1
THE SEVEN SEAS MAGAZINE
The Official Organ of the Seven Seas Club
Volume 87, No 2
Autumn 2011
Editorial:
Although I was due to take over as magazine editor from this edition anyway it was still very sad to hear about the premature death of our friend Barry Holland who did such a great job of editing the magazine, together with his wife Lynne, since the Summer edition of 2006 when they took over the mantle from Richard Woodman. I hope I can continue to meet the standards set by my predecessors.
Our Members are drawn primarily from five walks of life: Merchant Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Marines, small boat Owners and others, like myself, who do not fit easily into one of these categories, in my case being a Naval Architect in the oil and gas industry.
It is, therefore, my intention to try and include a cross section of articles covering all the above categories of Members. This edition manages to cover three of the five categories to ensure there is something of interest for everyone.
Just a reminder to everyone that we have an archive containing historic information on the club including many magazines dating back to the 1930’s as well as article of interest. The information occupies 2.77GB and can be purchased for £5.00 (to cover costs of the DVD and postage only) from the undersigned.
Finally, I would like to appeal to you for articles of interest for inclusion in future editions of this magazine. The wide experience of members is such that there are many stories still to be told and if you would like to make a contribution to your magazine any articles will be gratefully received.
David Watson Honorary Magazine Editor
2
President’s Message
The honour that you have bestowed on me by electing me as your President is very much appreciated and I will do everything in my power to maintain the high standards set by our previous Presidents. In this I will be greatly assisted by our Committee who work tirelessly to ensure that our Dinners and outside events run smoothly and efficiently.
At the present time, when many Clubs and Associations, are suffering from falling membership, our Club is still going from strength to strength. This is due to the friendliness and comradeship engendered at our Dinners by you our Members and long may it continue.
I realize that quite a few of you have a fair way to travel but I do look forward to seeing as many as possible at our Dinners.
Yours Aye,
Len Barlow President 3
Secretary’s Corner
Membership:
It is usual at this point in the magazine to list members who have joined the Club since the last edition. However, we have just issued a new list of members which is up to date and doing so at this stage would just repeat what has already been published. Suffice to say that membership is very buoyant with a net increase in Membership. The following figures show the trend:
March 2010 190 September 2010 190 March 2011 205 October 2011 212
It is not the objective of the Club to increase Membership addinfinitum. In fact there are no stated objectives with regard to Membership numbers. Not only would the atmosphere change, the main reason why Members join in the first place but, certainly for large dinners, we can be almost near capacity at the National Liberal Club. However, it is good to see new Members joining some of whom are already taking an active role in the running of the Club and are on the committee.
Unfortunately five of those who have departed the Club in the last year have slipped their cable and others who have also been wonderful members over the years have resigned due to ill health preventing them from attending dinners or have moved away from the area in retirement or for work and have no longer felt able to attend dinners.
One final point on Membership is that most Members now receive Club communications by e-mail such as dinner notices. Some, 16%, however, still receive their notices by post, down from 19% two months ago. We are more than happy to continue sending out notices by post, however, if you do have an e-mail address that we don’t know about and would be happy to receive e-mailed notices please advise the Hon. Membership Secretary (e-mail address [email protected]).
Change of Hon. Secretary:
As John Mankerty said in the last magazine I am currently in the process of taking over as Hon. Secretary. The fact that it is such a long handover is an indication of how much work John does for the Club (and has done for the last 14 to 15 years!) and how much information he has to “download”. I hope I can meet the challenge as he has done so ably.
Hon. Almoner
The role of our Hon. Almoner, Martin Earp in maintaining contact with our current Members when they become ill or incapacitated and former Members’ Widows goes largely unnoticed by the Club at large. However, the work that Martin is doing is certainly recognised and much appreciated by the Committee and is seen as an important part of the Club’s ethos. Martin telephones Members who are unwell and Widows (of which we currently have 22; 16 of whom Martin is in regular contact and 6 who we have lost contact, with one dying this year). Annual vouchers are also sent to the widows together with seasonal cards.
If Members would use the cards sent out earlier this year to inform Martin if they are ill it would be appreciated.
