835 Royal Naval Air Squadron Old Comrades Reunion Website

Newsletter 2006

Editors Foreword

Thanks to all who sent Christmas cards. We received a total of twenty four cards from squadron members, ship’s crew and their families. We were also pleased to receive twenty plus letters giving contributions to this newsletter. They were all full of interesting news but unfortunately I have had to précis several of them. I apologise if I have omitted anything which you considered important. Many photographs were sent too but my computer and I have not learnt how to deal with these yet!

Nothing was heard from Ernst Batten, Christine Gordon, PH Grady, Totes Hall, Lord Kilbracken, Dick Mallett, Trudy McEwan, Ron Moss and John Wilmot. One can only hope that their letters may have gone astray in the deluge of mail circulating over Christmas rather than grievous illness or worse has overtaken them.

We have had one squadron visit to my home at Leighdene Close during 2005. Bill and Di Dalton (Jack’s brother) called in on their way to Cornwall. This brings to sixteen the number of squadron members, and ship’s Officers who have either stayed with us or stopped off for a coffee or pub lunch. Previous visitors include Ted and Babs Pitts, George and Dorothy Sadler, Paddy and Totes Hall, Val Jones, David and Joyce Whittick, Ken and Elizabeth Atkinson, Barry and Lesley Barringer, Al and Jean Burgham, Edgar Bibby (Commander (F)), Dick Mallett (ASO), Jock and Pam Bevan, John Cridland, Norman and Helen Sargent, Alan Kerry (FDO), and Kay Teasdale (Jack’s widow).

News and Updates from 835 Squadron Members / Nairana Crew (and families)

Ken and Elizabeth Atkinson have been getting some sea time in. They went on a fifteen day cruise to celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. They attended a remembrance ceremony at the site of the battle where wreaths were dropped on the water. They met three ex FAA pilots on board, one of whom was Mike Crossley of 804 fame and who wrote the book ‘They gave me a Spitfire’. When they were in Gibraltar, Ken took a photograph of the cemetery adjacent to the airport into which Sam Mearns and Bill Banham and the RAF pilot of a Beaufighter crashed. Ken is suffering from sciatica which has limited his walking and gardening. Elizabeth has had a cataract operation.

George and Katie Arber recently reached their sixty first wedding anniversary. They did not ‘celebrate’ it as Katie is permanently resident in a first class Nursing Home. His three daughters and one son are most supportive and help him to survive on his own. They are threatening to set him up with an IT office when he moves to a new smaller house in the spring. One o f his daughters is a Professor at Surrey university.

Willie Armstrong with several other FAA veterans attended the presentation of the restored Fairey Swordfish III NF370 at Duxford in October. This aircraft was originally delivered on 1^st Apr 1944 from Blackburn Aircraft Ltd and is one of the only two Mark IIIs left in the world. Willie you may remember won his DSM flying in a Maryland, not a Swordfish. It was his signal on an emergency wavelength which alerted the Admiralty that the Bismarck was at sea which set in motion the hunt and eventual destruction of that ship.

Bill Banham is set to be awarded with a ‘Year or the Volunteer Award for Commitment’ from the National Organisation of Community Service Volunteers after being nominated by Sue Ryder Nettlebed Hospital for his efforts above and beyond call of duty. (This doesn’t come as any surprise to those of us who remember the herculean efforts he put into keeping our aircraft airworthy in the most appalling working conditions). He has given his services to the Nettlebed Hospital for more than fifteen years. Bill has two daughters, six grandchildren and sixteen great grandchildren!

Lesley Barringer spent Christmas with her daughter and family in Christchurch NZ. She is managing to cope with all the problems which old age brings and has just about recovered from the traumatic problems she is experienced during Barry’s last illness. Her son James is a Civil Servant and her two daughters are teachers. She has four grand daughters and a grandson who is showing great promise as a wicket keeper/opening bat.

Jock Bevan spent the month of May in Glasgow having oncology treatment which was a complete success. He and Pam visited David and Joyce Whittick whilst they were there. In July Pam and jock were involved in their local Arts Festival followed by their local drama group’s contribution to the Edinburgh Festival with a quartet of the short comedies called ‘Fourplay’ (the mind boggles!). This was followed by a visit to their town house in Provence, France.

