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HMS OPOSSUM ASSOCIATION

SPRING NEWSLETTER 2019 1945-1958Welcome to our Spring Newsletter. Have you booked for our reunion inApril? This is to be held at the Queens Hotel, 469-471 South Promenade,Blackpool FY4 1AY Tel:- 01253-336980 over the weekend Friday 12th April– Monday 15th 2019. This reunion is in conjunction with Associations fromthe Colony class cruisers - Ceylon, Gambia and Kenya and Newfoundlandorganised by the Isle of Wight Tours [Tel:-01983-405584] In July 2018 Isent to all members a full reunion prospectus that listed a full weekend ofevents and activities, including half board and a gala evening. Yourcommittee are hoping for as full a turn out as possible. Again disappointed that that no member has sent any stories, so as usual. it’sall your editors contributions which is hoped to be of interest to themembership.As discussed with Treasurer Sam Edgar, the subs for 2019-20 are reduced to£10 payable at reunion time say 15th April 2019. Cheques please to me EddieSummerfold or our treasurer.

Chairman LewisTrinder 106 North Lane, Aldershot, Hants GU12 4QT01252-323861 lewistrinder@gmailSecretary/Editor Eddie Summerfold 28 Greymont Road, Limefield, Bury.0161-764-8778 robopovan@btinternet.comTreasurer Sam Edgar 21 Heath Lawns, Fareham, Hants PO15 5QB01329-235732 sandredgar@sky.comWebsite www.hmsopossum.org.uk

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Treasurer’s ReportBalance of funds £1,850.23Roll of HonourRonald Bradley John Eardly Wilmot John CartwrightJ W Powell Albert Corless Harry BarlowDavid Jarvis Bob Gray Les WoodGeorge Scott John Williams Ken HarrisPat Norman Reg Parker Harry RoachIvan C Haskell George Fletcher Fred ThorntonGeorge Richards Fred[Mick]Bodel Fred KingGeorge Curry Sid Pemberton John DavisonCliff Harthill George Brown Steven HartStewart A Porter Arthur Pope Jack MarshallLes Dimmock John Bray Joe GornallDoug Banks Dick[Ginger]Bird Jackie ScholesHarry Wollams Cornelious Canon Jim TribeDoug Goulding John Fraser Pete MaddoxBill Bolton Cyril Mason John HardmanKen Philips Mike Swayne Harry CattersonRon Hare Bill Bovey Jack RichardsWilliam Wilder George[Jan]Lobb Bill PriceMartin George Ken Slater Mike ColeJim Payne Peter Lockwood Ted LongstaffRoy Cope Ron Blundy Bert RimmerJohn Blair John W C Clark Ken CarsonCharles Parker Tony Harris Willy MitchellBrian Healey Alan Percival Roy WoodAlister Hunter Blair Stan Oldfield John JonesJohn MacKenzie Tom Tolson Ian JanesJohn Owen Ken Hodgkin Walter[Brum]Lewis

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THE SINKING OF RMS TITANICWho was asleep on duty

Recently a book has come my way throwing new light on the reason for thisvessels sinking that I have not seen before. All the world know’s that on thenight of 14th/15th April 1912 the ship struck a glancing blow to an icebergthat opened up her starboard side, flooding several compartments thatcaused this brand new White Star ship to founder. Only 708 passengers andcrew survived, 1,523 perished.The story now jumps forward twelve years to 1924 when two shipmates metin New York and somehow the Titanic story came up. Henry Blum, aNorwegian, had been serving aboard another White Star ship RMS Cedricwhen in 1914 at Cape Town the Harbour Master came on board, he wasRobert Hitchens the quartermaster on the wheel at the time of the Titanic’scollision. Greatly troubled by his conscience he just had to tell someone. He had been spirited away to South Africa by the White Star Company undera vow of silence after the two Titanic enquires, with enhanced pay to keepsilent on what he knew. This was his story. That night the Titanic had beengoing flat out, 22knots or more, twice the mast head lookout had sounded thegong and tried to telephone the bridge “Iceberg dead ahead” The Bowlookout made a similar report. Still the Titanic steamed on with no change ofcourse. On the bridge should have been First officer William Murdock, hehad only been on watch ten minutes but he was asleep on a couch behind thebridge. On the alarms from the lookouts, Hichens shouted to the First officer

