JJABBERWOCKABBERWOCK The Newsletter of the Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum IN THIS EDITION: Friends’ Visits to RAF Brize Norton and the RN Historic Flight RN Lynx retires aft er outstanding service Falklands 30 Exhibition Th e Daleks are coming! Tales my grandfather told me Skua - Too big, too heavy and too late! No.68 August 2012 Published by The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Patron: Rear Admiral A R Rawbone CB, AFC, RN President: D S Moxley JP FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM Box D6, RNAS Yeovilton Somerset BA22 8HT Telephone: 01935 840565 SOFFAAM email: sof@fl eetairarm.com Museum website: fl eetairarm.com Registered Charity No. 280725 1 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 The Society of Friends of the Fleet Air Arm Museum Vice Presidents Captain K A Leppard CBE, RN Rear Admiral R C Dimmock CB, RN Rear Admiral A R Rawbone CB, AFC, RN F C Ott DSC BSc (Econ) Lt Cdr Philip (Jan) Stuart RN Squadron Leader Maurice Biggs RAF Jim Standfi eld Chairman Richard Huft on Vice Chairman Peter Trickey [email protected] Secretary Malcolm Smith [email protected] Treasurer Gordon Johnson [email protected] Membership Secretary Robert Heath Halden House New Street Wells BA5 2LQ [email protected] Talks and Events Organiser Rosanne Crowther Editor Malcolm Smith T: 01935 478304, M: 07765 950806 [email protected] Printed by: Remous Limited, Milborne Port 2 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 CONTENTS CONTENTS ..................................................................................... 3 EDITORIAL ...................................................................................... 4 FRANKLY SPEAKING ....................................................................6 FRIENDS VISIT TO RAF BRIZE NORTON .....................................8 FRIENDS VISIT TO RN SUBMARINE MUSEUM ..........................11 RN LYNX RETIRES AFTER OUTSTANDING SERVICE .............. 13 FALKLANDS 30 EXHIBITION ....................................................... 14 SNIPPETS FROM COUNCIL MEETINGS .................................... 16 MEMBERSHIP .............................................................................. 17 COMING EVENTS IN THE MUSEUM ........................................... 18 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ..........................................................20 MONTHLY TALKS PROGRAMME ................................................ 24 RECENT MONTHLY TALKS ......................................................... 25 DOWN MEMORY LANE ................................................................26 THE “INDEFAT”, OR HMS INDEFATIGABLE ................................30 885 SQUADRON AND THE BPF FLEET TRAIN .......................... 32 “SKUA - TOO BIG, TOO HEAVY AND TOO LATE” ....................... 33 TALES MY GRANDFATHER TOLD ...............................................38 MY INTRODUCTION TO FLYING ................................................. 40 Cover Pictures: Front cover - New addition to the Museum, high-scoring veteran of the Falklands and Gulf confl icts, Lynx XZ 720. (See the article on page 11). Rear Cover - A crowded scene on the fl ight deck of HMS Indefatigable in late 1945, on her way to a visit to New Zealand before returning to the UK after the end of War in the Pacifi c. (See the article on page 30.) All the photographs in this publication, unless otherwise credited, are Crown Copyright and reproduced by kind permission of the FAAM. 3 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 EDITORIAL RN Submarine Museum; give details irstly, an apology to authors of the recent arrival of a veteran FLen Dowsett and Bill Reeks, Lynx aircraft in the Museum; add a for not acknowledging that they postscript to Len Dowsett’s article on provided most of the photographs 885 squadron in Jabberwock 67 and that accompanied their articles in include some not entirely serious Jabberwock 67. On the subject of recollections of early helicopter photographs, the FAAM has a vast Search and Rescue activities. We archive, but we and they are always discuss changes to our mailing and interested in acquiring additional distribution system, invite members ones. If you have pictures that you to consider opting to receive an are willing to provide for publication, electronic version of the Journal and please let us know. look forward to your response. The Journal Annual General Meeting The eagle-eyed amongst our Please see the notice of the AGM readers may have noted the new in October. All are welcome to description of Jabberwock as the attend. This is your opportunity to Journal, as unanimously agreed at make your opinions heard. the May Council meeting. We all Visit to RNHF felt this refl ected its purpose more clearly. The advertisement on page 7 Correspondence provides early warning of the next visit to the RN historic Flight and The response to the colour Cobham Hall. These visits are version of Jabberwock and the always popular and provide a rare combined content has been very opportunity to see the