DS T H E T R A D E 253 JOURNAL 499 Derbyshire Submariners Newsletter Issue Number 253 November 2020 Freedom of the City of Derby to RN Submarine Service Granted 28 April 2002 EDITORIAL CONTENT Page/s Subject Remembrance is obviously at the forefront of our thoughts as 01 CONTENT & EDITORIAL we move into November with the 02 UPDATE FROM DERBY’S BOAT! first frosts and 0o temperature 03/04 POLITICALLY INCORRECT PAGES which would normally indicate it is time to dig out the Long Johns for 05 JEFF BACON © TWO TIFFS 11/11. However, as you will all be 06 THE SPEARFISH TORPEDO aware due to the present increasing Covid 07 UK STRATEGIC COMMAND Restrictions everything is cancelled. I have ensured our two WWI Submariners Graves have been 08 WORLD NAVY NEWS visited and due sole homage on behalf of DS with 09 COLD WAR MUSEUM PLANS IN GUZ the laying of the two individual crosses on their 10 DS DONATE £200 TO MUSEUM graves in Nottingham Rod Cemetery R.I.P. 11 GENERAL ROYAL NAVY NEWS Sun 25 October, 02:00hrs 12 WORLD NAVY NEWS TWO In case you are getting up an hour early to work and as I was 13-14 S/M DETECTION TECHNOLOGY told putting it in Oct newsletter 15 RN MUSEUM REDUNDANCIES was sensible, BUT we would 16 TRAF DINNER 2020 Tony Greaves have forgotten it by the end of the month so being as this 17-18 NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK publication date for members 19 UK SUBMARINE NEWS is 21 Oct, ‘Yer it Tis’ again 20 SA NEWS & DS 2021 SUBSCRIPTIONS Traf Dinner Cancelled as advised but the White Ensign was proudly flown from 21 SOCA 1990’ the the Stanley Flag Pole to mark the occasion. 22 DERBY REMB & MEDIVAL RN! DS Submariner Trophy. Obviously, Tony G’s 23 POPPY GIN & REMEMBRANCE Virtual 2020 Traf Dinner on Pg 16 cannot 24 DS 2020 DIARY & LONGCAST accommodate the prestigious presentation of this trophy. The voting forms were sent out and returned to me in sealed envelopes and it is my intention to leave them intact until 2021 when we can make a proper presentation at either the DS BIRTHDAYS 2020 Freedom of the City Dinner in April or at least at our Trafalgar Dinner later in October 2021. 02 Nov Albert Barlow 04 Nov Stan Smart Forecast Well, our hopes and Prayers for an ‘End 09 Nov Colin Watson in Sight’ to the current pandemic have been well 12 Nov Jenny Williamson and truly dashed. Apart from being in medical lock 13 Nov Derek Brough down with COPD I now find Erewash & it seems to come Derby restrictions tightened. Que Sera, Sera A POSITIVE THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH Terry Hall Experience is something you don’t The Trade Journal Newsletter Editor get until just after you need it! Hon. Sec/Treasurer, Derbyshire Submariners’ [email protected] 1 HMS Ambush Current Sitrep the team that has raised over £1000 for the Dolphin Dear Terry, I hope this letter finds you safe and Paediatric Ward of the Royal Derby Hospital. healthy; the last few months have been incredibly Normally during this period in particular there would difficult for many people and you will no doubt have be many functions and visits to celebrate historic been affected by the response to the COVID-19 occasions and cultivate connections. Unfortunately, pandemic. I wanted to write to you to introduce given the current government guidance, I cannot myself as the new Commanding Officer having authorise functions or travel to support affiliates’ joined HMS Ambush earlier in the summer. I have functions. This is disappointing for all but included my biography for your information. I have understandable as we all do our part to overcome our most recently spent the last three individual and national challenges in these years as the XO of HMS Artful. At unprecedented times. I appreciate your the start of my tenure as XO in HMS understanding and support at this time. Following Artful, the submarine was deep in a the eventual relaxation on restrictions, whenever that complex maintenance period which may be, I look forward to welcoming our new and included several the upgrade existing affiliates onboard HMS Ambush and packages HMS Ambush is currently repledging our support to all of you across the receiving. I am very aware of the strains such a country. Again, I hope you are safe and well and period can put on people, especially where there is have and enjoy a favourable festive season when it uncertainty around the end date and for us, this arrives. Regards, Nicholas S Stone. Lt Cdr RN CO ambiguity has only been compounded by CV. Nick Stone joined the RN in 2003 as a University While 2020 has afforded many the opportunity to Cadet. Following initial training in Type 42 Destroyers nourish their domestic lives it has presented deployed to the S. Atlantic and Med, Nick attended bespoke challenges to the maintenance period. Coventry University studying