bino's Cooper The 4.5 man knows where it's at Known in the system as Pole Vault Pratt

The afternoons come, and all is sound Because Chiefy Poos has gone to ground In the workshop hear the drones Of people asleep like Gas Plug Jones

There is a man that no one harms It's Nice Boy' Dale and his small arms Don't ask for help or we'll show you the door As we don't like hard work in Double U Four

LS Jones and LS Harris Poets Laureate for W4

THE SEACAT SECTION

The Seacat Section, this temperamental system is nursed and cared for by an elite team of technicians chosen for their patience and reliability.

The team leader of this unique squad is Chief (Hick the Magazines) Parsons with his side kick PO (Preps) Smith. Their job on this supposedly well organised section is to try and control an unruly assortment of thugs, loafers (hello Jeff) and slobs known as 'The Team', which consists of:

LWEM(R) (COOKS) ROBINSON WEA3 (PILLSBURY) WAUCER WEM(R) 1(CUTLASSES) WARD, WEM (O) 1(IN THE BACKGROUND) JEFCOATE AB (CARROT TOP) WILSON AB (I’VE GOT A SUNTAN) SMITH

And last but not least we have an assortment of Apprentices who enter our lives whenever the system is top line to add their own handful of grit to gearbox life.

One of the incidents which is memorable to the TS happened in June 1981 during the High Seas Firings when we proved that the Seacat could be used as a Surface to Surface missile. The 4.5 turrets and the Seacat were tracking and engaging the same Rushton Target. The 4.5 system was told to engage the Ruston. As a 4.5 shell was about to hit the target the Seacat controller was told to engage the Rushton. As the 4.5 shell destroys the Ruston the Seacat Aimer is told to ditch the missile. The aimer starts to ditch the missile into the sea out of harms way, when HMS BRISTOL appears in his binoculars on a collision with the missile. The aimer (HERO) carefully and calmly (HONEST) lifts the missile above the BRISTOL, much to the relief of her Captain.

Apart from looking after both GWS22 Systems, the Seacat Section is also responsible for 2 Seacat Ready Use Magazines and the Deep Seacat Magazine which contains over 600 Kilo grams of RDX/TNT Explosives. Also the Seacater's look after many bicycles and rabbits for the Ships Company. By the way if you never see any of the Section around the ship it is because the TS is well hidden between the GAS TURBINE EXHAUST TRUNKS and the Ships Galley and the entrance is well concealed.

SEASLUG SECTION

LT STICKLER CWEMN BIRCH 901 RADAR WEAPON CONTROL MDS 1 & RECORDING HANDLING MCY AND WE SEAMEN WEMN PUGH WEA2 WATSON POWEM BEST WEMN1 GARDNER WEM1 DYER WEM1 HOOKER LWEM SHILLING WEMN1 BORKETT WEM1 RYAN WEM1 WARNER WEM1 BUTTOLPH WEM1 FOLAN WEM2 SHUTE AB HUNT AB PARTINGTON AB PETT AB ATKIN

WARM UP & FIRING MISSILE TEST WEMN GOULD WEA1 HUBBARD LWEM AUSTON WEM1 OSBORNE WEM2 BATCHELOR

Everyone on board tends to call us the “once a year section”. Under normal circumstances due to an average firing of once a year perhaps this is justified However this last and final year, taking into account the ship's programme up until the final return to Portsmouth, will have seen three firings. This will have achieved he last Seaslug Mark 1 firing and also the most missiles fired by any ship of this class. Assuming back records to be correct this number totals 99, each costing,£250,000 if inflation over the years since manufacture is taken in to account. To round this number up to a mere even figure, thoughts are being directed to means of possibly launching the Pink Panther or one of the Drill Missiles. The outstanding moments during the final year are best given in pictorial form as follows:

Kite Flying on the Flight Deck, which took place on the passage between Belize and Curacao was one of the more unusual events. It kept a number of people entertained for a couple of hours one evening, before the light faded and prevented further attempts at launching. For weeks before hand some enthusiastic constructors, passed many hours building and test flying an assortment of contraptions.

Some were big, some were small, some even pretty, some flew (quite well) most did not. The reason for this who knows, too heavy, too light, tail too long or maybe too short, wind too light, ships speed too slow or too fast. But effort on the part of the kite flying entrants certainly was not lacking, with every means possible being employed to achieve kite lift off, plus much advice being offered by back seat kite fliers.

The kite entered by the missile quarters position may not have been the best or the highest flier, but it was certainly the biggest. Design was of the compound variety with a length and wing span measuring, some six foot four and a half inches.

W7 SECTION RADAR - DISPLAYS – SONAR

LT MORRIS CPO RUDWICK EX CPO WARD (P7R) WEM DALY WEM HILL Office Writer WEM HOYLE MAIN MAST FORE MAST CDS DISPLAYS SONAT PO PEARCE PO HAYES CPO ALLEN PO RAYNER PO FISHER LWEM HILTON LWEM POWELL WEM CORNEY LWEM FARR WEM COOK WEM BENNETT WEM MACKAY WEM HURST WEM DODD WEM BLOWER THE DECOY INCIDENT

DWEO not being happy with the decoy depth readings when being streamed decided the decoy should be sunk on a measured length of cable when next alongside. .Duly alongside in Gibraltar, cable measured out and leave sinker tied to decoy tail, lower away! however the decoy failed to sink. even with larger sinker fitted. OK give in! much to amusement of watchers. Later we found the decoy still pressurised to 10 lb/sq. inch after leakage test hence reason so buoyant.

LONDONS CCTV SYSTEM

The studio was stripped and rebuilt during refit May 79 - May 80 to incorporate equipment from HMS COLLINGWOOD and HMS FIFE and to improve the layout and operating facilities. A colour camera was purchased by Ships Welfare, allowing colour programmes and films to be shown as well as VCR tapes. Most mess decks in the ship have colour TVs and good quality pictures from CCTV and off air are possible. Also programmes can be run from the Dining Halls and Flight Deck, as when the Seaslug firings are taking place. On the end of the commission the system will be split up and distributed to other ships.

GUNNERY DIVISION – HMS LONDON – 1981

PWO(A) LT COOK MASTER GUNNER LT HARPER CHIEF GI CPOGI WEBSTER CONTROL TEAM QUARTERS TEAM PO(H) DAWSON MID WARDEN PO(H) SHARPE PO(M) DALE GDR CDPs B TURRET A. TURRET 4.5 TS 20mm B GUNBAY A GUNBAY DIRECTOR SEACAT CREWS B MAGS & A MAGS & SHELLROOMS SHELLROOM

LS(M) EDMONDSON LS(M) HARRIES LS(M) MOORE.S LS(M)BOND LS(M) WOMACK LS(M) JONES AB(M} PRATT AB(M) GIBBS AB(M) ROOE LS(M) ARMSTRONG AB(M) McGHIE AB(M) ATKIN AB(M) GRAY LS(H) DOWNHAM AB(M) BLOOMFIELD AB(M) BROOM AB(M) JOHNSON AB(M) SHORE AB(M) WILSON AB(M) COUPE AB(M) MANSELL AB(M) LAMARCRAFT AB(M) BEDDOE AB(M) COX AB(M) FEARON AB(M) HUGHES AB(M) LOW AB(M) JEGGO AB(M) DUKE.5 AB(M) SMITH AB(M) FINNEY AB(M) POWELL AB(M) HAGGERTY AB(M) MORLEY AB(M) GITTENS AB(M) LEITH AB(M) COXEN AB(M) HAYWARD AB(M) REAY AB(M) PARKINSON AB(M) PRINCE AB(H) PRING AB(M) OLIVER AB(M) HALL AB(M) SMITHES

GWS1 AB(M) HUNT AB(M) PETT AB(M) PARTINGTON

GUNNERY NEWSLETTER At the end of somewhat stimulating commission for the Gunnery Department we are going out with a bang by firing off the Navy's last 4 gun broadside, the event being covered by what seems to be the entire UK news media.

Perhaps to cut a long (sometimes happy, sometimes pathetic) story short we should concentrate on highlights and lowlights of this commission starting with events:

May 80 Emergence from refit. HATS and SATS Jul 80 Weapon Training in the Mediterranean Nov 80 Work-Up at Portland - the 'Tug' incident Mar 81 Extended period of boredom alongside ends Apr 81 Visit to City of London May/Jun 81 New PWO(A) and Master GWU1er join Aug 81 Exercises 'ROEBUCK' and 'OCEAN VENTURE' completed Dec 81 West Indies deployment completed. New landing sites in Belize cleared by HEN3 Citizens of Belize frightened in their beds by 'swamp-rat’ sailors playing soldiers in the jungle.. Seaslugs fired. Last Broadside fired. Jan 82 LONDON put to bed

Thank you to the following:

AB GIBBS for turning up LS DOWNHAM for the continuation in service (by mistake) of HMS BRISTOL Lt TILLING for a virgin target and frightened tug The people of ANTIGUA for the mud in which we paraded for their Independence The other people of ANTIGUA for moving the mud to English Harbour in order that we could parade in it again Viv Richards for graciously accepting Dicky Dawson’s kind advice on how to play cricket correctly Oliver Reed for keeping quiet in 3E Mess when he knew he had et his match The Laundry Crew for bleeding us WHITE Saying of the Commission Blind PWO - INTERPHONE!! ! !

Final Note ABs HAYWARD and OLIVER failed in their mission to drink the West Indies dry - their 1 oppo’s1 ran out of money

Since the ship came out of refit in April 1980 the Radar Branch has been kept busy with a number of exercises and as this goes to print we are in the middle of our last one - READEX 81 - with the Americans off the sunny West Indies where we have spent the last three months as West Indies Guardship.

Achievements to date excluding the exercises, where we have all worked hard and gained a lot are as follows. Starting at the top. Lt Cdr JORN HANCE (JR) our old Ops left us in April to sun himself for two years in America and was relieved by Lt ROB DAVIES - a ball of fire - and star of our own ships programme 'Down Your Hatch'. Lt JOHN GRANDISON left us in April for the Invincible and his slot as FC1 was quickly snapped up by SLt now Lt STAN WOZNICKI, congratulation Stan! That left a space for FC2 and we were joined by SLt STEVE BATEMAN, fresh, young and a whiz kid at control, CHOPS changed in January, COLIN RAPIER going off to sun himself in Gibraltar and being relieved by VIC FRAY who was promoted Chief that month, congratulations Vic. Three leading hands have been advanced to Petty Officer - JUNGLE J ARVIS, GEORGE GOODFELLOW, and T/B TURNER-BONE, they have now left us, Jungle to go outside, and T/ B and George to the college of knowledge, best of luck lads ha! Four able seamen have been advance to leading hand, YORKY, LAY, ANDY DEACON, MAC McBRIDE and our man in America FRENCHY FRENCH, and as we go to print another seven are about to take their PPEs.

A few of the Lads

PETE ABERY having now completed four years and about one thousand miles around the upperdeck reckons it is all been worthwhile and will come good in the 'Gillette London Marathon' next year.

CESS BEATON has kept us all sane in our hour of need when the ship has been hotting up down the ops room and was even Been in Springtrain to be walking around with an apron on during Defence Watches just to please the lads???

BOB MYALL the old man of the sea, one of the oldest sea dog6 onboard has kept everyone amused with his stories of ships under sail, but there is no truth to the rumour that he suffered a heart attack when he received a draft to Royal Arthur - just couldn't sleep at night 'a' Bob!!

BANJO HOLT sadly had to leave us before we sailed for the West Indies and is sadly missed by Vic Fray as he now has nobody to pot on the head.

VIC FRAY one of the few PRI’s left in the Navy leaves in February for a nice rest he tells us at ASWE. and will really be remembered onboard for moving the Ops Room for two decks to grey acres. Passports required for UK Vic!

Our man in America FRENCHY has a good tale to tell about a run ashore in Fort Lauderdale, in fact he was the star of 'Down Your Hatch' one night. What a run ashore that must have been Frenchy, one hundred dollars and you are still waiting for the beer and what went with it ha! Hi! you all!!

Let’s hope we all met up again sometime and before I close, Good Luck and Best Wishes to Rob (Ops) and Suzie on their forthcoming wedding, invites all round?

TAS DIVISION

We start this brief history of HMS LONDONs last commission pingers with a list of the division on completion of the last refit in Portsmouth.

Our boss at the time was Lt ROBINSON later to become Lt Cdr ROBINSON with POG TAFF FINN, DAVE MULGREW and SHINER. LIGHT - he got his rate over the refit period and was to leave us just before sailing, to do his qualifying course at Vernon.

The rest of the division consisted of LS CAPEL, ABs FLIPPER FLOOD, JACKSON, VINCE BROOKS I JESS YATES' HARRY WORTH and ALPHIE NEWMAN with ANDY HOY, SIMMON TOWN, KEV ROEBUCK MICK HIGGINS and SIVYOUR being only Junior Seamen.

After the refit and rededication we spent a few weeks in and out of harbour carrying out the various acceptance trials, getting the ship and the various departments back to a seaworthy state after the many months in harbour1 On 13 June we headed towards Gibraltar and our first foreign, if you can call it that, of our new commission.

I think everyone had a good run in Gib, with the possible exception being Jess, who was labelled a fire bug by the local law enforcers (we know you were innocent Jess but next time you go ashore in Gib don't carry any matches).

After carrying out the various acceptance trials for the gunners and sluggers we headed back to the UK, leaving the pussers neaters and many happy hours behind us, arriving back in Portsmouth on 9 July. On our return young Sivyour left us to go outside PVR. We believe Boy Myall had something to do with it for trying to sell him in Gibraltar.

After spending a successful day at sea with our families ( the canteen doing a roaring trade in bottles of plank), we had a few days in harbour before sailing north to Stavanger, Norway for more trials and a final fling before returning to Pompey for a much earned rest and summer leave.

During this time SLt SIMMONDS joined to take over as Divisional Officer and Quarterdeck Officer

After leave we had a few more weeks alongside, a lot of time was spent in Dryad getting the teams working together, ready for the inevitable weeks ahead at Portland and Work-Up. We sailed on the 15 September without our Alfie Newman, who had left us over the leave period to be relieved by AB ADCCCK. A few days were spent 'Shaking Down' and eventually securing alongside at Portland on Saturday 27, looking forward to commencing Work-Up on the Monday.

We found Work-Up very hard going, as everyone does, with the occasional sense of humour failure. Taff Finn left under a dark cloud, to be relieved for the rest of the Work-Up by CPO(S) SHINER WRIGHT. Overall we managed to keep smiling and eventually came away with a few good assessments for the SCR Crew, the final inspection being on 5 November.

