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NEWSLETTER
Nec Quisquam Nisi Ajax
June 2018Chairman's Report
Standard Bearer ReportNews from Town of Ajax – Colleen Jordan
Exeter RepairsMembership Secretary's Report
Frank Burton River Plate Memories2019 South America Trip Update
Motor Anti-Submarine Boat RestorationData Protection ChangesTaylor Road Dedication
Colleen Jordan Stands for MayorAjax Historical Wall Update
Naval InsigniaD-Day Historical Record – Not Graffiti
Ye Good Olde Days in AjaxCrossing the Arctic Circle Certificate
Archivist ReportElpis Sculpture in Ajax
Battle Ensign – HMS AchillesNewsletter Editor's Comments
1935 - 48 1963 - 85
www.hmsajax.org
2.
www.hmsajax.org
3.
CHAIRMANNigel MastersThe LookoutGolden Cross TerraceStation Road, SwinesheadBoston, Lincolnshire PE20 3LPTel: 01205 820127Mobile: 07743 [email protected]
SECRETARYPeter Danks104 Kelsey AvenueSouthbourne, EmsworthHampshire PO10 8NQTel: 01243 [email protected]
MEMBERSHIPSECRETARYMrs Judi CollisThe Bewicks, Station RoadTen Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EYTel: 01366 377945Mobile: 07736 [email protected]
TREASURER/STANDARD BEARERAlf LarkinStonecleave26 WakehamPortland, Dorset DT5 1HNTel: 01305 [email protected]
ARCHIVIST/WEBMASTER/NEWSLETTER EDITORMalcolm CollisThe Bewicks, Station RoadTen Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EYTel: 01366 [email protected]
MERCHANDISE OFFICERMichael Fox6 Brown HillSounthwell, PortlandDorset DT5 2EDTel: 01305 [email protected]
COMMITTEE MEMBERAlan (George/Phil) Phillips8 Orchard WaySend Hill, Send, Surrey GU23 7HSTel: 01483 [email protected]
CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS
Hello to you All,
As I am writing these notes we are enjoying a fantastic heat wave, I have warned everyone in my family if I hear them say” It's too hot” or similar, they will banished from the house! After the winter we have had, we all deserve a fantastic summer. I along with 20 of my work colleagues attended the annual Army v Royal Navy Rugby match at Twickenham on Saturday 5th May; the weather was glorious, the occasion as brilliant as always and the result, although not what we would have wanted, didn't really matter. The day gives you the chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones and celebrate everything that is good about being a serving member or ex-member of the Armed Forces. Our group had a fancy dress theme this year, Super Heroes; we had three Batmen, one Robin (me), Banana Man, two Wonder Women and various others. The attendance was just over 82,000 and I estimate that half were in fancy dress! The tickets are a bargain at £25 and if you ever get the chance to attend don't turn it down, it is an event not to be missed. Sad news from the Town of Ajax but inevitable at some time I suppose; one of the Association's biggest supporters and friends in Ajax, Ontario, Town Mayor Steve Parish has announced that he will not be standing for re-election in December. Steve has been the Mayor of Ajax for the last twenty three years; his Father previously served as Mayor as well. The Parish family have certainly served their community and our association well. The Committee have invited Steve and Rose to the Reunion dinner at Plymouth in October, we really hope they will be able to attend.
REUNIONWith the Reunion in mind it is now only four months away, it would be really good to have a big attendance for the first reunion held in “Guz” which was the home of the last ship to bear the name of AJAX. Booked numbers
so far are really disappointing and if they don't pick up and remain low like last year we will need to have a serious review of what we do in future. It is your Association and your reunions so please make every possible effort to attend. One, two or three nights are available or just the dinner on the Saturday night – contact Malcolm or Judi if you need the details again and they will get our organisers, The Isle of Wight Ltd, to send them to you.
Malcolm continues to work extremely hard in all areas, along with Judi, they have devoted much time recently to the changes in the Data Protection Law; it has not been easy.
Malcolm has also been in contact with various officials all over South America, making plans for our trip to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate; again this is not proving to be an easy task, Well done Malcolm and Judi for your time and effort, it is most appreciated .Our own version of “Jack Blair”, Mick Fox, has recently been in receipt of the first Polo shirt with the new association crest. I must say the crest looks very impressive.
So it just remains for me to say that I have been diagnosed with colour blindness: I must say that came as “Bolt out of the green”!!!! Have a great summer and see you at the reunion.
Nigel Masters - Chairman
Nigel later posted on Facebook that he had met ex-leading Seaman Jim Walker who had joined the navy in 1951. He was in HMS Jamaica in 1955 when she played the part of HMS Exeter in the film Battle of the River Plate along with her wartime partner HMS Sheffield who played Ajax.
STANDARD BEARER'S REPORT
A fairly quiet period this Newsletter period for our Standard.
On Wednesday 25th April Alf paraded the Standard for Anzac Day at the memorial on Weymouth Sea front opposite the Hotel Prince Regent which was used as a hospital for many Australian and New Zealand soldiers injured in World War 1.
Dan Sherren took the Standard to a humanist funeral in May in support of two other standards. This was in honour of a former Wren who saw war service and continued to be active into her mid-nineties. A very moving affair with contributions from daughters, granddaughters plus her carers, who all paid tribute to a fine old lady.
Alf has pencilled in his diary the following to keep him busy:
Monday 28th May US Memorial Day, Weymouth Sea front
Sunday 24th June Annual Veterans Parade, Weymouth Sea front.
Monday 25th June Flag Raising, Weymouth Council Offices
More on these in the September Newsletter.
2.
www.hmsajax.org
3.
CHAIRMANNigel MastersThe LookoutGolden Cross TerraceStation Road, SwinesheadBoston, Lincolnshire PE20 3LPTel: 01205 820127Mobile: 07743 [email protected]
SECRETARYPeter Danks104 Kelsey AvenueSouthbourne, EmsworthHampshire PO10 8NQTel: 01243 [email protected]
MEMBERSHIPSECRETARYMrs Judi CollisThe Bewicks, Station RoadTen Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EYTel: 01366 377945Mobile: 07736 [email protected]
TREASURER/STANDARD BEARERAlf LarkinStonecleave26 WakehamPortland, Dorset DT5 1HNTel: 01305 [email protected]
ARCHIVIST/WEBMASTER/NEWSLETTER EDITORMalcolm CollisThe Bewicks, Station RoadTen Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EYTel: 01366 [email protected]
MERCHANDISE OFFICERMichael Fox6 Brown HillSounthwell, PortlandDorset DT5 2EDTel: 01305 [email protected]
COMMITTEE MEMBERAlan (George/Phil) Phillips8 Orchard WaySend Hill, Send, Surrey GU23 7HSTel: 01483 [email protected]
CHAIRMAN'S REMARKS
Hello to you All,
As I am writing these notes we are enjoying a fantastic heat wave, I have warned everyone in my family if I hear them say” It's too hot” or similar, they will banished from the house! After the winter we have had, we all deserve a fantastic summer. I along with 20 of my work colleagues attended the annual Army v Royal Navy Rugby match at Twickenham on Saturday 5th May; the weather was glorious, the occasion as brilliant as always and the result, although not what we would have wanted, didn't really matter. The day gives you the chance to catch up with old friends, make new ones and celebrate everything that is good about being a serving member or ex-member of the Armed Forces. Our group had a fancy dress theme this year, Super Heroes; we had three Batmen, one Robin (me), Banana Man, two Wonder Women and various others. The attendance was just over 82,000 and I estimate that half were in fancy dress! The tickets are a bargain at £25 and if you ever get the chance to attend don't turn it down, it is an event not to be missed. Sad news from the Town of Ajax but inevitable at some time I suppose; one of the Association's biggest supporters and friends in Ajax, Ontario, Town Mayor Steve Parish has announced that he will not be standing for re-election in December. Steve has been the Mayor of Ajax for the last twenty three years; his Father previously served as Mayor as well. The Parish family have certainly served their community and our association well. The Committee have invited Steve and Rose to the Reunion dinner at Plymouth in October, we really hope they will be able to attend.
REUNIONWith the Reunion in mind it is now only four months away, it would be really good to have a big attendance for the first reunion held in “Guz” which was the home of the last ship to bear the name of AJAX. Booked numbers
so far are really disappointing and if they don't pick up and remain low like last year we will need to have a serious review of what we do in future. It is your Association and your reunions so please make every possible effort to attend. One, two or three nights are available or just the dinner on the Saturday night – contact Malcolm or Judi if you need the details again and they will get our organisers, The Isle of Wight Ltd, to send them to you.
Malcolm continues to work extremely hard in all areas, along with Judi, they have devoted much time recently to the changes in the Data Protection Law; it has not been easy.
Malcolm has also been in contact with various officials all over South America, making plans for our trip to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate; again this is not proving to be an easy task, Well done Malcolm and Judi for your time and effort, it is most appreciated .Our own version of “Jack Blair”, Mick Fox, has recently been in receipt of the first Polo shirt with the new association crest. I must say the crest looks very impressive.
So it just remains for me to say that I have been diagnosed with colour blindness: I must say that came as “Bolt out of the green”!!!! Have a great summer and see you at the reunion.
Nigel Masters - Chairman
Nigel later posted on Facebook that he had met ex-leading Seaman Jim Walker who had joined the navy in 1951. He was in HMS Jamaica in 1955 when she played the part of HMS Exeter in the film Battle of the River Plate along with her wartime partner HMS Sheffield who played Ajax.
STANDARD BEARER'S REPORT
A fairly quiet period this Newsletter period for our Standard.
On Wednesday 25th April Alf paraded the Standard for Anzac Day at the memorial on Weymouth Sea front opposite the Hotel Prince Regent which was used as a hospital for many Australian and New Zealand soldiers injured in World War 1.
Dan Sherren took the Standard to a humanist funeral in May in support of two other standards. This was in honour of a former Wren who saw war service and continued to be active into her mid-nineties. A very moving affair with contributions from daughters, granddaughters plus her carers, who all paid tribute to a fine old lady.
Alf has pencilled in his diary the following to keep him busy:
Monday 28th May US Memorial Day, Weymouth Sea front
Sunday 24th June Annual Veterans Parade, Weymouth Sea front.
Monday 25th June Flag Raising, Weymouth Council Offices
More on these in the September Newsletter.
4. 5.
TOWN OF AJAX UPDATE – JUNE 2018
Pat Bayly Square
This Fall, the highly anticipated Pat Bayly Square will be opening. Named after the first Mayor of Ajax, Pat Bayly Square will feature a skating rink, reflective pool, water fountains, spaces for public gatherings, a multipurpose stage, seating areas and more. The Square also honours the Town's storied
history with monuments dedicated to women war workers from Defence Industries Limited (D.I.L.) and a unique pavement design, similar to the coding pattern found in a Rockex machine, invented by Pat Bayly.
Once opened, the Square will serve as an educational s i te for community members and visitors to attend events and enjoy all the amenities the space has to offer.
Mayor Steve Parish AnnouncementAfter 23 years, Mayor Parish will not be seeking re-election. As Ajax's longest serving Mayor, Mayor Parish had the opportunity to lead Ajax as it grew and developed. The Mayor's Father, Bill Parish (Ajax Mayor 1958-1963), other family members, Council and staff were in attendance of the announcement alongside Mayor Parish, recognizing his tireless efforts and dedication to the Town.
