VanguardApril07.pdf

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ONCE ROYAL NAVY- ALWAYS ROYAL NAVY ONCE ROYAL NAVY- ALWAYS ROYAL NAVY ONCE ROYAL NAVY- ALWAYS ROYAL NAVY

ALSO INSIDE: WHO KILLED CROMIE? PEARL HARBOUR HMS RINGTAIL WELCOME TO NUMBER 11 AREA

FALKLANDS25THANNIVERSARYSPECIAL ISSUE

VANGUARDTHE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL NAVALASSOCIATION NO.10 AREA APRIL 2007


2/19

Vanguard 3

PUBLISHERBenham Publishing Limited

DESIGN & TYPESETTINGDavid Coffey

ADVERTISINGSimon Castell

ADMINISTRATION MANAGERKerry Howard

MEDIA NUMBER1089

PUBLISHEDApril 2007

EDITORAll editorial for publication should be sent to:

Area Secretary, Mr Charles HuttonRoyal Naval Association No.10 Areac/o 44 Railway Road,Urmston,Manchester M41 0XWTel 0161 748 6681

NOTICEBenham Publishing and Area 10 RNA, would liketo point out that all editorial comment andarticles are the responsibility of the originatorsand may or may not reflect the opinions of theRoyal Naval Association, no responsibility canbe accepted for any inaccuracies that may occuror the quality for obvious reasons ofphotographs reproduced.

Benham Publishing Limited, 4th Floor, Orleans House, Edmund Street, Liverpool, L3 9NG

Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 www.benhampublishing.com email: [email protected]

Decision TimeIn our last issue, we set out the pros and

cons of uprooting the Associations

Headquarters from Chelsea Manor Street in

London to a place to be decided; (although

Portsmouth was considered the prime

candidate) preferably one with a RN

presence.

Since then, despite many rumours, the

December Circular Letter gave an insight into

the way matters are progressing on thissubject. Portsmouth as expected has

emerged the front runner, despite an ongoing

review of the whole operation of the naval

base ordered by the government in late

October. Whatever its fate, it is almost certain

that the Historic Dockyard would emerge

unscathed from any drastic cut backs from

the rest of the Portsmouth operation.

Therefore, any move to this part of the world

would almost certainly be concentrated on

some redundant premises in that complex.

Anywhere else in the naval base would

present difficulties; mainly due to security

problems, whereas, the Heritage section of

the dockyard is open to the general public:

which is the main reason for moving

Headquarters out of that quiet corner of

London.

Or is it? After years of fending off questions

as to why headquarters had to be located in

London, it would appear it is now full speed

ahead to quit the capital. Why the sudden

change of heart? The Vice Chairman of the

Association writing elsewhere in this

magazine cites the reason that only the First

Sea Lord is resident at the MOD (Navy) in

London. In other words the seat of power has

moved out thats strange it has always

been our understanding that the government

were the decision makers and they are firmly

planted in Westminster. Another reason put

forward for the move to the seaside is the lack

of space at Chelsea Manor Street: true, things

are cramped in the existing premises; one

can hardly deny that to hold a meeting of any

kind is not practical. Space is at a premium

for other aspects of the operation i.e.

storage of RNA goods and the valuable

space taken up by computer equipment so

necessary in the office world of today.

One thing is certain; the lease on ChelseaManor Street is a valuable asset with todays

property values in the south east. The sale of

this property would realise a considerable

sum to the Association, and this could well be

the real reason behind the moves to quit

London. Each year, sees fewer and fewer

members remaining with the RNA: fewer

members, means less subscriptions less

subscriptions depletes the income needed to

administer an association which cannot

realistically increase the current subscription

rate given the year on year rises since 2004.

With that avenue blocked, any relief afforded

by income generated from the Associations

investments will be swallowed up in the

wages and salaries of its staff, and the day to

day running of the organisation. This state of

affairs cannot continue for much longer.

With the sale of the London premises, it

would allow a move to, say Portsmouth, in the

hope that the MOD would provide us with

accommodation in some building going for a

song in the nearby Historic Dockyard

complex. All well and good so far,

unfortunately, the questions raised in the last

issue of this magazine would still require

answers. What of the current London HQs

staff? Would they be willing to re-locate; - if

not, generous severance terms would have to

be paid to them. Wouldnt extra staff be

required to man the new headquarters over a

seven day period? There would be no point

in having a potential recruiting shop window

that was closed at weekends when the

Historic section of the dockyard was at its

busiest: after all, that is the object of

relocating is it not? Would there be any

guarantee that the proposed move would

generate any more interest in the RNA? It is

now evident that todays serving sailor has

other more pressing priorities than an

organisation as they see it as an old mansclub, whose members gather once a month