After spending a whole weekend in Portsmouth we sailed for Aberporth and the Seaslug firings, which didn't go very well mainly due to the weather. It was at this time LS LIPS LE MARGE joined us just before we headed for Liverpool and a well-earned jolly. This time it was Tims turn to leave us, after getting his PO Rate and headed for Vernon and his qualifying course.

After a much enjoyed six days in Liverpool we spent a few days back in Portsmouth. Flipper left us to be relieved by CHARLIE PARLING, and ADDERS who re-joined us after leaving in the last week of Work-Up to get married. We then sailed for Navigational Training, spending a few days at Brest in France, returning to Portsmouth on 11 December for AMP and Christmas leave. The main leave party leaving on the Friday 19; after the first Ships Company Dance of the new commission. This took place on the Thursday (it would have been better if you could have seen who you were dancing with).

After the leave period we got a new boss in the form of Lt WILSON who had served on the LONDON before as Master Gunner. He relieved Lt Cdr Robinson as PWO (U). Also around this time Vince Brooks was relieved by (I was innocent) PADDY CONRAN. There was a lot of coming and going in the division over this period in harbour with STAN BAXTER and ANDY PARSONS joining this elite sonar team in February.

After leave and on completion of the AMP, we sailed back to Portland for a period of weapon training, and then onto Gib for Exercise Springtrain. Afterwards we returned to Portsmouth for Easter leave when Jacko left us after passing, his PPE for leader to join Vernon for his qualifying course. He was relieved by BOB LANG and it was around this time that LS HOY joined us.

On completion of Easter leave we sailed for a visit to the City of London, where I've been told Paddy found the ideal barbers shop. After London we returned to Portsmouth for a few days, then on to Chatham for Navy Days and even more Navy Days in Rosyth. Over to Bremen in Germany for a quick visit followed exercise Roebuck. (The starboard watch are still convinced there was a submarine in that pipeline). We arrived back in Portsmouth at the end of June for AMP and Summer Leave.

It was during this period that PO Tojo Ross left us to go into civvy street and was relieved by PO DAVE GOODFEIJ.., OW. Yet another change to the Division with SLt GREEN joining, to take over as Divisional Officer and Quarterdeck Officer. On completion of the AMP we sailed on 24 August for exercise Ocean Venture where we showed the Yanks how to do it. On completion of the exercise we had a few days in Antwerp for their Liberation Ceremonies. A few members of the Division, namely Jess and Charlie joined up with the ceremonial guard. I think most had a good run, although the local be r was expensive and not very good, the window shopping made up for that. We returned to Portsmouth for the final week in harbour before LONDON’s last deployment.

We sailed for deployment on 18 September looking forward to the sun soaked and palm tree beaches of the West Indies. Our first stop being the AZORES to take on fuel and let everyone stretch his legs for a couple of hours ashore. In Bermuda we stayed for an extra day, thanks to a tropical storm which had blown up. This gave a few of us a chance to test the local beaches and make a start on the West Indies Sun Tan. In Fort Lauderdale, Florida everyone had a good time with bus trips to Walt Disney World (where most of us fell in love with Alice in Wonderland). There was also lots of time spent on the beach and I think a lot of us were disappointed when we had to sail after only four days.

Towmny had re-joined us in Fort Lauderdale after leaving us in Portsmouth, having taken part in the Joint Services Diving Championships. He did us proud by the way coming first out of the championships.

The next port of call was Belize. Our favourite saying about Belize was, "Where the hell is Belize - who the hell cares", enough about Belize.

We then went on to CURACAO where we got our first taste of those palm tree’d beaches and local West Indies rum, which took a bit of getting used to, but we managed.

Our next visit was Martinique before arriving at Antigua for the Independence Ceremonies. The Cutlass Team and Royal Guard had been putting in lots of hours of practice since sailing from Portsmouth, both at sea and in harbour. We didn't have anyone from our Division in the Cutlass Display Team but we did provide three for the Royal Guard, namely Charlie and Jess (I think that it was because they did such a good job in Antwerp?) and last of all Andy. The ceremonies went very well, the Royal Guard and the Cutlass Display Team, also the .Marines giving an Abseiling Display from Busby made an eventful evening. After Antigua we sailed for Barbados where many of the wives were waiting. I think most of us enjoyed the beaches and a ten day rest.

Well it isn't long now before we head back home and the LONDON goes for that great breakers yard in the sky, and everyone goes their separate ways. On our way home Andy, Kev, Jess and Charlie take their PPE for leading hand, Lipps takes his for Petty Officer. We wish them all the best as we do all who have been part of LONDON's last TAS Division where ever they go and in whatever they do.

TOP SAILORS TEAM

1st LT LT CDR HOOKER (CAPTAIN HURRICANE) BUFFER CPO(SEA) JENNER (CAPTAIN BIRDSEYE) L/SEA EDMONDSON (BAM BAM) AB OLIVER BOSUN YEOMAN (SWAMPY) AB CONRAN - NILE (WELSHMAN AB BROOM - PAINTER (LOG)

TOP SAILORS MEAN TEAM

As editor of the Buffers Party dit I can only glorify and magnify the magic in which the team goes about their duties in ensuring the ship is well prepared in all respects for taking on fuel, light jackstay transfers, and heavy stores transfers plus many other minor functions which occur throughout a working day. From both watches in the morning to secure the information for the team to go into action is funnelled down by its intrepid leader and jungle fighter the 1st LT who is in at every action, whether ashore of afloat (this can be backed up by the Marines if disbelieved). Then on to mention our supplier of bits of string, shackles and - (give it to me I'll do it on my sewing machine) - Bo-Yeo (OLLY) OLIVER who manages to give away more gizit's quicker than the Buffer gets them - still olly your OK! Since we deployed for our fun in the sun West Indies trip our outstanding painter - (no hassle today buffer).

AB (SOOTY) BROOM has supplied enough paint to cover this magic floating machine twice over, if you are able to stop a while you may see him in his paint encrusted overalls well after sunset cleaning brushes and rollers for the next day’s battle - "BATTLE" you better believe it, ask sooty. Then over to our master of ceremonies for the ships side - (we can crack it before stand easy) L/S (TAM) EDMONDSON who can be seen circumnavigating the ship ensuring the paint cat is being placed in its correct position of course we do have minor hic-ups when the paint cat is hauled away before the ships side is finished - (depressing, depressing).

Last but not least (it's all been done Buffer) AB (PADDY) CONRAN last seen .. - Diving - Greasing slips - making up Nile log book - cleaning out RAS locker - closed up in the SCR - well he was at breakfast Buffer. However we cannot rule out that this guy does ensure our life saving equipment is always checked and correct in the eventuality of some non upperdeck technician pulling out the ships plug.

FORECASTLE PART OF SHIP

After 'refit' in May 1980 the Forecastle part of ship was under the management of Lieutenant 'Uncle' John NUNDY, Petty Officer(M) 'Dicky' DAWSON and Leading Seaman(M) 'Pony' MOORES. Soon after refit the ship sailed for the Mediterranean and weapon trials. Petty Officer DAWSON managed to 'slip out' of the trials in fact he "slipped a disc". He maintains that he fell out of his bunk when the ship rolled! A likely story, the ship was in harbour!

On return to the UK in July a families day was held onboard and the ship anchored for lunch off the Isle of Wight. After lunch the anchor was weighed in true efficient manner, and so was the islands lobster industry which unfortunately got in the way. During the return alongside in Portsmouth AB OLIVER impressed the families with his line throwing technique. He hit the Bridge Wing with a line thrown at the jetty from the FX!

For the remainder of the year things were fairly quiet with only the odd 'work up' and major exercise to disturb the tranquillity of life at sea in winter. A few new faces joined and old mates left. 'Pony' MOORES did his escapologist act and disappeared into HQ1 for work up, re-appearing after all the shouting had died down.

In May 1981 we were brought down to earth with a bang by a change in management as we said goodbye to Uncle John and hello to Lieutenant 'Jess' HARPER. Petty Officer(M) 'Bob' CRAIG, Leading Seaman(M) 'Panyo' DOWNHAM and Leading Seaman(M) 'Jimmy' BOND. Shortly after this change Bob CRAIG was laid low by a foul tackle whilst playing football and consequently missed the West Indies Deployment. Shame!

We finally sailed to the West Indies in September 81 for the 'Sun and Fun'. It appeared to the lads however that we were being carried as some sort of tent rigging act with 11up awnings" and "down awnings" every day or two. We soon mastered the technique however and what once took all of us all day we eventually achieved in two hours.

The individual stories of "runs" are too numerous (and embarrassing) to mention, there was however the parable of the good Samaritan "Hagerty” who in Martinique was seen by the locals to be attempting to murder a Royal Marine (he was in fact attempting to wake him up from an alcoholic dream - only he was shaking him by the throat - hence the locals understandable confusion). So the good Samaritan was felled by a house brick. The confused as a newt Royal Marine slept on. Samaritan Hagerty had six stiches!!

AB 'Smokey Joe' Hayward was treated to verse 2 of what shall we do with a drunken sailor on his birthday and duly hosed down.

It is perhaps necessary at this juncture to admit to having a Black Sheep in the family for or: the departure of Bon Craig no (M) PO was available to run the Part of Ship. Almost sneakily he was relieved by Petty Officer "By the Cringe Jess isn’t going to like this! (RADAH)! Bob MYALL. But the end result wasn't too bad, one could always check if Bob was around by sighting the visitors’ book!!

The last change on the Part of Ship occurred in Mid-November when LS 'Jimmy' BOND was seconded to the Chief GI for "secretarial" duties, much to Jimmy’s disgust. He was relieved by leading Seaman (M) 'No suntan' 'Chats' HARRIS from the black hole called HQ1.

A number of Divisional Banyans were held here and there - as ever - the sea was warm, the sand hot, the sun hot, the food hot and the BEER WAS WARM!

At the time of writing this article we are on “READEX" with the US Fleet, missiles are whining around our ears but our thoughts are turning to home, all those lovely north Atlantic rollers, the numbing cold, rain, fog, snow and hail. Never mind, 'Nobby' (I've just got married) HALL, you'll be back soon. Unless…..

No matter what your next ship (sea-going, stone or citizen) good luck and good future to us all wherever we may be.

PS Thanks! For this article go to Jimmy Bond and Ginge Hagerty for its inspiration, Jess only translated the original hieroglyphics.

THE BOATS PARTY

The Boats Party is one of the many 'Parts of Ship' run by the Ops Department.

The boats on the LONDON consist of: a. One Fairy Huntress (the Captain's Boat ) which incidentally is the oldest Huntress in the Navy being 19 years old. b. One 25ft Motor Cutter c. Two Cheverton d. One 27ft Motor Whaler used as a sea boat and also as a Crash Boat when at flying stations.

The boats have been used in every port of call by the LONDON this trip, mostly for pleasure but sometimes duty.

In Antigua the Huntress and one Cheverton were used by HRH Princess Margaret and her entourage. The Cutter was used by the divers for their excursions into the deep blue sea, the two Chevertons being used by all of the departments of the Ships Company for banyans and fishing trips.

The Chevertons have also been used for the training of Leading Seamen and Able Seamen in boat handling.

If anything should happen to the boats i.e. mechanical, electrical or crunched we have a highly efficient team of Stokers, Greenies and Chippies to put them right.

When we arrive back in Pompey the boats will probably be put to rest in the Boat Yard.

TOP PART MAFIA - TH}; TRUE STORY

During the latter half of the Ships last commission the Top Part of Ship noticed occurrences of theft from their personal locker. Cleaning Gear was missing. To stop this abuse they formed a MAFIA and began to do unto others that which had been done to them.

News of these trained killers rapidly spread through the ship, panic was widespread, and questions were asked in the Wardroom, where would they strike first? Was anyone safe? Could no one stop them?

THE MAFIA

We would like to add that our friend (but no one else’s) "Machine Gun" MACBRIDE was kidnapped by the HQ1 mob never to be seen again. He was the only casualty of our campaign. A letter of commiseration was sent to his family. c/o BRISTOL ZOO

* Coming soon a sensational. New film Top Part Mafia the Movie - Cert xxx

ELECTRONIC WARFARE The E.W. Family Tree, since the rededication, is as follows:

HMS LONDON was rededicated on 25th April 1980 with the Guest of Honour being Her Royal .Highness Princess Alice. The E.W. Department provided the Colour Officer, Colour Chief and four members of the Royal Guard.

Weapons sea acceptance trials were carried out off sunny Gibraltar, giving most of the department an opportunity to acquire a suntan. From there RS(W) Noble, AB(EW) Willey and AB(EW) Giles proceeded across Europe to Portsmouth on foot. This hazardous and drunken journey took ten days (give or take a Dinner Time Session).

From the sunny Mediterranean we were soon plunged into the doom and gloom of Portland Work-Up. Happily, the department came through with flying colours. Outside the E.W. environment during the Portland period, the section provided AB(EW) Thompson to the ship's diving team, CRS(W) Lee and AB(EW) Roe to the Internal Security Platoon, and RS(W) Noble along with AN(EW) Hobbs to the ships band (the Bandmaster must be tone-deaf too).

The ship's first operational undertaking after Portland proved to be both refreshing and occupationally interesting. LONDON was tasked with escorting KRIVAKS 712 and 714, two major Soviet war vessels, through the English Channel. Only people with the department could describe the freedom felt on losing those Portland shackles called 'Sea Riders'.

The next major event on the ship's calendar was Exercise Springtrain. This provided the lads with a chance to stretch their legs in GIBRALTAR!!

The department was well represented in the Rock Race with AB(EW) Ro 8th place and CRS(W) Lee 27th (GASP.•.PANT•••WHEEZE••...... COLLAPSE!!). Vurin6 this period, LONDON became the flagship to FOF2, when such terms as FOG1 , FCG2, and FOG3 were bandied around (much to the displeasure of FCHS(l:J) Abel). The ship then returned to Portsmouth, where the men took well-earned leave.

Exercise Roebuck was the next milestone in the life of the department. This exercise took place off the Costa Del fife's haggis ridden coast.Again the gollies were tops in this high-powered Anti Air Warfare exercise, from which many lessons were learned. On completion of Roebuck, LONDON was the star attraction in the premiere Naval Dockyard Rosyth, Navy Days. This was also prime target for terrorists. Within twenty four hours of docking, this ship was stormed by those crack guerrillas, The Lee Clan.

