Guest Book

I do seem to remember a guy called Cutting spending some time at AFS with me maybe around 1966 or early '67.
If it is the guy I am thinking about he was a big Derby County fan and was over the moon when Brian Clough took them into the First Division As I remember, he was a real nice guy.

... JDD Whitehead was a regular on here around the time of the Pompey 2009 reunion. He sent Charlie some genuine Sophia Loren memorabilia (not underwear just to be clear) which Charlie presented to me at the reunion and I got Gill to forward to G Blewitt knowing he was passionately in love with her! I hope G Blu is keeping well - amazing memory for detail in all his posts on here !
I kick myself for missing the HMS VICTORY reunion - I was the Ops Officer in INVINCIBLE at the time alongside in Pompey and had bumped into JDD somewhere locally. Interesting that two ex-mets became Captain of HMS VICTORY (will think of the other name (possibly Polish sounding?) the moment I press 'send' to this dit. Interesting also that I do not know of any 'mets' who jumped ship and became 'crushers' - L/Regulators (killicks joined the Reg Branch 'sideways') ! Says something about the branch shirley !
Best wished to John (JDD) and G Blu .

Confusion solved! The person you are trhinking of was Lt. Cdr. John Whitehead, who was on board Victory at that time. I joined up at HMS Ganges with him and was on the same Met course at Culdrose. One of us did very well in the R.N. and it wasn:t me!

Sorry that last bit didn't make sense, I don't believe Cutting continued in the Met Branch but had his commission in a General Service or the Like.

Now I am really getting confused but I am sure it was a Young Michael Cutting who was on board HMS Lion in 1965 and went sick prior to sailing,
Does anyone remember a Reunion on the Victory long before we had more formal affairs, I may be completely wrong but I am sure Cutting was the Officer on Board who was able to arrange it. I went with JTC Bell and his wife and I was with mine, It went on till early hours, A speech was made by Brin who rose quite high as a officer in the Branch, I dont' think Cutting became actually continued as a Met Officer more general service.

... sorry Johnny should have added you !

Ray and Ken - there is no record of anyone called Cutting in the Navy List in that era.
Like most i'm sure, I was shocked to read of MAC's death some years back - so young, as was Roger Edwards. I think he served with me at AFS 1964 (Roger did) or was it WFWC Northwood in '68 when I came off Protector and before I had my last job at NAS Portland. I see he was on Charlies course - maybe he will have a few memories of MAC.

I'm a bit confused _ was this the Mike Cutting who joined up in 1963 - see Departed Shipmates. I was on HMS Hermes with him in the late Sixties, and we were both P,O, Instructors at Culdrose Met school after that, I left the Navy in 1974 and lost touch, but he left in 1985, presumably having done gis 22 tears. This drosn't point to him being an Officer, as surely he would have stayed in
londer, I know he married a Met Wren called Rose, but her Surname escapes me. They had twin girls, and he died of a heart attack in 1995 at a very young age, Be glad to know if anybody can shed a bit more light on him, in or out of the Navy, as we were good mates.

Hi Ray and Ken,
Now I have just turned 80 trying to remember past events is becoming more difficult, come to think trying to remember current events aint good,
Whilst on board HMS Lion my baby was young Cutting and just before we were setting off for a Exercise in the North Sea, He had his 20th Birthday and I, being a Father Waffs took him ashore in Portsmouth and introduced him to Rum he seemed to of had a great time, got him back safely ready for the sailing the next day. The next day I was in the office no cutting he was sick bay, off to Hospital so I was the sole person in the Office apart from the Forecaster who couldn't give a
Sh-one-T, I was on my tod catching a few minutes when I could but carried on till I was well and truly peed off, so went to the Bridge and in front of the Captain and other senior Officers, I shouted to my Forecaster that I was knackered and after 72 hours without sleep or proper meals, I was off to Breakfast and my bunk.
Never heard anything that day or after, though wasn't on the good books of the forecaster, forgot his name. Met Cutting now a Officer on the best Met reunion on the Victory, apparently he as allergic to Rum.

I've had that happen to me many times Ken, mainly by Navy Regulators who have never had to do a full night on duty. One R.P.O. that I had an encounter with said 'In this man's Navy, nobody was told to do Middle AND Morning watch' ie, Midnight until 0800. This was answered by me saying 'Is that right? I had better stop then. Will you have a word with my boss, the Met Officer?'
One at an Air Station told me that he had seen more waves on his tot than I had at sea......b----y Airy Fairies.