Al Burgham and Jean celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary last year. Life they say isn’t too exciting – just holding on and trying to keep going. Jean has had two heart attacked but has recovered. Al has had a second stroke but I have since heard that he has made a good recovery. Grand daughter Olivia has been working in a refugee camp in Thailand, Emma is working at the Edinburgh University trying to decide whether to go on to her doctorate. Julie is in her third year at Aberdeen University and spent part of the summer in Tanzania helping to establish a school there.

Jumper Collins (Ship’s Officer) writes ‘I doubt the daring young men ex flying machines will recall or be interested in this ancient fishhead. Please do not think me too ungracious if I pass it up’ Well, it is good news to that he is alive and kicking still.

Di Conwell (Val Jones’s companion and bridge partner in his latter years) suffers from the occasional twinge of arthritis (don’t we all?). She has two children and three grandchildren in the USA. She spends her time writing children’s stories, water colour painting, and sewing, and coffee mornings and counting her blessings in church to which her elder daughter drives her every Sunday as she doesn’t drive herself.

Vera de Trey White (We knew her late husband as Pete Blanco before he changed his name). Despite suffering from a bad back she still manages to give a little help to her daughter with the sheep on their farm particularly with the electric fencing. Her eldest son, rather than settling down with a mortgage, decided to go on a world tour for three and a half years during which time he got the photography bug. Last year he won the Nikon Photographer of the Year in the Local Newspaper Group. This prize was a decanter and £2000 which he says will just about buy him one new lens! He has an impressive website at www.geocities.com/sdetretwhite. Vera still tends her Garden. She has given up any hope of grandchildren.

Derrick Edwards and Leslie will be celebrating their Golden Wedding in Lanzarote – a present from their eldest daughter. They visited Canada in August for the wedding of the eldest grand daughter. A younger grand daughter hopes to make them great grand parents in June. Health wise they are keeping abreast of things but mobility is not what it was

Charles Gough and Julie has had a difficult time health wise but appears to be on the mend at last. Charles very kindly sent a book of poems entitled ‘The lonely sky and the sea’ by Jack Thomas, a Swordfish pilot. The cover and illustrations are by Jock Bevan and I understand Donald Payne had a hand in it somewhere. Profits will be donated to the Royal Naval Historic Flight. Charles’s picture regularly appears in the FAAOA Newsletter – this time following a visit by the Mersey group to Barton Aerodrome near Manchester.

Hans-Werner Grosse writes ‘although mein Fuhrer planned that I should never get past my ‘sell-by-date’ of May 1945 I am still around and still flying. In the Military International Gliding Competitions I finally managed to do what the Nations expected of me – I beat the other nations (including the Tommies and the Frogs) three days in a row’. He had a very narrow escape when his cockpit cover blew off in mid-air. Luckily it missed his tailplane. Karen who was in the rear seat managed to loosen her seat belt enough to help him retrieve his helmet and glasses without being sucked out of the glider. What did he learn from this experience? 1. after an interruption always make a new pre-flight check even if Captain Surtees wants to get you off in a hurry! 2. In aviation you have to be lucky to survive so 3. Enjoy life!!!

Humphrey and Reia Jones. Humph (Val Jones’s son) is still working for the Army at its 4 star HQ at Wilton. After nearly 34 years in uniform he has now been a civilian for 6 years, but is still in the same Engineering Support area. He enjoys good health for his 58 years. He has two main hobbies – Tidworth Town Council where he takes a lead on planning matters and towing his caravan around Britain, managing 60 nights a year away. Reia also works for the Defence of the Realm, but at a 2 star HQ at Andover, running the General’s outer office. She finds time to sit on the committee of the Sports and Social club which runs trips all round the UK and Europe for the Andover Civil Servants. She is well. She managed the same 60 nights a year in the caravan and also runs a small caravan club which they normally rally with. They will be off on a cruise to the Norwegian fiords in the Oriana in May. Humph has taken over responsibility for the squadron web site from David Whittick and is making a very good job of it. We are all very grateful to him stepping in when David was taken ill. 

John Kilbracken. Nothing has been heard from the noble Lord but both Bill Banham and Pat Lyons sent identical cuttings from an Irish newspaper which reported that at 85 he and his second wife Lady Kilbracken (aged 55) are back together again. He is quoted as saying ‘We are not going to get married again but we are living together very happily. We don’t live together as man and wife’. Pat Lyons also tells me that Lord K had a heart bypass operation some four to five years ago.

