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Ahoy Shipmate RNA Torbay Newsletter Volume 9 Issue 1 February 2020

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www.candoo.com/ulsternorrie/rnator Ahoy Shipmate RNA Torbay Newsletter Volume 9 Issue 1 February 2020 Editorial In this issue Hi! Shipmates, By Shipmate Norrie Millen Editorial ........................................ 1 The ships cat ................................. 2 Well another new year and new decade. I wonder what this A unique ‘Z’ Class destroyer ............. 3 year will bring. I know a lot of our shipmates have suffered Chinese carrier sails in Taiwan Strait . 4 health problems as indeed I have. Also a few of us have had Replacement for the Bergan? ........... 5-6 family experiencing serious medical issues too. I sincerely Capt. Charles Nixon-Eckersall Obit .... 7-8 Plymouths Dirty Secret ................... 9-11 trust and pray that is behind us all now or at least well on way Branch photo & Humour .................. 12 to recovery. I guess a lot of us are getting a bit long in the tooth, A bit of Canada in Devon ................. 13-14 so naturally health will manifest or other conditions deteriorate. Having just celebrated my 78th birthday I feel my Older Men Scam age physically, although mentally I am still around 55! Mind Women often receive warnings about you I am one of the ‘younger;’ members of the Branch! protecting themselves at the mall and in dark parking lots, etc. This is the first warning I This year sees the Branch celebrate its 75th anniversary, quite a have seen for men. A 'heads up' for those record when so many Branches have folded due to lack of men who may be regular customers at recruits. Added to the fact that the modern matelot shows little Tesco, Home Base, Sainsbury’s, or even interest in joining the RNA and if they do appear once or twice ASDA during their free membership year on leaving Royal Navy, we This one caught me totally by surprise. Over the last month I became a victim of a clever rarely see them anymore. This inspires me to think that maybe scam while out shopping. Simply going out to we have it wrong. We are looked upon as an ‘Old Boys’ club. get supplies has turned out to be quite Maybe we should be thinking about events and meetings that traumatic. Don't be naive enough to think it will appeal to the younger ex sailor and Royal Marine. couldn't happen to you or your friends Here's how the scam works; Many thanks to those of you that have submitted quite few Two very beautiful, college-age girls will articles, suggestions and links for the newsletter. I now have come over to your car or truck as you are quite a bit of material, so if your article does not appear in this packing your purchases into your vehicle. issue, it certainly warrants space in future editions. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and Windex, with their breasts almost My one regret at the AGM was quite a few disappeared before I falling out of their skimpy T-shirts. (It's had the chance to take the annual Branch photograph. The impossible not to look). When you thank them and offer them a tip, they say 'No' but meeting did drag on a bit; some issues could have been resolved instead ask for a ride to McDonald's. much quicker. Some years we have combined AGM with the You agree and they climb into the vehicle on normal meeting; maybe we should consider this again. the way, they start undressing. Then one of them starts crawling all over you, while the Well it has been some winter, the only time I recall rain like this other one steals your wallet. was out the Far East during monsoon season. However I guess I had my wallet stolen November 4th, 9th, we cannot complain too much, we had some brilliant weather 10th, twice on the 15th, again on the 17th, last year and the bottom line is we are still the right side of the 20th, 24th, and the 28th. Also December 1st, grass with our wooden overcoats in the layapart store. 