HMS OPOSSUM ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER CHRISTMAS 2019 1945-1958

th th Welcome to our Christmas Newsletter. Our next reunion is organized for 17 - 20 April 2020 at the Suncliffe Hotel, Bournemouth along with H.M. Ships – Newfoundland, Gambia, Kenya and Ceylon, again organized by The Isle of Wight Tours. Thanks to Tom Quirk for sending in some useful material the rest is the editors contributhtion which is hoped of interest to the membership. In this issue D-Day 6 June 1944. Two Naval personalities, Peter Scott and Bradwell Turner Isle of Man naval training 1939-1945 The ever popular Christmas Quiz Carols are Christmas Shipmates Humour Shaggy Dog stories Rattler and Alecto Reunion photographs

Chairman Lewis Trinder 106 North Lane, Aldershot, Hants GU12 4QT 01252-323861 lewistrinder7@gmail Secretary/Editor Eddie Summerfold 28 Greymont Rd. Limefield BURY BL9 6PN 0161-764-8778 [email protected] Treasurer Sam Edgar 21 Heath Lawns, F1areham, Hants PO15 5QB 01329-235732 [email protected] website www.hmsopossum.org.uk TREASURER’S REPORT

Brought RFoOrLwLa rOd F H O £N1O,77U1R .35 Income £1,912.13 Balance £1,785.51

Ronald Bradley John Eardly Wilmot John Cartwright J W Powell Albert Corless Harry Barlow David Jarvis Bob Gray Les Wood George Scott John Williams Ken Harris Pat Norman Reg Parker Harry Roach Ivan C Haskell George Fletcher Fred Thornton George H Richards Fred[Mick[Bodel Fred King George Curry Sid Pemberton John Davison Cliff Harthill George Brown Steven Hart Stewart A Porter Arthur Pope Jack Marshall Les Dimmock John Bray Joe Gornall Doug Banks Dick[Ginger]Bird Jackie Scholes Harry Woolhams Cornelious Canon Jim Tribe Doug Goulding John Fraser Pete Maddox Bill Bolton Cyril Mason John Hardman Ken Philipps Mike Swayne Harry Catterson Ron Hare Bill Bovey Jack Richards William Wilder George[Jan]Lobb Bill Price Martin George Ken Slater Mike Cole Jim Payne Peter Lockwood Edward[Ted]Longstaff Roy Cope Ron Blundy Bert Rimmer John Blair John W C Clark Ken Carson Charles Parker Tony Harris Willy Mitchell Brian Healey Alan Percival Alister Hunter Blair Stan Oldfield John Jones Roy Wood John MacKenzie Tom Tolson Ian Janes John Owen Ken Hodgkin Nick Whytock