The comradeship of the Club extends beyond our monthly dinners. 4
CLUB DATES FOR YOUR DIARY, 2011 - 2012
2011 Sunday 13th November Remembrance Sunday at the Merchant Navy Memorial, Tower Hill
Thursday 17th November Mr. Ray Kay ASTO
Thursday, 22nd December Christmas Party
2012 Thursday 26th January Det. Ch. Supt. Adrian Tudway (RM ret’d). “Policing/Counter Terrosism” Thursday 23rd February Mr. Louis Roskell. “Ferry to the Falklands”
Thursday 29th March Mr Michael St. Clair Hannah MNI. “A Merchant Navy Apprenticeship”
Thursday 26th April Mr. Richard Quirk (RM ret’d) (Ladies Night)
Thursday 31st May Mr. Shep Woolley and Bill McCinnon (AGM)
Tower Church Service Date to be advised
President’s cocktail Party Date to be advised
Ceremony of the Keys Date to be advised
Pimms on the Poopdeck Date to be advised
5
Obituaries:
Since the last magazine was published the following members have slipped their cable:
Mr Mike Beale Died 30th August, 2010 Mr David Cusden Died 5th April, 2011 Mr Rowley King Died June, 2011 Mr Barry Holland Died 20th September, 2011 Mr Peter Hopton Died 5th August, 2011
Obituaries for members, where possible, are always included in the magazine. In this edition the obituaries for David Cusden and Michael Beale are included. Our other friends will be included in future magazines once information for their biographies have been compiles and a respectful time has passed since they passed away.
David Cusden
1936 - 2011
David Cusden, far right, at the Institute of Marine Engineers of which he was once President
In 1952 Shell started a Training Scheme to develop seagoing engineers for it’s large fleet and David joined in that inaugural year. I do not know how Shell advertised the Scheme but it caught the imagination of the teenage David Cusdin and sparked an enthusiasm for Marine Engineering which endured all his life. His 5 year apprenticeship comprised study at technical college, work in shipyards and 15 months at sea on the T2 “Tagelus”. In 1957 he joined the SS “Velutina” as a fully-fledged Junior Engineer. David progressed through the ranks in Shell obtaining all his Certificates of Competency at Poplar Technical College culminating in his Extra Chief’s Certificate in 1966. He had been appointed Chief Engineer of MV “Borus” in 1963 at the tender age of 27; the youngest man to reach that position in the Shell fleet at that time. In 1966 he was brought ashore and his first job was to coordinate the re-engining of SS ”Humilaria”. He was then involved in the design of the new breed of Supertankers, the 210,000 ton “M” Class and 6 was appointed to stand by the building of the “Murex” at the Kieler Howaldtswerke shipyard in Germany. There he met Ellen and they were married in May 1969 shortly before David took “Murex” to sea as Chief Engineer. Ellen was able to join him on board later that year and then sailed with David on many Shell ships. David continued as Chief Engineer in many of Shell’s new ships. His last ship was the Liquid Natural Gas Carrier “Gadila”. He took her on her maiden voyage and, by strange coincidence, she discharged her last cargo in the week that he died. By the time he finally came ashore in 1973 he had served on 17 different ships, had sailed 956,348 nautical miles and had experience of all the machinery types in the Shell fleet at that time:-
Turbo-Electric (T2s) Triple Expansion Steam Reciprocating Engines Slow Speed Diesels Doxford Double Acting Diesels High Pressure geared Steam Turbines Gas burning LNG tankers.
Those who sailed with David describe him as highly competent, unflappable in a crisis (and there were many in those days), and always helpful and encouraging to his apprentices and juniors. This concern to develop new talent was evident in later years when he was part of the Engineering Council Neighbourhood Engineer Scheme at his local secondary school. In 1973 he joined Shell International Marine Technical Division where he remained until retirement. He carried out several Research and Development projects on such varied subjects as “Fuel quality”, “Use of organic fluids for Waste Heat Recovery” and “Cargo Handling”. He was the Company representative on several Industry bodies. In 1986 he was seconded to Harland & Wolff in Belfast for 2 years to coordinate the design and construction of the Machinery Control systems for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel “Fort Victoria”. She was a unique vessel and a real challenge to reach consensus between the Ministry of Defence, the Shipbuilder, Classification Societies and a multitude of other agencies. Belfast at that time was not a favourite posting but, true to form, David tackled it, made many friends and grew from the experience. One of his last projects was the reactivation of LNG carriers for the Nigerian Project. The ships had been built on-spec some 15 years earlier, had never carried a cargo and had been laid up ever since. The reactivation was successful, if greatly over budget, but made lots of money for the project. David’s last position in Shell was LNG Shipping Advisor for the multitude of new LNG projects in the pipeline. He retired in 1994. Early in his career David realised that the Institute of Marine Engineers provided a valuable source of information and experience and he joined in 1952 as a Probationary Student member. That association also lasted for the rest of his life as he progressed to Member (1970), Fellow (1973), Council Member (1983), Honorary Treasurer from 1992 until 2007 and the ultimate accolade of his year as President in 1997. During that year he visited many Branches, often with Ellen, and delivered his address “Forty Years a Marine Engineer” to many audiences in the UK and as far away as Australia and New Zealand. He also served on Council Committees, as a Trustee of the Staff Pension Fund and the Memorial Fund and as representative on Marine Industry bodies. He presented papers on “A Marine Fluidised Bed Waste Heat Boiler”, “Ship Design Considerations in LNG Projects” and “The Optimisation of Marine Steam Power Plant at Reduced Output and Fuel Saving Techniques”. He also served as Vice Chairman of the South East England Branch and regularly supported their activities. On several occasions David was proud to lay the Institute wreath at the Merchant Navy War Memorial at Tower Hill on Remembrance Day and to attend the Annual Seafarer’s Service at St. Pauls Cathedral.