in their local pub to swap yarns from their time

in the service. At long last, the Association

has decided to concentrate its recruiting

efforts to the 45- 55 year olds who have been

out of the service say 20 years or so: an

initiative this magazine has been pleading for

over the years. L et us hope, there are

enough of these potential recruits to the RNA

who will visit the Associations proposed new

home, and join us. If not, we might as well

stay at Chelsea Manor Street until it is time for

the last person to leave to turn off the lights. +

VANGUARDEDITORIAL

THE OFFICIALJOURNAL OFTHE ROYAL NAVALASSOCIATIONNO.10 AREA


3/19

VANGUARD 5VANGUARD4

CONTENTS

3 Editorial

5 Chairmans Report

6 Falklands Today

6 Presidents Pulpit

10 A Damn Close-Run Thing

11 Lt. Walter Childs, RN

12 Falklands 1982

14 Laughter Pages

16 Who Killed Cromie?

19 Reunions News

20 The USS Arizona

22 Your Letters

24 HMS Ringtail

26 Scranbag

28 Obituaries

30 Falklands 25

30 Combat Stress

32 Branch News

34 Picture Gallery

CHAIRMANS REPORT

Hi Shipmates;

Doesnt time fly as we get

older? Can you remember

when you were at school,

and it seemed forever before

you reached 14 and left

school and got your first job?

Then it seemed a lifetime

before you reached the

magical 21st birthday. Oncethat had passed, the years

seemed to fly by at a rate of

knots. I say this as it only

seems like a couple of

weeks since we were

celebrating 2007 and yet when this issue of Vanguard hits the streets,

a third of 2007 will have already gone. Sadly, quite a few clubs in the

area have had to close due to lack of trading but the branches are still

going.

I was very pleased to hear the news that S/m Bill Carruthers had

been made an Association Life President, an honour richly deserved.

Bill has done so much over the years for the RNA. firstly as National

Standard Bearer and then Association Ceremonial Officer and has

fought back to recover from a stroke. Well done Bill.

At the AGM, I breathed a sigh of relief, when Charles our Area

Secretary was re-elected, he does so much for the area and he and

Diana are the mainstay of Vanguard. I would like to thank all themembers of the Area Committee for their support in making my job so

much easier. Jan Thomas has done a great job as Welfare Advisor,

since taking over the vacancy and is always on hand to help those in

need. Vanguard has been given another boost, when Charles and

Alan Brooking the Area Treasurer, visited the number 11 Area

Conference at Sunderland, they took some copies of Vanguard with

them and they went down very well, with a request for more of this

issue. Lets face it shipmates, its your area magazine and you cant

get a better buy anywhere for a glossy magazine, so come on

shipmates buy a copy, we have over 3000 members in the Area and

we struggle to sell 1,500 copies, so get a couple and send one to an

oppo, remember that your donation of 50pence goes toward the Area

Reunion.

On the subject of the Area Reunion, we have gone back to Didsbury

by popular demand, and it promises to be a great weekend. We have

got a great deal on the drinks - Bitter, Lager, Guinness and Becks or

Pils at 1.60 and as an added bonus on Saturday and Sunday nights

there will be free tots for the men and free drinks for the ladies as

well as great entertainment. I know its not a seaside venue, but does

it matter. A Reunion in my mind is a chance to meet up with old

shipmates, swing the lamp and have a few wets, so those of you

who are supporting us are sure to have a good time.

Our Area President is still fighting our corner, with all guns blazing as

you will see from his report. Steve Caulfield, the Area PRO is doing a

great job for us and the Association. Sadly,S/m Fred Atkinson, our

National Council Member crossed the bar in February, after a long

illness, S/m Ron Fielding will be acting NCM pro tem..

Thats about it from me shipmates. I thank you for your support and

many thanks to all those who regularly ask about Olive, my wife.

Yours Aye

John Dixon

(Area Chairman)

The armed forces continue to protect the Falkland

Islands today. Their mission is 'To Deter Military

Aggressi on Agai nst The South A tlantic Oversea s

Territories'.

A combined f orce compri sing memb ers of the Army,

Royal Air Force and Royal Navy are based on the Islands.

The Falklands Conflict led the way in the Services working

together, and this has continued to the present day.

The Islands offer excellent training opportunities for the

Services, ensuring that they are well trained and well

equipped.

The relationship between the forces personnel and the

locals is very strong and close ties have been forged.

FALKLANDS 25THE ROLE OF UK FORCESIN THE FALKLANDS TODAY

The Falkland Islands are a dependent territory of the UK

and will remain so for as long as the Islanders wish to. The

Islands have flourished economically and socially since the

conflict.

The situation in the South Atlantic has changed

substantially since the conflict: Argentina is now a

democracy, committed to the peaceful resolution of issues

over the Islands.