On the ship's return to Portsmouth, a bloodless coup took place in which Lt Evans was replaced by Lt Horne (also known as H), RS(W) Noble departed to Menopause Manor, being relieved by PO(EW) 'I've got me bat• Williams. The department also said goodbye to A/LS(1vl) Bolton and AB(EW) Palmer, who were relieved by S(EW) Clay, Lewins and Miller. It took only one exercise for the older 'LONDONERS' to realise that the new regime was here.

Exercise Ocean Venture (who thinks up these names?) took us far out into the North Sea and up to the Iceland-Faeroe's Gap, acting as orange forces against the mighty USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER. FORRESTAL and their attending minions. On completion of sinking both, the U.S.N. Battle groups TWICE, the ship was bound for yet another 'foreign' visit – Antwerp. Prior to our arrival in this old Belgian capital, FOF2 rewarded our efforts in the exercise - he gave us Divisions in tropical uniform off the Pentland Firth!

After Antwerp, the ship returned to Portsmouth until 18th September 1981 when she sailed for her final deployment - three months in the West Indies. With such destinations as Bermuda, Fort Lauderdale (HI LORI!), Curacao, Martinique, Antigua, Barbados and St Kitts, it is little wonder hardly one complaint was uttered about anything. As LONDON was in Barbados for a ten day maintenance period, two members of the department took the opportunity to bring their girlfriends out of the English winter and into the Caribbean sunshine.

On the completion of a two day visit to Roosevelt Roads in Puerto Rico, LONDON sailed for Exercise Readex, once again encountering our old adversary USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER. This time, to spare American blushes and tantrums, we let them be on our side. Many Bear D aircraft, and the latest Soviet intelligence gatherer, 'BALZAN, were also intercepted during Readex. This proved to be the largest Anti- Air Warfare exercise ever undertaken by the USN. Their battle groups consisted of some thirty three ships and around four hundred and fifty aircraft. Some sight!

From a sporting point of view, the department did quite well at ship representation with Soccer (AB Roe, AB Willey), Cricket (CRS Lee, AB Roe, PO Williams)., Cross Country (AB Roe(, Squash (CRS Lee), Hockey (AB Thompson), and Volleyball (CRS Lee).

SUPPLY DEPARTMENT

STORES DEPARTMENT

Following three hot sunny and glorious years in Malta GC, and a further four months leave it was with some trepidation that I moved through Portsmouth dockyards in the direction of HMS LONDON in August 1979. It was not an encouraging sight. The ship was in dry-dock and the upper decks were a mass of scaffolding, pipes, and dockyard workers. The Stores Office was located in the shore side complex and it was there that I met the outgoing CPOSA, Brian Evans. He was in jubilant mood as we exchanged niceties and shook hands warmly. I was joining during a leave period so not all the staff were available to succumb to my professional scrutiny. However a few faces were already etched in my memory i.e. Scouse Hoyland the rotund jovial, wit of the department, Fred Dayson-Smith, the professor of the department, looking not unlike Joe 90. I had crossed paths with these two when the mighty LONDON was assuming Flagship duties in Malta prior to the islands demise. Perhaps crossing paths was a slight inaccuracy. Our meeting could at best have been described as a drunken rendezvous centred around the transfer of padlocks - an exercise which took a full three hours to complete! I met the rest of my staff in the various shapes of POSA Norman Smith, Mick Pimlett, Alf Deary, John Clare, and Ian Mackfall. A young SA, Terry Venables, had joined the day before me, so we at least had something in common. My four day turnover was a lazy alcoholic affair. Brian apparently enjoyed a vast popularity with his fellow Senior Rates and this was strongly demonstrated by way of a never empty pint glass of Courage Sparkling Beer. Between us, however, we did manage to transfer the burden of Stores supremo from he to I and as he poured himself ashore on Friday 10 August I was on my own.

The next three months passed relatively painlessly as I eased myself into top gear, greeting new staff and saying farewell to the leavers. SA's Bentley, Smith and Mitchell arrived whilst Clare and Mackfall moved on to greener pastures. Scouse Hoyland endured a very painful spell in Haslar, where he had several operations to reduce the swelling in a certain part of his anatomy. A few days prior to the ship undocking we moved our accounts and associated vouchers into the Stores Office on board the ship. The size of the Office was a shock, after three months of working in Rolls Royce conditions, but we ripped out a few cupboards and generally turned it into a home sweet home. The remainder of the year slipped away quietly, although considerable work by the staff had resulted in a vast improvement in the material state of the storerooms. We all went our different ways for Xmas and New Year wondering what 1980 had in store for us. We soon found out, within a week of our return, with the ship still in No 3 basin the SAs were in the thick of Internal Security Platoon Training, Firefighting Training and general storing. SA Bentley departed to PEMBROKE for his LSAs course under strict orders not to return if he failed. The threat obviously worked as he passed. In mid-Feb our first major storing evolution took place. Approx. 500 mattresses and 500 sets of bedding arrived from Woolston in a two day period for issue to the ships company. Our prayers for good weather were answered and the evolution was completed successfully on time. Much heartened by this success we spent the next two months completing our storing, whilst also preparing our storerooms and our accounts for the visit of the Harbour Acceptance Trial Inspections Team. They arrived, inspected and duly brought us down to earth with a list of jobs requiring attention. After a minor sense of humour failure, we gritted our teeth and concentrated on our final storing efforts, knowing that going to sea was a reality. The Rededication Service was followed by ammunitioning and on the 12 May, LONDON was at sea for trials. These trials proved the first test of the stores system and back up was provided as required. In between trials the ship returned to Portsmouth, where we continually taxed our friendship with our stores liaison lady Betty Whybrow. She turned up trumps for us on all occasions and after grovelling, by sending her a bunch of flowers on her birthday, we sailed for a weapon training period in the sun at Gibraltar. The highlight of this period was a Supply Department run ashore featuring our Supply Officer CDR David Wilson and his deputy LT Martin Mizen. Details of the run ashore are vague for obvious reasons but Cdr Wilson did indeed feature heavily and the following day sported alterations to his facial features.

Having returned to UK and a swift week on storing ship, we visited the dreaded Portland then headed north to the Norwegian Port of Stavanger, returning to Portsmouth at the end of July. A seven week period of leave and AMP ensured us fully stored, we furiously prepared for our six weeks intensive training period at Portland. LSA Pimlett was replaced by LSA Freshney in early September and we arrived in Portland at the end of that month. The six week BOST kept us all on our toes but we left Portland with a good report. The rest of the year passed quickly as we fired missiles at Aberporth and had runs ashore in Liverpool and Brest.

1981 began with rumblings of industrial action from the civil servants. As we had three months in Portsmouth we replenished as much as possible and it was fortunate that we did because in March the civil servants pulled out the plugs of the computers and it was difficult, even impossible to obtain most items thereafter. However we fulfilled our commitment on Springtrain without any major defects, visited London, Chatham, Bremen, and Rosyth and returned to Portsmouth 'the end of June'. Storing throughout this period was extremely light and we knew that many more weeks of industrial action would leave us in a bad shape for the planned West Indies deployment at the end of the year. As luck would have it the civil servants settled their score with the Government in August and after Exercise Ocean Venture and a trip to Antwerp we returned to Portsmouth for a very intensive week of storing. Six months’ worth of demands arrived during this week, but Fred Dayson - Smiths team aided by much goodwill from all departments, made light of the task escaping with a few scrapes, bruises and sore backs. And so it was we finally sailed to the Caribbean wondering what fate awaits the ship on our return. As yet drafts have not arrived for the staff although SA Harrison, who joined in September, seems earmarked for the Battleaxe, but hopefully everyone will move on to their preference area, after a hard but enjoyable commission.

A McGRATH CPOSA

STORES DEPARTMENT SOCIAL LIFE COMMISSIONING - SEPTEMBER 1981 Hello Readers,

May I first of all welcome you on this fantastic and epic journey you are about to undertake. You will in just a few short passages be whisked across an Ocean and several Seas, via of course many strange and exotic places. Many of which you personally would never be seen dead in and would have reservations about allowing in even your in-laws! So now settle back, put your feet up by the fire and dream as you are carried through this star spangled wanderlust world.

SEADATE - 12 MAY 1980

The ship finally shrugs off the shackles of Pompey Dockyard and gets away to sea for ten days trials. LSA Hoyland and SA’ s Venable and Bentley are on diets (again) they are also working nights de-storing the air store. Bentley over the course of two nights keeps disappearing, each time for about ten minutes. He has been cheating for whilst he has been disappearing so has the Alpen from the Junior Rates Dining Hall. A good bran breakfast, he managed to eat about twenty over the course of the two nights. We have incredible difficulty extracting him from the heads for approximately two days, a quiet run.

SEADATE - JUNE – JULY

Off we go for our first visit since the refit; good old Gibraltar. For the young lads it was their first experience of the land of a Million Bara and a Thousand Hangovers. They all got into the swing of it very easily however. We had a mess banyan on Eastern Beach which was very well received. As is usual Bentley ate everything in sight, Hoyland broke a toe and everyone else had a quiet sensible barbeque. SA Venables got drunk.

SEADATE - JULY – ISH

No messing about now as we plunge off across the North Sea for our visit to the FORACS range and a run ashore in Stavanger. A lovely place if somewhat expensive, everyone took full advantage of the organised tours offered. The CPOSA ate about a million tons of fresh prawns. SA Smith got some very good stamps. SA Venables went on a Diving Banyan and got drunk.

SEADATE - SEPI'EMBER – OCTOBER

Summer Leave behind us now, we swing in Portland to begin our BOST. The staff descends on the ship with their usual amount of panache and rip the whole world to bits. Yet at the end of six weeks we are considered to be a GOOD department and are operationally fit enough to join the fleet. This was of course a most harassing period, during the harbour week we quietly let our hair down once or twice. During which time of course SA Venables got drunk.

SEADATE – NOVEMBER

Two runs this month, firstly to Aberporth to fire our missiles; a sight watched by all with awe. We played football ten light years away from the ship on a dim Welsh mountainside and lost. During this very busy week we only managed to fit in a couple of quick runs ashore so Venables got drunk.

Then on to Liverpool for a five day break in that most hospitable of cities, and of course a good time was had by all and sundry. We played football again in the pouring rain. LSA Hoyland lost his shorts much to the amazement of all onlookers. We lost the match to the same amazement. So to drown his sorrows SA Venables got drunk.

SEADATE – DECEMBER

Off doing Navigational Officer's Training this month, people trying to park the ship in all sorts of daft places. So our Navy took over and parked the ship in Brest for a quick weekend run ashore; just to get the Christmas Rabbits in. A lot of Christmas Spirit was in the air but a lot more went inside the lads. Venables had some very serious competition!

SEADATE - JANUARY - 17 MAR 1981 Back from Christmas Leave, Brut 33 and new nicks and socks abound. Nobody to impress though unfortunately, to save fuel we stayed alongside in Pompey and had an extra week's leave each. Very nice thank you, but Pompey is always hard work for us lot so we were itching to get away. The great day finally arrives and away we go for Exercise Springtrain and of course Gibraltar yet again. Need any more be said? - we all had very dusty throats - so a hooley of a time was had by all. Everyone having as much fun as Venables who is swiftly losing ground.

SEADATE - APRIL

Straight back from Springtrain and off to London for a five day official visit. A good liaison struck up between ourselves and HMS BELFAST served us well throughout the trip. A trip to the London Dungeon was embarked upon by SA Mitchell with some gusto but fizzled out when he went to sleep in the soup. LSA Hoyland and SA Venables were cordially invited with several other people to the London Town Hall for a reception with the Lord Mayor and many other dignitaries, the only item available was Champagne which had a rather disastrous effect. Both parties being back on board by 8.00 pm and fit only for bed. The now LSA Paul Bentley had his young son Christened this week in his home town.

After London we flash back to Pompey for a snatched weekend with our loved ones before we nip off to Devonport to embark some missiles and cider in rather large quantities, the barmaid in the Two Trees still remembers us so we have to be very careful. LSA Hoyland and SA's Venables and Mitchell return to the dockyard to find the ship rather noticeable by its absence. Due to inclement weather the duty part pinched the ship and sailed it away whilst nobody was watching. A night spent in Drake Barracks brought the Navy back to us with a bang.

SEADATE – MAY

Off to Chatham for five days starring role in their Navy Days. The Monarch took its usual million percent upturn in takings, but the Gillingham Dog took a good grip after about three days. A nice place but we are all glad we don't have to visit too often.

SEADATE - EARLY JUNE

Off we flash across the North Sea yet again to fit in a quick weekend in Bremen along with HM Ships ANTRIM and CLEOPATRA, ANTRIM had FOF1 and Jock 'The Bottle' Lightbody a POSA of some repute embarked. A strange phenomena came over Fred Dayson-Smith during this quiet-for everybody else visit, his younger brother was in CLEOPATRA and as I said earlier the Mad Celt was in ANTRIM so to save any sort of confusion the fool invited them both onboard at once. Four days later and about as many million gallons of CSB and other potent German Ales we sailed. This was a very close thing for Fred who came the nearest to enjoyable suicide anybody had seen for years. Not to be outdone as usual Venables has to have a mention. It was his 21st birthday during this period, he was visiting the BAOR in Berlin at the time. Apparently according to all reports Rudolph Hess almost had a cell companion.

The rest of this month including LSA Hoyladn's 18th birthday, was spent on. Exercise Roebuck or in Rosyth doing Navy Days yet again. The less said about both the better really as everybody as looking forward to getting away on summer leave, needless to say though SA Venables got drunk.

SEADATE - AUGUST

Summer leave cracked and enjoyed by all, off we go yet again. This time in charge with FOF2 embarked. Exercise Ocean Venture was a success at sea, but for the number one man in the organisation the social side of the exercise in Antwerp was the pinnacle. To say that CPOSA Magrath had a flameout in Antwerp is putting things very mildly indeed. But we came to realise that with so much going on around him the man had to crack eventually. Mind you when he finally did he came over as the true leader of the men you have been reading about so far in this article. He was absolutely magnificent in the resolute way he stuck to his task for the five whole days of the visit. One runs out of superlatives trying to explain it, but he has never been allowed to forget it on CCTV ever since even to thievery day. A truly memorable and thoroughly enjoyable run ashore.

SEADATE - SEPTEMBER

Off on the big one now after a very hectic seven days in Pompey, working like slaves and saying our farewells to our loved ones.