Street Dedications Honours HMS AJAX VeteransOn May 17, Ajax Council was joined by the Taylor and Woodhouse family members to dedicate
Taylor Road and Woodhouse Crescent to HMS Ajax Veterans and Captain.
Taylor RoadAlec Taylor, Rosemarie Husain, Christine Naughton and Dawn Tucker unveiled the plaques that will forever honour their father, William George Edward Taylor. Taylor served in Ajax during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939.
Woodhouse Crescent
The Town also paid tribute to HMS Ajax Captain Sir Charles Henry Lawrence Woodhouse, who served during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. Woodhouse's granddaughter, Caroline Tibbs proudly uncovered the plaque with Mayor Steve Parish.
Caroline said, “On a warm, sunny day my husband Philip and I arrived at the Ajax Town Hall where we were met the Taylor Family and Pat and Colleen, Town Councillors and our chauffeurs for the day. It was a surreal experience to find myself attending Ontario all the way from the UK to dedicate a street in honour of my grandfather who had been the Captain of HMS Ajax in 1939.
After the formal tree and street dedication I was presented with a full sized metal 'Woodhouse Crescent' road sign and replica plaque. We were hoping to fit the road sign into my husband's luggage and not to be arrested for carrying a blunt weapon (fortunately we weren't).
The Council were very hospitable and having spent two weeks travelling around a very small proportion of Ontario and Quebec we found the Canadians we met to be very friendly (and very much better informed than us about the Royal Wedding!)
Many thanks to Pat and Colleen, Joanne, Mayor Steve and his wife, Jennifer Larmand and the other administrators involved in our visit. We had a wonderful memorable day.
Watch live recording of the dedications o n l i n e a t youtube.com/thetownofajax.
Colleen Jordan – Regional Councilor
4. 5.
TOWN OF AJAX UPDATE – JUNE 2018
Pat Bayly Square
This Fall, the highly anticipated Pat Bayly Square will be opening. Named after the first Mayor of Ajax, Pat Bayly Square will feature a skating rink, reflective pool, water fountains, spaces for public gatherings, a multipurpose stage, seating areas and more. The Square also honours the Town's storied
history with monuments dedicated to women war workers from Defence Industries Limited (D.I.L.) and a unique pavement design, similar to the coding pattern found in a Rockex machine, invented by Pat Bayly.
Once opened, the Square will serve as an educational s i te for community members and visitors to attend events and enjoy all the amenities the space has to offer.
Mayor Steve Parish AnnouncementAfter 23 years, Mayor Parish will not be seeking re-election. As Ajax's longest serving Mayor, Mayor Parish had the opportunity to lead Ajax as it grew and developed. The Mayor's Father, Bill Parish (Ajax Mayor 1958-1963), other family members, Council and staff were in attendance of the announcement alongside Mayor Parish, recognizing his tireless efforts and dedication to the Town.
Street Dedications Honours HMS AJAX VeteransOn May 17, Ajax Council was joined by the Taylor and Woodhouse family members to dedicate
Taylor Road and Woodhouse Crescent to HMS Ajax Veterans and Captain.
Taylor RoadAlec Taylor, Rosemarie Husain, Christine Naughton and Dawn Tucker unveiled the plaques that will forever honour their father, William George Edward Taylor. Taylor served in Ajax during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939.
Woodhouse Crescent
The Town also paid tribute to HMS Ajax Captain Sir Charles Henry Lawrence Woodhouse, who served during the Battle of the River Plate in 1939. Woodhouse's granddaughter, Caroline Tibbs proudly uncovered the plaque with Mayor Steve Parish.
Caroline said, “On a warm, sunny day my husband Philip and I arrived at the Ajax Town Hall where we were met the Taylor Family and Pat and Colleen, Town Councillors and our chauffeurs for the day. It was a surreal experience to find myself attending Ontario all the way from the UK to dedicate a street in honour of my grandfather who had been the Captain of HMS Ajax in 1939.
After the formal tree and street dedication I was presented with a full sized metal 'Woodhouse Crescent' road sign and replica plaque. We were hoping to fit the road sign into my husband's luggage and not to be arrested for carrying a blunt weapon (fortunately we weren't).
The Council were very hospitable and having spent two weeks travelling around a very small proportion of Ontario and Quebec we found the Canadians we met to be very friendly (and very much better informed than us about the Royal Wedding!)
Many thanks to Pat and Colleen, Joanne, Mayor Steve and his wife, Jennifer Larmand and the other administrators involved in our visit. We had a wonderful memorable day.
Watch live recording of the dedications o n l i n e a t youtube.com/thetownofajax.
Colleen Jordan – Regional Councilor
6. 7.
EXETER'S REPAIRS IN THE FALKLANDS
Jonathan Harwood contacted me to see if I had any accounts of Exeter's repairs following the Battle of the River Plate as the question had arisen in a biography being written about his grandfather, Admiral Sir Henry Harwood.
The below is an interesting excerpt from a review by R. Atwill in the Naval Historical Society of Australia.
'Listing heavily to starboard and still burning forward, our battered ship turned towards the Falkland Islands twelve hundred miles away. We made good speed – about 18 knots. The weather was kind although it worsened towards the end of our journey. Three times during that long trip we stopped to commit our dead to the deep.
We arrived at Port Stanley and carried on the huge task of cleaning up, repairing structure and fittings and the thousand and one minor jobs that had to be done for the safety of the ship and our own comfort and wellbeing. We had to get the ship back to England somehow.
There was a rumour that Exeter would be left at Port Stanley until after the war and then be taken home for repairs. This we could not contemplate – our much loved and victorious ship to become slowly but surely a rusting hulk! The majority of us had served in her for three years. But there was someone else who thought and felt that this should not be – Mr. Winston Churchill and so it was with great relief we heard Captain Bell tell us that we were to take Exeter home to Devonport – the yard in which she was built.
Nothing else in the world could have done more to urge us on in our efforts to make our ship seaworthy for the thousands of miles that lay between us and home. So we set to work with a will. But what were we going to use, for what in some instances were extensive repairs? For instance, that very large hole starboard side forward?
Luckily, the vessel owned by the Falkland Island Trading Company was at Buenos Aires, and through official channels we were able to order steel plate and sheet to back up our normal stores quota. We also ordered plenty of electric welding rods as we had a useful welding generator in the Engineers' Workshop and on shore there was a portable petrol drum generator which, although some years old, had never been used.
Our Shipwright Staff was small enough for the great amount of structural repair to be done but we were assisted, whenever possible, by members of the Engineering and Ordinance Branches. As I had carried
out any necessary welding during the commission it fell to me to organise and carry out welded repairs to the ship's side where necessary.
There were three major shell repairs – starboard side aft abreast the refrigerating machinery compartment, the big hole just abaft the stem abreast the paint shop and the hole in the port side punched by the shell which caused so much trouble in the CPO Flat and nearly put Exeter out of the fight.
The ship's side abreast the refrigerating machinery compartment was riddled with splinter holes from a very close near miss, some very near the water line. I covered nearly one hundred holes with patches of quarter inch thick mild steel. By the time that that job was completed our plating for the forward hole had arrived from Buenos Aires. That repair gave no end of trouble – our new three eighths thick steel plate was as straight as could be – the ship's side, even after we had burned away all the ragged edges, was distorted and rippled – anything but straight or a nice fair curve.
With no real facilities to help us, the only thing to do was to put a couple of bolts through the plate and ship's side at one end and begin to form the plate to the ship's side. So it went on – heat part of the edge to red, flog it to fit and touch the ship's side plating and tack into place with electric welding – all along the top edge. The second plate was then placed below the first but with the top lapped under the upper plate and a bolt put in one end to support it. Once again the same process to make the bottom edge of the second plate fit the shape of the ship's side – heat, hammer, tack – heat, hammer, tack - on and on. The two ends of this now very large patch were treated in the same way and when all edges fitted the ship's side and were well locked the whole, including the lap between the two plates, were given two or three runs of welding to make the patch secure. All this was, of course, most unorthodox but practical, given the circumstances, and with some stiffening inside made up of heavy angle and plate formed to the inside shape to replace two frames which we had burned away, that patch stood the voyage home even though we had several days of heavy weather which found many weak points throughout the ship.
Meanwhile, inside the ship, the after bulkhead of the Chief Petty Officers' Flat was distorted and weakened. Something had to be done about it, but what? We really needed some fairly heavy channel bar. Then someone said something about a railway line. That was it! And off we went to take a look. Sure enough, there they were, lovely lengths of railway line. As we stood there deciding which rails we would dig out, we noticed, in some long grass, a pile of spare rails that must have lain there from before the First World War. They were in surprisingly good condition, just what was needed to stiffen that bulkhead and one or two other places in the ship. And that is just what we did – pulling and forcing the distorted structure to fit the straight rails and welding all together. Some of the rails were used to form bearers across the big hole in the forecastle deck to carry sheets of thin steel which were then covered with plates of wood well secured and bedded in to keep water out of the compartments below. As for defence – Y Turret was put into working order and all spare ammunition in the forward magazines transferred to Y Magazine and Shell Room. That would have to do.
At the end of January 1940 we sailed from Port Stanley and began our long voyage home escorted by the cruisers Dorsetshire and Shropshire and over the last leg by nine destroyers.
On the morning of 14th February Exeter entered Plymouth Sound, past a cheering mass of people on the Hoe, into the Hamoaze past the throng of men who had built her and who were banging hammers on anything that would make a noise, on past cranes dipping their jibs in salute and so to her berth in Devonport Dockyard.
There, amidst the welcoming crowd of naval men and dockyard workers, was Mr. Winston Churchill who had come 'to pay my tribute to her brave officers and men from her shattered decks in Plymouth Harbour.'
Malcolm Collis
6. 7.
EXETER'S REPAIRS IN THE FALKLANDS
Jonathan Harwood contacted me to see if I had any accounts of Exeter's repairs following the Battle of the River Plate as the question had arisen in a biography being written about his grandfather, Admiral Sir Henry Harwood.
The below is an interesting excerpt from a review by R. Atwill in the Naval Historical Society of Australia.
'Listing heavily to starboard and still burning forward, our battered ship turned towards the Falkland Islands twelve hundred miles away. We made good speed – about 18 knots. The weather was kind although it worsened towards the end of our journey. Three times during that long trip we stopped to commit our dead to the deep.
We arrived at Port Stanley and carried on the huge task of cleaning up, repairing structure and fittings and the thousand and one minor jobs that had to be done for the safety of the ship and our own comfort and wellbeing. We had to get the ship back to England somehow.
There was a rumour that Exeter would be left at Port Stanley until after the war and then be taken home for repairs. This we could not contemplate – our much loved and victorious ship to become slowly but surely a rusting hulk! The majority of us had served in her for three years. But there was someone else who thought and felt that this should not be – Mr. Winston Churchill and so it was with great relief we heard Captain Bell tell us that we were to take Exeter home to Devonport – the yard in which she was built.
Nothing else in the world could have done more to urge us on in our efforts to make our ship seaworthy for the thousands of miles that lay between us and home. So we set to work with a will. But what were we going to use, for what in some instances were extensive repairs? For instance, that very large hole starboard side forward?