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“Iceberg dead ahead” but received no response, shouted again still no answer.He then left the wheel and shouted in the sleeping officers ear “Iceberg deadahead” at first even this appeal failed to wake him!!!! Slowly Murdock came-to rose and entered the enclosed bridge and realizing the seriousness of thesituation, with the iceberg less than 500 yards away mostly on the starboardhand, ordered “Hard a starboard.“ [At the time all wheel orders referred to animaginary tillar, not the rudder, so to take the ships head away from theobstruction this was the correct order] Alas too late to avoid a scraping of thestarboard side against a huge mass of many million tons of frozen freshwater, one tenth above the surface and nine tenths below. At 22.5 knots[about 25mph] Titanic would have covered over 2,200ft. per minute . Inshort had Murdock not been asleep, possibly under the influence, andresponded immediately to the lookout’s appeal, there would have beensufficient time to avoid a collision. Another junior, Sixth officer Moody, hadalso shared the watch with Murdock but had been elsewhere at the timeotherwise he could have taken the required action.What of Robert Hichens, his lot was not to be a happy one! With the Titanic ata standstill and the ship slowly sinking by the head orders had come fromCaptain Smith to lower the boats with the women and children, There wereonly 16 lifeboats and 4 collapsibles that could only accommodate about afifth of all passengers and crew. As a company Quartermaster Hichens hadbeen ordered by Second officer Lightoller to cox’n lifeboat No 6 among his 20or so passengers was ‘mouthy’ Molly Brown [who later would be dubbed‘unsinkable] called him a cowardly and a bully for their boat was less thanhalf filled and to return for those in the water. He replied that thoseswimmers would swamp the boat making it capsize. His orders were tomake for a steamers light some way off. But with only three people rowing inthe severe cold of a dark night little progress was made. More demands fromthe women especially Mrs. Brown to return to save many in the water. Yet noother lifeboat did this. During the two enquiries Molly Brown would venther venom on Hichens as the coward at the ships helm who sank the Titanic. Should word get out that Titanic’s officer of the watch was asleep on duty andcould have prevented the accident, White Star shares would drop alarminglyalong with the sale of steamer tickets. In short the company would go bust.Deliberately White Star kept their personnel well away from the Press in aNew York hotel almost under house arrest and even had lawyers coach themof what to say under cross questioning by both the American and later Britishenquiries. With Hitchens lying under oath for the Company they in turn sawhim as an embarrassment kept his employ on their ships but always on longsea voyages with very short time ashore on his return, eventually sending

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him to South Africa to continue keeping his silence. As a Naval ReservistHitchens was called up in the First World War, but never got further thanPortsmouth barracks, diagnosed suffering from neurasthenia [a nervousdisorder of chronic fatigue, weakness, loss of memory, thought to result fromexhaustion] He was discharged on medical grounds. But he did go back tosea and took instruction for the Third Mates examination, that he eventuallypassed. The Armistice came and went. But this was a time of economicDepression of the 1920’s and 30’s with many ships laid up as a consequenceofficers and seaman joined the ranks of the unemployed. He moved his wifeand family from Southampton to Torquay where he thought there werebetter job prospects, with some savings and borrowed money he paid £100for a launch the Queen Mary.with a further £60 to be paid over two years.Business started well but soon faded and the on- going depression broughtan end to the tourist trade. However his creditor still demanded paymenteventually with threats no work, no money, His wife and family moved backto Southampton to stay with relatives. Hichens handed the boat over to hislargest creditor the smaller one was much more troublesome and demandinghe would deal with in his own way. With no wife and family, no home, nomoney and with this creditor making threatening demands, he somehow gothold of a revolver went up to this mans house and shot him. The headwound was only slight but Hitchens was arrested and charged withattempted murder. At his trial his defence counsel asked for leniency inregard to his previous good character and that his client was greatly troubledby his experiences on the sinking of RMS Titanic. The sentence passed wasfive years penal servitude this was served at Parkhurst Prison, Isle of Wight.Release came in the summer of 1937. Afterwards Hitchens was reunitedwith his wife and family. Even though dogged by ill health he went back to seaduring the Second World War serving as Third Mate on the small cargo shipEnglish Trader on returning after a foreign trip he died on board aged 58.