Reserve positive. Please keep the comments Collection. If you wish to avoid coming in, it’s the only way that cutting up the Journal, photocopy the we can be sure that members page or simply send the appropriate are getting value for money! In details to Richard. this edition, we include “Letters to Crossword the Editor” and hope that this will The solution to last edition’s become a regular feature. crossword (by Richard Hufton) is on In this edition page 32. If any amateur compilers Also in this edition, we describe would like to contribute another - it highly successful visits by the would be welcome! Friends to RAF Brize Norton and the 4 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 Notice of the Annual General Meeting to be held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum on Sunday 7 October 2012 Programme: 12:00 to 13:30 Please join us for lunch. Buy in the Swordfi sh Restaurant and carry through to the Swordfi sh Centre, which is reserved for us. 13:45 Grand Draw in the auditorium 14:00 Annual General Meeting in the Auditorium. As stated in our Constitution, all positions fall vacant at the AGM. These are: President, Chairman, Vice-chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and nine ordinary Council members. If you would like to apply for one of these positions please notify the Secretary in writing or by e-mail by 7 September. If you wish to place an item on the Agenda please send it in writing or by e-mail to reach the Secretary by the same date. 5 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 FRANKLY SPEAKING After many suggestions and a s noted in Jabberwock 67, lot of thought we had a cunning David Kinloch retired from A plan. First we bought a large the post of Editor of the Newsletter quantity of stamps just before at the beginning of this year. the price increase and some of An important but unsung part of these were used to send out the David’s responsibilities was the May Jabberwock. But how do we despatch of over 1,000 copies of cope with sending out over 4,000 the Newsletter every quarter and Jabberwocks a year in future? a similar number of Jabberwocks Surprisingly the answer is to print twice yearly. This task has fallen to our own stamps. No, we don’t have other members and the experience a skilled forger in our membership of putting this many magazines but, if all has gone to plan, you (and frequently new membership will see the result printed on the cards) into envelopes, sealing them envelope you have just received. and adding an address label, then By buying a Franking Machine we fi nally sticking on a stamp, led now do part of the Royal Mail’s job, us to realise the saving them the magnitude of the cost of franking task. and bagging. For The cost of doing this they postage is a charge us less. signifi cant factor in Taking all costs reviewing the whole into account, process.“Squeezed 1,100 copies ready to post instead of paying until the pips squeak” an extra £700 a is the expression which came to mind year, we have reduced the increase on 30 April 2012 when there was a to about £200 a year. We could huge rise in postal charges. It put up also reduce costs if members were our postage costs by about £700 a willing to receive the Journal by year. We are very conscious that your email, rather than in hard copy, and subscriptions, donations and purchase we plan to offer this option in the of raffl e tickets are intended to further new members’ joining form, which the work of our charity and we do is being updated. Existing members all we can to keep running costs as who would prefer this option are low as possible so that our funds are invited to contact the Editor. His available to give maximum assistance contact details are on page 2. to the Museum. 6 Jabberwock No 68. August 2012 VISITS TO RN HISTORIC FLIGHT & COBHAM HALL WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY 3rd & 4th October 2012 Meet in the Fleet Air Arm Museum Car Park at 1030 AT 1045 MEMBERS WILL BE ESCORTED IN OUR OWN CARS TO THE RN HISTORIC FLIGHT HANGAR WHERE WE WILL BE MET BY FLIGHT STAFF & MAINTAINERS AND WILL BE ABLE TO CLOSELY VIEW THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE RETURNING TO THE FAAM CAR PARK. ( Please note : Lunch is not provided on this visit ) AT 1345 WE WILL TRANSFER TO COBHAM HALL IN OUR OWN CARS FOR A PRIVATE TOUR OF THE FLEET AIR ARM MUSEUM‛S RESERVE COLLECTION OF RARELY SEEN AIRCRAFT & EXHIBITS. THE VISIT WILL END AT APPROXIMATELY 1600. MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO CAR SHARE FOR THE VISIT TO HISTORIC FLIGHT - BUT THERE ARE NO PARKING RESTRICTIONS AT COBHAM HALL. Directions to Cobham Hall : From the museum car park turn right, then take fi rst left and the entrance to Cobham Hall car park is a further 100 yards. to the left. Select preferred date, complete and return this application form together with a £12.00 cheque for each member and a stamped addressed envelope, to reach me no later than Monday 17thSeptember. Places are allocated on a fi rst come fi rst served basis. Please make all cheques (no cash) payable to SOFFAAM.