Luckily, the vessel owned by the Falkland Island Trading Company was at Buenos Aires, and through official channels we were able to order steel plate and sheet to back up our normal stores quota. We also ordered plenty of electric welding rods as we had a useful welding generator in the Engineers' Workshop and on shore there was a portable petrol drum generator which, although some years old, had never been used.
Our Shipwright Staff was small enough for the great amount of structural repair to be done but we were assisted, whenever possible, by members of the Engineering and Ordinance Branches. As I had carried
out any necessary welding during the commission it fell to me to organise and carry out welded repairs to the ship's side where necessary.
There were three major shell repairs – starboard side aft abreast the refrigerating machinery compartment, the big hole just abaft the stem abreast the paint shop and the hole in the port side punched by the shell which caused so much trouble in the CPO Flat and nearly put Exeter out of the fight.
The ship's side abreast the refrigerating machinery compartment was riddled with splinter holes from a very close near miss, some very near the water line. I covered nearly one hundred holes with patches of quarter inch thick mild steel. By the time that that job was completed our plating for the forward hole had arrived from Buenos Aires. That repair gave no end of trouble – our new three eighths thick steel plate was as straight as could be – the ship's side, even after we had burned away all the ragged edges, was distorted and rippled – anything but straight or a nice fair curve.
With no real facilities to help us, the only thing to do was to put a couple of bolts through the plate and ship's side at one end and begin to form the plate to the ship's side. So it went on – heat part of the edge to red, flog it to fit and touch the ship's side plating and tack into place with electric welding – all along the top edge. The second plate was then placed below the first but with the top lapped under the upper plate and a bolt put in one end to support it. Once again the same process to make the bottom edge of the second plate fit the shape of the ship's side – heat, hammer, tack – heat, hammer, tack - on and on. The two ends of this now very large patch were treated in the same way and when all edges fitted the ship's side and were well locked the whole, including the lap between the two plates, were given two or three runs of welding to make the patch secure. All this was, of course, most unorthodox but practical, given the circumstances, and with some stiffening inside made up of heavy angle and plate formed to the inside shape to replace two frames which we had burned away, that patch stood the voyage home even though we had several days of heavy weather which found many weak points throughout the ship.
Meanwhile, inside the ship, the after bulkhead of the Chief Petty Officers' Flat was distorted and weakened. Something had to be done about it, but what? We really needed some fairly heavy channel bar. Then someone said something about a railway line. That was it! And off we went to take a look. Sure enough, there they were, lovely lengths of railway line. As we stood there deciding which rails we would dig out, we noticed, in some long grass, a pile of spare rails that must have lain there from before the First World War. They were in surprisingly good condition, just what was needed to stiffen that bulkhead and one or two other places in the ship. And that is just what we did – pulling and forcing the distorted structure to fit the straight rails and welding all together. Some of the rails were used to form bearers across the big hole in the forecastle deck to carry sheets of thin steel which were then covered with plates of wood well secured and bedded in to keep water out of the compartments below. As for defence – Y Turret was put into working order and all spare ammunition in the forward magazines transferred to Y Magazine and Shell Room. That would have to do.
At the end of January 1940 we sailed from Port Stanley and began our long voyage home escorted by the cruisers Dorsetshire and Shropshire and over the last leg by nine destroyers.
On the morning of 14th February Exeter entered Plymouth Sound, past a cheering mass of people on the Hoe, into the Hamoaze past the throng of men who had built her and who were banging hammers on anything that would make a noise, on past cranes dipping their jibs in salute and so to her berth in Devonport Dockyard.
There, amidst the welcoming crowd of naval men and dockyard workers, was Mr. Winston Churchill who had come 'to pay my tribute to her brave officers and men from her shattered decks in Plymouth Harbour.'
Malcolm Collis
8. 9.
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY'S UPDATE JUNE 2018
Best wishes to you all. Our membership continues to rise with one new crew member and one associate. Our membership is the grand total of 192 made up of 4 life; 11 honorary; crew - 14 cruiser and 54 frigate; Associates - 90 cruiser & 15 frigate; 4 others.
CROSSED THE BARI'm pleased to report that I have nothing to report in respect to members.However, I had a chat with George Milham who has been an associate member for many years. He is the son of George Alexander Milham who was a gunner writer on board the cruiser 1942-44. Lynda, George's wife, passed away in March following a long battle with cancer. George enjoys keeping up to date with all our news through the Newsletter.In the March 2018 Newsletter I reported that John Hitchen had Crossed the Bar and that his funeral
thtook place on 30 January. The family kindly donated the memorial collection to the Association to benefit members. We are very grateful for the sum of £440 that will be put to good use; the family indicated that it could help members attend funerals of other members if we wished including the Standard.Let us know if you need assistance with travelling to any funeral you would really wish to attend to pay your respects.
NEW MEMBERS Kevin Pearson from Leicester joined the navy in July 1974 and served on board Ajax from November '74 to December '76 as MEM and left the service in June 1979. Kevin visited the Town of Ajax and his name is on the memorial wall.
Gav Don from Edinburgh was researching his family tree in 2008 and discovered his great uncle Robert William Duncan Don was special entry cadet in May 1937 for a year at HMS Vindictive; he then served on board HMS Exeter. He received a DSM for his actions during the Battle of The River Plate - “Midshipman Robert W. D. Don, Royal Navy; who throughout the action showed great calm, resource and initiative, especially in running hoses into the burning Marines barracks, in fighting a fire over the lower steering position, and is rescuing the wounded.”After Exeter he joined the submarine service, took three trips to and from Dunkirk, was appointed to Triumph, spending a year in the Mediterranean.From the London Gazette - Lt Robert William Douglas Don DSC RN of HMS Triumph was gazetted on 20 January 1942 for the award of a bar to his DSC “for courage, skill and resolution in successful Submarine patrols” And again on 5 May 1942 for the award of a second bar to his DSC “For daring, enterprise and devotion to duty in successful patrols in H.M. Submarines.”HMS Triumph (N18) was in the first group of the T-class submarines and was sunk by an unknown cause (assumed an Italian mine) in January 1942 while near Cyclades in Greece. All 59 crew including Robert were lost.Gav has joined us as an associate member and is planning to join us on our trip to South America next year.
RIVER PLATE VETERAN'S UPDATEALBERT SMITH - AJAXKen Smith sent this update on Albert Smith – “Dad, after the initial concerns over his health in his care home, is doing remarkably well. All his family joined him to celebrate his recent 96th birthday which was a lovely occasion. He seems very content and happy in his home and although we do notice a decline in his memory he still recognises and is pleased to see us when we visit.
Mum has also been a resident in a care home since November. After a spell of very poor health and a couple of falls, leading to stays in hospital, she is now in a much better frame of mind and more like her old self once again. Unfortunately she cannot be in the same home as dad, but as they are only ten minutes apart and we are able to organise visits for her to see dad.
Albert was 96 earlier this year.
FRANK BURTON – AJAXFrank's son Alan contacted the Association to see if they could recommend anyone who could repair Frank's Ajax nameplate lapel badge. They went one better and ordered him a new one. Malcolm visited Frank early March & handed it over to him at his Cambridge care
thhome – he promised to wear it at his 100 birthday party.
BASIL TROTT - EXETER Malcolm also visited Basil in March and whilst he is in good health generally is becoming a little forgetful, but then aren't we all! That didn't stop him answering a list of questions Malcolm had for him about his experiences at the River Plate (he also did the same for Frank). Wife Sadie is a tower of strength and keeps Basil on the straight and narrow. Basil will be 99 in December.
JIM LONDON - EXETERSon Ray sent the following update on Dad Jim – “Last week Dad was finally relocated to a Care home. He has had a rough few months, but has stubbornly been his own man. He is now back in Worcester and whilst still very frail he is getting about a lot better than he was.Last November Dad did his bit and laid a wreath and on the way for a pint he had a fall and broke the neck of his femur. Four days later he was walking. By Christmas he had a chest infection, urine infection and man flu but was fit to be discharge from hospital. He came to us and was doing quite well until one night we had to do a 999 call; he had a ruptured duodenum. The surgeon refused to operate but the anaesthetist overruled and again four days later he was walking. He is now quite settled and working on the principal that he has just joined a new ship's company. Brother Graham and I are now working on projects to motivate him for the future, one goal is to be in Plymouth in October for the Exeter reunion.Jim will be 99 in October.
The Association still has another 13 Cruiser veterans in addition to the above four and we wish them all the very best.
I spoke to Mike Turner the other day and he was his usual cheerful self despite having had a longish spell in hospital and nursing home following a nasty bout of shingles. Although fed up with being house bound is hoping to be well enough to come to the reunion in October.
Stuart Birrell contacted us to say that dad Don Birrell had had a bad fall end of April and cracked his skull resulting in a bleed on the brain. Progress is slow but as Stuart said, He is a tough so and so and is hanging in there. Get well soon Don. As we were going to press we received the following update from Stuart: “We’ve got Dad out of hospital at last. He’s in a care home, hopefully only for a few weeks while he regains strength and generally recovers. Hopefully we can get him home after that. Improving daily.”
Elizabeth Danks continues to have some health issues and Peter provides excellent but tiring support for her 24/7 care.
Best wishes and get well soon to all of you who have been poorly over the winter period. I have just started cycle 5/6 of my weekly chemo at Addenbrookes and the last scan shows me either stable or decreased size of targeted points.
8. 9.
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY'S UPDATE JUNE 2018
Best wishes to you all. Our membership continues to rise with one new crew member and one associate. Our membership is the grand total of 192 made up of 4 life; 11 honorary; crew - 14 cruiser and 54 frigate; Associates - 90 cruiser & 15 frigate; 4 others.
CROSSED THE BARI'm pleased to report that I have nothing to report in respect to members.However, I had a chat with George Milham who has been an associate member for many years. He is the son of George Alexander Milham who was a gunner writer on board the cruiser 1942-44. Lynda, George's wife, passed away in March following a long battle with cancer. George enjoys keeping up to date with all our news through the Newsletter.In the March 2018 Newsletter I reported that John Hitchen had Crossed the Bar and that his funeral
thtook place on 30 January. The family kindly donated the memorial collection to the Association to benefit members. We are very grateful for the sum of £440 that will be put to good use; the family indicated that it could help members attend funerals of other members if we wished including the Standard.Let us know if you need assistance with travelling to any funeral you would really wish to attend to pay your respects.
NEW MEMBERS Kevin Pearson from Leicester joined the navy in July 1974 and served on board Ajax from November '74 to December '76 as MEM and left the service in June 1979. Kevin visited the Town of Ajax and his name is on the memorial wall.
Gav Don from Edinburgh was researching his family tree in 2008 and discovered his great uncle Robert William Duncan Don was special entry cadet in May 1937 for a year at HMS Vindictive; he then served on board HMS Exeter. He received a DSM for his actions during the Battle of The River Plate - “Midshipman Robert W. D. Don, Royal Navy; who throughout the action showed great calm, resource and initiative, especially in running hoses into the burning Marines barracks, in fighting a fire over the lower steering position, and is rescuing the wounded.”After Exeter he joined the submarine service, took three trips to and from Dunkirk, was appointed to Triumph, spending a year in the Mediterranean.From the London Gazette - Lt Robert William Douglas Don DSC RN of HMS Triumph was gazetted on 20 January 1942 for the award of a bar to his DSC “for courage, skill and resolution in successful Submarine patrols” And again on 5 May 1942 for the award of a second bar to his DSC “For daring, enterprise and devotion to duty in successful patrols in H.M. Submarines.”HMS Triumph (N18) was in the first group of the T-class submarines and was sunk by an unknown cause (assumed an Italian mine) in January 1942 while near Cyclades in Greece. All 59 crew including Robert were lost.Gav has joined us as an associate member and is planning to join us on our trip to South America next year.