Not really any sort of runs ashore this month, only a six hour stop in Punta Delgada with time ashore to stretch our legs. Then blessed by good fortune and Hurricane IRENE we nip into Bermuda for an extra night. The Trap as usual does a roaring trade and we have a quick peep around Hamilton before sailing again as the West Indies Guardship.

I shan't say anymore now as I am sure your own loved ones will be telling you their own version of what has happened to them and their parts of ship during our time away from home, on their return. This as I write is now only just over three weeks away, we are in defence watches and it is the middle of the night. We have just done a RAS with a very pretty and seasonal looking American Supply Ship so all is normal in our strange world. For all you have read of all the interesting places we have been and the things we have done, a lot of our time spent thinking of you at home and looking forward to seeing you again.

Anon

CATERING DEPARTMENT

Here are a few details and totals of some of the fast moving commodities we used on the West Indies deployment.

a. Potatoes - A total of 66,400 lbs of spuds were yomped by the ships company. An average of 150 lbs per man or as in the case of ISA 11BINGO BENTLEY an average of ‘not enough’

b. Sausages - A total of 415 x 6 lb packets of snorkers were eaten. If laid down in a line would be a total length of 2 miles which according to CA Tommo is a run ashore to the Park Tavern and back via the Kentucky from SRJ.

c. Meat, Fish, Poultry - A. total of approx. 25,000 lb of meat, fish, and poultry was consumed by the ships company an average of 57 lb per man.

d. Beans - A total of 1,000 4 lb tins of bits were eaten, with enough after effects to keep the hydrogen balloon fillers quite busy.

e. Frying oil - A total of 2,400 Kg of oil was used, or 600 gallons of crude chip juice which in turn contributed more than its fair share to the ships company spot problem.

f. Eggs - A total of 5,000 x 12 (being a dozen) eggs or 130 eggs per man.

g. Latrine paper - We have used and disposed of 3,360 ro11sof paper which amounts to rolls per man - may we suggest that you use proper writing paper next time.7;

COST

Whilst we have been on this trip we in the catering world have been allowed to spend £600 a day to feed 450 persons per day. At the end of this trip the ships company will have eaten £49,800 worth of food which works out at an average of £110 66p per man. This covers breakfast, dinner, tea and supper.

From the Catering Staff Chris, Andy, Tammo, Steve and Andy B.

THE SHIPS OFFICE

STAFF AS AT DECEMBER 1981

CPOWTR PETE YOUNG POWTR DICKIE HEBBOURN LWTR MICK COCK (Author) WTR FLASH PEARSON WTR ANDY BLACKBURN JAWTR WILF PICKERING

During the period from Refit to Paying Off there were several staff changes - LWTR BUSTER BROWN was banished to FOSNI in April 1981 being replaced by WTR GOITRE PORCH, who himself was unfortunately drafted prematurely due to the development of an unsightly growth on his neck. His vacancy was filled by the two infants of the office WTR ANDY BLACKBURN AND JAWTR WILF PICKERING.

When the ship finally lurched out of Refit in May 1980 the whole staff was keyed up ready for the exciting challenge facing them. Each individual had been moulded carefully in his own specific job so efficiently that the team as a whole represented a masterpiece in administration. Off we sailed to Gibraltar and the first tell-tale signs of pressure began to take their toll - drunkenness was rife - 'FLASH' PEARSON was forced. to seek solace in large females - and things began to look extremely grim. However, once we'd left the 'fair isle' far astern the office was given time to dry out and come back down to earth and by the time we reached STAVANGER the staff were back into top gear.

Summer leave came and went and we suddenly realised that we were faced with the daunting prospect of BOST and accompanying SATS. Tempers became frayed and life took on dismal proportions in the flurry of activity marking the preparation for inspections - but it was panic unfounded as the office received a deserved 'GOOD' assessment.

Onward we scribbled to Aberporth then further up the coast to Liverpool where for the first time . Since Gibraltar the Writers were given leave to sample the delights the Scouser's had to offer. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely and were very sorry to drag ourselves away after the six day visit - but such is life in a blue suit! Back to Portsmouth we steamed and then a few days later set sail for Brest in company with HMS BRIGHTON in order to pick up our 'Duty Free' for Christmas.

After leave and the following AMP which took us up to March 1981 we once again set sail for Gibraltar and participation in Exercise Springtrain which brought a large amount of work for DICKIE HEBBOORN on the correspondence front. However, we all dug out, as Writers tend to, and were again 'top line• by the time we reached Landor. for our official affiliation visit. Job changes precipitated an increased work load with the correspondence section, now being mishandled by FLASH PEARSON, once again bearing the brunt. Time, however, was found for us all to enjoy a good run with one of the staff, who for publicity reasons wished to remain anonymous, attempting to scale Tower Bridge after a particularly strenuous day in the office.

Chatham, Bremen, Rosyth and Antwerp all passed by in a blur of typewriter ribbons, pink-chits and calculators and before we knew it we were setting sail for West Indies Guardship duties. Along with the many visits that we had come the usual myriad of thank you letters, money changing routines etc. which kept us all extremely busy; but once the work was out of the way each member of the staff enjoyed the runs in his own particular, if not in some cases peculiar, little way the highlight being the presentation of a bottle of 'rum'?! from PETE YOUNG during the departmental 'banyan' in Martinique.

The rest of the deployment passed by fairly quietly in a slightly less than sober state of mind for the majority of the staff with the exception of 'FLASH' PEARSON who clued up with yet another set of No '9's; and all that is left now is for the Writers to wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year; although you will all be taking massive drops in pay due to the unfortunate stoppage of LOA and SA on return to Portsmouth.

SCRIBES - Pete, Dickie, Mick, Flash, Andy and Wilf.

STEWARDS DEPARTMENT – HMS LONDON

The stewards department on board LONDON comprises of 20 staff whose job it is to ensure that the Officers are attended to. Looking after the international jet set on board can at times cause problems. These are taken care of by Chief Steward 'Nobby' Clarke who runs the department with extreme care and consideration? This is shown in the way he continually whips and beats those in the department who have a tendency to slack. It has been said that the Commander is I/C of the Wardroom but it is really just a case of who gets there first between him and the Chief.

The West Indies deployment has proven that the Stwds are capable of handling anything that comes their way. After eight cocktail parties and numerous private functions we are all looking forward to a bit of a break. The Captains staff on board consists of PO.STD Les (Norman Wisdom) Platt and Std Andy Wightman whose job it is to ensure that the Captain is kept in a good mood for most of the time. This is done with the maximum efficiency, failing in the task is normally rewarded by various punishments, shot at dawn, cat'o'nine tails and keelhauling. POSTO Jim Budworth is the mediator between the Chief and the 'Lads' which means that besides keeping the PLR for the Wardroom he has to supervise the completion of all work in the department. This is done with the minimum of effort as the rest of the time is spent in the mess office smoking cigs (mostly other peoples) and drinking coffee.

LSTD 'Mac• Macdonald (W/R Junior Executive) is basically the wheel of the department (only because he's typing this) in charge of the W/R bar and bar accounts he has a very tiring job sitting on his backside all day and working out all the little jobs for his bar staff to do, as well as being the op coffee maker he all doubles as the Studs permanent whipping post if there is no one else available. I.STD Phil Maher (Adolf) Senior Leading Hand of Port (Doom) Watch also has the job as Leading Hand of the Mess where the stwds live, apart from making life miserable for the lads in the mess he has a lot on his hands making sure his watch r1re on the ball. LSTD 'Bungy' Edwards is our resident sprog Leading Hand his ambition is to be another Phil Maher. LSTD Andy Harley is our local CB freak with a "handle'' of Happy Jack, he gets quite carried away on the subject, at times the mess is filled with the sound of some of the lads trying to tune in for him. I.STD Neil Ashton is the quiet one of the department, likes cricket and has been known to drop catches in a game or two, dislikes the sun as he has a habit of burning and blistering. Std Bob Pape is our resident sun god, born in the USA he has recently been cursing the day he ever gave up his dual nationality. He is also our local diving, surfing, swimming, hockey and football playing expert and see s to be a mind of information on all of these subjects? Of the various other OD's in the department a few seem worth a mention (I'm running out of room). STD (I hate skates) Daisy Adams seems to believe that there is no hope for him in the Navy and attempts to prove it. Expert at doing animal and bird impressions wants to be another Percy Edwards when he goes outside. STD 'Nocker' White is the resident beating post for the junior rates, also expert in anything to do with horse racing, his ambition is to be a jockey. STDs Bob Hope and Scouse Cook are the local Rock a Billy Rebels and their individual hair styles attest to this. Their dual Ambition is to become American Citizens and build a house on top of Elvis' grave in Memphis. I would like to take this opportunity to place a small advertisement. If you ever find the need for bar staff or if you are holding a wedding, dinner & dance or anything of that nature contact us first ns our rates are very competitive. Speaking of bar staff Stwds Dave Ivory and "Connie Sea Scout" Francis comprise this part of the department, resident alcoholics they both seem well pleased with their jobs. Std (scribe) Mick Elmes is our local letter writer his ambition is to be Nobel Prize winner in letter writing (2 a day 19 pages each).

SOME OF THE WHITE MAFIA (OR THE COOKS OF LONDON)

We consists of twenty two on board LONDON - but not all are employed in the task of feeding the ships company. Some work with the Caterers others keep the Dining Halls in tip top condition. But this is about the "white rats" who feed the Londoners. In the big kitchen aft we have a CPCX:::K (known as Sharky!). He's in charge - when he is on board. He is usually dressed in a black rubber suit, beating hell out of the sea bed and coral. Some have said he's got a kink for rubber and say he's a ships diver? After him in the chain of command come the POCKs (usually heard - seldom seen) these ensure the job at hand is done, the meal is out on time etc etc etc.

After the middle management ratings come the LCKs and CKs - this array of skilful technicians work in four watches to keep the matelots fed, and they always manage that one way or another. For over two years - we have had our ups and downs; our good points and our bad. Some have said the good points weigh the bad - or was it the other way round! But we can boast that however good or bad - is, it is always consumed by the starving hoards of the ships company. We’ve had our drips (''wot no chips") we took it in our stride. A Tiff once asked one of the rats with ten choices on the counter all garnished like something out of the Ritz “have you anything else”. Without fuss and with complete control told him to ‘@~%$’ or words to that effect. But we cope and are a happy team. (when sharky’s away). We can boast that with these deadlines a day to keep (whether we are at Action Station, in Defence Watches or all down with flu) the meals still get there on time. Our task on board LONDON over the past two years, through refit, trials, work-up, courtesy visits and our jolly in the Caribbean (wot jolly!) has been very trying, very testing and sometimes utterly impossible. But to all you Londoners who came through it with us, we send our wishes and hope you all get what you deserved when you leave!! (drafts that is) well that's us - and don't forget the rats up there in the Wardroom Galley - that’s another story!

THE WARDROOM GALLEY

The Commanding Arm of the White Mafiosi is in the form of the Wardroom Galley or The Little Kitchen as it is sometimes affectionately known. Our aim in life is to please. This we do by keeping SIR happy thereby making the rest of Ships Company happy because 'Smiling Bosses makes for smiling sailors•. The difference between the two galleys onboard or The Big Kitchen and the Little kitchen as we are known, is not that great in the culinary arts. Names of Dishes might be different, whereas the Big Kitchen will call a spade a spade, the Little Kitchen will call it ‘Le Spade' or a Chip is a Chip everywhere, in the Wardroom - no way - it is a Pomme Fritte. we the Crème de la Crème of Culinary artistes in the Wardroom Galley are:

CFO Cook Ben 'L'Escargot' BOLT Leading Cook Ken 'I know it all' KENNEDY Leading Cook Guy 'Put me duty with the missus' BRANFORD Cook Mark 'In with the big boys' STCCKWELL Cook Martin 'I'm Scale A' SMITH and lastly The Captain’s Chef - Leading Cook Robert 'Exceptional' GORMAN

Since commissioning in April 1980 the Wardroom Galley has provided food for many official and unofficial functions, be it Dinner Parties or Cocktail Parties. From Stavanger to Gibraltar to Bremen to the West Indies the galley staff have cooked for many high ranking dignitaries this is of course extra to the normal everyday meals served to an average of 45 officers. Since deploying in the September of 1981 until our return in December, the staff will have provided food at nine Cocktail Parties, the average attendance at these offici.la functions being in the region of 200. We, the Cooks, will have cooked, made up or put together over 14700 cocktail hors d'ouvres.

So if this is what keeps Sir smiling, so be it. The Ships Company will smile and in turn we smile.

Keep Cooking Ben "L'Escargot" in the Wardroom Galley "Snails in the Main Galley" BOLT

CRIMINAL RECORD BUZBY/772 C FLIGHT

DETAILS

BORN: 1st December 1975 PLACE OF BIRTH: Yeovilton, Somerset CHRISTENED: OLNA Flight ALIAS's: RESOURCE, REGENT, TIDEPOOL, OLNA, TIDEPRING. CURRENT NAME: Officially named 772 HDS C Flight on 30th June 1978 but uses the alias of Buzby Flight. COLOUR: Green. DISTINGUISHING MARKS: Yellow bird tattoo on nose. CURRENT RESIDENCE: HMS LONDON since 19th September 1980.

GENERAL DESCRIPIION

BUZBY is a Wessex MK5 Helicopter with an 11 man gang in tow. They are a truly international outfit who don't think twice about what part of the world they commit their crimes in. They will change their identity at the drop of a defence cut. Since turning to crime they have gone from strength to strength using modern technology to do so. They are at present based on LONDON. Whilst in their present base they have operated under many disguises and the main ones are as follows:

WEAPON CARRIER

One of their meanest roles. They will equip themselves with a large variety of weapons and, for a price, will allow various organisations on the ship use them to obliterate the enemy. TROOP ROLE For big jobs they have been known to call in another bunch of hoods known as the Royal Marines. When these two gangs get together they are a formidable force and will operate anywhere, be it a jungle, urban or Arctic environment.

LOAD LIFT

When they get into full swing the flight have been known to brazenly pinch 60,000 lb of stores from a nearby ship in less than an hour, simply by lifting it off with a hook.

AMBULANCE

This is purely a 'front'. They will carry up to 7 stretcher cases and 3 walking wounded and say they have room for a doctor and his gear as well. Beware they will extract their pint of blood somehow!

SEARCH AND RESCUE Although they do provide this service, it’s thought that maybe it's done to fool people into thinking they have nothing else to do but pick them off the cliffs or out the water.

HELICOPTER DELIVERY SERVICE

Thi5 is something they are into in a big way. Many hundreds of people and thousands of pounds of freight are flown every year. What they charge passengers is not known but people have been seen to step out of the aircraft shaking and tight lipped.