In 1992 he was persuaded to join the Committee of the Guild of Benevolence. He took over as Treasurer of the Guild in 1994, was elected Chairman in 1998 and continued in that role chairing the last Committee meeting only 6 weeks ago although clearly in great physical distress at that time, a measure of the determination and commitment which he brought to all his activities.
7
He was appointed an Hon. Fellow of the Institute in 2002 for his long and varied service. At that time there were only 10 Hon. Fellows headed by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh so he was in very distinguished company.
There is a very apt quotation:-
“There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune”. David’s flood tide was his decision to join Shell’s Training Scheme. His fortune was not in worldly wealth but in a career which he found so engrossing and fulfilling for the rest of his life. The fortune, of course, is enjoyed by many others:- The Shell Group, The Marine Industry at large, The Institute and The Guild of Benevolence plus the hundreds of beneficiaries helped over the years.
How can you summarise a life so well lived?-
A warm, humorous and considerate man A good friend, colleague and shipmate A devoted husband and father
Certainly all of the above but I think he would wish to be remembered as a consummate Marine Engineer
That was David Cusdin
8
DINNER PICTURES
January 2011 – Burns Night
Shep Woolley receiving the Chip Leonard anchor from the President
New members receiving their ties 9
Commodore Patrick receiving his cufflinks after “killing” the Haggis on Burns Night
February 2011 Dinner
John Mankerty receiving the Chip Leonard anchor from the President 10
Lt. Col. Steve Crouden being presented with his cufflinks after delivering the February talk
March 2011 Dinner
Michael Pinner receiving the Chip Leonard anchor 11
April 2011 Dinner – Ladies Night
Liz Barlow being awarded the Chip Leonard anchor at Ladies Night
Dom Watson and Hazel Watson being given a presentation by the President
12
May 2011 Dinner – AGM
The handover from Presidents past and present
Shep Woolley and Bill McCinnon giving another memorable performance at the AGM
13
Pimms on the Poop Deck 3rd September, 2011
The President Len Barlow presenting a cheque to the RNLI crew at Ramsgate
14
MINUTES OF THE 87th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
SEVEN SEAS CLUB on 9th June 2011
Venue: Lloyd George Room National Liberal Club
1. Nominations. No nominations for posts were received by the Hon Secretary.
2. Apologies. There were 47 apologies.
3. Minutes of the 86th Annual General Meeting. The Minutes of the 86th AGM were agreed.
4. To Receive the Club’s Audited Accounts and Adopt Them. The Hon. Treasurer asked if there were any comments or questions on the Accounts. As none were forthcoming, all agreed.
5. To Receive the President’s Report. The Members present accepted the President’s Report which had been circulated with the Agenda.
6. To Receive a Verbal Report on the Activities of the Baxter & Grimshaw Trust. The Hon Secretary read out the report which had been prepared by Michael Pinner.
This report is presented to the Members of the Seven Seas Club at their AGM in June 2011. Good Evening. This report on behalf of the Trustees of the Seven Seas Club Baxter & Grimshaw Trust is intended to give Club Members a brief insight into what the Trust has achieved over the year 2010/2011 The continuing financial strictures would appear to have restricted applications as opposed to our ability and willingness to make grants. In the year 2010/2011 the Trust assisted 118 young people. This is set against 156 young people for the year 2008/2009 and 167 young people for the year 2009/2010. The young people sailed with the Sea Cadets Offshore Organisation, with T.S. Rebel and with Cremyll Sailing. The applicants were Members of the Sea Cadets, The Air Training Corp and various social and youth organisations. One young person was assisted in improving his sea going qualifications with a grant which enabled him to take part in the ARC Race. Another is being supported (over two years) in studies at Cornwall College. Once again, we have assisted 20 South African Sea Cadets from TS WOLTEMADE with their programme of nautical training. As Hon. Sec. of the Trust, I am attempting to establish a firm connection with the Seven Seas Club of South Africa to enable this particular South African Sea Cadet unit to benefit from which, I hope, will become a joint effort. It gives me great pleasure to propose, on behalf of all the Trustees, a vote of thanks to Ray Williams, a Club Member and our Financial Advisor without whom very little could be accomplished. His expertise handling our finances is the firm base which enables young people to have the grants they need and for them to undertake voyages of discovery of themselves which are life changing. Ray, we thank you.
