July 20142014
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ASSOCIATION OF OLD WORCESTERS JULYJULY 20142014 ‘A Hundred Years On’ M As will be noted our main feature in this issue (and in January 2015) E is remembering former OWs’ who gave their lives in the Great War and with S the centenary of WWI upon us a big thank you must be given to John ODELL S (52) and Graham SMITH (60) who tirelessly spent many hours extrapolating A OWs’ on the memorial war records from many sources. G Without their commitment we would have never known all their E courageous actions. F Another thank you to Roger SNAPE (48) who organises the 3rd. R Monday get together at the ‘Liberty Bounds’ pub at Tower Hill at lunchtime. It O would be great if more members in the London area could attend - it is always M a good afternoon and a pint is less than £3! T Thanks also to Patrick BYRNE (67) and John MASSY (43) for their H spare Dog Watches and old navigation workbooks which will be added to our E memorabilia. E Earlier this year Michael WHEELER (61) held several meetings and D conversations with Jessica Lewis, curator of 'Cutty Sark' regarding the I possibility of a permanent display for some of our memorabilia on the ship. T Jessica had reviewed the list and photographs that we had sent to her and O concluded that unfortunately there was not sufficient material to create a R meaningful display. Jessica offered some helpful and constructive suggestions, one being an online website display of our memorabilia which is now being - considered. *************** T Record Price at Auction for Worcester R ‘Prize Telescope’ E V News that Bonhams have just auctioned O an engraved telescope given as a prize on the R ‘Worcester’ for almost a thousand pounds may well send OWs’ to their lofts to dig out long P neglected artefacts from their time on board. O On the 28th. January this year a telescope L awarded as a prize in the Summer Term of 1899 to Henry BOWERS (99), L together with a pair of binoculars, fetched £937 at Auction in Knightsbridge. I Both the telescope and binoculars were taken and used by Bowers on the T ‘Terra Nova’ on the voyage down to Antarctica. T After Bowers perished with Scott and Wilson on the return trek from the South Pole, the telescope and binoculars were inherited by his sister, Edith. Thanks to Clive BRADBURY (61) for this item. 2 AOW AGM and Luncheon 2014 at Winchester A N N U A L G E N On the 9th. April, 2014 our AGM was held at Winchester, John E MARDEN (67) our Chairman chose a choice location, adjacent to the iconic R Winchester Cathedral. Almost 70 members and guests started arriving the day A before and many stayed until the day after. L The weather was glorious and we all enjoyed the city and the M hostelries for our evening meals. E E A splendid lunch was enjoyed by all after our AGM and another highlight was a guided tour of the cathedral with a sculpture in the crypt by T Anthony Gormley brother of our own Peter GORMLEY (57). I N Roger SNAPE (48) resigned from the Council and our Chairman G thanked him for his many years of service both to the Council and latterly as an obituary writer. Roger was Chairman of the Association for the time 2003 - W 2004. I Our honoured guests were Nigel HOLLEBONE, President of the N Pangbourne Association and Christopher SMITH, President of the Conway C Club. H E S T E R 2 0 1 Enjoying our lunch AGM is nearly over! 4 Special thanks to John and his wife Pat for a memorable day. 3 A N N U A L G E N E R A L Members and guests enjoying their M lunch E E T I N G A full Council attendance onboard HQS ‘Wellington’ February 2014 - chaired by John Marden. W I N C H E S T E R 2 0 1 4 The next AGM will be held at Dover on Wednesday, 22nd. April, 2015 and will also be a two/three day format. 4 Officers and Council 2014 O F The President of the Association Colin Steere (47) (+) F I Chairman of the Council John Marden (67) C Immediate Past Chairman Christopher Farnfield (61) (+) E R Vice Chairman Michael Wheeler (61) S Council (15 Members) & (+) = Past Chairman of the Association C O Bob Baldwin (58) Mike Brace (56) (+) U Clive Bradbury (61) (+) Peter Gormley (57) N Andrew Lansdale (62) Captain Ron Little (57) (+) C Captain Trevor Pollitt (66) David Precious (59) (+) Ian Ward (53) (+) Captain John Watson (65) I L Honorary Secretary David Glennie (60) 2 Honorary Treasurer John Humphreys (59) 0 1 4 / Members with specific Duties. 