The Gommunigator
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e(s yb :- ::-: ' -a'+===--:-:: THE GOMMUNIGATOR FieldMarshal, The Lotd Maior-Gelerat, The ViscoEnt Eardtng of Petherton Moncktoa of Erencbley .Es a mernber of the Services liable to constant moves, you have a greater than average need for the professional co-ordination of your afrairs. Sausmarez Carey & Harris are a group of experts who between them have experience in all aspects of financial planning for the individual. They are able to assess the overall situation, taking into account financial and family background. They then proceed to advise on future overall strategy aimed at achieving most effi,ciently and economically these objectives. If you would like to establish a notional btueprint of your overdl position, and plan successfully and flexibly for the future, we are will profit frorn a ::ilil\?i,[o" SAUSMAREZ GANDY& HANRIS IIMITEID 419 Oxford Street, WlR ?llP. tel: 0I-499 7000 65 London \tr/all, EC2M 5UA. tel : 0I -499 7000 - lipecialists in Investment, Personal Portfolio Manaqement, Estate Dut'7 an'J Tax 1,1-:l r-:. :. --.i .:-:,. -r .:.1 Mortgaqes, Loans, Pensicns, General Insurance, Overseas Investment arl T..:.:=.:--:- l:-s:s. THE COMMUNICATOR PUBLISHED AT HMS 'MERCURY' The Magazine of the Communications Branch, Royal Navy ani the Royal Naval Amateur Radio Society SPRING-SUMMER 1974 VOL 22, No'l Price: 25p. post free CONT ENT S paSe pugc E orroRrnr I Monsr ,qllo \lonsr TRarNrNc il CaprerN R. D. FReN<Lrr, nu 1 Wcro Pi,nr ll RouNo rnp Wonlo RacE 4 \4ror l\4aro lll 11 SpRlNc Cnosswono 6 GorNc rHe RouxDS rN MEncuRy 12 WrrerevER F{,a,ppEtr;o ro COA'l 1 Flr.r.r Sccrrox l9 RN Auerr,un R.eoto Socrerv 8 Cora,vl sstoNINC Fonrr'lsr 40 Lr,rrr.Rs ro t{E EorroR 8 Pt:.lu p ++,1 / BrRt'.trNculu RNR l0 CoivvuNicATioNS G tzettr. 49 Lrre wrrH rnr, Pnor-esstoNAls l0 DRnprlnc 5l Eclitor artcl T reasurer'. Lieutcnant D. J.tc-<sc:. Assistartt Editor: Lieutenant-Commander A. B,q,NHair Sales Director: Lieutenant A. E. FrElos Sccrelaries: LRO(W) R. P. Brnnow lJrrsirrr,.rs, Production & A dvertisement Manager : Mn Eocan SencovsE, 44, Abbots Ride, Farnham, Surrey EDITORIAL On taking ove.' as Editor I should like to lower grade of paper. This idea must have been record on your behalf our thanks to Lieutenant considered in the past and will perhaps be con- Commander J. H. Ellis who has done so much sidered again in the future. for the magazine during nearly seven years in the Lower quality paper discolours more quickly Editorial chair. In that time he has produced than better grades and generally stands up leis weil sixteen editions and has set a standard that is to the passage of time. It is therefore worth con- both an example and a challenge to his successors. sidering that our magazine is in its way a Journal Lieutenant Comnrander E,llis's professional dedi- of Record and that many of our readers regard cation will be greatly missed. it as such, preserving and treasuring their .o-pi". We welcome Lieutenant H. D. Hellier who has not so much as an adjunct to a hobby. but is a volunteered to take over as the treasurer. living history of th<,ir times in the Service. For this reason a change to cheaper paper would not Crisis Deadlines be made without careful thought. This edition has been produced during the oil Changing direction slightly, it is also worth crisis, miners' s':rike and the resulting three day considering that our magazine provides, at a working week for industry. This has meant meeting yearly cost of something less than a round of much earlier deadlines than is usual and our thanks drinks in mixed company, the answer to that are given to those contributors who responded so question which is inevitably asked by our children promptly to the FIeet Editor's 'flash' for articles (and grandchildren !) "Wh at was it like in the by return of post. Royal Navy in your- day?" Lower Quality Paper? The Royal Naval Reserve page On 8 of this issue a correspondent has sug- In the last issue the Editor referred to CRS gested that the magazine could be produced on a (Contintred on puge 3) CAPTAIN R. D. F'RANKLIN, R.N DIRECTOR OF NAVAL SIGI{ALS .,ii,w .*i*lt;,r,. ffiil' ,ffi ,,,,,;SF:ffiq*ffi ffi ffi*i' $." r ijfrt:,: Captain Frauklin was born at Ir:stow, North Training Commander in HMS Mcrcttr_r'. He nexl Devor in 1925. He joined the Royal l.