7. To Appoint a Temporary Chairman and Declare All Offices Vacant. Mr Jerry Miller was appointed.
8. To elect the President, Officers and Committee for the Year 2011/12.
15
a. PRESIDENT: Mr. Len Barlow was proposed by Mr. Richard Quirk and seconded unanimously by the Committee. All agreed and Len Barlow took the Chair. b. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Mr. Richard Quirk (Club Rule 15) c. MR VICE: Mr. David Watson proposed by Mr. Len Barlow and seconded unanimously by the Committee. All agreed. d. HON. SECRETARY: Cdr. John Mankerty OBE, RN., proposed by Mr. Len Barlow and seconded unanimously by the Committee. All agreed. e. HON TREASURER: Mr. Derek Bevan proposed by Cdr John Mankerty and seconded unanimously by the Committee. All agreed. f. HON DINNER SECRETARY: Mr. Dom Watson, proposed by Cdr John Mankerty and seconded unanimously by the Committee. All agreed. g. HON MAGAZINE EDITOR: This post is vacant and Mr. David Watson has agreed to “hold the fort” until a replacement is found. COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Mr. Eddie Hunter has offered himself for re-election to the Committee. Mr. Martin Earp (Hon Almoner), Mr. Bill Murray, Ch. Insp. Mark Scoular and Mr. Simon Skillen were proposed by Cdr John Mankerty OBE RN are seconded unanimously by the Officers and the Committee. All agreed. 9. To Appoint. a. HON CHAPLAINS: Mons. John Armitage, the Revd. Canon Thomas OBE, and the Revd. Peter Dennett are willing to serve as Honorary Chaplains. All agreed. b. AUDITOR: Mr. M J Buck C.P.F.A. is willing to continue in office. All agreed.
The President closed the meeting at 18:16
16
Tugging
By Jim Killen
The following poem was written by our member Jim Killen
The well known ocean salvage tug “Zwarte Zee” of which Jim Killen was Master
The work and life on ocean salvage-tugs remains an aspect of the seafaring game that remains almost unrecognised in the U.K. It would seem the last time any public interest was shown in ocean tugs was when the tug "Turmoil" was involved with the "Flying Enterprise", and that little escapade took place in the early 1950's. The Dutch ocean-tugs of Wijsmulller and Smit Internationale along with the German tugs of Bugsier had, deservidly, the reputation of being the worlds best. British deep-sea tugs were restricted to those operated by United Towing out of Hull, Overseas &Towage & Salvage of London and for a short time Metal Industries also operated a large tug or two.
Ocean tugs, generally, are far too large to be operated efficiently within the confines of a port. Local tug companies would, probably, have a word or two to say about it if some large foreign tug were to start operating within their domain. No, ocean-tugs do not usually operate from a fixed port. They, like the tramp-ship of old, would spend their time in distant waters as well as near seas, towing almost anything from almost anywhere to almost anywhere else. They do not, as is commonly thought, spend their lives lurking on salvage station, vulture-like, ready to pounce on the hapless mariner who had managed to get himself into a bit of bother.
On an ocean tug about 70% of the time will be spent on on long-distance contract-towage operations. Somewhere in the region of 15% of the time would be spent idle, either on salvage station or running light (that is "A" to "B" without a tow). The remaining 15%, in my experience, would be spent on salvage and rescue operations. Almost half of such salvage operations would be 17 refloating jobs - i.e. haulling hapless mariners out of, potentially, catastrophic groundings. Apart from refloating operations there were collisions, mechanical failures, fire-fighting jobs and patch-and-pump operations, all those and the occasional escort job would fall the way of the average ocean salvage-tug. While on salvage station, as an average, there would be about five call-outs to one successful job. Sometimes a competitor would get the job, sometimes the vessel would rectify whatever was ailing it in the first place and sometimes the casualty would sink or become commercially unsalvable, occasionally a potential salvage job would turn into a rescue operation.
There was never any money in rescue operations.