2 0 Honorary Auditor James Boxer (62) 1 Dog Watch Editor Captain Trevor Pollitt (66) 5 Obituary Dog Watch Editor Roger Boatman (64) Registrar of Membership David Glennie (60) Stock Keeper Bob Baldwin (58) Website Colin Thurlow (65) Honorary Secretary Yacht Club Peter Gormley (57) Treasurer Yacht Club Ian Ward (53) Yacht Club Shop Alan Devine (55) Ensign Permits Captain Geoffrey Dunster (53) 5 P OW & OC Curry Lunch aboard HQS ‘Wellington’ A S Worcester Table: Left to Right: T John BUTTOLPH (59), Clive BRADBURY (61), E Clives’ Guest, V Jerry CAREW (59),OBE, E John SAIL (66), Peter GORMLEY (57), N Christopher FARNFIELD (61), T Colin STEERE (47) S - 2 0 On the 28th. February, 2014 several OWs’ and OCs’ were invited 1 aboard HQS ‘Wellington’ to attend their monthly curry lunch. John SAIL (66) 4 specifically arranged for this one to have a table for Old Worcesters and Old Conways next to each other. We commenced by mingling on the upper deck with a glass of wine on a fine spring day and our friendly banter soon took hold. Later we sat down for our fine curry and a good afternoon was had by all. Our thanks to John for arranging a joint meeting which, it is hoped, will be followed by more in the near future. Conway Table: Left to Right. M. Bloy (74), J. Isbestor (Staff), L.J. Hesketh (66), G. Cowap (56), A.P.M. Davis (48), M. Reeves (59) Con Lloyd-Rawlings (58), M. Burrows (74) Vice- President, A. Hines (72). Photos taken by our editor 6 East Kent AGM & Luncheon Dover 12th. March, 2014 P A S T E V E N L-R: Catherine & Howard RUSSELL (60), Liz & Ian Cook (OC 57), Peter Webb (OC 60), T Clive GODDERIDGE (61) & Brenda (OC Wife) Helena (OC Wife) & Mike PRICE (54) S - It was held on 12th. March at the Dover Town Hall, a very iconic 2 setting. 0 The attendance was 29 members and wives including two Old 1 Conway's and their wives who were friends of Clive GODDERIDGE (61). The 4 venue proved very positive and it has been booked for next years AGM on the 22nd. April, 2015. We had a raffle which made £96.27 and it will go towards the plaque in All Hallows' Church. Next year we are planning a two day event next April and I am looking into a couple of ideas of which a cross Channel non - landing trip the night before might be a good idea. Many thanks to Ron LITTLE (57) for arranging this popular event. Peter GORMLEY (57), Andrew HOWARD (64), Tony VAN den BROEK (68), Simon and Rick GARDNER (68) FLITCH (68) and Roy BIRD (68) 7 P Battle of the Atlantic Dinner A The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous military S campaign of WWII and resulted in the loss of nearly 80,000 seafarers and T around 5,000 ships. After the fall of Europe the main supply route to the UK was from the United States and Canada via the E North Atlantic. The unimaginable V heroism of the Arctic Convoys and the successful protection of this E vital sea corridor through the defeat N of the German surface and U-boat threat, ultimately made possible the T massive logistic build-up that led to S success in North Africa and the - D-Day landings, and then to the defeat of Germany. 2 L-R: Tony DITCHAM (40), Ian WARD (53), Colin STEERE (47) and David PRECIOUS (59) 0 1 A Commemorative Dinner, organised by the Institute of Directors, 4 was held in London on 26th. February in memory of the Battle of the Atlantic. Old Worcester Tony DITCHAM DSC ( who left the ship in 1940) was one of the two Guests of Honour and a small group of OWs’ were also present on this special occasion. A fascinating presentation outlining the importance of the Battle of the Atlantic was made by Rear Admiral John Lang DL (himself a former Pangbourne Cadet) before Tony shared his war time experiences with the over 100 strong audience. Tony's reminiscences were based on his book ‘A Home on the Rolling Main’ which was reviewed in the July 2013 Dog Watch and he was also recently awarded the Arctic Medal - see the January 2014 issue of the Dog Watch. Editors note: See also page 26 8 SW Branch AGM and Annual Day Out P A The SW branch had their AGM at S the Passage House Hotel, Kingsteignton on the 27th. March, T where 28 members and guests enjoyed a fine Lunch. The SW E Branch Committee was again V elected: Chairman, David E GLENNIE (60); Hon Sec, Peter FURNEAUX (61); Hon N Treasurer, Jonathan CHALLACOMBE (68) and Social Secretary, Bill T FOLLEY (66).