2nd, 8th, twice on the 9th & 10th, and very likely again tomorrow and Friday The way I see it anyway! So tell your friends to be careful. What a horrible way to take advantage of us older men Volume 9 Issue 1 February 2020 Chairman’s Corner Veteran’s railcard for cheaper train Editor’s Note: There will be no fares to launch on Armistice Day Chairman’s Corner this issue as poor shipmate John is not feeling https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-51201885 too grand and not up to putting was about to be upset by a turn of events. HMS pen to papers. John, I am sure I Amethyst was ordered to sail to Nanking to speak for all shipmates of the take up the role of guard ship in April 1949. As Branch in wishing you a speedy history records, the Amethyst came under fire recovery and pray and trust you will feel on passage up the Yangtze River. The Captain a tad better soon. was killed and Simon wounded when a Chinese shell struck the ship. Three pieces of shrapnel were removed from Simon’s back, but he survived and, according to the crew, lifted The Ship’s Cat their spirits during the four months the Submitted by Shipmate Alan Port Amethyst was held captive by the People’s Liberation Army. Note. Although I ran a similar article back in 2016, this has a slightly different twist and In July 1949, the Amethyst made a daring involves not one but two cats. escape and was able to return home, together with the brave Able Seaman Simon. Tragically, As far back as ancient Egypt families storing however, Simon succumbed to his wounds, but grain over winter realised the value not before he had been awarded the of the domesticated cat for Amethyst Campaign Medal, the Blue keeping vermin away from Cross Medal for animal bravery and their valuable crops. It was heroism, and the Dickin Medal - therefore no surprise that the animal version of the Victoria cats became regular Cross (he remains the only cat members of the ship’s to have received this award). crew whenever food needed protection from Other feline casualties of war the rats which would occurred across the Navy scurry onboard and hide in deemed ‘missing in action’ were the bilges waiting to sneak ‘Ginger’ and ‘Fishcakes’, out and steal the crew’s inhabitants of HMS Hood. They rations. were not however the only animals lost when the Bismarck sunk the This tradition carried on into the Hood. The Hood, which was called by some Second World War and some cats ‘Noah’s Ark’, is reported to have gone down received fame, or notoriety, for their exploits. with a goat, a possum, a squirrel, a monkey, a Perhaps the most famous Royal Navy cat marmoset, a beaver, a variety of birds, a was 'Able Seaman Simon’. In 1948 wallaby and a dog! the frigate HMS Amethyst was Two notable cats storing ship at ‘Stonecutters’ Island' in Hong Kong when a Finally, there is the tale of the black and white cat called luckiest (or un-luckiest) cat in the Simon was smuggled onboard Royal Navy - Oscar, also known as by a young sailor. Fortunately ‘Unsinkable Sam’ the Captain took a liking to It is recorded that the Bismarck Simon and, as the ship had a had, amongst its crew, a black cat vacancy for a good rat-catcher, called ‘Oskar’ who was onboard Simon was pressed into service. when the Bismarck’s gunners sent Simon quickly settled into naval Ginger and Fishcakes to a watery life and, when not catching rats, grave. However, revenge came spent his time sleeping on the quickly, when a torpedo from a Captain’s bunk, on the chart table, or even in Swordfish the Captain’s Hat! However, Simon’s idyllic life …Continued on page 6. RNA Torbay Newsletter Page -2 Volume 9 Issue 1 February 2020 A Unique ‘Z’ Class Destroyer By Shipmate Norrie Millen I first came across this you can probably work out what was unusual snippet done…. whilst In July of 1917, HMS Zubian serving (a portmanteau of the original aboard my two names) became a last ship, HMS member of the Tribal class her two Zulu. It came up as a sisters had been a part of before her. Due quiz question sometime after and to the very loose requirements of the participants were amazed when I knew class, every single ship was unique, so the answer. Zubian fit in perfectly, although odd quirks There’s nothing particularly odd about the were her two different sizes of ship itself - a standard Tribal Class with smokestack (the hulls had been combined one U boat sunk during WW1. between the third and fourth, hence the What is odd is how the difference) and slight ship was constructed. inexplicable bulge of 89mm - The story begins on one of either Zulu or 27 October 1916 Nubian was wider than with HMS Nubian, the other… whose bow was The odd birth didn’t hinder badly damaged in a Zubian, sinking UC-50 in torpedo attack, and was February 1918, and performing severed in a storm that well throughout the remainder of evening. the war. Another odd fact about In November of that year, another ship of the ship is that it is believed to be the only the same class, HMS Zulu, hit a mine laid Royal Navy ship to have no casualties by a German submarine that completely caused by the Spanish Flu epidemic in blew off the stern.
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