The crews on ocean salvage tuge were often a bit "Rough-around-the-edges" but, almost without exception, were excellent seamen - professional deep-sea tugmen. They had to be - for example; to launch an open boat from a heaving deck in a January gale then to transfer pumps and gear to an abandoned , leaking ship in the middle of the North Atlantic. Then to work long days and nights to keep the casualty afloat after making a towage connection takes a special sort of person. Open seas boatwork and fire-fighting, I always thought, carried the highest risks in the whole tugging game. Such people are, generally, not reknowned for their ability to sparkle socially. This 'lack of social graces' and the occasional blatant infringement of societies rules while ashore, would often be overlooked. Salvage-tug crews were not often well paid either! One example was when I was Second Mate on the tug "Neptunia", we did a job:- refloating a 50,000 ton fully-loaded tanker from a situation that would probably have resulted in her breaking her back and spillng a lot of black goo into the sea. Black goo that would, undoubtably, have reached pristine beaches only ten or so miles away. About 18months later, after I had been promoted to Mate I recieved a solitary five pound note as my cut of that particularly meagre salvage award. Then after about another 18months the final payment was recieved - an extra £25!
Aye! and tax taken out of both sums.
This induced me to write the following wee poem.
The mention of rusty old tugboat - well I had to make the words rhyme - but the tugs that I sailed on were kept like yachts.
N.B., a “Sparky” in the Royal Navy and ashore is an electrician – at sea, on merchant ships the “Sparky” is a radio operator.
Tugging
There’s a battered old tugboat Just leaving the docks Away from the harbour, The quayside, the locks.
Rushing to sea in a flurry of foam. Away from the alehouse, the doss-house, the home.
The seas are a’ breaking, The wind it is blowing. The battered old tugboat Like a pig it is rolling.
18
Slamming and diving And bouncing around. The Sparky’s just got it. There’s a tanker aground!
No slowing her down, No dropping a rev. So open her up, Keep pushing ahead.
For others have heard it And will sail for the ship. That’s needing assistance And needing it quick!
The “Pacific”, the “Schaldis” The “Gelderland” too, All faster than us, To name but a few.
For there’s others in tugs With courage and pluck. “First come, first served!” It’s a mater of luck.
Now, green seas we’re shipping O’er for’d and aft. To do this for fun You’d have to be daft.
And now it’s all hands And the cook on the deck. “Watch out for that tow-wire!” “Look out for your neck!”
For we’ve come to the job We’ve come to the spot Where a dirty great tanker’s Stuck fast on a rock!
With rocket-line, messenger, Wire pendant and chain, And anchors and nylons, For it is our aim.
To make fast to her aftships Make fast to her bitts. So do the job proper, Don’t make any slips.
The tide’s gone full flood The wind it is rising, There’ll be no second chance. So it isn’t surprising
19
To hear bosun yelling, This job he is cursing, The Skipper, up there, His tugboat is nursing.
Backing and filling And holding her steady. He’ll start pulling soon, Whenever he’s ready.
The gear flies out With a rush from the deck. A hand to the winch brake! He’s got her in check.
Now start pulling easy. It’s foolish to hurry. We’ll get his job done. No need for to worry.
Now open her up, Give it all that she’s got! The engineer calls, “That’s all! That’s your lot!”
With thousands of horses The wire starts to singing. The tanker, her stern, To seaward we’re bringing.
She moves, catches, sticks, Then moves once again. I wonder how much For this job they’ll be paying.
She comes off so slowly Away from the shore, To seaward we tow For of work there is more.
We’ll take her to harbour, Or into dry-dock. Or a place of safe refuge. Then that is our lot.
For we’ve done with his job We’ve done for the day. And as for our owners How much will they pay?
Now the job is all over, We’ve just brought her in On a Lloyds Open Form Some money to win?
20
YOU’RE JOKING!
For parting with money Gives our owners pain. “Thanks, here’s a fiver. – Go do it again”
“You’ve done a grand job” Is all that they’ll say. No talk about money, No mention of pay”
For the long sleepless nights. And the work that was done. For the risks that we took And the prize that we won.
“Don’t mention that subject. You have a good job.” And all that they hand us Is a couple of bob.
That’s all that they give you, It’s a bloody disgrace. I feel right disgusted With the whole human race.
Now we’ve tied up in harbour A rest to be taking. I’ll away to the ale-house My thirst to be slaking.
I go up to the bar And order my grog. No friend in this house. Better known is that dog.
Some punters they ask me From whence do I hail. From fishing? From whaling? Shaw Savill? Royal Mail?
They see I’m a seaman From he cut o’ my gear And look me twice over While supping their beer.
I say I’m in tugs And bear it in mind. Not harbour, nor docking. But the sea-going kind.
I don’t sail in big boats I don’t like the style. It’s tugging I’m in, 21
I’ll stay for awhile.
The smart one he jokes And starts off to chaff. The others look sideways And try not to laugh.
I’m keeping my temper. With all of my might. When I hear the tug calling, From out of the night.
On whistle and horn Loud blasts she’s been blowing. Some ship is in trouble. I’d better be going.
I’ll leave these big boatmen Still having their fun I’d better get moving. There’s work to be done. . There’s a battered old tugboat Just leaving the docks Away from the harbour, The quayside, the locks.