2 D-DAY 6 th JUNE 1944

A D-DAY BEACH HEAD

There had been previous Twentieth Century amphibious landings involving British Forces – Gallipoli, Dieppe, North Africa and Sicily. Except for the last two these were poorly planned, lacked accurate intelligence and grossly underestimated the opposition. To liberate German occupied Europe demanded the most detailed, well planned assault. Operation Overlord was the greatest amphibious landing in history, worked out to the tiniest detail. The Russian leader Joseph Stalin had demanded from the Allies a Second Front to ease the pressure on his land forces, an attempt was made at Dieppe in August 1942 that proved a total failure, with many lives lost and no gain save for the knowledge that only a maxim effort by land, sea and air was a prime requisite along with logistic support; if a port was unavailable the Allies would have to take one across the Channel, this was the Mulberry Harbour. Overlord took two years to plan and organize. To take on a well prepared entrenched enemy was difficult enough, from the sea an almost impossible task;3 one the Russian leader did not have to face. Nazi had to defend 2,400 miles of occupied coastline, mostly concentrated around the shortest cross channel routes from England. This they did with bunkers, concrete protected artillery, an estimated four million land mines and very many beach obstacles, primed with explosive devices; and they waited knowing that at sometime, at someplace their enemy would be coming. Somewhere around the Pas-de-Calais was an obvious choice, being the shortest route, so the Allies let them believe this by organizing a cunning deception plan that involved fake radio transmissions, a phantom army and double agents to convince the Nazi hierarchy that despite what the Allies said or intended this was where the real landing would take place. Many men, tanks and artillery came over from the United States and . In various parts of Britain intensive training took place of army units to prepare them for the coming enterprise . From early January 1944 equipment, ammunition and stores began to be accumulated around England’s South coast. Ship yards built many landing craft, Mullbury Harbour had to be designed and tested, together with PLUTO [pipeline under the ocean] transporting petrol to after initial supplies were exhausted. Mishaps happened like the Slapton Sands fiesco, Operation Tiger a night time dress rehearsal for D-Day by US troops. Was this a chance encounter or did the German’s have some prior knowledge? Their E-boats torpedoed and blasted with gunfire the packed landing craft, 749 US soldiers, never saw Normandy ,they lost their lives in this planned exercise. Much was to be demanded from the Merchant Navy, once the soldiers were ashore, their task was to keep them constantly supplied with all they needed. The Royal Navy had three jobs, soften up the beaches and hinterland defences with heavy guns from battleships such as HM ships Nelson, Rodney, Warspite and Roberts [your editors first ship] provide mine clearance and midget submarines to guide the first landing craft to their objectives. Before the first troops landed a large British and American paratroop force, would land behind enemy lines, from 867 gliders and take out strategic targets to prevent Nazi reinforcements. French Resistance tasked with blowing up railway bridges that would block communication links in Normandy. All was set, all was ready, then the weather closed in and D-Day was delayed for twenty-four hours. Metrologists predicted a window of opportunity, fair conditions for a few days and Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D Eisenhower gave the go ahead. The Invasion was on. Air superiority was essential.

The beaches of Normandy waths the chosen landing area, there were to be five - UTAH, OMAHA [American] GOLD, JUNO [British] and SWORD [Canadian] 4 On the Morning of Tuesday 6 June 1944 the invasion began. On the first day… …………..156,115 U.S. British and Canadian troops landed, from………….. 6.939 ships and landing craft, supported by …………….. 2,395 bombers and fighter aircraft. In five days all bridgeheads had been secured and moved inland. By the end of June ………… 850, 279 soldiers had been put ashore together with………… 148, 803 vehicles and …………...570, 505 tons of supplies. Transports sunk ………... 49, damaged….. 109. The cost on D-Day alone …………. 4,414 killed …………. [2,501 U.S., 1,917 British and Canadian]

th Paris liberated in August, Belgium and Holland early 1945. European hostilities ended in total defeat of Nazi Germany 8 May 1945.

th

Disembarkation 6 June 1944

5 NAVAL PERSONALITIES [22]

Sir PETER MARKHAM SCOTT CH, CBE, DSC,& Bar FRS [1909-1989]

Born London the only child of Antarctic explorer Robert Falcon Scott, only two years old when is father died. Who wrote to his wife Kathleen try and make the boy interested in natural history, much better than games.

Sir Peter Scott

Educated Oundie School and Trinity College Cambridge where he took natural history.

Won a bronze medal at dingy sailing ins the Berlin Olympics 1936. During the Sthecond World enlisted as a Sub Lieut. RNVR. After Dunkirk evacuation rescued wounded of the 51 Highland Division from Saint-Valery- en-Caux, 11 June 1940. Lieutenant on the destroyer HMS Broke doing convoy escort in the North Atlantic, later in command of light forces gun boats. Designed camouflage schemes for these boats with moderate success Stood as a Conservative candidate in 1945 elections lost narrowly to Labour. Founded Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. Saved the Hawiian Goose from extinction. Did much promoting of6 Wild life on Radio and Television becaming well known world wide for his conservation schemes Died in Bristol 1989. ISLE OF MAN, NAVAL TRAINING DURING SECOND WORLD WAR