THE GANG

LT RAY COLBORNE Top man in the outfit. Some say he's a likeable rogue but He's mean hen crossed. Claims to bend, not break, the law.

POACMN CLIVE BROOKS Deeply in cahoots with COLBORNE. Often 5een huddled over plans together prior to disappearing on some job.

AEMN(L) 1 JIM McEWAN He's the long term planner and forecaster for the gang. Not happy unless up to his neck in paper.

AEMN(M)1 DEREK BROOKS The No1 nuts and bolts man. Does a lot of the dirty work with his aide's.

POAEM(M) 1 SPIKE LAUGHER This is Dereks right hand man. Has a way with words which can inflict pain on the rest of the gang.

POAEM(L) JOHN CLEMENTS Electronics is this man’s field but he also doubles up as the outfits’ fence".

LAEM(M) 'SCOUSE' GLOVER This one moves like greased lightning - when his left leg lets him.

LAEM(M) NICK HOARE A behind tl1e scenes member of the gang who looks after the equipment at base.

AEM(M) JJ WEB.STER One to watch - used to be the teaboy but rapidly moved on - he makes rubbish tea.

AEM(R) BUNGY WILLIAMS Communication expert for the gang but also maintains an unhealthy fetish for guns.

AEM(W) PADDY SMITH He's the man who tools up the boys. Provides weapons in all shapes and sizes.

RECENT OPERATIONS

Buzby and Co have spent the last 3 months using their skills in the West Indies. Although a lot of intelligence that comes from that area is very hazy, there are some facts to go with the rumours.

The outfit have done 80+ hours flying, having 'found' 8,000 gallons of fuel to do so. As they have flown some 7 1 500 miles their crimes will be wide spread.

It is known they pulled quite a few heists from ships on the high seas involving nearly 200,000 lbs of stores. How much they extracted from the 600 passengers flown is not known but thought to be considerable. There has been talk of mercenary work in the jungle whilst in cahoots with the Royal Marines but this cannot be substantiated. That there was a shoot up in Curacao is a fact but the score of dead and wounded still remains a mystery.

The Flight did a couple of shows in public but whilst they might fool them they cannot fool us. They were last seen heading to Portland on December 10th where it is thought they have gone to earth for a while. One thing is certain though, 'Another time and another place, but 772C Flight will rise again to menace the earth!

COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

PARDON SIR (or words of similar effect) was my reply when told to write something for this Newsletter. I struggle to write home regularly let alone lay down a script such as this is likely to demand, still orders are orders so who am I to argue.

Ideally a brief description of what the departments responsibilities are would be the place to start, so let’s give it a go:- As the name suggests we communicate (as the state of the gear allows), that is to say for the uninitiated we are the boys who transmit and receive all signals within the ship, which include, administration, stores and operational requirements. For all of those wives who are lucky enough to browse over this piece of ingenious literature we are also the boys who allow your husbands to speak to you on the phone from 'oh so many miles away' and we also send you those pretty telegrams on your birthdays and anniversaries.

The above paragraph summarises the department from the'G' side of things, alongside us stand the 'T' department. These boys are responsible for the internal distribution of signals, the tactical manoeuvring of the ship and will also claim to be the OOW's right hand man.

All ratings are trained in Morse code and they also learn to type, although if you could see the draft copy of this you wouldn't believe it.

The family tree above shows the department as it now stands although not as originally formed due to the numerous drafts since the ships refit in 79/80. Should any of those on draft ever happen to be in Sotheby’s and able to bid for a copy of this I do apologise for the lack of mention of you, but I am sure you will understand that we are the guys paying for this so therefore deserve all the limelight.

Since leaving refit the ship has become internationally known through its numerous visits to the continent, all of which I am sure will have been outlined elsewhere in this newsletter.

The first real demands upon the department were made during our visit to Portland, where upon the duty watch of communicators all wearing the Smallbone Portland Smile were mustered daily in the Harbour Club. After dusting off the refit cobwebs the department sailed through workup.

On leaving the coast of Dorset we all took a trip to Liverpool where most of the department found their entertainment at the Liverpool Aston Villa match, there are various other stories from Liverpool but they appear to be unprintable due to censorship laws imposed by the boss.

Our first operational exercise 1Springtrain' proved to be the busiest experienced by many of us, the situation was made worse by the inclusion of FOF2 in our address, this had the ef1ect of tripling our workload, thank you SIR. On completion of the exercise we managed to find a space in Gib harbour alongside 22 other ships, this provided a lot of night life for the local patrols and police. It is considered that the RN provide a greater source of income to the Gibraltarians than their annual tourism trade.

Our visit to London provided the department with a chance to unwind and this was done with vengeance. It was here that we took a trip to Woolwich, armed with football boots and a generous supply of beer to take on the Army. The result of which was a 12-2 victory to us. A mention here for our, intrepid, supporters who supplied us with wine and song throughout. The Army supplied us with a curry to blow your mind and what was left of the mind was soon floating in a sea of the local brew. The return journey on the train should not at this point be mentioned due to the embarrassment to numerous members of the department, I do believe it was the best run we had.

Our visit to Bremen provided the department with the opportunity to test their stamina, this being achieved by all night drinking sessions in the Helenstrasse area, a well-known district frequented by numerous members of the ships company.

I of course at this point could go on reminiscing on all of our runs ashore, but one should not dwell too long on the past.

Our recent deployment to the West Indies has also provided the department with many memories, some recorded on film, such as the independence ceremonies at Antigua.

Under pressure from the editor of this newsletter and other members I have also to mention my wedding in Barbados, I shall also sneak the opportunity to thank all the lads and the Captain for all their help in making it such a memorable occasion for the wife and I, cheers boys.

The department has always had a good reputation onboard for their sporting prowess, like the football team that has never been beaten, the winning of the athletics trophy, the winning of the cross country championship and the numerous second and third placings that we have taken, this says a lot for the boys as we are amongst the smallest of departments onboard so another well done there.

There is another thank you from me as killick of the mess for the winning of the cake at the last Captains rounds, also for the completion of the bar which has made such a big difference not only to RO Morgan and his drinking habits but also to the appearance of the mess.

There now only remains a few weeks before the ship comes to its final resting place in Portsmouth, along with the scrapping of the ship, it is also rumoured that the W3 Department will also suffer the same fate, this has caused many a murmur especially when it was thought the ship was going to Pakistan, mind you I really cannot think of a more fitting end for W3.

The department now all wait with baited breath for their draft chits, after the boss reads this I shall most probably end up on the end of a Morse key in Scapa Flow or some other remote colony.

ROYAL MARINES DETACHMENT – HMS LONDON

The Detachment passed for Duty at RM POOLE on 29 May 8 1. They joined HMS LONDON at Rosyth on the 6 June 81. Although LONDON was commissioned on 14 November 1963 this is only the second Royal Marine Detachment borne as ships Company.

TASKS & TRAINING

RM Detachments are no longer a separate identity on HM ships. When at sea the detachment is split up into various parts of the ship for daily working (and night). However there are occasions when the detachment has to perform certain tasks, such as:

a. Boarding Parties. b. Landing Parties. c. Military Training.

On Deployments such as the last one to the West Indies the following Military Training took place:

RM DETACHMENT MILITARY TRAINING DEPLOYMENT WEST INDIES 18 September 1981 - 11 December 1981

TRAINING AFLOAT: Military training for the ships IS Platoon consisting of: a. Weapon training. b. Live firings. c. Radios. 1) Setting up drills. 2) Contact reports 3) Call signs 4) Voice Procedures TRAINING ASHORE BELIZE: A four day jungle warfare training period working with the resident Gurkha Battalion. Points covered: a. Setting up base camp. b. Jungle patrolling. c. Close quarter battle shoots. (jungle lanes) d. Jungle survival, traps, roots and vines to eat. e. IS Exercise RM Detachment acting ns enemy for ships IS Platoon.

CURACAO: A two day exchange of views on training with Dutch Marines consisting of:

a. Section battle casualty exercise i.e. first aid, crossing obstacles and 300m swim with stretcher. b. Live firing section attacks. c. Helicopter drills and abseil display.

ANTIGUA: Independence Day Celebrations: a. Detachment abseil display to open show. BARBADOS: Two day instructing Barbados Defence Regiment: a. Setting up observation post. b. Basic field craft, night movement. c. Routine in observation post

YOUR FRIENDLY SICK BAY TEAM

The Medical team on board is a small but very experienced one. As you can see from the family tree, there are 6 members, all who have specialist skills in making the ships company feel worse after they have left the sick bay.

WHAT THEY DO

THE MEDICAL OFFICER

He is in charge of the sick bay and is responsible to the Captain for the health of the ships company. He is also the Diving Officer. He is a skilled Surgeon and had to go to Medical School for 7 years to qualify.

He has been known to have lanced a boil, throwing the scalpel from 30 yards. His busy day starts around about 0838 hours and he whips through his surgery with the speed of a young gazelle. Once the sick and dying have been treated he zooms away to sort out diving operations and re-arrange the wardroom accounts.

His favourite hobbies, when not working, are trying to locate where his staff have hidden the dirty magazines, leaving a trail of pipe tobacco around the sick bay for the junior to sweep up and eating the LMA's fruit gums.

THE DENTAL OFFICER

He is in charge of the Dental health of the ships company. He is a skilled Surgeon of the mouth and face. His clinics start at 0900 and it has been known for screams still to be heard as late as 1500 hours.

His hobbies, when not working, are showing female guests around the sick bay (when he thinks he is the only one with a key), luring the junior into the Dental chair by leaving a trail of smarties, and driving the LMA insane.

THE POMA

The POMA is responsible to the Medical Officer for the smooth running of the sick bay, ordering stores, drug accounting, and medical organisation for action and disciplining the junior rates. In case anyone hasn't seen him, he is about 5' 11" tall, well built with black hair. His hobbies are beating up the junior rates, going weekend and cheating at Scrabble.

THE LMA

The LMA is the Dental Officers assistant and when not doing dental work he assists the Medical Officer in devising new methods in inflicting pain. He is also in charge of the cleanliness and smooth running of the sick bay in the absence of the POMA. His hobbies are few – ill treating patients and whipping the junior.

MA ALLEN

MA ALLEN is in charge of the sick parade and treatments of the ships company throughout the day. He is also V.D. trained and it is his job to train and teach the junior MA. His hobbies are beating up the junior and trying to get his name in the Guinness Book of Records for beer drinking.

JMA GIRVAN

He is the sick bays runner. He is an extra, not usually carried on a GMD. He is here to be trained and gain sick bay experience. His hobbies are eating sweeties, likes being hit and sleeping.

FINALLY - Our mornings are spent healing the sick, afternoons cleaning and evenings and early mornings looking after drunks and punched up sailors with the occasional emergency thrown in for good measure. In general, the health of HMS LONDON's ships company is good although we do have our fair share of sick bay rangers. We will all be sorry to be leaving such a fine ship as our sea time is very short and we have all enjoyed our stay.

LMA P SUMMERLY

P.S. If you have left the sick bay happy please recommend us to your friends. NOTE: To all our resident Hypochondriac’s - keep coming as we need the practice.

THE REGULATING DEPARTMENT

When the ship recommissioned the Regulating Staff comprised of MAA Pete COOPER, RPO George MULLEN and LReg Pete BOYCE.

Later in 1980 Pete BOYCE was promoted to RPO, and talked drafty into letting him stay with the ship. Unfortunately his stay in the ship was short lived in early 81, following a minor accident ashore as a member of the landing party, he left the ship to go to RNH HASLAR with an injured knee.

With 48 hours’ notice a replacement arrived, LReg Ken HALFORD. He quickly settled into the job and soon had LWE passes and railway warrants flowing around the ship again, as well as running the leave section he also was the ships postman, a job which seemed quite straight forward, until the final deployment to the West Indies. He claims to have turned every mail sorting office up-side-down wherever the ship went, in his never ending search for the ships mail, often only to find out later that someone in UK had forgot to put it on the aircraft.

Throughout the commission RPO MULLEN has been driving the Drafting, Joining and victualling section. He did escape from it once, when he was job changed with RPO BOYCE, a week later RPO BOYCE was gone and George had his old job back. However he does get in a bit of variety, and by way of a change he could sometimes be found on the Flight Deck in his role as Captain of the Flight Deck. Rumour has it that he used to ask for flying to be arranged to give him a reason to get away from his desk. At his desk surrounded by draft orders, discharge notes, and movement authorisations his smiling face could be seen, how he got the nickname 'Grumpy' we will never know.

At the helm during the commission has been MAA Pete COOPER, overseeing operations (minus his whip) taking charge of Captains Requestmen and Defaulters, Commanders Requestmen and Defaulters, Customs - wines and spirits and confiscating obscene literature. It was once rumoured that he was thinking of moving to WIMBLEDON COMMON.

THE SHIPS NAVIGATION DEPARTMENT

The Navigation Sub-Department is staffed by:

Navigating Officer - Lt Cdr R W LOCKYER N2 - Slt S BATEMAN Navigators Yeoman - AB 'Sid' LAWRENCE

The Navigators job involves the planning of the ships passage from port to port, working out distances in accordance with speed and fuel consumption, how long it takes and most important the safest route.

The ship is fitted with two Radio fixing aids, Decca and Omega; and occasionally 'Henry' and elderly Magnavox 902 Sat Nav, which has a special relationship with FCWEM(R) McClaughlin. Decca is only suitable in certain parts of the world - particularly around the coasts of NW Europe, whilst Omega is a VLF aid which has world-wide cover - they say!

The primary method of navigating on ocean passages however remains the Sextant - a precision instrument for measuring angles. By reading the vertical angle of heavenly bodies it is possible to determine the ships position to within ‘1-2'mls. Omega and Decca require special charts overprinted with a hyperbolic lattice on which to plot the readings obtained from the receivers.

The charthouse contains in the region of some 1500 charts and their associated books, ranging in price from £5 to £60.

My job as the Navs Yeoman involves the corrections to charts, as many as 150 corrections a week are received. These have to be logged and each individual chart found and corrected; the books are then amended. Corrections also come in daily in the form of Nav Area and W2 signals, this also adds to the work load.

The cleaning and maintaining of the equipment, sextants, Azimuth circles, Nav lights and star globes is another part of my job.

SLt Bateman is known as N2, assists the Navigator in his duties helping to plan passages, navigates during RAS’s and entering and leaving harbour.