RIVER PLATE VETERAN'S UPDATEALBERT SMITH - AJAXKen Smith sent this update on Albert Smith – “Dad, after the initial concerns over his health in his care home, is doing remarkably well. All his family joined him to celebrate his recent 96th birthday which was a lovely occasion. He seems very content and happy in his home and although we do notice a decline in his memory he still recognises and is pleased to see us when we visit.
Mum has also been a resident in a care home since November. After a spell of very poor health and a couple of falls, leading to stays in hospital, she is now in a much better frame of mind and more like her old self once again. Unfortunately she cannot be in the same home as dad, but as they are only ten minutes apart and we are able to organise visits for her to see dad.
Albert was 96 earlier this year.
FRANK BURTON – AJAXFrank's son Alan contacted the Association to see if they could recommend anyone who could repair Frank's Ajax nameplate lapel badge. They went one better and ordered him a new one. Malcolm visited Frank early March & handed it over to him at his Cambridge care
thhome – he promised to wear it at his 100 birthday party.
BASIL TROTT - EXETER Malcolm also visited Basil in March and whilst he is in good health generally is becoming a little forgetful, but then aren't we all! That didn't stop him answering a list of questions Malcolm had for him about his experiences at the River Plate (he also did the same for Frank). Wife Sadie is a tower of strength and keeps Basil on the straight and narrow. Basil will be 99 in December.
JIM LONDON - EXETERSon Ray sent the following update on Dad Jim – “Last week Dad was finally relocated to a Care home. He has had a rough few months, but has stubbornly been his own man. He is now back in Worcester and whilst still very frail he is getting about a lot better than he was.Last November Dad did his bit and laid a wreath and on the way for a pint he had a fall and broke the neck of his femur. Four days later he was walking. By Christmas he had a chest infection, urine infection and man flu but was fit to be discharge from hospital. He came to us and was doing quite well until one night we had to do a 999 call; he had a ruptured duodenum. The surgeon refused to operate but the anaesthetist overruled and again four days later he was walking. He is now quite settled and working on the principal that he has just joined a new ship's company. Brother Graham and I are now working on projects to motivate him for the future, one goal is to be in Plymouth in October for the Exeter reunion.Jim will be 99 in October.
The Association still has another 13 Cruiser veterans in addition to the above four and we wish them all the very best.
I spoke to Mike Turner the other day and he was his usual cheerful self despite having had a longish spell in hospital and nursing home following a nasty bout of shingles. Although fed up with being house bound is hoping to be well enough to come to the reunion in October.
Stuart Birrell contacted us to say that dad Don Birrell had had a bad fall end of April and cracked his skull resulting in a bleed on the brain. Progress is slow but as Stuart said, He is a tough so and so and is hanging in there. Get well soon Don. As we were going to press we received the following update from Stuart: “We’ve got Dad out of hospital at last. He’s in a care home, hopefully only for a few weeks while he regains strength and generally recovers. Hopefully we can get him home after that. Improving daily.”
Elizabeth Danks continues to have some health issues and Peter provides excellent but tiring support for her 24/7 care.
Best wishes and get well soon to all of you who have been poorly over the winter period. I have just started cycle 5/6 of my weekly chemo at Addenbrookes and the last scan shows me either stable or decreased size of targeted points.
10. 11.
Happy Birthday to the following Members who have birthdays in this Newsletter period (March to May) incl.As part of our Data Protection Policy I am now just putting ages rather than birth dates.William Smail Cruiser 1943-44 93 Dennis Talbot Cruiser 1947-48 87Barry Clutton Frigate 1968-70 83Hugh (Bing) Crosby Frigate 1976-77 79Richard Dalziel Frigate 1965-66 74Terry Herbert Frigate 1963-65 74George Barlow Frigate 1965-66 71Graham (Lottie) Brayshaw Frigate 1965-67 69Michael Fox Frigate 1973-78 65Nick Ransley Frigate 1975-77 83-85 65Ian Cunliffe Frigate 1974-76 63Ian Darbyshire Frigate 1976-78 62Nigel (Jan) Masters Frigate 1976-78 62Michael Barclay Frigate 1975-77 60Terry Pearce Frigate 1975-77 60Glyn Seagrave Frigate 1975-77 60 David Humpage Frigate 1977-79 58
Happy birthday to all the above members and to all our Associates celebrating birthdays this newsletter period and apologies to anyone not mentioned in this or previous editions
SUBSCRIPTIONS Please remember that annual subscription increased following the 2016 AGM to £12, with family membership to £18. Those paying by the subscribe button will have had emails confirming the increase but individual standing orders need to be changed directly with your bank. Thanks to all of you who remembered to do this in time for January, a few have slipped through unchanged so please update your bank.A gentle reminder that our financial year runs from September to August so the 2016-17 subs are now overdue. Sorry to nag, several people pay around the reunion in October, those paying on the subscribe button or new payments will go out on that anniversary as long as card details are still valid. We have a few rejected because the payment card runs out of date - you need to update PayPal.We are trying to make it as easy as possible for you and the various methods of parting with your money are listed below. Please ring me if you have any problems.Subscription can be paid by:Standing Order or Bank Transfer - Association Account details: HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association: Number -- 24865868: Sort Code -- 30-99-56 Cheques & Postal Orders made payable to - HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association and posted to Membership Secretary: The Bewicks, Station Road, Ten Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EU.By using the "Subscribe" button on the website and paying by PayPal or credit/debit card – see http://www.hmsajax.org/#/joining/4560949163
Thank you all for your continued support. You should have details of our Reunion from IOW earlier in the year, please find out the form and join us if you can – or contact us. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.
If anyone has any items for the AGM agenda please contact the Secretary Peter Danks.
FRANK BURTON RIVER PLATE MEMORIES
As part of an initiative to collect the thoughts of our veterans about their River Plate experiences I visited Frank Burton and the following piece went off to the Navy News - although not used!
“HMS Ajax's oldest veteran, Frank Burton, is looking forward to receiving his “telegram” from the
Queen later this year when he will be 100 on 4th September. This will be especially poignant for him as Frank's first ship was HMS Queen Elizabeth and our current Queen visited the ship a couple of times when he was there, including for her father George VI's Coronation in May 1937.
Frank joined the navy on 28th January 1935 at Ganges as a Boy 2nd class at the tender age of 16 before his draft to HMS Queen Elizabeth on 16th May 1936 as Ordinary Telegraphist. On promotion to Telegraphist Frank joined HMS Ajax on 11th January 1938 at Portsmouth following completion of a
short refit and joined America & West Indies Squadron. The cruise took her round South America and up the Chilean coast where, in late January 1939, Ajax together with HMS Exeter aided the Chilean authorities following a devastating earthquake in Concepción. For a number of reasons Frank only received his medal for his part he played in the rescue in March 2017 from the Chilean Ambassador.
The day before Frank's 21st birthday he was on watch when he took the message that war had been declared – he delivered the message personally to the Captain. Later that year Ajax, together with Exeter and Achilles took on the German Pocket Battleship Graff Spee off the River Plate
leading to the first major battle of the War and culminating in the scuttling of the pride of the German Navy. Frank was asked what he remembered of that day to which he replied, “Nothing” and went on to explain that he was struck on the head by shrapnel from the first shell that hit Ajax. He was concussed and remembers nothing but apparently he continued with his duties of repairing damaged aerials during the battle.
A week later Ajax was in the Falklands where Frank, as Acting Leading Telegraphist, volunteered to set up and run a wireless facility there; and so he did for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, the Navy forgot to notify the family and they feared the worst when Ajax arrived back in the UK end January 1940 with no Frank. A hasty letter from Ajax's Captain Woodhouse explained all was well and he had received his Falklands' posting due to his superior ability!
Frank is the oldest of the Association's members that still has 17 War veterans; four of whom were at the River Plate 79 years ago - Frank and another Ajax veteran and two from Exeter, along with 13 Ajax cruiser crew members.
Malcolm Collis
2019 SOUTH AMERICA TRIP UPDATE
I was hoping to be able to give you a little more about the proposed trip to South America in December 2019 but unfortunately it has been frustratingly slow progress.
The initial contact in the Mayor's office of Concepción was full of enthusiasm but has just not responded to my emails for the last six or more months. The other contact there, a local historian, has been most useful but despite his best attempts still nothing from the City. He recently visited the Mayor who confirmed they wished to be involved in our visit and he would get someone to contact me … I'm still waiting. It is looking as if the better way of getting from Santiago down to Concepción is by coach rather than train for a number of reasons and then fly back. I shall also arrange a day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso and a day trip in to the Andes either from Santiago or Concepcion.
The good news is that British Airways now do a direct London flight.
Also unfortunately my two contacts in Uruguay have also gone very quiet on me despite a number of emails so I have some work to do there.
One exchange of emails with a British Legion representative in Buenos Aires has led to a possible
10. 11.
Happy Birthday to the following Members who have birthdays in this Newsletter period (March to May) incl.As part of our Data Protection Policy I am now just putting ages rather than birth dates.William Smail Cruiser 1943-44 93 Dennis Talbot Cruiser 1947-48 87Barry Clutton Frigate 1968-70 83Hugh (Bing) Crosby Frigate 1976-77 79Richard Dalziel Frigate 1965-66 74Terry Herbert Frigate 1963-65 74George Barlow Frigate 1965-66 71Graham (Lottie) Brayshaw Frigate 1965-67 69Michael Fox Frigate 1973-78 65Nick Ransley Frigate 1975-77 83-85 65Ian Cunliffe Frigate 1974-76 63Ian Darbyshire Frigate 1976-78 62Nigel (Jan) Masters Frigate 1976-78 62Michael Barclay Frigate 1975-77 60Terry Pearce Frigate 1975-77 60Glyn Seagrave Frigate 1975-77 60 David Humpage Frigate 1977-79 58
Happy birthday to all the above members and to all our Associates celebrating birthdays this newsletter period and apologies to anyone not mentioned in this or previous editions
SUBSCRIPTIONS Please remember that annual subscription increased following the 2016 AGM to £12, with family membership to £18. Those paying by the subscribe button will have had emails confirming the increase but individual standing orders need to be changed directly with your bank. Thanks to all of you who remembered to do this in time for January, a few have slipped through unchanged so please update your bank.A gentle reminder that our financial year runs from September to August so the 2016-17 subs are now overdue. Sorry to nag, several people pay around the reunion in October, those paying on the subscribe button or new payments will go out on that anniversary as long as card details are still valid. We have a few rejected because the payment card runs out of date - you need to update PayPal.We are trying to make it as easy as possible for you and the various methods of parting with your money are listed below. Please ring me if you have any problems.Subscription can be paid by:Standing Order or Bank Transfer - Association Account details: HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association: Number -- 24865868: Sort Code -- 30-99-56 Cheques & Postal Orders made payable to - HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association and posted to Membership Secretary: The Bewicks, Station Road, Ten Mile Bank, Norfolk PE38 0EU.By using the "Subscribe" button on the website and paying by PayPal or credit/debit card – see http://www.hmsajax.org/#/joining/4560949163
Thank you all for your continued support. You should have details of our Reunion from IOW earlier in the year, please find out the form and join us if you can – or contact us. I look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.