{avy at commanded I-tMS 'furtor operating in the West D:rtmouth in 1939 and served at sea during Indies and particularly on the Bahamas patrol. the war in the battleships HMS Ramillias and From 1967 169 he was Fle et Communications HMS Valicurt. Moving to destroyers he took part Officer to C-in-C Far East Fleet. in the North Russian Convoys and in the in- On promoiion to Capiain in i969 Captain vasion of Sicily and Northern France. F;anklin was appointed to the Hague as Defence, In 1949 Captain Franklin qualified as a Signal Naval and Military Attache. He took command Officer and as a specialist held a series of staft of HMS Andromeda in August l97l and a month appc:ntments in the H ome and Mediterranean later assumed command of the 6th Frigate Squad- Fleets and in the Fleet Air Arm. In 1953 154 he ron which he had left as a lieutenant l7 years served as the Squadron Communications Officer before. On leaving this command in December in th-- 6th Frigate Squadron. This was followed 1972 he spent a year at the Royal College of in 1955 I 57 by an interestins period in the Persian Defence Studies. Gulf as Operations and Intelligence Officer and Captain Franklin, his wife, who is Norwegian. he also served on the Naval Staff dealing two sons and a daughter live in Old Bursledc: with strategic communications and then had a on the Hamble River in Hampshire. spell as the First Lieuienant of the Signal School. Captain Franklin is a younger Brother .: As a Commander he commanded an MCM Trinity House and a member of the Britis:r I:- Squadron engaged in clearing old mine fields in stitute of Managernent. He was appointed D::;;- the North Sea. From 1962 ro 1964 he was the tor of Naval Signals on January 4. 197-+. 1 Tinklcr as 'Our Man in the RNR'. this has resulted pay of eight shillings to them. But I never lost in the RNR article on page l0 of this issue. my admiration for the RNR over the next 40 Lt-Cdr Ellis writes years of Service Lift. 'ANON is quite right to take me to task about ANON's article seeks our help in the Birm- using the term "Our Man in the RNR". What ingham Communications Training Centre I really meant was that CRS Tinkler was the there can be no better cause.' magazine's link man with the RNR. Communicator items The RNR first impressed itself on me during The Editor and Sales Director would like tu the 1934 combined fleet exercises off Gibraltar thank subscribers for their continued support when we, in HMS Velox, were joined by four of the magazine by the purchase of 'Com- RNR Communicators to help us out. They did municator items'. It is regretted that becaus^ of much more than this for not only were they the paper shortage a brochure could not be first class operators, and full of enthusiasm. included in this edition, however the full range they made us sad when they left. of items is still available and it is hoped that They, being Ceordies, were also first class there wilI be a brochure in the next edition pontoon players and I lost most of my week's giving an increased range of goods. rf$ [b T'he retiring Editor of 'The Communicator', Lt-Cdr J. H. Ellis receiving a memento from Cdr A. H. Dickins ROUND THE WORLD RACE LEG I IN 'ADYENTURE' by Lt-CiIr J. P. G. Bryans Wbat a magnificent send-off! The hundreds of miles ahead. boats that turned out for the start were a great Our planned route to the Equator followed boost to our spirits and a fine sight. There was the rhumb line leaving Madeira to Starboard, a light ESE'ly filling in from the Channel giving passing through the Canary lslands. close to the us just enough speed to overcome the appalling East of the Cape Verde Islands and then curving lopp caused by the multitude of spectator craft. South Eastwards to about l5W on the Equator. The months of preparation were nearly over, the The yawls and ketches favoured a more Westerly minutes ticked away; mouths were dry as the route to give themselves stronger and nrore free excitement rose. We reached down the line trying winds South of the Equator. Our more direct to gain some boat spe:d and make a fast start roLrte exploited A clvc ntut'c's close winded capa- at the Western end of the line. Large boats, bility. small boats, even rowing boats lined our way as As we beat South. some 100 miles off the Portu- the minutes turned to seconds and we groped our guese coast, we were forced to the East of this way to the line. The great Southsea cannon planned route and off Cape St Vincent. the wind announced the start and at 12 noon on September gradually died. This was our first bad patch of ll.