Robert Hitchens Molly Brown

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ADVENTURES IN VIETNAM & CAMBODIAMarch –April 2018by Eddie Summerfold{Again no stories received from the membership so here again is one of mine]From Terminal One Manchester airport to Dubai. For the flight I’m sat in anaisle seat in front of a bulkhead with a Knutsford family and their 10 monthold daughter who dosen’t take kindly to having her normal routine disturbed.Little sleep, mainly due to an uncomfortable back!!! Land near midnight andhang around in the early hours for the connecting flight to the Vietnamcapital Hanoi. My back now is really playing up! Take–off 4.10am. Wouldhave enjoyed talking to my seat companion from the Diplomatic Corps if myuncomfortable back hadn’t given so much ‘gip’! A difficult journey. At Hanoilong queues to get through immigration and over an hour’s wait for baggageto arrive! I’m with a company called ‘Explore’ and join a party of abouttwenty, soon discover I am the eldest. We learn that Hanoi has a populationof eleven and a half million people and that the local currency is the Dong -20,000 to one U.S dollar. I expected this city to be Olde Worlde with manycramped buildings, not so. From the airport there’s wide duel carriage waysand many varied vehicles. It’s not until we reach the suburb for ourovernight accommodation that we see the South Asia phenomenon of massscooter traffic. Seemingly all the world owns a scooter. While the roads arechoked with them so too are pavements and side walks, with many parkedscooters. Famlies of five or more on one 50cc machine are not uncommon,others carrying many plastic water containers or even gas bottles, hangingpannier fashion. There seems few pedestrians about – but crossing the roadis near suicidal. Before breakfast next morning make the discovery of myback problem a reoccurrence of a cyst that last appeared in 2012!!! My shirtis soaked with the thing! Tell the ‘Explore’ guide who takes me to a hospital.What an experience!!! The hospital is French speaking, eventually meetDoctor Nelly [there has to be one] she’s small multi-lingual with a string ofstudents in tow. After examination she declares, “You have a cyst thatrequires surgery.” I’m lain on an operating table, shirt off, face down. Studentsgather around to witness work on my little problem “This is going to hurt,”says Dr. Nelly, The minor operation is carried out without anaesthetics. I feelthe scalpel cut into the sore several times, at each I issue many well chosennaval expletives, as doctor digs away, then drains the pus, all the while shegiving a running commentary in French to her students. Thirty minutes later,

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it seemed much longer, the wound is dressed. The bill came to $230 USdollars plus a charge for dressings of gauze, cream and plaster to cover tendays further treatment. Tour guide Binh kindly offers to do the dressing early each morning, Nextday there’s a coach trip to Halong Bay stopping off at Ye olde gift shoppe amarble and stone carving centre many tiny examples within much largerexamples outside, this is less of a shop more a big enterprise. Eventually weare ferried out to a large mock junk ‘Victory Star.” Not really an authenticship of the East but done up to look like one, auxillary masts, with lug sailsand somewhere below decks a large diesel engine or engines for propulsion.This adapted junk has 32 cabins , double beds, each with small bathroom, avery spacious dining room even a bar. [They think of everything] The food’snot bad either. Our group get to know each other. The weather is overcastand hazy as along with other craft we are taken to a boat settlement.Divided into small groups we’re shown into well scrubbed sampans,propelled by lady scullers who take us around a small bay with toweringislands of limestone and vegetation. Visit a low bridge of limestone, seasbeneath like a mill pond. Many remark on the tranquil atmosphere of sightand sound compared with noisy, congested, polluted streets of Hanoi. Onceback on board the good ship Victory Star anchors for the night with others,we enjoy a good evening meal, later marvel at the tranquility of twinkling,reflected lights of other anchored craft against a black sky. Before breakfastnext day there’s another boat trip to Sung Sot cave, once berthed a steepclimb to a congested entrance, lots of head bending, till we enter a largecavern. Many tourists taking selfies. Once back on the return to Hanoi,another stop off at a tourist trap, at the pearl shop, the ladies have a field day. Later we have much hanging about until 10 pm for the overnight trainjourney from Hanoi to Danang, many hundreds of miles of travel, four to acompartment. Compared to the luxury of the junk this is called roughing it,with very basic food and uncomfortable bone hard bed/seating, added to thenoisy clickty clack of the wheels, and swaying of the coaches; the journeylasts 15 hours. At 1.10pm. next day we eventually arrive in Danang, smallerthan Hanoi, again much scooter traffic, Imagine a rider purchasing a newmachine, first thing they’ll won’t to know, where’s the horn and is it loudenough. Female riders seem in the majority, sounding their horns - out ofmy way. Like Hanoi as for rule of the road, there isn’t one. An early eveningboat trip with a wooden overhead canopy provides relief from the sun, arefreshing cool breeze from the heat of the day. Have a change from ricedishes with an Italian meal. Next day a late start, before noon the party board