If anyone has any items for the AGM agenda please contact the Secretary Peter Danks.
FRANK BURTON RIVER PLATE MEMORIES
As part of an initiative to collect the thoughts of our veterans about their River Plate experiences I visited Frank Burton and the following piece went off to the Navy News - although not used!
“HMS Ajax's oldest veteran, Frank Burton, is looking forward to receiving his “telegram” from the
Queen later this year when he will be 100 on 4th September. This will be especially poignant for him as Frank's first ship was HMS Queen Elizabeth and our current Queen visited the ship a couple of times when he was there, including for her father George VI's Coronation in May 1937.
Frank joined the navy on 28th January 1935 at Ganges as a Boy 2nd class at the tender age of 16 before his draft to HMS Queen Elizabeth on 16th May 1936 as Ordinary Telegraphist. On promotion to Telegraphist Frank joined HMS Ajax on 11th January 1938 at Portsmouth following completion of a
short refit and joined America & West Indies Squadron. The cruise took her round South America and up the Chilean coast where, in late January 1939, Ajax together with HMS Exeter aided the Chilean authorities following a devastating earthquake in Concepción. For a number of reasons Frank only received his medal for his part he played in the rescue in March 2017 from the Chilean Ambassador.
The day before Frank's 21st birthday he was on watch when he took the message that war had been declared – he delivered the message personally to the Captain. Later that year Ajax, together with Exeter and Achilles took on the German Pocket Battleship Graff Spee off the River Plate
leading to the first major battle of the War and culminating in the scuttling of the pride of the German Navy. Frank was asked what he remembered of that day to which he replied, “Nothing” and went on to explain that he was struck on the head by shrapnel from the first shell that hit Ajax. He was concussed and remembers nothing but apparently he continued with his duties of repairing damaged aerials during the battle.
A week later Ajax was in the Falklands where Frank, as Acting Leading Telegraphist, volunteered to set up and run a wireless facility there; and so he did for the next 4 years. Unfortunately, the Navy forgot to notify the family and they feared the worst when Ajax arrived back in the UK end January 1940 with no Frank. A hasty letter from Ajax's Captain Woodhouse explained all was well and he had received his Falklands' posting due to his superior ability!
Frank is the oldest of the Association's members that still has 17 War veterans; four of whom were at the River Plate 79 years ago - Frank and another Ajax veteran and two from Exeter, along with 13 Ajax cruiser crew members.
Malcolm Collis
2019 SOUTH AMERICA TRIP UPDATE
I was hoping to be able to give you a little more about the proposed trip to South America in December 2019 but unfortunately it has been frustratingly slow progress.
The initial contact in the Mayor's office of Concepción was full of enthusiasm but has just not responded to my emails for the last six or more months. The other contact there, a local historian, has been most useful but despite his best attempts still nothing from the City. He recently visited the Mayor who confirmed they wished to be involved in our visit and he would get someone to contact me … I'm still waiting. It is looking as if the better way of getting from Santiago down to Concepción is by coach rather than train for a number of reasons and then fly back. I shall also arrange a day trip from Santiago to Valparaiso and a day trip in to the Andes either from Santiago or Concepcion.
The good news is that British Airways now do a direct London flight.
Also unfortunately my two contacts in Uruguay have also gone very quiet on me despite a number of emails so I have some work to do there.
One exchange of emails with a British Legion representative in Buenos Aires has led to a possible
12. 13.
adjustment to the schedule. One site we would visit in Buenos Aires would be the grave of Captain Langsdorff and apparently the Graf Spee Association organise a large commemorative event on the Sunday nearest the 18th December. The Chairman of that Association, General Heinrich Dick (Ret), will arrange the 2019 event to be the 15th to coincide with our visit.
To make this work and avoid getting too close to Christmas I shall swap the visit order so that we go to Chile first as before for Tuesday 3rd to Monday 9th then fly to Montevideo, rather than Argentina, for the rest of the week including the 13th anniversary day. Then sail over the River Plate to Buenos Aires on the Saturday 14th and fly home from there around the Wednesday 18th. There is also now a direct British Airways London flight.
A round trip with British Airways direct to Santiago, Santiago to Montevideo with Latam Airways; then Buenos Aires direct to London with British Airways at sensible times is coming up at the moment at under £1200.
I would see these dates as the “official” dates allowing individuals to have their own schedule around these dates and visiting one or more of the countries.
If you haven't already indicated a wish to join us but could now be interested please let me know and I'll add you to the update circulation list.
Malcolm Collis
MOTOR ANTI-SUBMARINE BOAT
When contacting member Richard Llewellyn (Ajax '43-44) about his name on a window – see separate article, he updated me on the latest D-Day Revisited project. Richard was on Ajax for D-Day and is heavily involved in the D-Day Revisited organisation (have a look here http://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/ for more on the organisation & http://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/veterans/richard-llewellyn.html for more on Richard and his time on Ajax).
In spring 2016 D-Day Revisited took on a genuine wartime Motor Anti-Submarine Boat which was residing in Somerset in a very poor state. It led the American landing force to Omaha Beach on D-Day. The aim is to restore it to its former glory in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019, when it will join fellow Coastal Defences veteran vessels in its first cross-Channel journey to Normandy since the war!
Richard and Elly were recently invited along to see the two engines being installed.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL MEMBERS & THOSE ON THE
HMS AJAX & RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION
DISTRIBUTION LIST
On 25 May the UK will see the biggest change to data privacy laws for twenty years as the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) begins. Full details can be found at
https://www.eugdpr.org/
This means organisations need to comply and make sure their systems do not breach the law.
It is about protecting members' personal details and not sharing them with third parties unless
individuals positively consent.
You have probably received numerous notifications from your various on-line companies and
social networks, clubs and organisations on this subject; and it must be said there appears to be
no universal consistent approach to interpreting the compliance requirements.
The HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association has decided to take a pragmatic approach
that it believes to be the least onerous means of complying. We do not supply personal details
to outside organisations unless to do so benefits the members and Association – currently only
The Town of Ajax and our Reunion organiser Isle of Wight Ltd (Who have their own data
handling policy). If in the future we were to provide to others we would only do so with your
specific approval.
Member's full details are held on the Membership Secretary's personal computer which is
fully protected. On joining it is assumed members agreed to receive telephone, email or postal
communication and we shall continue to communicate with you in this manner unless you
advise us otherwise.
If you are happy with the above ways that we currently contact you, then you do not need to do
anything. If you want to add or remove ways that we can contact you or remove yourself from
our membership list just advise us by email, letter or telephone call to the Membership
Secretary.
Judi Collis
Membership Secretary
01366 377945
Email – [email protected]
HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association
12. 13.
adjustment to the schedule. One site we would visit in Buenos Aires would be the grave of Captain Langsdorff and apparently the Graf Spee Association organise a large commemorative event on the Sunday nearest the 18th December. The Chairman of that Association, General Heinrich Dick (Ret), will arrange the 2019 event to be the 15th to coincide with our visit.
To make this work and avoid getting too close to Christmas I shall swap the visit order so that we go to Chile first as before for Tuesday 3rd to Monday 9th then fly to Montevideo, rather than Argentina, for the rest of the week including the 13th anniversary day. Then sail over the River Plate to Buenos Aires on the Saturday 14th and fly home from there around the Wednesday 18th. There is also now a direct British Airways London flight.
A round trip with British Airways direct to Santiago, Santiago to Montevideo with Latam Airways; then Buenos Aires direct to London with British Airways at sensible times is coming up at the moment at under £1200.
I would see these dates as the “official” dates allowing individuals to have their own schedule around these dates and visiting one or more of the countries.
If you haven't already indicated a wish to join us but could now be interested please let me know and I'll add you to the update circulation list.
Malcolm Collis
MOTOR ANTI-SUBMARINE BOAT
When contacting member Richard Llewellyn (Ajax '43-44) about his name on a window – see separate article, he updated me on the latest D-Day Revisited project. Richard was on Ajax for D-Day and is heavily involved in the D-Day Revisited organisation (have a look here http://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/ for more on the organisation & http://d-dayrevisited.co.uk/veterans/richard-llewellyn.html for more on Richard and his time on Ajax).
In spring 2016 D-Day Revisited took on a genuine wartime Motor Anti-Submarine Boat which was residing in Somerset in a very poor state. It led the American landing force to Omaha Beach on D-Day. The aim is to restore it to its former glory in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019, when it will join fellow Coastal Defences veteran vessels in its first cross-Channel journey to Normandy since the war!
Richard and Elly were recently invited along to see the two engines being installed.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ALL MEMBERS & THOSE ON THE
HMS AJAX & RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION
DISTRIBUTION LIST
On 25 May the UK will see the biggest change to data privacy laws for twenty years as the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) begins. Full details can be found at
https://www.eugdpr.org/
This means organisations need to comply and make sure their systems do not breach the law.
It is about protecting members' personal details and not sharing them with third parties unless
individuals positively consent.
You have probably received numerous notifications from your various on-line companies and
social networks, clubs and organisations on this subject; and it must be said there appears to be
no universal consistent approach to interpreting the compliance requirements.
The HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association has decided to take a pragmatic approach
that it believes to be the least onerous means of complying. We do not supply personal details
to outside organisations unless to do so benefits the members and Association – currently only
The Town of Ajax and our Reunion organiser Isle of Wight Ltd (Who have their own data
handling policy). If in the future we were to provide to others we would only do so with your
specific approval.
Member's full details are held on the Membership Secretary's personal computer which is
fully protected. On joining it is assumed members agreed to receive telephone, email or postal
communication and we shall continue to communicate with you in this manner unless you
advise us otherwise.
If you are happy with the above ways that we currently contact you, then you do not need to do
anything. If you want to add or remove ways that we can contact you or remove yourself from
our membership list just advise us by email, letter or telephone call to the Membership
Secretary.
Judi Collis
Membership Secretary
01366 377945
Email – [email protected]
HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association
14. 15.
DEDICATION OF TAYLOR ROAD – 17 MAY 2018
What a great trip to Ajax. I know many reading this will fully understand that sentiment, nod and remember saying the same thing at the end of their own visits. You've been there and experienced the
warmth and friendship. It's hard to even write this without feeling emotional. The honour of being received so royally simply on the basis that our Dad was on the crew of HMS Ajax is something that will live long in the memory of my three sisters and I.
After a tour of the town with the wonderful Debbie Steer on Monday both to gain our bearings and gain an understanding of its history, we dined at the famous Magwyers where we were all beaten by the amount of food in front of us and, quite by chance, got to bump into Councillors Pat Brown and Colleen Jordon.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we took ourselves off to play the complete tourists in Toronto. Certainly, for those who routinely monitor their step count, walking round this wonderful city made reaching the daily 10,000 steps target look like child's play! If you haven't been, go. The CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, a boat trip round the islands and Chinatown all featured. We also took a walk round Kensington market where a very distinctive mellowing aroma hung in the air, particularly outside a shop called “Serving Potheads since ... Ah, I forget”. What it was selling I simply can't imagine!