John Lloyd sent on of the short replies. He spent Christmas with his two daughters and three grand daughters.

Peter Lyons tells me that his son has been involved in designing some of the electronic equipment onboard those massive USA aircraft carriers. He is also involved with the Polaris missiles Peter spent his last years as a design engineer in the Oil/Petrochemical Industry working for a spell in Japan. He thought about settling there but found the cost of living exorbitant – a night out on the town could cost anything between £500 and £1000!

Sammy Mearns and Anne has now become established in their new abode. They undertook a six day sortie in Larnica (or was it Heraklion – Sam’s writing does not improve) and ended up with Anne in hospital for three weeks and Sam with pneumonia. Both Al Burgham and Derrick Edwards report that Sam is trying to organise a get-together for the fighter boys and Bill Banham.

Leslie Paine and Sal has been wiped out with some loathsome low grade virus since Christmas. Leslie continues with his various interests – directing the Psychiatry Research Trust, editing the National Association of Primary Care Review and writing ‘this and that’. His book ‘Uncle remembers the funny side of rugby’ is still selling. Sal continues to produce interesting etchings and linocuts. The samples she enclosed were first class.

Donald Payne reports that his health is OK except that he is beginning to suffer from old age like the rest of us. He hopes to attend the 48^th pilot’s course annual reunion in May. Still writing books, still playing bowls and collecting the odd trophy when he went on tour to Bournemouth last year. He is very proud of his youngest grandson in Australia who is showing great promise as a cricketer and is being coached by Matthew Hayden the Australia Test player.

John Roberts’ daughter Barbara sent a most interesting three page letter which I have reluctantly to précis rather harshly. She writes that her mother Marion, despite the problems of old age can still manage to drive and shop. Luckily Barbara lives within ten minutes walk o her. Marion spends her time sewing tapestries, knitting and enjoys gardening. For their 50^th birthdays their children gave Barbara a steam train driving lesson and her husband a flip in a Tiger Moth. John’s grandson Mark retained the Northern speed championship last season in his Caterham 7 HPC (it’s a racing car in case you are wondering).

Dorothy Sadler is staggering along with osteoarthritis in her knees but still carries on with her painting and attending RSPB meetings. She made a trip to Amsterdam last spring. Her grandchildren are making good progress in life. Joe (24) is a Town and County planner, Eleanor (21) has a law degree and is training to be a solicitor, Geraldine (18) is applying for medical school and Abigail (12) hasn’t quite made up her mind yet. As Dorothy says ‘wouldn’t George Edgar be proud of them’.

Bob and Midge Selley. Healthwise we have been a bit ‘up and down’ but mostly up I am pleased to say with the help of a bucketful of pills every day. Midge has had some early morning episodes which have been a bit worrying but tests so far have given optimistic results. She goes for a CT scan on 8^th March when we hope everything will be revealed. Despite all this we still enjoy life. I manage to do the Telegraph crossword most mornings with my breakfast which sets me up for the day. We still cope with our large garden Midge being oc flowers and I look after the lawns and veggie patch. Just like Lesley Barringer and Donald Payne we have a grandson who is an up and coming cricketer who is in the Winchester and District under 11 squad. He is a wicket keeper and opening bat like his father and grandfather.

Don Smith misses his wife who dies three years ago. His family is scattered all over the world – two in NZ, two in Australia, three in Wales but he has one grand daughter in London. He is off to NZ and Australia to visit his sons there this month. Don attended the rededication of the NAIRANA name plate in Cleakheaton. He spent a very enjoyable week ‘Island hopping’ in Outer Hebrides with his son Bryan from Wales when they visited ten islands.

David Whittick. Last but not least we come to dear David. Most of you will be aware that he suffered a stroke before the last reunion which affected his speech; He cleared one enormous hurdle when he passed his driving test recently. What a superhuman effort. His speech is slowly improving. I spoke to him on the telephone on the 19^th February and we had a reasonably good conversation. He can still cope with his PC provided the emails are kept short. Joyce tells me that she is fine and obviously doing a tremendous job in shepherding Davis back to health.