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yet another train for the long journey from Danang to Saigon/Ho Chi-min city.Another long lumpy disturbed night, again the tour guide changes my cystdressing before we disembark. There’s many walking tours on offer, I plumpto visit the War Remnants Museum, the American War [note not the VietnamWar] It has to be remembered that the Vietnamese threw out the French[Dien Bien Phu 7th May 1954] and the Americans despite all theirsophisticated technology. The museum is on four floors and disturbingly haswall after wall of black and white photographs of American atrocities thatsoon gets overwhelming. While there’s few exhibits within, outside muchcaptured American hardware of tanks, airplanes and field guns. Earlier we’veseen the many underground tunnels and bunkers used by the Vietnamesearmy. The cool evening is spent on an upper terraced roof garden of The RexHotel with expensive drinks and good food with balmy views overlookingnight time Saigon. The following day in the Mekong delta another boat trip tovisit the touristy floating market. Note deep in the hull of one large boat aremany slivering slimy full sized alligators. Elsewhere there’s crocodile heads,snakes in bottles and small children with snakes draped around their necksoffering these creatures for sale. A new day we’re off by coach to the boarderwith Cambodia and long queues for visa application and change currencyfrom Dongs to Rials. We’re told US dollars are widely accepted. That nightthe party reaches Phnom Penh. [Members may know I very rarely visit acountry twice this is an exception] The visit was the highlight of HMSOpossum’s commission that brought us in March 1955, 200 miles from theSouth China Sea. During the 63 year interval much has changed. There’smany more people, many new tall buildings and much traffic. But the RoyalPalace with its gold coloured buildings and ornate roofs looks much as I’dremember. Back then, aged 16, I’d just bought my first camera and eagerlysnapped everything in sight including this iconic residence. Paid $30 US, butwish I hadn’t, to see the Genocide Museum & Killing Fields of Choeung Ek,with its many skulls and bones of Pol Pot atrocities, very disturbing! Thenthere’s the visit to Angkor Wat, a massive religious structure built during7th – 13th centuries, found the vertical reliefs within most impressive. Notfor me the high rise climbing done by other tourists. There’s other suchsights to see other temples including Angkor Thom. The last day of the tourarrives and with it my last cyst dressing change by the tour leader, who gets abonus from me with my thanks. Then over two days and three flights it’s thelong haul home.