Thursday, and the core day our visit dawned. I had been liaising with Debbie and with Jennifer Larmand at Ajax Council for nearly a year planning for this trip and suddenly it was on us. After a tour of the council buildings including ringing the HMS Ajax bell in the Council Chamber and a trip to Veterans Point, we bravely faced our second visit to Magwyer's. Then onto the street dedication. Simply put, it was humbling. The respect shown for the memory of those that served is wonderful. For Mayor Steve Parish and the Council to distil and focus that respect down to one man, our Dad, for just a little while was beyond words. Together with Colleen, Pat and Joanne, his tribute was highly emotional for all of us. We had too, the additional pleasure of being welcomed by several residents of Taylor Road. It was simply one of life's joyous moments added to by the presence of Caroline Tibbs (granddaughter of Capt. Woodhouse) and her husband Philip. Dad would have been thrilled at the meeting of the families all these years later, particularly given the esteem in which he held both Woodhouse and Harwood. After the dedication of Taylor Rd we moved on to Woodhouse Crescent, for Caroline and Philip to enjoy their moment. Again, a splendid turnout of residents enhanced the whole event.
The day was topped off by the hospitality of Steve Parish and his wife Rosemary at their home where we also had the honour of chatting with his wonderful father Bill Parish who, I understand, first instigated the idea of using crew names for the local roads. Oh that I should be as sharp at his age!
Friday, and Debbie pulled out all the stops again to take us off to see HMCS Haida and then on to Niagara Falls. What needs to be said? This is truly bucket list stuff. Just fabulous. We left home at 8am and got back utterly exhausted at 11pm after closing the day with dinner at the Keg overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. Debbie's energies and enthusiasm appear unbounded. How she stayed awake I have no idea. My sisters and I were in a state of collapse by day's end.
Our week closed more gently. After a trip to the delightful small town of Port Perry we were treated to an evening BBQ at Debbie's joined again by Pat, Joanne and Colleen among others.
After preparing to come home, we all went to a local church on a Sunday morning to give thanks before making our way eventually to the airport and onward.
Despite everything we saw, we are agreed (an unusual thing for four siblings) that our overwhelming memory will not be of Toronto or Niagara; rather, it will be the warmth and friendship shown to us by absolutely everybody we met, from the team at Ajax to the young guys running the buses and trains. Every single one of them added value to our experience. If they are representatives of Canada more generally, then Canada can be proud. This country will stay in our thoughts and memories for a very long time.
Alec Taylor – Associate Member
REGIONAL COUNCILLOR COLLEEN JORDAN ANNOUNCES BID TO BECOME MAYOR
Along with other Council Members, Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan has long been a great supporter of The HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association and the close links with her Town of Ajax. Following the news that the long standing Mayor Steve Parish is to stand down at the end of the year Colleen has put herself forward for election to that post and we wish her the very best in her bid to become the next Mayor.
Colleen (in yellow) said, “Thank you to everyone who joined me today as I announced my candidacy for Mayor of Ajax. I will focus on residents' needs – continue the fight to save the c a s i n o , a d d C a r r u t h e r s headwaters to the Greenbelt, solve the algae problem, build a w e l c o m i n g , i n c l u s i v e community, good jobs - closer to home, better public transport, safer roads, profile our unique h i s t o r y w h i l e e n s u r i n g r e s p o n s i b l e f i n a n c i a l management.
14. 15.
DEDICATION OF TAYLOR ROAD – 17 MAY 2018
What a great trip to Ajax. I know many reading this will fully understand that sentiment, nod and remember saying the same thing at the end of their own visits. You've been there and experienced the
warmth and friendship. It's hard to even write this without feeling emotional. The honour of being received so royally simply on the basis that our Dad was on the crew of HMS Ajax is something that will live long in the memory of my three sisters and I.
After a tour of the town with the wonderful Debbie Steer on Monday both to gain our bearings and gain an understanding of its history, we dined at the famous Magwyers where we were all beaten by the amount of food in front of us and, quite by chance, got to bump into Councillors Pat Brown and Colleen Jordon.
On Tuesday and Wednesday we took ourselves off to play the complete tourists in Toronto. Certainly, for those who routinely monitor their step count, walking round this wonderful city made reaching the daily 10,000 steps target look like child's play! If you haven't been, go. The CN Tower, Ripley's Aquarium, a boat trip round the islands and Chinatown all featured. We also took a walk round Kensington market where a very distinctive mellowing aroma hung in the air, particularly outside a shop called “Serving Potheads since ... Ah, I forget”. What it was selling I simply can't imagine!
Thursday, and the core day our visit dawned. I had been liaising with Debbie and with Jennifer Larmand at Ajax Council for nearly a year planning for this trip and suddenly it was on us. After a tour of the council buildings including ringing the HMS Ajax bell in the Council Chamber and a trip to Veterans Point, we bravely faced our second visit to Magwyer's. Then onto the street dedication. Simply put, it was humbling. The respect shown for the memory of those that served is wonderful. For Mayor Steve Parish and the Council to distil and focus that respect down to one man, our Dad, for just a little while was beyond words. Together with Colleen, Pat and Joanne, his tribute was highly emotional for all of us. We had too, the additional pleasure of being welcomed by several residents of Taylor Road. It was simply one of life's joyous moments added to by the presence of Caroline Tibbs (granddaughter of Capt. Woodhouse) and her husband Philip. Dad would have been thrilled at the meeting of the families all these years later, particularly given the esteem in which he held both Woodhouse and Harwood. After the dedication of Taylor Rd we moved on to Woodhouse Crescent, for Caroline and Philip to enjoy their moment. Again, a splendid turnout of residents enhanced the whole event.
The day was topped off by the hospitality of Steve Parish and his wife Rosemary at their home where we also had the honour of chatting with his wonderful father Bill Parish who, I understand, first instigated the idea of using crew names for the local roads. Oh that I should be as sharp at his age!
Friday, and Debbie pulled out all the stops again to take us off to see HMCS Haida and then on to Niagara Falls. What needs to be said? This is truly bucket list stuff. Just fabulous. We left home at 8am and got back utterly exhausted at 11pm after closing the day with dinner at the Keg overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. Debbie's energies and enthusiasm appear unbounded. How she stayed awake I have no idea. My sisters and I were in a state of collapse by day's end.
Our week closed more gently. After a trip to the delightful small town of Port Perry we were treated to an evening BBQ at Debbie's joined again by Pat, Joanne and Colleen among others.
After preparing to come home, we all went to a local church on a Sunday morning to give thanks before making our way eventually to the airport and onward.
Despite everything we saw, we are agreed (an unusual thing for four siblings) that our overwhelming memory will not be of Toronto or Niagara; rather, it will be the warmth and friendship shown to us by absolutely everybody we met, from the team at Ajax to the young guys running the buses and trains. Every single one of them added value to our experience. If they are representatives of Canada more generally, then Canada can be proud. This country will stay in our thoughts and memories for a very long time.
Alec Taylor – Associate Member
REGIONAL COUNCILLOR COLLEEN JORDAN ANNOUNCES BID TO BECOME MAYOR
Along with other Council Members, Regional Councillor Colleen Jordan has long been a great supporter of The HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association and the close links with her Town of Ajax. Following the news that the long standing Mayor Steve Parish is to stand down at the end of the year Colleen has put herself forward for election to that post and we wish her the very best in her bid to become the next Mayor.
Colleen (in yellow) said, “Thank you to everyone who joined me today as I announced my candidacy for Mayor of Ajax. I will focus on residents' needs – continue the fight to save the c a s i n o , a d d C a r r u t h e r s headwaters to the Greenbelt, solve the algae problem, build a w e l c o m i n g , i n c l u s i v e community, good jobs - closer to home, better public transport, safer roads, profile our unique h i s t o r y w h i l e e n s u r i n g r e s p o n s i b l e f i n a n c i a l management.
16. 17.
AJAX HISTORICAL WALL UPDATE
Most of you will be aware following the unveiling of the wall in Ajax as part of our 2016 visit it was acknowledged that the section dedicated to those in Ajax at the time of the 1976 visit was incomplete. Between them, much work by Brenda Kriz from the Town and Judi Collis has produced a list that is now nearing what would have been the full complement of 257 names.
NAVAL INSIGNATo the unintiated the different ranks and roles in the navy can appear bewildering. Associate Alec Taylor and his sisters are visiting Ajax at the end of May for the street dedication ceremony of their father's Street, Taylor Street. William “Buck” Taylor was in Ajax at the time of the Battle of the River Plate.
Alec posted this image of his father's insignia on the Ajax Facebook page and asked if any one could tell him what they signified.
A few members responded.
Dan Sherren said they were Petty Officer Communicator; Petty Officer rating badge & Naval Regulator Branch badge. Ian Darbyshire thought it was a Yeoman Branch badge to which Alec responded that his father was Yeoman of Signals.
Graham May clarified that there were two sides to the communication branch, 'Visual' & 'Radio'. 'Your dad was part of the visual signalling side. He used flags, semaphore and flashing
signal lamps; hence the crossed flags which would have been worn on his right arm. The visual side was also responsible for the distribution of all communications traffic throughout the ship to the respective addressees, be it received by radio or by visual means. The crossed anchors would have been worn on his left arm along with up to three good conduct stripes, each stripe denoting 4 years of “undetected crime!” Gold badges were for best uniform whilst red badges were worn on working uniform.
Alec responded that that all made sense as the local cubs and scouts came to him for semephore badge tests!
Graham added that he left the RN in 1965 when Morse was still king and remained so until the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System was phased in in the late '80's. Satellite communications had taken over and signalled the end of an era that started in the days of the Titanic. 'Yeoman like your dad were never far from the captains right hand side. Always on the bridge.
Thanks to everyone for clarifying … I think!
Malcolm Collis
D-DAY HISTORICAL RECORD; NOT GRAFFITI
I recently received an email from a Jon Carpenter who was staying in Chateau de L'Isle Marie, Picauville, Northern France whilst touring the battle sites when he randomly came across a list of names and details of British servicemen written on a window shutter in the basement of the chateau.
He wanted to know a little more about the two Ajax men – Roy Blowers and Richard Llewellyn, whose names appeared on the window.
Roy, a Royal Marine left Ajax before D-Day but was part of the Combined Operation Royal Marines who were the first landing wave on to the Normandy beach of Arromanches. Roy unfortunately Crossed the Bar last November.
Richard was a Midshipman in Ajax on D-Day. Ajax was off Gold Beach, Normandy coast for D-day assault. AJAX was the first ship to open fire and partially destroyed her first target, a battery of 6” guns at Longues in 8 minutes - 114 x 6” shells at 62,000 yards, direct hits through two of the 5.9” gun ports of the 4 guns. It took another 2 hours to completely silence the battery of guns.
I asked Richard and Linda, Roy's widow, if they could shed any light on the matter.
Linda replied that three years ago Roy and she visited the chateau when they were on a D-Day Revisited tour. 'We were all invited
for an evening meal in a marquee in the grounds of the chateau. Whilst we were there we had a tour of the chateau and the grounds. On doing this we came across the window and Roy decided to add his name, number and date.