During the Ships life, the ship has travelled 490,406,04 miles at an average speed of 14.4 knots, 105 Ports have been visited. On our return to Portsmouth the ship would have travelled 14,493.75 miles during this deployment. Hours at sea 1061.4 approx. at an average speed of 13.65 knots. Total time at sea is equal to 3.9 years.

METEOROLOGICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT

The present Meteorological and Oceanographic department - 'METOC' for short started its life in LONDON on 22 April 1980 in direct competition with the Navigation Department for the smallest division in the world. The team consisted of Lt Cdr CHARLES STEVENSON more commonly known as 'BLACK' or 'WHITE CLOUD' depending upon the weather conditions, and Leading airman JIM, both from RNAS YEOVILTON. Not only was the division the smallest in the ship but the :met Office was the smallest compartment in the ship. However not to be deterred, a little self-help and a little bribery of the Shipwrights the old Bridge Electrical Annex began to look like a MET office. Great help was also received from W3 5ection and as valve by valve of the old Mufax machine was replaced even weather pictures began appearing!

The small METOC team was immediately kept busy with SEA ACCEPTANCE TRIALS in the Gibraltar Sea Areas during the months of May and June, the time of year famed throughout the 'MET' World for Western Mediterranean Sea Fog . This was followed by BASIC OPERATIONAL SEA TRAINING in the Portland Sea Areas during October and November also known for its fogs. The nick-name 'Black Cloud' changed to Foggy overnight!

However since those early days the division has increased by 100% with the addition of LA WALLY WALSH and the sun has broken through the fog. At the time of writing the sky is blue, the sea temperature 84 degrees F and the air temperature 88 degrees F but sadly the ship is coming to the end of her three month deployment in the West Indies. The depressions are forming on the Eastern American Seaboard awaiting LONDON's return transit of the Atlantic Ocean and its foggy again in Portsmouth!

The METOC team after a very happy two years onboard HMS LONDON will be going their separate ways on 18 December 1981, LA SIMPSON to RNAS CULDROSE, LA WALSH to RNAS YEOVILTON and although Lt Cdr STEVENSON has not yet been appointed the Fleet Weather Centre at NORTHWCX>D looms nearer and nearer.

HMS LONDON VOLUNTEER BAND

HMS LONDON's Volunteer Band was formed in April 1978 and although there has been many personnel changes, the Ship can still boast a Band of 12 members. The instruments and music are made available by the Royal Marines School of Music at Deal, Kent.

All the members are volunteers of many different rates and departments, and give up much of their spare time for rehearsals. When the ship is at sea regular rehearsals at 5pm can be achieved. This enables the Band to rehearse for entering and leaving harbour in Procedure 'Alpha', when they play on the Signal Deck.

The Band also play for any Wardroom Cock 9il Parties, thus enabling them to play more difficult works. Another regular appearance for the Band is at the Sunday Church Service at sea, these have been quite regular since June 1981, when the ship has been involved in 2 Exercises and the 3 month West Indies Deployment.

The Band has been kept busy in the West Indies with many Procedure 'Alpha' and Wardroom Cocktail Parties. We are looking forward to playing for the Ship's final entry into Portsmouth on 11 December.

I hope that all the members of the Band will continue their musical life and find their way into one of the other Volunteer Bands.

THE BAND Lt Cdr GILES Baritone Lt BLACKETT Tenor Horn Lt MORRIS Side Drum Lt COLBORNE Cymbals SLt LOVELL Cornet WEM OSBOURNE Eb Bass LS LAY Bass Drum AB BOLL Side Drum AB HOBBS Side Drum AB BURTON Side Drum LS Le HAGE Cornet Colour Sergeant CHIVERS Band Instructor

B J CHIVERS (Bandy)

DINING HALL PARTY

We consist of men from all departments and have a permanent Leading Hand, Nick the Greek(Mrs) Carter who is overall in charge.

There are two watches. In charge of A Watch is George don't be adrift Exley. Next on the list is Cook Blackman who before DHP was the Chief Cook's salad bosun. We also have a Radio Operator, I'm never adrift Hurray, who is also the fastest thing you've ever seen with a tea towel. Next is MEM Jones who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and who is also an expert at looking on whilst the rest of the watch are working. We are also graced with the presence of a, wait for it, Royal Marine. Marine Flux who would rather be marching through the jungle than washing dishes. Next, we cannot forget A8 Harry Worth who tends to nip off to the SRE Compartment to put on his favourite records, him being a part time Disc Jockey.

And now for B watch. In charge is Able or even unable Seaman Mitchell, an expert in his own field, but not DHP. The next member of the watch is WEM Padgett who could talk his way out of the middle of the Mongle Hoards, but never gets anywhere. Another of our hero's is WEM Buck Rodgers, who is a danger to the Ships Company. On one occasion, making the scullery inaccessible during a fire exercise. After Danger Man, on our list next in line is MEM Trevelion, formerly known as Trev until he got his hair cut, he is now known as steps. The next member of this happy band as Able Seaman Jaggo, known as Jeggers to his pals, but why is too difficult to explain. H works hard when he starts and that's a big when.

These watches have been kept more or less the same until we started an exercise, which we entered with plenty of enthusiasm and the ship nearly went to defence watches. It ended up with twenty five percent going into defence watches, of which the Dining Hall Party is the biggest part, with the Galley being a close second. Our defence watches consist of men who can be spared during times of war and other little emergencies. This again is split up into two watches, Port and Starboard

To begin with we have Port watch and still going strong, we have in charge Leading Cook Carter the Galloping Gourmet, who takes care of the Dining Hall and 11akes sure the other watch have enough work to keep them busy. His watch members are WEM Padgett who is a regular member of our force. Along with the inscrutable WEM Buck or Tweekie Rodgers, another regular. Yet another regular is MEM Trevelior.. And now for the backbone of the watch, I'm always under punishment with the rest of the stewards, Daisy Adams. We had best not forget the sun goddess, Steward come Diver McGrath.

Now for Starboard watch, the working watch. Headed by our beloved Leader who we would follow to hell and back (we're not crawling, we need the points) George, Leading Steward Exley. His right hand man/advisor and our task master his 1eading Caterer Sullivan, who is normally just catering for the ship. The next name in view on our little list is, I'm going for a fag or I'm just going to check on this, Harris. Being a Caterer he can normally find lots of reasons why he should not do the jobs he is told to do, but he ends up doing so e work sometimes. There is also a rumour that we have JRO Murray and MEM Jones in our watch, but we don't remember seeing them doing any work, except on one occasion when JRO Murray started to scrap the ship on his own by ripping a door of its hinges. Last, but by no means least, is SA or will it be LSA Venables soon, as the rest of the watch toiled and slaved he studied and studied to try and get promotion, (or was he just drunk).

The work we do or do we?

Priority - To make sure all preparations for meals Are made.

Breakfast Three urns of tea, two urns of coffee and all bread and butter is out for the boys. We then wash all their dirty dishes and clean the Dining Hall, when we are not painting.

Lunch Put out an urn of gravy, soup, custard for the boys. Then wash all their dirty dishes again and clean the Dining Hall again, if we are not painting

Supper - Put out three urns of tea and three urns of coffee, bread and butter. We then wash all the dirty dishes, clean the Dining Hall "again" and definitely do some more painting.

Although we are now in our rundown period and are swiftly watching the days of our last three weeks rush by, we find it necessary to paint our part of the ship in the vast amount of time we seem to get. We also stress that we have only three and a half hours between Breakfast and Lunch to finish washing the dishes and the cleaning. and find time for the occasional rare-bine or Murray cigarette. Then we have about five hours to get ready for the next meal, if we are lucky we may sneak, dare we say an hour off,

The men doing this job did not choose to do it, but do it well and form an essential part of the Supply Deportment.

Yours sincerely D.H.P.

ALL IN A DAY, WEEK OR YEAR

This is a dit about a small band of the ships company who contribute the info that keeps the rest going, these few brave chappies are the men of the Routine Office who through hours of questions, heckling and generally making nuisances of themselves keep the ships company up to date of future events, this is achieved by pushing out sheets of paper i.e. daily orders, STM's, duty chits, etc, etc, etc,.

Although the Routine Office is situated in an obscure corner of the Canteen Flat it is known to be busier than dockyard knocking off time at certain moments during the day for various assortment of reasons. The fine upstanding staff of this great work piled office are as follows: First and foremost there is FCPO(GI) "DAVE" ROLFE who has several tasks to perform on board, the first commitment is the Commanders Assistant to which he performs to at the rate of full speed ahead (hence the short legs!!), second to that mammoth task he is the Transport Officer on board who has the responsibility of organising transport for the ship whether it be large or small, and also has a small item i.e. land rover to look after and run as well (when it works!!!), the third task and a the one I reckon he likes the most is the compiling of all those aforementioned sheets of paper and the stubs of worn out pencils and rubbers bare testament.

The second cog of this smooth working unit in the office is CRS(W) "TANZY'' LEE who is known as the Operations Department Co-ordinator, now here is an elusive fellow, which proves to be at times e real headache. This job entails the running of the Ops Department which for anyone who is unwise to the fact is the biggest on board so you can see he has his work cut out. Getting back to the person concerned here, he has the unenviable task of doing dirty evolutions such as things called job changes, RAS chits, and duty watch chits which earn him unrepeatable names amongst the lower ranks which is probably the reason for the said above person to be always on the move, this leaves the rest in the office to be bombarded by angry or always wanting something matelot’s.

The third person in the office is not one of the team as such but is still a welcomed friend and that's the DSM Sergeant Major ''BOB" PINFOLD who runs the ship's Marine Detachment from the office (when not up some jungle!!) with an efficiency that is as good as the Marines reputation so it's left to the reader of this to form their own opinion. Apart from being the able bodied leader of the Marines he has other small tasks to perform, like whilst in Defence Watches making sure that the ship remains neat and tidy (if ever possible during such times as these?) and goes under the alias of Defence Watch Manager, he also assists and advises in ship security which can be a lifesaver to us all.

There only remains one person unmentioned and that’s the writer "JAN”(always moaning about being snowed under) PRING who is an Able Seaman (Missiles) whatever they may be?, who like the duty cabbage he was at the time accepted a certain course, (namely Seaman’s Writer) or was bribed whilst jumping up and down on a cold gangway by a certain nameless Chief Gollie, despite!! frequent warnings from various directions i.e. Chief GI (which is another story) however having endured the job for over 7 months has found although the work is never ending and gives him plenty to drip about, the BLUE CARD which assures every weekend off and no duties bringing him back to reality.

Final comments being that putting all these people together produce an organisation that make a Swiss watch look like a sun dial, and that they provide a necessary service to the ship in a job that can't always keep people happy.

THE GANGWAY STAFF SEPTEMBER 18th – December 19th

Below can be seen the family tree of the Gangway Staff of LONDON, this is how it stood during our 3 month deployment to the West Indies:

At the head of the tree stands the Boss Lt Cdr Lockyer, he lets us get on with it, with no hassle, so in other words an all-round good egg. Next we have the Chief Quartermaster Dave (Jock) Goodfellow, you know the bloke, the one who stands knee high to a Grasshopper. Then comes the lads Flag Officer 'I can work out the watches',·\ LS(EW) Jones or Jonah to the few mates he has, secondly we have Dogs breath Danny Buoy, the one who spends 12hrs in his pit, and 12hrs on watch, getting in his hours whichever way you look at it, following Danny we have Flag Officer 'I can see God Frenchie or commonly known as Flag Officer Organisation (and that's Gen). The last but by no means the least we have Flag Officer 'Auto', every time he comes on watch, 'permission to put the ship to Auto Sir' (so as he can get his head down I expect) alias Lou Armstrong.

First of the Bosun's Mates we have George Reay (alias I like lying in bed during my forenoon watch) be 2hrs adrift and get 5 days nines, then we have (Parki) S(M) Parkinson, well what can you say except (Charles Atlas) which way to the beach Parkinson Taff Burton is next, wakes up at 10 to 8 has Dhoby, scran, goes to the heads and still makes 5 minutes to colours.

Rob Lang is the last of the Bosun's Mates, instead of standing on the Gangway he thinks he's collecting tickets at Havant Station, when piping rounds thinks he's blowing the 19.25 to Waterloo, after dipping out for 8 weeks doing 24 about Tansy 'Babes' Lee decided to make the gangway staff think he was a swell guy by giving us ‘I can write 1 0 mailys a day Rick Hay, and Muscle Bound Stan Baxter for the last 3 weeks of the trip. Thanks a lot Tansy. Now we can look forward to stacks of time off for good runs in St Kitts and Dominica.

Signed: The Entire Gangway Staff Sept - Dec 1981.

THE CHURCH

The Church has certainly been on the move, with Sunday worship oscillating between the thick carpeted opulence of the Admiral's Day Cabin and the clean clinical atmosphere of the Junior Rate's Dining Hall with its Mickey Mouse reredos, where sleeping Seaslugs in the vaults beneath the church have so often been roused to shift their berths by the sheer volume of the hymn singing. Sundays have also been graced with the presence of the massed band of HMS LONDON under the baton of friendly bandmasters. Many people have found help and a welcome break from the busy routine of the ship in the daily evening Communion services, whilst the Christian Fellowship has only just manged to squeeze itself into the Chaplain’s Cabin for its weekly Bible Studies.

Foreign visits always provide a chance to join the Church worshipping in different cultures and environments: London's Final Commission has proved no exception. The Eucharist for the small English community in Antwerp was as far removed from the packed and streamlined worship in All Saints' Church, Fort Lauderdale, as it was from the enthusiastic singing of many hundreds at the Sung Masses in Antigua and Barbados Cathedrals. A party of worshippers from the ship was made especially welcome with generous hospitality from the Anglican Church in Curacao.

The Bishop of Barbados, the Right Reverend Drexel Gomez, confirmed Lt Cdr Charles Stevenson and AB Jan Dekker in his private chapel on an unbelievably hot and humid evening in November and treated the group from London to local Barbados rum in his home after the service.

In Puerto Rico, the sudden unexpected arrival of a Southern Baptist preacher forced the congregation to close up to Church Stations at the rush (in less than 30 minutes!) for an inter-denominational service: only just long enough to flash up the organ portable, small (Mk 1). The last few weeks were marked with Carols on the upper deck whilst homeward bound and the De-Commissioning Service in Saint Ann's Church in the Portsmouth Naval Base.