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NAVAL PERSONALITIES No.20Captain ERIC [Winkle] BROWN [1919-2016] CBE,DSC,AFC,MA,Hon FRAeS,RNNaval pilot extraordinaireNoted for his short stature height, 5ft, 7in,affectionately nicked named Periwinkle, a smallmollusc or Winkle for short.This Test pilot holds the world record of 2.407aircraft carrier deck landings Another worldrecord he’s flown 487 different types of aircraftincluding every category of Royal Naval and RAFaircraft – glider, fighter, bomber, airliner, flyingboat and helicopter. During WW2 also flownmany US, German, Italian, Japanese and Russianaircraft including jets and rocket planes. In thepost-war era a pioneer of jet technology.Born in Leith, Edinburgh the only child of a formerW.W.1 RFC balloon observer . Aged nine taken upby his father flying a Gloster Gauntlet biplane saton his knee. At 17 attended the Berlin Olympicsbecause of his father’s war service introduced tomany noted Luftwaffe pilots, Ernst Udstintroduced Eric to fighter aerobatics. Told he must learn to fly and speakfluent German. At Edinburgh university took modern languages, specializingin German and obtained a pilots licence, At the outbreak of the SecondWorld War the RAF had a waiting list while the Navy had none and so hebecame a naval aviator. Joined the Woolworth carrier HMS Audacity as a Sub-lieutenant, shot down two Focke-Wulf Condor aircraft, one of the few tosurvive the ships torpedoing. There after became a test pilot at Farnboroughdid many deck landings testing new types of aircraft. After the war being aGerman speaker interrogated/interviewed Marshall Goring and at Bergen-Belsen camp Commandant Josef Kramer and his assistant Irme Grese. Brownsaid of them,“More loathsome creatures it’s hard to imagine.” They were tried and hangedfor war crimes. Post war Brown was heavily involved with jet poweraviation. Remained in the Royal Navy eventually reaching the rank ofCaptain. He died aged 97 in 2016.

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SHIPMATES HUMOUR[Or man walks in to a bar – ouch!!!]A lawyer boarded an airplane at Brisbane carrying a box of frozen crabs andasked the blonde stewardess to look after them. Taking the box she promisedto put them in the crews refrigerator. In a very haughty manner he told herhis profession and that he held her personally responsible that the crabs didnot thaw out. Annoyed by this unwelcomed comment shortly before landingat Perth she used the cabin intercom to announce to the plane full ofpassengers:- “ Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs in Brisbane pleaseraise his hand.“ As no hand went up she took the crabs home and ate them.Morale:- Lawyers aren’t as smart as they think. Not all blondes are dumb. Dear Algebra please stop asking me to fine your X. She’s not coming backdon’t ask me Y.What do we learn from cows, buffaloes & elephants? It’s just impossible toreduce weight by eating grass, salads and walking.Don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t cheat and don’t sell drugs’The Government hates competition.A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came across a restaurant runby a fellow cannibal. Feeling peckish he sat down and looked at the menu.Tourist £5, Boiled Missionary £10, Fried Explorer £15, Politician Baked &Grilled £20. Calling over the owner he asked, “Why the high price for apolitician? “Have you ever tried to clean one, they are so full of s… it can takeall day.”An angle visited a women and told her if she wants to enter heaven she mustgive up smoking, drinking and unmarried sex. A month later he makes areturn visit to see how she’s getting on. “Not too bad is her reply, I’ve givenup smoking and drinking, but as for the other when I bent over my boyfriendhad me from behind.” “They don’t like that in heaven.”“The management in Aldi super market aren’t crazy about it either.”At a military air base an aircraft asked the control tower what time it was.“Whose asking?” “What difference does it make?” “Quiet a lot. If it’s an AirForce aircraft it’s 3 o’clock, if it’s a Navy aircraft it’s 6 bells and if it’s a armyaircraft the big hand is on twelve and the little hand is on three.”

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NAVAL PERSONALITIES No. 21Frogman Spy Commander Buster CRABB OBE GM [1909- 1956 presumed dead]

Commander CrabbIn April 1956 at Portsmouth lay the Soviet cruiser Ordzhonikidze that broughtRussian leaders Khrushchev and Bulganin. At the time Crabb [47] wasemployed by MI6 [Foreign Intelligence] and is said to have dived beneath thisship to examine it’s special propeller or other underwater equipment. Inbizarre and controversial circumstance he disappeared. Lionel Kenneth PhillipCrabb was born Streatham, London 28th January 1909 Did two years trainingon the old HMS Conway from there joined the Merchant Service, in 1941transferred to the Royal Navy. After training he was sent to Gibraltar to themine and bomb disposal unit where he learned to dive using the onlyequipment available DSEA sets [Davis Submarine Escape Apparatus] TheItalian Navy were advanced in underwater warfare technics and equipmentand very active in Britain’s anchorage. Crabb gained much success so much sohe was awarded OBE and later for other exploits the George Medal. SomehowIn April 1956 the Press got wind of the frogman’s disappearance there wasmuch speculation as to his whereabouts. The following year a headless,handless divers body was found in Chichester harbour and buried as Crabb.DNA testing lay in the future. Many believe the body was not Crabb and that hehad been abducted by the Russians. In the 1980’s some journalists visitingCzechoslovakia may have discovered Crabb living at a sanatorium as LevLvovich Korablov a Russian naval officer with a very good command of Englishand RN diving stories. In 1956 Premier Anthony Eden quashed any furtherinvestigation saying it wasn’t in the public interest to comment further. UnderOfficial Secrets Act the story remains hidden until 2057. But the outcomeseems to be known already.