Richard said to Jon, “That is my 'signature' along with others of the group on the panel in one of the back windows of the Chateau de L'Isle Marie! We were there with a group from D-Day Revisited for an evening meal in 2015. A marquee was erected in the grounds for the occasion and we had a very enjoyable time! If you have access to Facebook and find D-Day Revisited you will find many photos including our visit to Normandy in 2015. My partner Elly found them on 'D-Day Revisited Photos', all by Victoria Phipps. Roy Blower was with us at the time but the year before last he came but was in a wheel chair and not in good health. We were sorry to learn from Malcolm that he had since died.
If you have any more questions which I may be able to answer for you please ask! We will be in Normandy again this year with D-Day Revisited. See you there??”
Malcolm Collis
16. 17.
AJAX HISTORICAL WALL UPDATE
Most of you will be aware following the unveiling of the wall in Ajax as part of our 2016 visit it was acknowledged that the section dedicated to those in Ajax at the time of the 1976 visit was incomplete. Between them, much work by Brenda Kriz from the Town and Judi Collis has produced a list that is now nearing what would have been the full complement of 257 names.
NAVAL INSIGNATo the unintiated the different ranks and roles in the navy can appear bewildering. Associate Alec Taylor and his sisters are visiting Ajax at the end of May for the street dedication ceremony of their father's Street, Taylor Street. William “Buck” Taylor was in Ajax at the time of the Battle of the River Plate.
Alec posted this image of his father's insignia on the Ajax Facebook page and asked if any one could tell him what they signified.
A few members responded.
Dan Sherren said they were Petty Officer Communicator; Petty Officer rating badge & Naval Regulator Branch badge. Ian Darbyshire thought it was a Yeoman Branch badge to which Alec responded that his father was Yeoman of Signals.
Graham May clarified that there were two sides to the communication branch, 'Visual' & 'Radio'. 'Your dad was part of the visual signalling side. He used flags, semaphore and flashing
signal lamps; hence the crossed flags which would have been worn on his right arm. The visual side was also responsible for the distribution of all communications traffic throughout the ship to the respective addressees, be it received by radio or by visual means. The crossed anchors would have been worn on his left arm along with up to three good conduct stripes, each stripe denoting 4 years of “undetected crime!” Gold badges were for best uniform whilst red badges were worn on working uniform.
Alec responded that that all made sense as the local cubs and scouts came to him for semephore badge tests!
Graham added that he left the RN in 1965 when Morse was still king and remained so until the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System was phased in in the late '80's. Satellite communications had taken over and signalled the end of an era that started in the days of the Titanic. 'Yeoman like your dad were never far from the captains right hand side. Always on the bridge.
Thanks to everyone for clarifying … I think!
Malcolm Collis
D-DAY HISTORICAL RECORD; NOT GRAFFITI
I recently received an email from a Jon Carpenter who was staying in Chateau de L'Isle Marie, Picauville, Northern France whilst touring the battle sites when he randomly came across a list of names and details of British servicemen written on a window shutter in the basement of the chateau.
He wanted to know a little more about the two Ajax men – Roy Blowers and Richard Llewellyn, whose names appeared on the window.
Roy, a Royal Marine left Ajax before D-Day but was part of the Combined Operation Royal Marines who were the first landing wave on to the Normandy beach of Arromanches. Roy unfortunately Crossed the Bar last November.
Richard was a Midshipman in Ajax on D-Day. Ajax was off Gold Beach, Normandy coast for D-day assault. AJAX was the first ship to open fire and partially destroyed her first target, a battery of 6” guns at Longues in 8 minutes - 114 x 6” shells at 62,000 yards, direct hits through two of the 5.9” gun ports of the 4 guns. It took another 2 hours to completely silence the battery of guns.
I asked Richard and Linda, Roy's widow, if they could shed any light on the matter.
Linda replied that three years ago Roy and she visited the chateau when they were on a D-Day Revisited tour. 'We were all invited
for an evening meal in a marquee in the grounds of the chateau. Whilst we were there we had a tour of the chateau and the grounds. On doing this we came across the window and Roy decided to add his name, number and date.
Richard said to Jon, “That is my 'signature' along with others of the group on the panel in one of the back windows of the Chateau de L'Isle Marie! We were there with a group from D-Day Revisited for an evening meal in 2015. A marquee was erected in the grounds for the occasion and we had a very enjoyable time! If you have access to Facebook and find D-Day Revisited you will find many photos including our visit to Normandy in 2015. My partner Elly found them on 'D-Day Revisited Photos', all by Victoria Phipps. Roy Blower was with us at the time but the year before last he came but was in a wheel chair and not in good health. We were sorry to learn from Malcolm that he had since died.
If you have any more questions which I may be able to answer for you please ask! We will be in Normandy again this year with D-Day Revisited. See you there??”
Malcolm Collis
18. 19.
YE GOOD OLDE DAYS IN AJAX TOWN
Member Paul Littlewood posted on Facebook this The Royal Scot price list from the 1976 Ajax visit – the prices certainly encouraged numerous trips by crew members – not surprising when you consider at the time £1 = $1.80 & $1 = 55 pence (but don't forget the plus tax!)
Nigel Masters commented that he happened to visit the establishment in 2016 with Sam Seagrave & Richard Cooke and also in 2014 with he thinks Alf Larkin, Mick Fox & Doug Harris. No surprise there then!
Debbie Steer grabbed an up-to-date photo of the now Red Lion in Hunt Street.
Nigel says he has many memories of the '76 visit and one was of a pub which was totally decorated in tartan. Some locals drove them there and the area around it was open with hardly any other buildings.
When he visited it in 2014 he did not realise it was the same pub; no tartan and a different name. They got into conversation with the Barmaid, told her who they we're and she said “You will remember this when it was the Royal Scot and decorated in tartan, quite a moment!
CERTIFICATE FOR CROSSING A DIFFERENT LINE
The Kiev was a heavy aircraft carrying cruiser. She entered service in 1975 with the Soviet and Russian navies until she was decommissioned in 1993. She suffered an ignominious end when she was sold to a Chinese company in 1996 and ended up in a theme park in Tianjin in 2004!
Following on from several previous articles about crossing the Equator here is a different one posted on Facebook by member Paul Littlewood. Paul received his Ajax certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle on 4th December 1976 and he thinks they were shadowing the Russian Carrier Kiev at the time.
18. 19.
YE GOOD OLDE DAYS IN AJAX TOWN
Member Paul Littlewood posted on Facebook this The Royal Scot price list from the 1976 Ajax visit – the prices certainly encouraged numerous trips by crew members – not surprising when you consider at the time £1 = $1.80 & $1 = 55 pence (but don't forget the plus tax!)
Nigel Masters commented that he happened to visit the establishment in 2016 with Sam Seagrave & Richard Cooke and also in 2014 with he thinks Alf Larkin, Mick Fox & Doug Harris. No surprise there then!
Debbie Steer grabbed an up-to-date photo of the now Red Lion in Hunt Street.
Nigel says he has many memories of the '76 visit and one was of a pub which was totally decorated in tartan. Some locals drove them there and the area around it was open with hardly any other buildings.
When he visited it in 2014 he did not realise it was the same pub; no tartan and a different name. They got into conversation with the Barmaid, told her who they we're and she said “You will remember this when it was the Royal Scot and decorated in tartan, quite a moment!
CERTIFICATE FOR CROSSING A DIFFERENT LINE
The Kiev was a heavy aircraft carrying cruiser. She entered service in 1975 with the Soviet and Russian navies until she was decommissioned in 1993. She suffered an ignominious end when she was sold to a Chinese company in 1996 and ended up in a theme park in Tianjin in 2004!
Following on from several previous articles about crossing the Equator here is a different one posted on Facebook by member Paul Littlewood. Paul received his Ajax certificate for crossing the Arctic Circle on 4th December 1976 and he thinks they were shadowing the Russian Carrier Kiev at the time.
20. 21.
ARCHIVIST UPDATE JUNE 2018
Once again there was a steady trickle of enquiries arriving through the internet and Facebook this Newsletter period. If anyone has anything to add on the below or indeed anything to share please do get in touch with me.
DANIEL F. PARROTT
Ian Parrott contacted me about his great uncle, Dan F. Parrott. He knew he was a Leading Signalman in Ajax at the time of the Battle of the River Plate and was after any additional information we may have. He also said he had a wooden box with a map of South America inlaid on the top and wondered if all crew members were given one.
I was able to advise him that there is a D. F. Parrott on the River Plate list and a David F Parrott on the 1940 list but not later lists. Sailors are great ones for nicknames so I would strongly suspect David is Dan; errors in hand written & typed lists are also not unheard of. D. F. Parrott also appears on the Town of Ajax's Memorial Wall.
A search of the archive records of the London Gazette shows that Leading Signalman Daniel F Parrott was Mentioned in Despatches as a result of the Battle of the River Plate but I am not sure what he did to receive this.
The Town of Ajax in Ontario Canada has a Parrot Street with one 'T'. Susan from Ajax has in their records two men with the surname Parrot (one 't'); D.F. Parrot and F. Parrot. Susan said D.F. Parrot is more than likely his great uncle as the hand written crew lists o f t e n con ta in a
spelling error here and there. D.F. Parrot is listed as a Yeoman of Signals and served during the Battle of the River Plate. It is likely that F. Parrot is also the great uncle but for some reason listed under his middle name in 1941. This has happened a few times but is difficult to prove.
Ian sent me a picture of the wooden box. His grandmother had told him that it was presented to Dan after the Battle of the River Plate but he wasn't sure if this was true or not. I said I had not come across any similar items but that it could well have been made on-board by one of the shipwright chippies or could indeed have been presented later for recognition of his MID at the River Plate.
Ian was pointed towards the MoD for his service record but I have not heard back from him.
GEORGE RICHARD OLIVER DUCKFIELDDeirdre Williams is researching her family history on Ancestry and was looking for information on her father George Richard Oliver Duckfield who she believes served in HMS Ajax in 1941 and was a Petty Officer at some stage. There is no record of him on the Ancestry Naval List.
I was able to confirm that whilst he was not on the River Plate list G. R. Duckfield is on the 1940 & 43 lists for Ajax. His name also appears on the Ajax Memorial Wall. There is also a Duckfield Crescent the Town of Ajax and Susan in Ajax confirmed this was named after George.I also advised her of the MoD route.
Deirdre responded; “Thank you very much for such a quick reply and all the interesting information and links which I look forward to exploring; I will forward your email on to other members of my family. It is fascinating what one small enquiry can lead to; we have only just started looking at our family tree but I see it is a project that has endless possibilities.Her sister Katherine Sutherland also responded. I have subsequently been sent archive material for scanning.
JACK MORROWGeoffrey Strynadka posted a picture of his uncle Jack Morrow on the Association's Facebook page and later contacted me for any information I had. Jack was from Hull. He also later posted a picture of
an ashtray Jack had given to another uncle saying it brought good luck as it was made from the first shell fired at The Battle of the River Plate!
I was able to confirm that J. W. Morrow does appear on the River Plate list and on the 1940 list as John W. (often called Jack) but not later lists so he probably moved on to another ship after 1940.J. W. Morrow is also on the memorial wall in Ajax but Ajax did not have any further details and there is no street in his honour.
JAMES VALENTINE ALLENSara Allen asked if James Valentine Allen served on HMS Ajax towards the end of WW11.