Rushing to sea in a flurry of foam. Away from the alehouse, the doss-house, the home.
J.R. KIllen Mate, Tug "Britonia" 1968 22
Honey Advert
23
Commanders Nicholson and Harrison
By John Calcutt
HMS Cressy
Just recently there has been a lot of publicity concerning the First World War cruisers, Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy when information emerged that a Dutch salvage company has been using grabs to randomly extract metal from the wrecks. This disturbing event has caused much concern as many people naturally believe that they should remain untouched as war graves. This news reminded me of some research that I have conducted for my book ‘Newdigate - A Village at War’ which tells the story of my village and its people during the Great War and which I thought might be of interest to readers of this magazine.
In September 1914 the rector of Newdigate wrote, ‘You know the story of Captain Nicholson, who was saved after being nearly three hours in the water. Another neighbour, Captain Harrison, whose sister conducted the Ockley Choral Society last winter, perished at the same time.’
Who were Captain Nicholson and Captain Harrison? Not much to go on you might think but I have discovered exactly who they were and what happened to them.
First and very simply I found in the book ‘And Choirs Singing’, a history of the Leith Hill Music Festival, that the conductor of Ockley Choral Society in 1914 was Ursula Harrison. A search in the 1891 census at Itchingfield found Matthew J. Harrison (44), retired commander in the Royal Navy, 24 living with his wife Lucy (44) and children, Ann (13), Thomas E (11), George B (8) and Lucy U (6) together with their French butler and cook. The birth records showed that Lucy Ursula Harrison was born at Horsham in 1895.
I then went to the Commonwealth War Graves website and typed in Harrison, T.E. for 1914 and the only senior naval officer of that name killed in 1914 was Lt. Commander Thomas Edmund Harrison (age 34) who lost his life on board HMS Aboukir on the 22nd September 1914. It stated that his parents were Comdr. M.J. and Mrs Harrison of Freckleton, Crawford Bay, West Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada and he was married to Maud Winifred Harrison of Wey Lodge, Liphook, Hampshire. All the information tied up.
During the morning of the 22nd September three elderly cruisers, the Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy, were patrolling off the Dutch coast. The Aboukir was struck by a torpedo at 6.25am and quickly sunk. Shortly afterwards the Hogue was also hit and immediately began to heel to starboard and at 7.15am the Cressy was also hit and turned keel up and sunk at 7.55am. The German U-boat, U-9 commanded by Otto Weddigen, returned to port as heroes and a medal was struck to commemorate his success. He was to die later in the war when his submarine was rammed by HMS Dreadnought. This was a disaster for the Royal Navy and many lessons were learnt from the event.
Thomas’s brother, Lt. Commander George Basil Harrison, was killed in 1915 when HMS Natal mysteriously blew up in Cromarty Forth and by a strange coincidence my wife’s great uncle was also killed on the same ship.
Further research on the internet found more interesting information concerning the Harrison family written by Thomas’s great, grand daughter, Robina Arbuthnot. Matthew James Harrison married Lucy Wedgwood who was the daughter of, Josiah Wedgwood, of Leith Hill Place. Lucy’s sister, Margaret married Arthur Vaughan Williams and their son Ralph was the famous composer. Lucy’s uncle was none other than Charles Darwin.
Matthew had been in the navy and was on one of the first expeditions to Easter Island when the huge heads were found and a lot of his collection from this voyage was later donated to the British Museum along with some of his sketches from the voyage. During his time also in the navy he had shore leave from Vancouver and took the railway up to Nelson. He crossed Kootenay Lake and fell in love with the area and vowed one day to return. In 1908 he went back, located a site and started building his retirement home. In 1911 he was joined by his wife Lucy (both were 65 years old by that time!) and their two daughters, Ann Dorothea (Nancy) who married an Englishman called Jack Gooch and settled in another property on this Kootenay estate but had no children and Ursula who married a local man, Jack Houghton and had four children.
Lucy Wedgwood died in 1919 and Matthew James, having married his nurse, died in 1926 and they are both buried in the grounds of the lovely house they had built. Before he died he built a beautiful church called the Harrison Memorial Church to his three dead sons and to Lucy who died just before its completion. It is still there and used. Ursula died very young in Wales from pneumonia having gone ‘home’ to bring up the four children and persuaded her husband to come too, much against his will. He then took the four children back to Kootenay and died himself shortly afterwards. This left Nancy who was a widow by then to bring up the children and so she moved down to Victoria to make life easier for them, and descendants still own the estate there.
So all this came from a brief comment from the rector in the parish magazine but what about Captain Nicholson? He was on board HMS Cressy when she was torpedoed in 1914 but survived to tell the tale.