Mike Chapman PADRE HQ1 WATCHKEEPING (Poets Corner)

THE MIDDLE WATCH

The runner shakes with all his might You at the worst time of the night You feel that you are going to die With a torch beam right between the eyes

You stumble from your peaceful bed A painful thumping in your head Regretting you have to leave your sack You kick the next man's bleedin back

A scream of pain a stifled yell A sign the middle will be hell With double vision your shoes are found Your eyeballs scraping along the ground

Your vision, a kind of bloodshot red You bid farewell to your calling bed Then you discover the cardinal sin Cos you had, "Last Dog, all night in"

HOMEWARD BOUND

The trip is almost over now It' s almost time to point our bow Towards England, home, yes the UK All looking forward to the day When Pompey is just about in sight And we'll be home the same night Telling all and forgetting nought Some telling of the fights they fought Some like me will remember the beaches And recalling the blacks as leaches But no one will remember the hell And of the boredom they’ll never tell They'll want everyone to stay jealous Their stories perhaps over zealous But remember friends or at least think Between the rounds of food and drink Of all the work that was really done Down in the Batcave, Yes friends, HQ1

DECK OF CARDS

During the latter part of a six month refit, a group of sailors had been on a D.T.S. when they returned onboard they discovered they had to go to Dog Watch Instruction. Petty Officer ABERY took charge of the boys during the Dogs and after outlining various bends and hitches he told the boys to take out their task books. Those of the boys who had task books took them out, but one boy only had a deck of cards took them out, Petty Officer Abery saw the cards and said “Boy put away those cards” and after the instruction he was taken to the Regulating Office and told to be outside the Dining Hall, ready for Commanders Table, at 0800 the following day. He was marched before the Cdr who said "why have you brought this AB here and P.O. Abery said "for playing cards during Dog Watch Instruction Sir" and the Cdr said "what have you to say for yourself", "much Sir" replied the boy. "I hope so" said the Cdr "for if you didn't you would spend more time in D.Q.'s than any A/B ever did".

"You see Sir I have been living R/ A throughout the refit and had with me neither my task book nor my A/B to L/S hand book, but I hope to satisfy you with the purity of my intentions" and with this the A/ 8 began:

"You see Sir when I look at the Ace, it reminds me there is but one Ship, HMS LONDON". "When I see the Two, I think of the two I/CG's of the Ship, Captain GARNIER and CDR PEARSON". "When I see the Three, I think of the three Cdr's. Cdr E, Cdr S , and Cdr W". "When I see the Four, I see the four parts of Ship, Forecastle, Top Boats and Quarter Deck". ''When I see the Five, I think of the Five Creases in a Smally Sailors No 1 trousers". "When I see the Six, I think of the Uniform we wear on a Rig Run Abroad". "When I see the Seven, I'm reminded of the Seven Sea Watches". "When I look at the Eight, I think of the Eight Departments we have on board for the final trip, RO's, Greenies, Seamen, Stokers, Marines, S&S, WAFU's and Fusiliers". "When I see the Nine, I think of the Puns we seem unable to avoid". "When I see the Ten, I think of the Padre and his Ten Commandments". "When I look at the Jack or The Knave or The Devil, I think of the Master at Arms". "When I see the Queen, I think of all the Queens who entered for the Miss LONDON Competition". "When I see the King, I think of the Man we once called King, Rear Admiral Hunt". "There are Fifty Two Cards in a Pack, the number of five day exercises we do every year". “There are 365 Spots on a Pack, the number of days we get paid for ( even on a leap year)". "There are Four Suits, the number of suits we have to keep clean: 1’s, 2’s, 8’s and Civvies” "There are 12 Picture Cards, the number of Sections in a Fire Party: Main, Attack, Support, Containment, B/ A Group, 'L' Support, S/S Party, Switchboard, Gangway, M.E. Party, MCO Party and 'w'/ Keepers". "There are Thirteen Tricks, the unlucky day we sailed from Barbados". "So you see Sir my Deck of Cards serves me not only as a Task Book, but also as a Ships Knowledge Hand Book. And Friends that story is true. I know. For I was, that Boy''·

AN ODE TO KILLICKS WHO CAN'T HACK THREE MONTHS

Well here I am a ditty again So it's obviously simple and really quite plain That down here in our own little cave You never hear W/Keepers a rant and a rave

We leave Barbados in a blaze of sun Only to lose chats (Furher) from HQ1 So now below your all in safe hands We'll bring you home from foreign lands

So never you mind one month to crack My new W/Keeper is the O.D. Big Hack We will be for fire and flood Then ashore grovelling in all the mud

The job is so tiresome and terribly boring That through the long watches all you hear is deafening snoring So show P.O. Sharpe you're full of joy and glee And then go a grovelling to C.R.S. Lee DEAD HQ1 is a dying art, or is it HQ1 Watch keepers are dying artists

ACTION STATIONS

It's six o'clock and all is calm And then we hear the bloody alarm Pipes repeated without refrain And Jack turns over once again

The Ops Room fills at a dash Everyone donning anti-flash PWO(A) and PWO(U) In anti-flash and pyjamas too

The Flight Commander is the worst Putting on his Yardley first Action Snacks are locked away Never ready on the day

A pressure is eventually found And Jack is dying for 'One all round' The war is fought, the Battle won And now it’s time to have a run

HQ1 TOP TEN 1. I lost my heart to an ICABA Charger 2. Ruby, Didn’t take your keys to Town 3. Me 'n' you 'n' a WEJR named Blue 4. Killing me softly with his specials 5. Is this the way to No 1 section base 6. Which keys you takin' Billy 7. ?. If you’re going to condition Yankee 8. Moonlight and hoses 9. House of the rising fire main pressure 10. The eductor must go on

CARIBBEAN CRUISE At 6.45 call the hands is piped Only the Jimmy's pyjamas are stripped Everyone else is bollocky buff Even the Joss's teddy "Fairy Nuff"

The Buffer is up, dark glasses as well The last run ashore must have been hell The Seaman are up, scrubbing the waist Still savouring breakfasts unusual taste

The SAs are up, can this be true Well they're still not sure what they're going to do The Seasluggers get up when the weather is fine Fishing down aft, look ones casting a line!

The QMs are ready, all twenty four off The attraction is ale, like a light is to moths The stokers are alive in the MCR Their brains left behind in some local bar

'Scribes'Hebourn is at his desk fast asleep No work from him till the end of the week HQ1 Watchkeepers we know are the best Working their butts off with too little rest

The Wardroom? Well what can I say! If I say something naughty, I won't see my pay•••

WE DO IT STANDING UP - EVENTUALLY Well just who DO they belong to ?? Have we got to fix them first ?? Where do we do it ?? How do we get there ??

These were the easy questions to answer. The difficult one came later

HOW DO WE DO IT ????

Much to the amusement (and often disgust) of the local onlookers, the CLUB spent many hours frolicking in the sun. We weren’t really trying to do it!

Suddenly success! - Yes someone actually moved ten yards before gracefully falling foul of the elements - and it looks so easy. But then again so does canoeing!!

A big jolt to all our egos came in Curacao. Whether it was watching all the nine year olds doing it or just too long at the bar, the "happy'' band threw aside all fears of danger and attempted the impossible - Racoon. with a catamaran, Adrian with Mangrove and Swamp and Peter with the wind. From here we went from strength to strength to Martinique and rain.

Concentration proved difficult at this time. Everyone blamed the lack of wind - or could it have been that everyone was trying to avoid that yacht anchored in the middle of our path - complete with gleaming bright work and topless sunbathers.

Antigua proved a great success for all concerned. The pink pinna colada against the jellyfish seemed no contest for some!

By Barbados everyone had gained enough confidence to ask "When are we going again?" St Kitts and Dominica look sound propositions at the time of going to press, but undoubtedly the thing that everyone is waiting for with "baited breath" is the return of the photos.

Unfortunately the sport (as it has become known colloquially) seems to have become a dying art (like everything else I hear). That is to say that no volunteers have been forthcoming in providing wetsuits for Pompey,

However, we've all learned something new, albeit differently. From Cliff who always enters into 'things' so dramatically, Bob who's best remembered for losing his crew in Antigua, Gus who always wanted to make it a Canadian Club, Vic - the seafairy pilot, Tony the Hat and above all, Peter who provided so much entertainment to everyone including half the population of the Caribbean, and not forgetting Taff with the T-shirts.

And so: "If you've a Porko and nothing has yet worked, join us. You'll find its so damned embarrassing to be overweight on a windsurfer you'll diet just any way you can". The whole experience will give you a new insight of life and the friendliness of people, who considerably stifle their laughter as you go windsurfing corpulently past.

2 Mess Windsurfers Inc.

PIRATES - PRIDE OF LONDON

It has been the tradition in the Royal Navy over the years for ships to hold parties for the children of the ports visited. These children are from 5 to 16 years of age, mentally handicapped, physically handicapped, orphaned or under privileged. HMS LONDON was no exception. In every port she has visited, one of her major priorities has been to entertain these children.

But with children numbering more than thirty, help is needed - so a cry goes out to volunteers throughout the ship from junior rating to officer (the latter of the two having been press ganged). These lads dress up to look like pirates and, believe me, the result is astonishing - in a matter of half an hour one 20th century sailor becomes an old salt of the sea of the late eighteenth century, with eye patches, scars and a broad brogue of those times.

We meet the children at the gangway, some of them look surprised, others shocked, but most are full of apprehension. But not for long - the pirates with their skill and humour soon break the land lubbers into shape.

The day starts with a tour of the ship, from stem to stern. They visit the Bridge, Ops Room, Galleys, Dining Halls and every little accessible nook and cranny. This takes up about an hour, depending on the number of children and of their disabilities. Then comes fun and games of all sorts - coits, hoop-la, tin can alley, tin can shy's and soggy pirates (this game consists of wet sponges being thrown at jolly jack tar). Another attraction that goes down well is walking the plank - but this is usually done out in the sun and blue seas of the tropics (we had thought of doing it in the Mersey and Thames - but we came to our senses and kept our health).

After the games we make our way to the Dining Hall for the cartoons, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the whole family of Walt Disney's world plus others when available. The children love it! So may I add, do the pirates!!

When the film show is over we take the lubbers for tea. This is always very popular. In all the parties we've had in LONDON the total amount of children we've entertained in 18 months is approximately 500, the children have gone through about 1,500 cakes and stickiee of various types, 1,000 packets of crisps and biscuits, 60 lb sausages on sticks, 28 lb cheese, 100 loaves of bread, 14 lb of butter,

28 gallons of jelly, 16 gallons of ice cream, 48 tins of fruit cocktail. All this consumed by children a lot less fortunate than ourselves, from places as near as LONDON and LIVERPOOL to Europe and as far away as the West Indies and America.

At the end of the day, the time comes for the children to leave the fantasy world of Long John Silver - they wend their way, with a goody bag full of surprises and LONDON pride.

They leave with a smile on their faces, their hands waving and voices cheering, and least of all - a small thing even the hard core pirates cannot get over - a tear!?

I'd like to thank all pirates and helpers for giving up their own time to give these kids a good time on board HMS LONDON - may you carry on in your future careers as pirates, now you know what it's all about - B.Z. we won't be forgotten.

POCK I.P. FRANCIS

HMS LONDON SPORTS REPORTS

Well here we are at the end of the life of the 10th HMS LONDON and right up to the end we have managed to keep our heads high on the sporting scene, but first we will start with the report from our club swinger POPI'I Pete MARR on some of the major events held. The Sports Department have been very busy organising a full sporting programme since the Refit 1980.

A nice crisp day on Thursday 29th January saw approximately 50 of us depart for Dryad. The event was held over the Command Cross Country course, approximately 3 miles and the results were 1st AB ROE in a good time of 17 mins 10 sees followed by MEA(P) MARCHANT.

Overall result: 1. Comms 2. W/R 3. Ops 4. WE 5. ME and PO’s 6. S and S 7. CPO’s

On our way back from Devonport on the evening of the 14th May we held an intermess Dart competition in the hangar. Winners were 3N Mess and the intermess wandering trophy was awarded to them. This was our first darts competition and it proved very popular. WEM(O) TOOMER our Super league Player from Guzz and Ships darts rep was also instrumental in organising successful matches against the Gloucester Hotel (twice).

During our visit to Rosyth in June we took the opportunity to hold our swimming gala at HMS CALEDONIA's pool. Although the ship had many commitments 7 teams took part with the Seaman Ops and Marinesswi11.ming out the convincing winners. Lots of enjoyment was had during the fun events especially the Dragon Boat Race.

On Wednesday 24th June on our way back from Rosyth we held a "top team" competition on the flight deck. This consisted of teams competing in 4 recreational game events on the flight deck. Basketball shoot, hockey dribble, golf chipping and football shooting made a good afternoon with the P.O's the winners.

Whilst at Portsmouth for leave and maintenance period an indoor cricket competition was held at Nelson, 6 teams spent a good afternoon playing, the P.O's beat 3N Lending Hands in a thrilling final.

Highlight of the year was the Inter part Athletics competition held at the superb new facilities of Burnaby Road (West). Seven teams took part with the Wardroom and Sand S combining because of the 7 lane invitation. Many of us had to look back to schooldays to remember the techniques required of the various events. Our two Navy champions AB PRATT and AB ATKINS showed how to win gracefully - the rest of us burst muscle and lung in the pursuit of winning times and distances. AB PRATT rising to the occasion broke the junior record for the pole vault competition. A fine selection of trophies were won, with the Communicators winning the Ships Athletic Trophy closely followed by Ops/Marines Dept. both with equal points but Com.ms having more 1st places.

Throughout the year circuit training has ensured that our teams have always performed well and the flight deck has provided a good venue for deck hockey, soccer, brighter cricket, potted sports and Superstars Competitions.

The kite constructors amused the Ships Company between Belize and Curacao with 20 entrants (only two actually flew) and the fishermen tantalised the Caribbean fishing population of Belize and hooked a good catch of 20 fish with L/S JONES catching the biggest 1 lb 6oz. LRO BOWERS catching the most and HEM HORE catching the prettiest!

SHIPS FOOTBALL SINCE REFIT 1979/80

The ship's First XI football team has given a good account of itself and the end of the refit saw us riding high in the United Services Division Three League (small establishment, FMG and ships in refit like ourselves). We were also entered in the Junior Challenge Cup, a competition for Division 2 and 3 teams and our thanks to CPO POWER (those of you who remember) for his efforts in putting the team where it was.

The team battled through to the final which was played at Pitt Street in a howling gale, we disposed of HMS EXCELLENT 2-1 with goals by CPO BRIGHAM YOUNG and STD GEORGE LONGSTAFF. In the same week we were told that we had won the league on goal difference from FMG.