Although there were quite a few Allen's on the various lists none matched the initials for James although I did point out that the navy were great ones for nicknames and alternative names so difficult to keep tabs on people.
After my reply Sara came back to say they had managed to find James Allen's service record and it shows that he was on The Ajax in 1946 so just after WW11. She sent me a copy of his service record along with some photos - he is the one in the middle on the photo of 3 and bottom right on the group photo (not sure where taken)
She said, “I guess he is not eligible for his name on the wall in Ajax as he served after the war but if there is any sort of remembrance record we would love him included; he tragically died in 1976 just
20. 21.
ARCHIVIST UPDATE JUNE 2018
Once again there was a steady trickle of enquiries arriving through the internet and Facebook this Newsletter period. If anyone has anything to add on the below or indeed anything to share please do get in touch with me.
DANIEL F. PARROTT
Ian Parrott contacted me about his great uncle, Dan F. Parrott. He knew he was a Leading Signalman in Ajax at the time of the Battle of the River Plate and was after any additional information we may have. He also said he had a wooden box with a map of South America inlaid on the top and wondered if all crew members were given one.
I was able to advise him that there is a D. F. Parrott on the River Plate list and a David F Parrott on the 1940 list but not later lists. Sailors are great ones for nicknames so I would strongly suspect David is Dan; errors in hand written & typed lists are also not unheard of. D. F. Parrott also appears on the Town of Ajax's Memorial Wall.
A search of the archive records of the London Gazette shows that Leading Signalman Daniel F Parrott was Mentioned in Despatches as a result of the Battle of the River Plate but I am not sure what he did to receive this.
The Town of Ajax in Ontario Canada has a Parrot Street with one 'T'. Susan from Ajax has in their records two men with the surname Parrot (one 't'); D.F. Parrot and F. Parrot. Susan said D.F. Parrot is more than likely his great uncle as the hand written crew lists o f t e n con ta in a
spelling error here and there. D.F. Parrot is listed as a Yeoman of Signals and served during the Battle of the River Plate. It is likely that F. Parrot is also the great uncle but for some reason listed under his middle name in 1941. This has happened a few times but is difficult to prove.
Ian sent me a picture of the wooden box. His grandmother had told him that it was presented to Dan after the Battle of the River Plate but he wasn't sure if this was true or not. I said I had not come across any similar items but that it could well have been made on-board by one of the shipwright chippies or could indeed have been presented later for recognition of his MID at the River Plate.
Ian was pointed towards the MoD for his service record but I have not heard back from him.
GEORGE RICHARD OLIVER DUCKFIELDDeirdre Williams is researching her family history on Ancestry and was looking for information on her father George Richard Oliver Duckfield who she believes served in HMS Ajax in 1941 and was a Petty Officer at some stage. There is no record of him on the Ancestry Naval List.
I was able to confirm that whilst he was not on the River Plate list G. R. Duckfield is on the 1940 & 43 lists for Ajax. His name also appears on the Ajax Memorial Wall. There is also a Duckfield Crescent the Town of Ajax and Susan in Ajax confirmed this was named after George.I also advised her of the MoD route.
Deirdre responded; “Thank you very much for such a quick reply and all the interesting information and links which I look forward to exploring; I will forward your email on to other members of my family. It is fascinating what one small enquiry can lead to; we have only just started looking at our family tree but I see it is a project that has endless possibilities.Her sister Katherine Sutherland also responded. I have subsequently been sent archive material for scanning.
JACK MORROWGeoffrey Strynadka posted a picture of his uncle Jack Morrow on the Association's Facebook page and later contacted me for any information I had. Jack was from Hull. He also later posted a picture of
an ashtray Jack had given to another uncle saying it brought good luck as it was made from the first shell fired at The Battle of the River Plate!
I was able to confirm that J. W. Morrow does appear on the River Plate list and on the 1940 list as John W. (often called Jack) but not later lists so he probably moved on to another ship after 1940.J. W. Morrow is also on the memorial wall in Ajax but Ajax did not have any further details and there is no street in his honour.
JAMES VALENTINE ALLENSara Allen asked if James Valentine Allen served on HMS Ajax towards the end of WW11.
Although there were quite a few Allen's on the various lists none matched the initials for James although I did point out that the navy were great ones for nicknames and alternative names so difficult to keep tabs on people.
After my reply Sara came back to say they had managed to find James Allen's service record and it shows that he was on The Ajax in 1946 so just after WW11. She sent me a copy of his service record along with some photos - he is the one in the middle on the photo of 3 and bottom right on the group photo (not sure where taken)
She said, “I guess he is not eligible for his name on the wall in Ajax as he served after the war but if there is any sort of remembrance record we would love him included; he tragically died in 1976 just
22. 23.
before his 50th Birthday of lung cancer - guess they all smoked in the Navy in those days.
Ajax now have his details on their records.
ELPIS SCULPTURE IN AJAX
“Hope” was unveiled in the Greenwood Conservation area this week (early May). This beautiful piece was sculptured by Dorsey James from an ash tree that was removed due to Emerald Ash Borer. In many cultures, the ash tree is associated with healing, transformation and hope. The image is Elpis from Greek mythology. Elpis was known as the Spirit of Hope. Many sailors, especially Greek will not venture out without a trinket or cross made from ash wood so the good spirit Elpis will bring them home safe and sound. So fitting that Ajax, named after a ship, with connections to so many sailors now has a sculpture of Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, made of ash.
Colleen Jordan Regional Councillor Ajax
BATTLE ENSIGN OF HMS ACHILLES
In the March 2017 Newsletter a piece on Wilfred Bond appeared; Wilfred was a marine in Ajax at the River Plate and fortuitously swapped gun positions and survived. There was an update in the December 2017 Newsletter. Duncan Bond, has continued his researches into his father's cousin and has deposited an 84 page “timeline” of the life of Wilfred within the Association's archives and with Ajax, along with various photographs and documents.
One research avenue concerned an ensign on the Falklands that had erroneously been assigned to Ajax. It is in fact, as the plaque reads, 'One of the ensigns worn by H.M.S. Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate 13th December 1939'.
Apparently the confusion came about from an incorrect entry in Trip Advisor that said the ensign was from Ajax (actually in the Imperial War Museum).
Teena Ormond, Museum Assistant F. I. Museum & National Trust on the Falkland Islands kindly photographed the ensign and plaque (not a great photo) for Duncan.
Duncan also sent me a copy of a document detailing the “whip round” for the dependents of those killed and invalided on Exeter during the Battle
Malcolm Collis
JOHN EDWARD PARSONSJack Parsons has a picture of HMS Ajax on his wall with “John Edward Parsons” on the back who was his great uncle and was trying to find any information about him. I had a Frank Parsons on my Plate list but the Town of Ajax on their wall also have a 'J', 'J.H.B.' & 'L' for the River Plate list but none on the general WW11 list. I also had a John Henry Bickerseth Parsons listed as Killed in Action at Dunkirk. This enquiry has just come in so I wait to hear from Ajax.
Malcolm Collis – Archivist
22. 23.
before his 50th Birthday of lung cancer - guess they all smoked in the Navy in those days.
Ajax now have his details on their records.
ELPIS SCULPTURE IN AJAX
“Hope” was unveiled in the Greenwood Conservation area this week (early May). This beautiful piece was sculptured by Dorsey James from an ash tree that was removed due to Emerald Ash Borer. In many cultures, the ash tree is associated with healing, transformation and hope. The image is Elpis from Greek mythology. Elpis was known as the Spirit of Hope. Many sailors, especially Greek will not venture out without a trinket or cross made from ash wood so the good spirit Elpis will bring them home safe and sound. So fitting that Ajax, named after a ship, with connections to so many sailors now has a sculpture of Elpis, the Spirit of Hope, made of ash.
Colleen Jordan Regional Councillor Ajax
BATTLE ENSIGN OF HMS ACHILLES
In the March 2017 Newsletter a piece on Wilfred Bond appeared; Wilfred was a marine in Ajax at the River Plate and fortuitously swapped gun positions and survived. There was an update in the December 2017 Newsletter. Duncan Bond, has continued his researches into his father's cousin and has deposited an 84 page “timeline” of the life of Wilfred within the Association's archives and with Ajax, along with various photographs and documents.
One research avenue concerned an ensign on the Falklands that had erroneously been assigned to Ajax. It is in fact, as the plaque reads, 'One of the ensigns worn by H.M.S. Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate 13th December 1939'.
Apparently the confusion came about from an incorrect entry in Trip Advisor that said the ensign was from Ajax (actually in the Imperial War Museum).
Teena Ormond, Museum Assistant F. I. Museum & National Trust on the Falkland Islands kindly photographed the ensign and plaque (not a great photo) for Duncan.
Duncan also sent me a copy of a document detailing the “whip round” for the dependents of those killed and invalided on Exeter during the Battle
Malcolm Collis
JOHN EDWARD PARSONSJack Parsons has a picture of HMS Ajax on his wall with “John Edward Parsons” on the back who was his great uncle and was trying to find any information about him. I had a Frank Parsons on my Plate list but the Town of Ajax on their wall also have a 'J', 'J.H.B.' & 'L' for the River Plate list but none on the general WW11 list. I also had a John Henry Bickerseth Parsons listed as Killed in Action at Dunkirk. This enquiry has just come in so I wait to hear from Ajax.
Malcolm Collis – Archivist
24.
NEWSLETTER EDITOR REPORT
REUNION LISTS
From time to time I receive email notifications from a Mike Crowe regarding various reunions that he lists (ours is on there as is the 2019 trip). He now advises that due to a number of factors, including Data Protection, he will no longer send out RN Shipmates and the Reunion notifications. However, anybody can access the list at http://www.rnshipmates.co.uk/reunions.php should any veterans wish to search for their other ships' reunions.
SUPPORT GROUPS
Posted on Facebook was an entry advertising a monthly meeting of the North Bucks Veterans Group offering a social get-together and support. There must be many similar groups meeting in the length and breadth of the country so if any ex-crew member feels they may benefit from such a group either search or get someone to search on-line for their local group.
FREE IPADS
I also received an email from Julie Royston who is the Deputy Project Manager for Project Semaphore exploring how they could engage and offer iPads to any of their eligible members. Project Semaphore is a Royal Naval Association initiative, funded by the Aged Veterans Fund, to help naval veterans realise the benefits of being online and to address issues of social isolation and loneliness.
First steps would be for us to identify eligible candidates (criteria set by the Aged Veteran Fund):-
• Over 65 years of age
• A Royal Navy or Royal Marines Veteran (including Widows)
• Do not have regular, personal access to the Internet.
If you wish to pursue this let me know and I'll contact Julie.
THE ASTUTE SUBMARINE NAME
You may recall that there was talk that the final Astute Submarine was to be name HMS AJAX and in 2014 when we were in the midst of making arrangements to commemorate the 75th anniversary of The Battle of the River Plate the Association was to be invited to the Keel Laying ceremony. Peter Danks recently received a phone call from Commodore Mike Beardall to confirm that the final submarine is to be named … AGINCOURT. Good job we weren't holding our breath!
Perhaps now Canada can consider using Ajax for one of their ships?
ASSOCIATION POLO SHIRTS
Association polo shirts with the new badge are available through the websi te – Merchandise page @ £16.50 inc. postage