Bertram William Lothian Nicholson was born in Jersey in 1879. His father, Lothian Nicholson, was Lieutenant Governor of Jersey at the time and he had three sisters and six brothers. Of the brothers, three joined the army and rose to the rank of Major General; two of these being knighted and one was 25
ADC to the King in 1913-14 and two joined the navy. Douglas became an admiral and was knighted and Bertram rose to the rank of Captain but took voluntary retirement in 1922 when the Navy was being cut back.
Lothian had married Mary Romilly, the daughter of the Master of the Rolls, Sir John Romilly, in 1864 and died as a result of malarial fever whilst he was Lieutenant Governor of Gibraltar in 1893. The family seat was at Waverley Abbey House where Lothian’s father, George Thomas Nicholson would entertain in the grand style and on one occasion eighty guests slept overnight. Florence Nightingale was a niece and was a frequent guest.
Small wonder that on his naval service record in April 1919 that it was noted that Bertram ‘moves in the best society’.
Bertram or Nick as he was known, entered the service on the 15th July 1893, six weeks after his 14th birthday and three weeks after the death of his father. He entered the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and trained as a cadet and his first posting as a Midshipman was to the battleship HMS Ramillies in 1896. He was promoted Lieutenant in 1901.He was subsequently appointed as an instructor to the staff of the Royal Naval College from 1908-1910, which suggested that his teaching abilities had already been noted, and became a Commander at the end of 1913.
He was posted as second in charge and Executive Officer of HMS Cressy on the 9th April 1913 and as we have already seen that ill fated ship was torpedoed in September 1914 after which the rector very briefly wrote ‘You know the story of Captain Nicholson, who was saved after being nearly three hours in the water’. The rector no doubt became aware of the story as he knew Nick’s mother.
He then had some leave and the Dorking Advertiser reported:
Commander Bertram Lothian Nicholson of the ill fated ‘Cressy’ which was torpedoed and sunk at the same time as the ‘Aboukir’ and ‘Hogue’ has been visiting his mother, Lady Nicholson, at Parkland Cottage, Oakwood, on short leave. He has now returned to his naval duties. Lady Nicholson’s family are nobly serving the country. Col. Cecil Lothian Nicholson is with the East Lancashire Regiment, Commodore Douglas Lothian Nicholson is with the Agincourt, Captain Octavius Lothian Nicholson is with the Yorkshire Regiment and Captain Francis Lothian Nicholson is with the Indian Army.
In October 1915 he married his County Down bride and sister-in-law, Evelyn Douglas Montague Browne and was back in the Navy commanding HMS Zaria, an armed merchant cruiser. By the end of the war he was described as ‘Specially recommended for advancement. I consider this officer’s attainments of a very high order. Possesses a very high sense of duty and principles which he exercises in himself and exacts them from others. Generally well read. Should attain distinction in the higher ranks’. He was promoted Captain on the 30th July 1919.
After the war he attended a course to re-qualify as a French interpreter and in that role served at the Danube Conference. He retired from the Navy on the 14th July 1922, at his own request, but presumably he could see that the Navy was being scaled down and saw his future elsewhere.
In 1925 he set sail for a new life in Kenya which at that time was a thriving British colony which had seen its European population triple in the years immediately after the war. Nick was appointed headmaster of the Nairobi European School, a post he held for six years, during which a report stated that his tenure was ‘very successful and fully justifies his appointment’. A major new school was being built at Kabete and in 1931 he ‘took over the helm’ with a crew of seven staff – he constantly referred to matters using nautical terms and themes – and it was named the Prince of Wales School.
In 1937, at the age of 58, Captain Nicholson retired to his home in Ockley but his retirement was to be shortlived as at the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined the Navy and became Commodore 26 of the Atlantic convoys. After an eventful war he was awarded the CBE as recognition of his forty eight years of military and civil service.
He retired for a second time to Tiphams, his home in Ockley, where he died on the 22nd October 1958 aged 79 and is buried at Okewood Church. His wife died four years later and she is buried with her husband.
The Ockley Parish Magazine printed the following obituary:
‘Bertie’ Nicholson’s place will be hard to fill. He was a great sportsman and a stalwart figure in his beloved Ockley, devoted to the national game. His brothers helped him build up the Club all their early days and put Ockley cricket on the map. He served in the Navy with distinction in both Wars and earned the CBE and DSO, and had some trying and exciting times commanding armed merchantmen as Commodore of a squadron protecting the trade routes of the Atlantic. Between the wars he joined the Civil Service in Kenya, where he did fine work, and was Headmaster of two large schools which he had developed on our public school lines and those of the Royal Navy. Bertram Nicholson was an excellent wicket keeper and a sound batsman and he continued playing till he passed seventy. In his young days he shone as a half-back at rugby, representing the Navy in the inter-Service matches. After the Second World War he devoted much time to the cricket ground and got the ‘ring’ enlarged to its present lines and as President of the Club helped much in organisation. He relinquished the Presidency only a year or two ago. The son of General Sir Lothian Nicholson, he was buried in his parents’ vault at Okewood. Mrs Nicholson begs to thank all kind friends for messages of sympathy and for the many beautiful wreaths, especially for those of the Cricket Club and of the tradesmen of Ockley, for which she is grateful.