International Disaster However, even during the height of restrictions, our Management. On his return from Uni he completed resolve to return HMS Ambush to sea did not waiver his bridge watchkeeping training in HMS Ark Royal and our Ship’s Company continue to provide and HMS Tyne before qualifying as a submariner in unrelenting support, through new ways of working HMS Trafalgar. Following a year with HMS Triumph and modified behaviours, to the programme. as the Casing Officer, Nick attended Intermediate Having now been able to fully understand the effect Command and Staff Course (Maritime) at Shrivenham on the programme from the delays in work before taking up the role as Asst Military Advisor to the associated with the Coronavirus response, it is Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability) in becoming evident there will be three phases in the MoD London. After he completed this rewarding job, process of becoming ready for sea. The first of these Nick passed Intermediate Warfare Course and was will run until the end of 2020 and focus on regaining assigned to HMS Tireless as the NO. He left the boat the momentum of the major work packages of the as it was decommissioning after a Mediterranean maintenance period. The second phase will patrol and an East of Suez deployment. The commence after Christmas Leave and run until successful completion of Principal Warfare Officer Easter consisting of individual and self-training in (Submarines) course resulted in a short assignment preparation for the challenges of starting Operational to HMS Talent as the Tactical Systems Officer prior to Sea Training. There is also a heavy administrative the submarine entering RAMP in mid-2015. Nick requirement with getting a submarine back to sea transferred to HMS Triumph as the Tactics and Sonar and this will be particularly focussed on during this Officer and assumed the role as Operations Officer phase. After Easter Leave, the submarine will again after he returned from an operational sea ride with be fully crewed and be ready to commence the third USS Springfield in early 2016. BOST, IRF and phase which includes the shore simulator training strategic intelligence operations followed during which package necessary for proceeding to sea. The time Nick was selected for the Submarine Command realistic headmark for commencing the sea training Course. He passed Perisher 1-17 following the sea period is June 2021 with the submarine assuming full phase in HMS Torbay and joined HMS Artful in Aug operational readiness by Aug 2021. When these 2017 as the XO. He played a key role in getting the packages are complete and HMS Ambush does submarine to sea for her first ever force generation eventually sail, she will be the most operationally following the completion of a particularly complex capable submarine in the Royal Navy. maintenance period. This culminated in the The current restrictions reduce opportunity for submarine deploying on successful high intensity interaction with our affiliates along with our ability to operations for the first time since build. Having been fund raise but this has not deterred the Ship’s lucky enough to have a short period in temporary Company. Last week saw a valiant effort from a Command of HMS Artful, Nick departed from the cohort of eleven who ran, under the direction of the submarine on her return to HMNB CLYDE. He joined Navigating Officer, an Everest Challenge. The HMS Ambush in Jun 2020 to take Command through team ran shuttles of Glen Fruin, which overlooks the remainder of her extended maintenance period. HMNB Clyde, until they climbed a combined total of Nick lives in Cullompton in Devon with his wife Louise 8,848 metres. A tough but rewarding challenge for and their son Nathaniel. 2 UNPOLITICALLY CORRECT PAGES Women & Men Ever notice how all of women's problems start with Men? Mental illness, Menstrual Ralph an Ex RN Sailor and Edna an ex Wren were cramps, Mental breakdown, Menopause, both patients in a mental hospital. One day while Guynecologist, and when we have real trouble, it's they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, a Histerectomy.. Now you know that you stand no Ralph suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank chance in any argument, just accept you are wrong to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna it is a lot quicker argument!! promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled him out. When the Head Nurse A School Teacher had twenty for children in her became aware of Edna's heroic act, she class. She presented each child in her classroom immediately ordered her to be discharged from the with the first half of a well-known proverb and hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally asked them to come up with the remainder of the stable.