Guest Book

Hi Ian - I got a draft to Singers in March 1969. I should know exactly, because I got married in Feb 69 and then went straight to HMS Terror. My wife was a qualified teacher, and immediately got a job out there at the school for forces kids. Didn't realise that I went instead of you - so I not only took your place, but also deprived your wife of a good job out there......

Hi Ray. The killick you replaced was Tony Newrick, there is a photo of him on the site that I took in the office on Hermes. PO was Pete Lonsdale. When I left we were still in 4H2. Never forgave you by the way for getting that draft to Singers in 68. I was offered it first but then it was withdrawn because my wife was at teacher training college and they didn't want to interfer with her career. What a bummer. Ian

Hi Ian - when I joined Happy Hermes, you were on board with Colin Brenchley, Derek Kuziv and Janto Evans. I took over as Killick from....memory lapse....feller from Great Yarmouth who I knew very well from FWC London.....can't remember the P.O. at all! Then came Stevie Howard and others who escape my memory altogether! Never mind, it was a very happy ship is all I need to know.....we moved from 4H2 to 4J4 between Commissions - were you still there then?

Hi Ian thanks for the info, I am trying to link up the time with ASWEPS and went on the USS WASP, the one chap who would know was Trevor Miles, who unfortunately died not long after the 2006 reunion. I have tried to trace the Wasp,s Voyage but cannot get any sort of voyage comparison, to where we sailed, up to the Arctic then South to Spain. I have a very poor Dvd which I hoped to extract some frames. I HAVE MOVED AROUND SO MANY TIMES. I get very confused of dates.

Hi Johhny, I went to your pub on my own actually. Northwood was first used for FWC during an exercise in 66 when a party of us went up there whilst some stayed in London. I was on Hermes during 67 then when I left her in 68 it was to go to Northwood. Actually I think you could find more info somewhere on this site. Gill picked all our few brains to write the history of FWC or WFWC and Asweps. Best wishes Ian

Hi Ian, yet another Admiralty name from the past, though my memory of yourself is very hazy, The Pub was called the Metropolitan Southwark. you may of come with Ray and a few others. about late 1966, I see from past photos that you were on the Hermes then. Both Ray and yourself call the Hermes a happy Ship. I was on it sometime earlier and at that time it certainly was not. I have got to retrieve my History sheets from my Son, at present we are discovering our past History, gone back to 1744 which has a mixture of Shipwrights and Victuallers. so ships and booze was in my blood.
When did the FWC move,
Every new entry on this site activates the little grey cells.

Hi Ray, just seen you message about meeting Stevie Howard. Others on Happy H were me, Colin Brenchley and Jock Kuziv. Not sure if Don Watling and Janto Evans were still on when you joined. I have a pic of me Stevie and your good self in 4H2.

Hi Johhny W, we met at Admiralty just before you went outside. I remember going over to your pub one evening but can't remember exactly where it was.

Ray,Connie and I knew each other firstly from Kete and then later she was drafted to Culdrose, she was a wardroom steward and a favourite of Commander Norman Fairfield Jenkins, I still have the lovely telegram he sent to us when we got married in '62.
Sadly she passed away in 2002 from cancer.We didn't quite manage the forty years together.

sorry about missing words this machine has a mind of its own, my little curser flies everywhere. like me getting old.