The villages mentioned, Newdigate, Ockley, Capel and Oakwood all lie to the south of Dorking right on the Surrey border with Sussex. My book, A Village at War will be published in November 2011 by Reveille Press. 27
Nelson’s Last Journey – October, 2010
By Graham Capel
On the weekend of 23rd/24th October, 2010 Nelson Historian and Member of the Nelson Society, Graham Capel brought a bust of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson to Menorca as a gift for the Isla del Rey in Mahon harbour which is being restored with the enthusiasm of General Luis Alejandre and the Foundation of friends of the Hospital Island.
The bust of Nelson travelled as hand luggage by Easyjet and showed up well in the airport scanners when explained what it was! It must have been a novel experience for the seafaring 18th century Admiral to reach Minorca (as he spelt it) in 1 hour 55 minutes! However, his last journey was appropriately by boat out to the Isla del Rey at dawn on Sunday 24th October.
The bust of Nelson
A brief reunion with the statue of Admiral Lors Collingwood – Nelson’s second in command at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21st October, 1805, 205 years and 3 days later where the conversation could have been, “How went the battle Coll, I missed the end.”. Collingwood’s statue had been erected on the island by the Menorca Britannica Society earlier in the year to commemorate 200 years since Collingwood’s death just as he was leaving Minorca on 7th March, 1810.
Nelson’s bust was placed on a column in the part restored British Naval Hospital on the Isla del Rey together with display panels depicting the three periods of British occupation of the island of Minorca. These were:
28
1708 to 1756 1763 to 1782 1798 to 1802
In addition there were display panels detailing the life and career of Nelson and Collingwood and their major sea battles.
29
With the bust of Collingwood
The bust of Nelson and the display panels will form the basis of an exhibition showing the British involvement in Menorca and the hospital on the Isla del Ray which was built by Admiral John Jennings at his own cost in 1711, into a 336 bed hospital by local builder Anronio Sequi for Vice Admiral John Baker in 1715 and later rebuilt into the present structure which was completed in 1776 which General Alejandre and his band of helpers are restoring ready for its 300 year anniversary which is to be celebrated in June, 2011.
The full display
Hopefully other British organisations and individuals in Menorca will be able to add to the present display with flags, pictures and historic memorabilia to extend the British involvement on the island – a small canon and shells would be nice!
You can see the Isla del Rey website on Google – Isla del Rey Menorca, and go to Fotos, then 2010 and scroll down to the month 24th October, 2010 and there is Nelson on the Isla del Rey.
30 31
The “Sheemaun and her skipper Dr Rodney Pell
One of our Members, Dr Rodney Pell, is Owner of the historic and beautiful vessel “Sheemaun”. Below is a picture of Rodney receiving the prestigious Royal Oak and Liege Trophies, awards for cruising achievements in British and overseas waters.
We hope that Rodney will be able to write about the history of the “Sheemaun” and the trophies in a future article.
Rodney Pell receiving the trophies for cruising achievements in UK and overseas waters.
“Sheemaun” 32
THE SLOP-CHEST
Club Tie* Multi-motive £20.00 If posted £22.00
Ten Year Silk Tie Roman Numeral X under Club Motif £20.00 If posted £22.00
Shield The Club Crest in enamel, mounted on a wooden Shield. An excellent production £20.00
Club Burgee 18 inches, 12 inches on truck £15.00
Cufflinks Bearing Club Crest, per pair £15.00 If posted £17.00
Ladies’ Handbag Mirror As given at Ladies’s Night £15.00
Flower Vase in presentation As given at Ladies’ Night £13.00 bag
All items are available from the Hon. Secretary:
Cdr John Mankerty 29, Berkhamstead Road, Belvedere, Kent. DA17 5EA.
Tel: 01322 442265 [email protected]
Seven Seas Sweatshirts
Members are also reminded that Club Sweatshirts in Navy, Grey and Red are available in standard Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, and Double Extra Large sizes from Jeremy Miller (to whom cheques should be made payable) at a price of £22.50
For Correspondence: David Watson 117, Elmshurst Gardens, Tonbridge, Kent. TN10 3RA.
Tel: 01732 505324 E-mail: [email protected]