Guest Book

Here is a stimulating thought that just occurred to me whilst doing my weekly ironing.
How many of you hairy a....d matelots/naval airmen still do their own ironing, ie shirts, trousers?
I must admit that from my early days in the Andrew until now, neither my wonderful and sorely missed first wife Constance nor my current wife Katie have ever been required to iron either shirts or trousers, even when I was working and wearing formal suits and shirts I always ironed or pressed them myself, and even now though I wear mostly chinos and polo shirts these are always ironed by myself, obviously a product of pusser training in the early days.
So come on, how many of you do the same?

Johnny I am sending you a smudge of the wren I think you are talking about, she was on my course in 1958, she was only very tiny and may have remained at Kete after I went to the Eagle in Late '58.

Really surprised to see this site I was "Met Man" from 1976 to 1991 so lots of faces I knew pictures of my instructors and pictures of me as an instructor. Still doing the same job at Lossiemouth (observing not instructing) Met Del Brown a few times (mainly Basra) Nice site thanks for reminding me of a few names I had forgoten

Any Wren out there know what happened to Margaret Penhaligon, a tiny Met Wren at Kete, who managed to keep me in order, I think her Father was a Vicar, was at Kete with a Wren named Wendy. I celebrated a Birthday with her in Falmouth after spending 27 hours travelling from Lossiemouth to join the staff at Culdrose.

Well done, Ash, I've been on to the site briefly and seen some of the commission I spent on the Hermes. Brought it all back, what a happy ship that was; spent two brilliant years on her, seeing the world, and not exactly working very hard....well, we were all young and single then!

kEN, you have returned with a bang and what you say is true, I am sure that most of my time in the Navy I was sent to these places to keep me out of the way. I was drafted to Lossiemouth for a short period, which was a Wrens draft. I did however spend time in FWC Admiralty
and whilst the Hermes was in for a long refit, I was placed in the FWC Singapore. I Married in 1961 and in a very short time we had at least 10 different homes. so you can say my time was definately not in the Front line, wheresoever it may be.
Did spend time at the School Kete and Culdrose.

I was in ASWEPS in London (hence the Chandos and Big Bierta) then I went to sea on Victorious and Hermes in quick succession over 3 and 1/2 years. Then to ASWEPS in Northwood. Over these two periods, I spent 6 months at sea on OWS and research vessels, but don't ask me when and how and who with, it's all beyond me! Can't remember you going on USS Wasp at all - must have been in ASWEPS at different times then.....

I have been reading with interest the current dialogue, and I see a definate pattern emerging here.
We have talk of ASWEPS, an organisation of which I know nothing except that it existed in tucked away back rooms and when asking participant what went on, there was surreptitious patting of noses and winks like, you are not in the know buddy so keep it out!
Then OWS and american warships and other strange drafts.
The pattern I see is that all you open toed jesus boot wearers and cargo shorts aficionados were sent to these godforsaken places to keep you out of the way, whilst us sharp dressers, patrons of John Stephens in the Kings Road and expensive barbers were used to man the front line, the romantic faces of the branch, ie, the Fleet Weather Centres or the School where we imparted our extensive knowledge.
Surely it can be no accident that of my nine and a half years in the Andrew I spent only two years of that in the discomfort of sea going ships, the rest of the time I was FWC Admiralty FWC Malta (HAFMED) or at the school. QUOD ERAT DEMOSTRANDUM!

Ray KA has gone in to Hibernation for awhile, hoping to see more contributors other than we three. I have exchanged Emails. If you were based at Northwood then your trips would be after my trip.

Come on, Kenneth, let's hear from you.......