[abridged Ed.] by Tom Quirk

Boy seaman of HMS St. George, on parade, Douglas seafront, Isle of Man 1943

From September 1939 until the Wars end in August 1945 the Isle of Man provided Naval training for thousands of Boys and Adults in subjects such as seamanship, gunnery, communications, radar plotting, radio maintenance, anti-submarine work, Fleet Air Arm operations and also basic musicianship for Royal Marine Bandsmen. WRNS were also trained on the Island. Perhaps the most important was the Continuous Service training establishment HMS St. George in Douglas. Here throughout he whole War 8,677 Boy ratings were trained for 12 months in seamanship or communications before going to ships of the Fleet. At Ballakermeen School they received an education in many subjects comparable with a good secondary school given by qualified School masters. The Boys age ranging from 15 to 17 received their professional training from 300 officers, Chiefs and Petty officers in not only practical aspects of being good seaman and communicators, V/S & W/T, but also in smartness of the Service and keeping their issued kit clean and in good repair. Accommodation was provided in the former Cunningham Holiday Camp with it’s two gymnasiums and an indoor swimming pool. The former Children’s Home on Glencrutchery Road provided full medical facilities for all naval personnel. Other R.N. bases on the Island included HMS Valkyrie and HMS Valkyri7e II, Ronaldsway air port taken over for a Naval Air Station. In short the Isle of Man was turned over to the Royal Navy for almost all their training. THE CHRISTMAS QUIZ

[No prizes just for fun, answers on the back page]

1. What does a petrologist study? 2. Which disease is diagnosed by the Wasserman Test? 3. How did John Singer Sargent achieve fame? 4. Name the Admiral thrown ashore from his flagship HMS Association? 5. Which African country lies between the sea and Zimbabwe? 6. These are types of what, Temple,Tuttle and Kohoutek? 7. The Dambusters movie was based on which book? 8. What does the musical term ‘con fuoco’ mean? 9. E in morse code is represented by what? 10. The central character in which book by John Braine is Joe Lampton? 11. What does the Latin ‘ad initio’ mean? 12. A fear of cats is known as what? 13. Name the Walker Brothers second No.1 hit from 1966? 14. Lambda,omicron & Tau are all found in? 15. What is Red Biddy/ 16. What is a koikoi? 17. Which wine comes from Worms? 18. Who rode and in St. Leger triumphs? 19. What shape was Queen Anne’s coffin? 20. Name the author of the play ‘A taste of honey’? 21. Name the first song to go straight to No.1? 22. What can be grapnel, sheet, bower or kedge? 23. Name the golf course for the British Open in 1968? 24. In 1799 who wrote ‘Travels in the interior of Africa’? 25. Name the most decisive battle of the English Civil War? 26. Name the writer of ‘The Handmaids Tale? 27. Which Scottish university is named after a jeweller and an inventor? 28. What name is given to a man born East of the River Medway? 29. Where in the body is your philtram? 30. What is MOMI on London’s South Bank?

8 NAVAL PERSONALITIES [23]

Commander BRADWELL TALBOT TURNER DSO,OBE,CVO [1907-1990]

HMS Cossack closes the Nazi tanker Altmark

A legendary incident of the Second World War when Lieutenant Turner lead the destroyer HMS Cossack’s boarding party in the ‘Altmark Affair.’ In February 1940 the tanker Altmark had on board 299 British merchant seaman captured when their ships were sunk by the raider Admiral Graf Spee. On his way back to Germany the Altmark’s captain had skirted the British Isles and sort the neutral waters of Norway to make his escape home. The

Norwegians claimed to have examined Altmark antdh found no prisoners. The British Government knew otherwise. Captain Vian was ordered to board Altmark and release these men. On the night of 16 February 1940 at 22.20, The destroyer closed the tanker and First Lieutenant Turner leapt on board his party closely following where they disarmed the bridge personnel and took over the ship. In the ensuing hand to hand confrontation 6 Germans were killed and 8 wounded Opening each hatch, Turner would shout down, at one he received a positive response to his “Any British down there?” Loud cheering “Then come up the Navy’s Here.” They were landed at Leith the following morning. In 1945 a executive officer on the cruiser Cumberland he contracted polio that left a leg lame. Later in command of the9 destroyer Whirlwind, naval attache Oslo. After naval service read Law called to the Bar by Middle Temple in 1956. Became a JP in Chelmsford. Died March 1990 aged 82. THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE and the INDISPESIBLE MAN

The Language of Love

I really don’t know how to tell you, you’re sweeter than sugar and spice, when we both speak a different language, will tone and inflections suffice? Does it shine from my eyes when I see you and put a caress in my touch and flavour the food which I proffer the fact that I adore you so much. No matter which outfit I’ve chosen whatever the colour or weave Summer or winter apparel I’m wearing my heart on my sleeve. I’m thinking, you know that on balance these clues are more than enough For each time I whisper ‘I love you,’ you snuggle up close and say ‘woof.’