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THE SINKING OF HMS ROYAL OAKAt Scapa Flow, Sunday 15th October 1939

HMS Royal OakThe commander of U-47, Gunter Prien, was instructed to attack shipping withinthe Flow based on German aerial reconnaissance. The night for the attack wouldbe 14th/15th October, a time of high tides and no moon. He found no barrier atKirkwall Sound, a narrow passage less than a hundred yards wide. By a quirk offate further blockships were due to arrive the very next day to make the Flowimpregnable to submarine attack! Long after midnight the U-boat found therewas only one worth while target in view, at 0058 Royal Oak was hit in the bowswith one torpedo, two had missed. There was minor alarm on board, whoeverwas on watch did not sound emergence stations. Half hour past by during whichthe tubes were reloaded. At 0129 of three torpedoes two hit the ship, withinminutes a steep list developed at 0139 Royal Oak rolled over and sank. On boardwas 1,235 personnel, of these 142 were Boy ratings 16-17 year olds, sadly 106of these were lost from a total of 844 that perished. For those members with computer access should they look-up Royal Navalcasualties for 1939 the names are all there, surname in block capitals, followedby first name and initial, rank and official number. All 844 of them, line after line,name after name. The Smith’s and the Jones’s, the green horns and the old salts,the wardroom and the lowerdeck. Many would be married with wives andchildren, many more single with parents. Two days before had been pay day withadjustment of the quarterly settlement, some would have extra money. In shortthey were once real people. Their ship had been important but not as importantas the lost personnel

AT NOON THE ADMIRAL WAS SHOT

Execution of Admiral Byng Admiral John ByngThere have only been two Admiral’s shot on their own quarterdeck, one wasHoratio Nelson the other was Admiral Byng. One died in action the other by afiring squad. After Christmas 1756 a Court Marshall was convened atPortsmouth to try Admiral Byng for failing to do his utmost against the enemy[the French] as laid down in The Articles of War, when he failed to prevent themcapturing Minorca. Three Admirals and nine Captains sat in judgement,acquitted him of cowardice but found him guilty of failing to do his utmost inthe face of his enemy. The Admiralty had sort to protect themselves frompublic anger from the loss of Minorca by placing all the blame on Byng. Thedeath penalty would be imposed. Clemency was called for from those withinthe Navy and high personages outside but all were dismissed. The House ofLords up held the sentence of execution. This was carried out on thequarterdeck of HMS Monarch 14th March 1757 at 12 noon when many borewitness. With the Admiral blindfolded and knelt on a cushion, he signalled hisreadiness by dropping a handkerchief and a squad of Royal Marines from veryclose range shot him dead. Voltaire in his novel Candide was told “It is good to kill an admiral from timeto time to encourage the others.” A culture of aggressive determination whichset British naval officers apart from foreign contemporaries gives apsychological advantage over opponents who went into action with a invisibledisadvantage no amount of personal courage or numerical strength couldmatch. 13