We next entered a team in the Maxi Ships Cup and did very well in reaching the semi-final, which because of the ship's programme was played on a Friday morning against HMS BULWARK at Whale Island. We were 2-1 down at half time and morale was lagging against a very strong BULWARK team. The lads got it together in the second half and levelled the score, then with five minutes to go STD GEORGE LONGSTAFF broke away and made the score 3-2. BULWARK fought back and within minutes had made the score 3-3 and extra time looked certain. Weekend leave starting at lunch time looked unlikely until CPO EDWARDS back passed to our keeper and BULWARK's Centre Forward intercepted, took his chance to make the score at full time 4-3 to BULWARK. Prior to Springtrain’ 81 we had a couple of days in Gibraltar. HMS ROOKE hosted a sports Olympiad which was played over a 2 day period. Over 16 teams entered and all sports were covered, like Its-a-knockout we were able to play our joker on the football, our strongest game. We nearly went out in the first round when a frigate was leading us 1-0 with minutes to go. We managed to equalise and went through on penalties. The Quarter Finals were played under floodlights and another frigate was beaten 2-1. The Semi Finals proved to be our hardest game, it was against HMS ROOKE, a team who gave us a really hard but clean game. Thanks to the hard work of all the team we came through into the Final by winning 3-1. The Final was the penultimate event of the competition and the Frigate which we played fought hard, but were not strong enough and we won 6-1.

Many new faces have since joined and left the team and there are only four remaining from the original refit team, CPO PUGH, CPO YOUNG, LS BOND and MEM McMULLEN.

We have managed to put out a team in all the places we have visited on the ship's final deployment, although getting opponents to play us was a different matter.

GPO LAMB deserves a mention for running the Second Team. Unfortunately they have never had enough games to keep them match fit.

Thanks also go out to CPO PHIL WEBSTER and POCK CONNIE FRANCIS for the time they have put in refereeing and running the line.

Finally thanks to all the players who have represented the ship at football since the Refit. I only hope you will carry on playing in your next draft.

CURRENT FOOTBALL SQUAD

RUGBY Rugby onboard HMS LONDON has had two very fruitful seasons, culminating in two consecutive MAXI SHIPS wins.

The first final was played at Portland against HMS BRISTOL, the match resulted in a fine win for the ship winning 27-7, the scorers being tries by, TUG WILSON, SCOUSE PARRY and SMUDGE SMITH getting two, MARK SINCLAIR rounded off the scoring with 4 conversions and one penalty.

The 1980 season started with 5 new players replacing the unfortunates who had gone on draft. The season started with training on the jetty and several good sessions at Burnaby Road where the scrummaging machine took a good hammering. This gave us a good basis for the season and anticipation of another good cup run was in evidence.

The season started with a good try scoring spree against OSPREYS 2nds,the ship running out winners at 30-0. This led immediately to a challenge by OSPREYS 1sts who were out for revenge. It was a good hard game with the ship putting up a creditable performance eventually losing 6-12.

The cup run started with a quarter final match against HMS BULWARK played at EXCELLENT. It was a very well supported game. The ship played well and were unlucky not to have had the game wrapped up by half time with CYRIL DE ROCHE having two tries disallowed. CHRIS McLAUGHLIN had a fine push over try disallowed in the second half. The game went into extra time. In the last minute of extra time SMUDGE SMITH intercepted in the centre and broke clear before passing to OLLIE OLLOMAN who with a tremendous dive went under the posts to score a very relieving try. MARK SINCLAIR had the easy job of converting the try. The ship ran out 6-0 winners.

The semi-final was again played at EXCELLENT against HMS BRISTOL. This in all reality was the final for both sets of teams, although the rivalry was high the game was played with great gusto and hard rugby. The ship held BRISTOL in the first half and managed to take the steam out of the BRISTOLs pre-fancied forwards. The ship slowly took control of the second half when all pre-training started to come into its own. A fine move down the wing enabled TUG WILSON to take out the cover and slip the ball to OLLIE OLLOMAN who again proved to be the guardian angel and went over in the corner. MARK SINCLAIR converted what was a very difficult kick. The end score turned out to be 7-3. It was during this game that PETE MA.RR unfortunately broke his leg.

The final was played in glorious sunshine at Burnaby Road. Taking a hint from the Wembley cup finalists the ship paraded its new Red and White strip. Invincible were heavy favourites to take the cup, having a very heavy and well drilled pack and very experienced back row, however they had not reckoned with CHRIS McLAUGHLIN, SHARKEY WARD and MAC McQUILLAN who matched INVINCIBLES back row step for step. The back division again proved itself to be one of the finest in the Navy with splendid running and hard tackling. SMUDGE SMITH again popped up to intercept and broke clear under the posts to open the ships account. NEIL DYMOND converted easily. TAFF BREWER scored a splendid try in the corner. NEIL DYMOND then converted a penalty and once again TUG WILSON popped up to go over for the ships third and final try. The final score was 17-6 with the team playing and winning like Champions and successfully defending the cup.

Following our success we were challenged by the CLEOPATRA who are the Midi Ships champions. The game was played for the unofficial Champions of the Fleet. The game was played at Bremen. The ship again proved to be too good for the opposition running out 12-0 winners; the scorers being BORIS FERGUSON and TUG WILSON, MARK SINCLAIR converted both try’s easily

During the season the ship had played 18 matches, winning 15, drawing 1 and losing 2.

The 1981-82 season started off with an invitation to play in the SHAPE 7 a side tournament. The team played very well and eventually won through to the final where unfortunately they lost 0-12 to RAF BRUGGE. This was a very enjoyable day out for players and spectators alike.

The first full game of the season. was against SHAPE, after the initial first game nerves the ship settled down into its old ways and run out 12-6 winners.

The last game played before the Newsletter goes to print, was against the Royal Engineers at APC BELIZE. The game was played in temperatures in the 90's however; the team adapted to the conditions quickly and soon took control. The/ back division now with the inclusion of GEOFF BLACKETT at centre again showed its speed ability and try scoring feats by running in three tries, the scorers being TUG WILSON, JOHN IRVINE and GEOFF BLACKETT, also for a change the forwards were allowed to get on the score sheet with the tries from CHRIS McLAUGHLIN and PONY MOORES. The eventual score being 22-0. The after match entertainment was splendid and which went into the early hours of the morning. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day and night out.

This match typifies the Rugby that the ship has played and enjoyed. We considered naming all the individual players in a roll of honour but counting all the players who had either represented the ship in one game or many games the list got very long. All the players would like to thank the Captain and the Ships Company who have all given us good support and help in our strive to play entertaining and winning rugby.

STOP PRESS Before going to print we have managed to play another two (International) matches against Barbados. The games were not played until the latter end of our stay as the opposition were on tour playing in the Caribbean Rugby Championships.

Our first match was played against the lesser of their two sides, but still some fast running good rugby was played. LONDON came away convincing winners with two tries by TUG WILSON, one apiece for GEOFF BLACKETT and PETE MA.RR with NEIL DYMOND converting to give a final score of 18 points to nil.

The second game, played two days later, was against the BARBADOS First XV who put out some giants in their forwards and flyers in their backs. But LONDONs hard tackling and tight work in the scrum so contained the Barbadians it was noticeable how their morale dwindled. Our backs produced some fine running and were awarded the only try of the match with the ball being put squarely between the posts by ANDY IRVIN. Once again NEIL DYMOND converted to give a final score LONDON 6 points BARBADOS 0.

THANKS CLUBS At this point we would like to thank you and all ''LONDONs" previous PI'II a for the hard work put in to organise all sport, games and competitions.

AND NOW TO THE CRICKET SCENE

Over the past few seasons the ships cricket team have held their heads high with some very notable performances.

In 1978 they won the Fleet Six's competition at Eastney Barracks and from then on have never been beaten by any other ship indeed the only defeat against "local” competition was against HMS NELSON in the Fleet Knockout Competition during the same season.

Matches were plentiful during 79 season (refit) with notable victories over HERMES, BRISTOL, EXCELLENT, COLLINGWOOD II and SUBMARINE REFIT GR0UP, with some very good performances from Lt Cdr CHRIS CRADDOCK, Cdr ROY SURPLICE and Lt ANDY FORSYTH.

The 1980 season was somewhat lost due to the ships programme, sailing in May for SATs and then down to Gibraltar where we managed only one game, defeating HMS BERWICK with considerable ease.

The ship returned to Portsmouth for summer leave and then Portland Workup and the season was gone.

Because of a complete changeover in crew, the 1 81 season started with a ships trial in Devonport, where thankfully, a number of good players were seen1 however up until the present time, due to lack of opposition and weather, only a handful of games have been played, beating HM Ships DIOMEDE, COVENTRY, GLASGOW and SOUTHAMPTON.

Our most recent (and only) game during the deployment was in Curacao, where, after getting the local side out for a meagre 90 (who were all of W INDIAN origin) we failed against some very hostile bowling and managed only 60 runs.

A word of thanks must go out to PO DICKY DAWSON who captained the side for the past four seasons, ably assisted in the past by CPO TONY ALDRIDGE, CPOPTI MICK SHEEHAN and at present by PO ALAN BROOKING.

The present squad consists of:- CPO TANSY LEE PO DICKY DAWSON PO ALAN BROOKING PO CESS BEATON PO BUNGY WILLIAMS PO KEN STRIDE L/S JIMMY BOND SA TERRY VENABLES AB SKID ROE AB ROB LANG LWEM(R) JUNGLE JARVIS MEM MARTIN PAGE

With several members of the ships company very keen to be part of the cricket team.

BASKETBALL

After coming out of refit, the remainder of the original team had all left, so a fresh team had to be organised. PO RAYNER and PO WATSON, both Portsmouth Command and Navy players took on the task, and after initial trials in Portsmouth and Portland, a hard core of 10 players was formed. Due to the work up and Christmas leave soon after, very few games were arranged until early in 1981. When the team did get into playing regular weekly games the standard improved and a string of victories was recorded against shore bases such as MERCURY, COLLINGWOOD and DRYAD.

LRO FERGUSON, our 6’9” gentle giant" proved very useful and although SA "TERRY" VENABLES may not have been as athletic as the rest, his shooting skills proved invaluable.

Main summer leave was the departure of LMEM "DARBY" ALLEN, a regular team member, but also the arrival of POCK "OSSIE" OSTLES, another Portsmouth Command player, and POMEM KEN STRIDE into the team.

So far on the deployment we have only had two games but both were memorable. In Belize we all experienced our first game in a muddy field in the pouring rain against the Belize Defence Force and unfortunately lost - mainly due to water-logged players. The second game was against the Dutch Navy in Curacao, and with the scores still even with 30 seconds to go, we were unlucky to loose by 40 pts to 44 pts.

As to the rest of the deployment, we hope to play at all ports of call and win or loose will attempt to maintain the good sporting reputation that HMS LONDON has built up.

All Ships Company that have represented the ship since Jan 80.

HOCKEY

Hockey on board has been marked not by the results but by the enthusiasm of all taking part. Thanks must go to all those who, without any previous experience, came along to make up the team. Admittedly the end result sometimes looked like the practice range of a golf course.

The season started with preparations for the Maxi Ships competition and included a game against COLLINGWOOD Apprentices (won 3-2) and I.M. Marsh Ladies P.T. College during the ships' visit to Liverpool. The sight of all those lovely girls must have taken the teams minds off their game because even though we started both halves with 12 men? on the field (unintentionally of course) we still managed to lose 1-0.

The Maxi Ships Cup game against HMS HERMES produced some of the best play of the season. The match was played in the pouring rain on an Astro Turf pitch which resembled a skating rink after 10 minutes. This necessitated good stick work and sticks passing and was very gratifying to see. HERMES however were much more practised and fitter, they even went circuit training in the morning!! and after a hard fought game we went down 4-2.

Christmas leave and the long period alongside gave us the usual ships team problem of half the players disappearing on draft, in fact there are now only two left out of the original team that started off last September.

The hockey since then has been very much like the curate's egg, good in parts. As soon as we achieve a good win everything falls apart and we get thrashed in the next game. However it's taking part that counts and we always win the drinking match afterwards.

Main praise must go to "ROBBIE" ROBINSON who has had the thankless task of getting a full team together each week and actually managed to arrange one training session. Other names to note have been "MADDY" MADDOCKS and BOB "It's OK I'll head it" PAPE our stalwart goalkeepers who have had plenty of practice at picking the ball out of the back of the net, OLLIE OLIVER and "SPEEDY" WING the largest backs I've ever seen, Lieutenants TILLING and WILSON came along to practice their tee shots and ‘HOPALONG’ LIVINGSTONE turned up when his left ankle felt up to it “THOMO” THOMPSON and FLASH CRAIK provided the mainstay of the forwards and Commander 'S' extraordinaire played everywhere.

Thanks a lot for a good season boys, see you in another pitch somewhere.

EPILOGUE Before we draw to a close on this final sporting report, all of us who have enjoyed and had the pleasure to either represent HMS LONDON on the field, in the water, running around the track or just playing inter-part sport on the flight deck, we would like to thank all those who have supported us, done our subs and even those who stood at the coal face to allow us to play. We were proud to wear the shirt that carried the crest of HMS LONDON.

The People involved in this Newsletter Production were:-

EDITOR MEA(H)1 A.F. ROWE

CO-EDITOR WEMN1(WD) M.E. PARSONS

SPORTS EDITOR FCWEM(R) C. McLAUGHLIN

TYPISTS CPO STWD CLARKE POMEM(M) STRIDE AB PRINGLE

Many thanks to all write up Authors and especially to:

CDR R.F. SWITHENBANK LT CLEMENTS LT DAVIES LT HORNE S/LT LAMBERT CMEA(P) THOMAS MEA2 LARGENT POCK FRANCIS POACMN BROOKS

Also to the Ships Company of H.M.S. LONDON without whose Professionalism, mistakes and runs ashore, this newsletter would not have been possible.

OTHERS WHO ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

SHIPS NAAFI STAFF ROYAL FUSILIERS CAN MAN D.A. LUCKETT L/CORP MADISON AST MAN A. SUTHERLAND L/CORP BUTTRISS AST S.R. MACKAY FUS.THOMPSON AST P. McCALLUM FUS.HARDY

CHINESE LAUNDRY STAFF No 1 and his TEAM

Thank you also to Sergeant Barry Lewington, and his team at Portsmouth Dockyard for his time and cooperation in helping to put this Newsletter to print.

"OUT IN A BLAZE OF GLORY" LAST ROYAL NAVAL BROADSIDE