The Indispensible Man

Sometimes when you feel important, sometimes when your ego’s in bloom when you take it for granted you’re the best qualified man in the room, sometimes when you think that you going would leave an unfilled hole, just follow these simple instructions and see how they humble your soul.

Take a bucket and fill it with water place your hands in up to the wrists. Pull them out – and the hole that remains is the measure how much you’ll be missed. You may splash all want when you enter you may stir up the water galore, but stop – you’ll find in a minute, it looks the same as before

The moral of this is quite simple, be just the best that you can, be proud of yourself – but remember, there is no INDISPENSABLE MAN.

Said a Man to his Son

My boy when you accumulate knowledge and understanding to know why a pizza is round - put into a square box and eaten in triangles – then my son you’ll be able to understand women

10 CAROLS ARE CHRISTMAS

Here’s when these well known Christmas Carols first saw the light of day.

While Shepherds Watch [1700] Joy to the World [1719] Hark the Heralds Angels Sing [1739] Messiah [1742] Christians Awake [1746] O Come All Ye Faithful [1751] God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen [1760] Silent Night [1818] I Saw Three Ships [1833] Away In A Manger [1837] Once In Royal David City [1848] Good King Wenceslas [1853] Holly and the Ivy [1861] In the Bleak Midwinter [1872] It came Upon a Midnight Clear [1874] Nine Lessons and Carols [1918]

th George Frideric Handel’s ‘Messiah’ was first performed in Fishamable St. , Good Friday 13 April 1742. The most well known section is the rousing Hallelujah Chorus. th

Good King Wenceslas a martyr and a saint, a 10 cent, Bohemian King going on a joth urney braving cruel hard weather to give alms to the poor, known as a father to all the wretched. Words by Englishmen John Mason Neale, set to a 13 cent Spring carol ‘Tempus adest floridum.’

Perhaps the most worked carol over the years is Hark the Herald, written originally by Charles Wesley in 1739 and finally finished in the version we know today 122 years later in 1861. Along the way four other composers and arrangers had a hand in word changes. Music composed by Felix Mendelsohn.

11 SHIPMATES HUMOUR

Last night I was sitting on the sofa watching TV when I heard the wife’s voice from the kitchen, “What would you like for dinner my love, chicken, beef or lamb?” I said, “Thank you, I’ll have chicken please.” She replied, “You’re having soup you fat slob, I was talking to the cat.”

My budgie broke his leg so I made him a little splint out of a couple of Swan Vesta’s. His little face lit up when he tried to walk. Unfortunately I forgot to remove the sandpaper from the bottom of his cage.

Last night I reached for my liquid Viagra and accidently swigged from a bottle of Tippex. I woke up this morning with a huge correction.

My mate got sacked last week from the Salvation Army soup kitchen. All he claims he said was, “Hurry up some of us have got homes to go to.

th Another mate went to the pub last night. Locals shouted paedo and other such names, just because she is 21 and he is 50, this completely spoilt their 10 anniversary.

A diner sat in a restaurant when he was hit on the back of the head by a prawn cocktail. Another diner shouted across, “That’s just for starters.”

A armed thief entered a house in mid-afternoon. He tied up the lady and at gun point ordered the man to hand over all their money and jewellery. The man started sobbing saying, “You can take anything you want, but please untie the lady and free her.” The thief said, “You must really love your wife.” The reply received was, “No but she’ll be home shortly.”

A Social Worker was concern about the suitability of a circus couple adopting a child. The child would live with them in a 60ft motor home, be well educated in all the usual subjects plus French and Mandarin, be in the care of a qualified nanny. What age were the couple hoping to adopt? It didn’t matter really as long as the kid could fit inside a cannon.