THE NAVY YOU KNEW COMPARED WITH TODAYBare in mind a couple of points, NOTHING EVERY STAYS THE SAME, THATTHINGS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING [not always for the better!!] We allremember joining up, the pay rates and naval life in the 1950’s and 60’s andall that meant in post-war service of the Royal Navy. [A few smiles arepromised] Today you don’t initially have to attend a Recruitment office anapplication can be made on line. They will want to know the recruit’s name,date of birth, nationality, have they previously served in the UK military? Arethey male, female or prefer not to say? {No kidding this wording is includedin current military application, how times have changed] Sixty-six years ago[June 1953] when I joined HMS Ganges as a Boy seaman 2nd class at fiveshillings a week. [in old money.] today things are very different, every sailorjoins the Service as an Able seaman or Able rate. Able rate start £295.46 a week [£15,363.92p.a.] Able rate can rises in nineincrements to £29,554p.aLeading hands start at £589.07 per week [£30,632p.a.] and can rise in fiveincrements to £36.464p.a. Petty officer starts at £662.73 per week [£34,462p.a.]and can rise in fiveincrements to £42,642p.a.Chief petty officer starts at £745.98 per week [£38,791p.a.] and can rise inten increments to £49,284p.a. In addition to scale increments there areSupplements one, two, three & four- one being the lowest four the highest.These pay scales give a greater variety of pay for A/B’s and Chief’s 40combinations - 10 increments and 4 supplements. While Leading hands andPetty officers only have 20 combinations - 5 increments and 4 supplements,Lieutenant starts at £792 per week [£41,186p.a.] can rise in 7 increments to£48,979p.a.Captain starts at £1,696.38 per week [£88,212p.a.] can rise in 7 incrementsto £96,978p.a. Payment for all officers or ratings is once a month. So old time Jack who hadto endure one blank week in every two, now has too put up with three blankweeks in every four.Looking back at old naval recruiting literature the Navy often tried tocompete with pay rates ashore for similar work. Then accommodation andmeals were free for sailors not for civilians, so to make a more level playingfield todays Navy give enhanced pay rates, both accommodation and mealsare subsidized when in harbour or barracks; at sea accommodation is free.What of modern day naval benefits? Six weeks paid leave, plus publicholidays. A help to buy housing scheme. Separation allowance for every14

night spent at sea. Maternity leave of 26 weeks on full pay. For every officerand rating 2 weeks adventure training each year. Access to gym and sportingfacilities, every ship has a workout compartment. Operations allowance.Discounts for car, hotel, computer as well as generous discounts at selectedshops and stores. Free medical and dental care. The old recruitment adageof ‘Join the Navy and see the world’ isn’t enough for todays society, hence thebenefits package. Not forgetting the pension after four years service andthereafter in four yearly increments. [Not after twenty-two years as in days ofyore.] Todays Service needs recruits with drive, determination and ambition,with a can do attitude and be able to think on their feet. In return the Serviceoffers a first class training in the recruit’s chosen branch, with world widetravel thrown in. For those with real ambition their talents can take them tothe top. Should a rating wish to leave they have only to make a request, depending onlength of service they might forfeit generous benefits.If such and arrangement of a ‘Get out clause’ existed in my Boys training daysthere would have been such a stampede for the main gate that most of thetwo thousand ‘Ganges’ lads would have been on their way to Ipswich stationin the blink of an eye. But each had signed a commitment, in the parlance ofthe day, “Made our own bed and now had to lie in them.” So far there is one further benefit not mentioned that of comradeship, canand often does last a lifetime. Take for example our HMS OpossumAssociation, though depleted in numbers is still going strong. It’s doubtful ifpastimes on todays warships hold tombola sessions or the once ever popularuckers, and card games like crib, chase the lady are played, but I could bewrong. Evening movie films and the old SRE are not for todays sailors, therewill be close circuit television and personal computers. Also doubtful ifthere’s any enterprising ratings of todays Navy doing barbering, dhobying,jewry or snobbing? Colours and Sunset will still be practiced, Requestmentand Defaulters held. The sea state and weather conditions don’t changemuch when the ship rides a lumpy sea and stomach of todays sailor afterhis/her ‘prefer not to say’ meal rises to the occasion, is the mess gash bucketpreferred to the heads or hanging over the guard rails when shouting for‘hughie?’ Your editor was always doing this briefly the first day on the briny,but not for long and not the following days. This year’s reunion will be a littledifferent for our association, amalgamating with four other shipsassociations – HMS Ceylon, HMS Gambia, HMS Kenya and HMSNewfoundland all cruisers with ships companies of 600-700. Much smallerHMS Opossum would have less than 200!!! But we are all Navy so thereshould be no problems.15

HMS Ceylon HMS Gambia

HMS Kenya HMS Newfoundland

HMS Opossum

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