Other News and Notices

Rededication Ceremony. On 5^th November last Kirklees Metropolitan Council held a ceremony to rededicate the plaques recording the adoption of HMS AIREDALE and HMS NAIRANA in 1944 by the Spenborough District Council (which council has now been absorbed into the Kirklees Metropolitan Council). Representing 835 Squadron were Bill Dalton (Jack’s brother) and Di, and Denis Hudston and his partner June. Representing HMS NAIRANA were John Appleby, Don Smith, Derrick Allsop, Len Barber, Tom Edwards and Ernie Hodkinson. John Appleby unveiled the plaque to HMS NAIRANA. He was a Midshipman who joined the ship in 1943. He left after being made up to sub lieutenant after the first Russian convoy. The silver sup which was presented by HMS NAIRANA to Spenborough District Council (as it then was) was also on view. All agreed it was a very impressive ceremony.

That Arctic Medal. Well, you aren’t going to get one. The MoD says that service on convoys to Northern Russian has been recognised by the Atlantic Star – the first time I was aware the Arctic Ocean was part of the Atlantic Ocean! Instead, those who qualify will be issued with a new Arctic emblem in the form of a lapel badge. The design has been agreed and will consist of a white emblem star with a red spot in the middle representing Russia. Production of the emblem in now going out to contract. Surviving next of kin of Arctic veterans who have died will be able to claim the emblem but will not be entitled to wear it. Applications forms can be obtained from:

Defence Services Secretary

Honours 1

Level 8

ZoneJ1

Main Building

Horse Guards Avenue

London

SW1A 2HB

Veteran’s Badge. Anyone who served in the Armed Forces in World War II qualifies for the award of the Veterans lapel badge. Applications forms can be obtained from the address above. 

Free Passports. Did you know that UK citizens who were born prior to 2^nd September 1929 are entitled to free passports?

They Have Passed On

Ron Cattermole. His family notified me recently that he died on St Georges’ day 2005 after a long period of ill health. He was my rigger for some considerable time and he formed a jolly good team with Taffy Wathen my fitter (a gentle giant of a Welshman). I was very lucky to have them responsible for producing my Swordfish in an airworthy condition every day.

Ted Pitts courageously attended the last squadron reunion when he must have known that his days were numbered. Sadly, he died about a fortnight later. The squadron was represented at his funeral by ken and Elizabeth Atkinson, John Lloyd, Deryck and Marion Ravenhill and Bob and

Midge Selley. The coffin was covered with the White Ensign and his pilot’s wings. Did you realise that during the latter part of his service with 835 his eyesight was giving him trouble? Rather than go medically unfit he relied on Deryck Ravenhill, his observer, to tell him what the batsman’s signals were when he was landing on. What a man! Babs misses him terribly. We keep in touch by telephone occasionally. Unfortunately she fell and cracked her ribs recently and is suffering somewhat.

Lord Norman Wylie. Although Norman was in the squadron for a very short spell it was a time of extreme activity in appalling conditions on the Russian convoy run. After the was he became an MP, Solicitor General and Lord Advocate for Scotland before becoming Senator of the College of Justice. He attended our reunions with Lady Gillian whenever his health and family commitments allowed. We mourn the passing of a true gentlemen

Editors Joke

Let me now tell you a little story which I am sure will ring bells with most of you:

An elderly couple had dinner at another couple’s house, and after eating, their wives left the table and went into the kitchen. The two gentlemen were talking and one said ‘last night we went out to a new restaurant and it was really great. I would highly recommend it’. The other man said ‘what was the name of the restaurant?’ the first man thought and thought and finally said ‘what is the name of that flower you give someone you love? You know, the ones that’s red and has thorns’         ‘Do you mean a rose?’   ‘Yes that’s the on’ replied the man. He then turned towards the kitchen and yelled, ‘Rose, what’s the name of that restaurant we went to last night?’

Editors Tailpiece

So, where do we go from here? I served three years in the squadron, organised the first three reunions and I am putting the first newsletter to bed. Will there be another on? I am convinced that the camaraderie and esprit de corps should not be allowed to fade away but it is up to you. If you want to have an Issue No. 2 next year, then put a note against my name on your Christmas card list to remind you to enclose some snippets for publication and enclose a stamp if you want to a receive a copy of the finished article. On the other hand I shall be 86 in October. If there is anyone out there who would like to try their hand at a very interesting and rewarding hobby, I would be happy to hand over the reins.