12 SHAGGY DOG STORIES - TWO

Murder at Tesco’s Tired of being broke and stuck in an unhappy marriage a young husband decided to solve both problems by taking out a large insurance policy on his wife with himself as the beneficiary and then arranging to have her killed. A friend of a friend put him in touch with the dark-side underworld with a chap called Artie, who explained the rate for snuffing out a spouse was £10,000. The fee seemed reasonable but, until he could collect on his wife’s insurance money he was broke. Artie insisted on being paid something up front, our man only had a one pound coin. A deep sigh from Artie, reluctantly he agreed to this small down payment. A few days later he followed the man’s wife in to Tesco’s supermarket. Wearing rubber gloves he strangled the wife but was seen by the manager, not wanting any witnesses the manager went the same way. Seen on the supermarket security camera’s the police were called and Artie and the husband were arrested Next day a newspaper headline read:- ‘Artie Chokes two for one pound at Tesco’s’

Who is Jack Schitt? Many people are at a loss for a response when someone says, “You don’t know Jack Schitt.” Now after reading this you will be able to intellectually handle the situation. Jack the only son of Awe Schitt the fertilizer magnet and O. Schitt owner of Knee Deep N. Schitt Co Ltd. In turn Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt the deeply religious couple had six children Holie Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt, Bull Schitt, Deep Schitt and Dip Schitt. Now Deep Schitt married Dumb Schitt and produced a son Chicken Schitt, who when grown up married a Happens girl, the newspapers announced the Schitt-Happens wedding. Bull Schitt left home to tour the world and returned from with his bride Piza Schitt Now when someone asks you who is Jack Schitt, you can correct them.

As a kid I was made to walk the plank, we couldn’t afford a dog. You know you’re working class when your TV is bigger than your book case.

13 RATTLER verses ALECTO

Rattler [left] and Alecto [right]

This is the story of which is the more efficient at propelling a ship the paddle or the screw? From Henry Bell’s ‘Comet’ of 1812 for the next 25 years the paddle was supreme. Experimenters and inventors argued that only quarter or less of the paddle was being used to push aside water whereas if they could put the paddle/screw totally under water would have more purchase. Swede John Ericson and Francis Pettit Smith did just that. Smith had a 30ft boat with a wooden double turn screw that fortuitous broke in half that now consisted of just one turn finding that this doubled the boats speed. For sometime the Admiralty had been experimenting with both the paddle and screw to see which gave the best performance. Because the screw had obvious advantages for warships tucked away under water meant the screw wasn’t exposed to enemy fire, nor did it restrict the number of guns, reducing a ships broadside while paddle wheel ships had these disadvantages. So they had built HMS Rattler a screw driven ship and in experiments put her against paddle driven ships of equal displacemernd t and engine power. For two years from 1843 to 1845 Rattler out ran in straight races any paddle ships in fair weather of foul. Eventually on Thursday 3 April 1845 in flat calm weather of the North Sea the Admiralty put Rattler and Alecto in a tug-of-war contest to see which was the more powerful. With both ships going full ahead, for five miles Rattler pulled Alecto backwards at 5 knots. A triumph for the screw propulsion.

14 REUNION PHOTOGRAPHS

15 REUNION PHOTOGRAPH

Our small band – six absent

ANSWERS TO THE CHRISTMAS QUIZ

1. Rocks 2. Syphilis, 3. Painter, 4. Admiral Cloudesly Shovel. 5. Mozambique 6. Comets, 7. Enemy Coast Ahead, 8. White Fire. 9. Dot, 10. Room at the Top. 11. From the Beginning, 12. Ailurophobia, 13. The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Any More, 14. The Greek Alphabet, 15. Wine & Methylated Spirits, 16. Poisonous frog 17. Liebfroumilch, 18. Pat Eddery, 19. Square – she was so obese, 20. Shelagh Delaney, 21. Do they know it’s Christmas, 20. Sheelagh Delaney, 21. Do they know it’s Christmas 22. Anchors, 23. Carnoustie, 24. Mungo

Park [1771-1806,] 25. Battle of Naseby16 , 26. Margaret Attwood 27. Heriot- Watt, 28. Museum of Moving Images, 29. Man of Kent, 30. Grove between nose and lip.