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4/19

VANGUARD 7VANGUARD6

Those fine words abovehave served our Navyand our nation for closeto four centuries. Verysadly, today, thatdeclaration no longerapplies.

Why? Who are the guilty men? Who

reduced our fleet to its current state? Who

was on watch when the fleet in which we

served disintegrated to a condition

comparable to the decade prior to the

battle of Trafalgar?

What would the great Nelson have to tell

us on that subject? Not for him the likes of

the following . . . . The political decision

time frame was out of kilter with

operational requirements!! Has

everybody got that? Everybody

understand it? No? Welcome to the club

shipmates!! That shifty piece of

gobbledygook comes to you direct from

the palace of misplaced principles, that

monument to Murphys Law in Whitehall.

PRESIDENT S PULPIT

By comparison, when facing severe difficulties with various members of the Establishment, our

greatest Admiral, who was a mere Captain at the time, openly declared If ministers will not

support me in my duties then may they find a severe want of naval officers to support them (let us

not forget that prior to Trafalgar he too was promised more ships but he never got them).

Apportioning responsibility for todays sorry state of Naval affairs calls for a quick check on how

the Ministry of Defence system operates. (It can hardly be described as actually working, but it

does work).

Within the Whitehall Leaning-Tower-of-Babble there exist hordes of amateurish folk exercising

authority over highly trained, experienced and very dedicated professionals. (Pause for a momentdear readers and imagine any stock exchange listed firm operating under that handicap . . . stop

laughing!!!

This amateurish group of civil servants and politicians are led (and I use that word in its most

lightest of senses) by an amateur who was placed in position by another amateur and neither of

these decision deciding giants have had any training for the posts which they are temporarily

holding. (I kid you not shipmates; you just could not make this up).

Our freshly anointed Minister of Defence, fresh from Housing or Traffic Control Duties, dons

some ill fitting suit of armour emblazoned with stark lettering Numero Uno Difesa and makes

his public statement How do I get to the Ministry of Defence? (Some have been known to

catch the wrong bus). During recent decades there have been so many of these men in suits of

clanking, ill fitting, armour and its your starter for ten to attempt to name all of them. As for what

they all had in common?? That is much easier, not one had so much as stood a watch on the

bridge of their own constituency high street hamburger Franchise. Nevertheless, they are now

the nations Numero Uno shield facing our foes. (Hands up all who are sleeping peacefully??)

So are latest amateur leader, lets call him Caesar, takes up office surrounded by his own

Praetorian Guard of Honour of junior amateurs of Boames. (Bereft of any military experience)

However, all is not lost as the newly empowered Caesar has instant access to all seniors figures

within our beloved Navy who are ready to provide Caesar with all details and advice to enable him

to act upon that advice and maintain our Fleet to required levels of ships and manpower to

continue to ensure the wellbeing of our nation.

So what is wrong with that system I hear you cry? That is what our Democratic p rocess is all

about, isnt it? Yes it is I hastily reply, but what happens if Caesar opts not to accept the

professionals advice? What if he prefers the whisperings and advice of his own, carefully selected

Praetorian Guard Boemes? How do we square that with the democratic process? Amateurs have

been disregarding or mistreating professionals since Adam was a lad and even Noah questioned

the need for an ark!!

It is upon the Navy, underthe good providence ofGod, that the safety,

honour and welfare of thisrealm do chiefly depend.

In addition to the foregoing it would be a neglect of duty to overlook the ghost which

hovers over every meeting of Caesar and our professionals. Like a Transylvanian

vampire, sporting Soviet Union style stainless steel dentures, the Treasury sits on

Caesars shoulders muttering his masters mantra,Too CostlyToo Costly.

Within the confines of the pre-rigged game of poker our braided professionals have to

play with marked cards trying desperately to convince Caesar that their case is just, for

the continued welfare of the nature.

Inspection of the wreckage of our fleet in 2007 makes for a dismal review and an

elegantly braided telescope is not required to identify the fact that our Navy chiefs have

long been losing the MOD(N) debate battle for many a long year .

Just how well have they been making their points is anyones guess. Are they firm and

robust enough? Forceful enough? Have they been clever enough? Above all, it has to

be asked, have they all been brave enough?

We just do not know how bright, sharp and powerfully our chiefs have been presenting

our case in our absence. We do not know just how well they have been fighting our

corner, and as things stand it will be 15 to 30 years, and all too late, before we have any

opportunity to identify what was said, by whom, to whom, and how that is unless

somebody breaks ranks and an Admiral Dannat appears???

What little we have all learned of late is less than reassuring. i.e.; the RN making a deal

with one of the transient Caesars to cut the Fleet in order to save 1 billion by April

2008 in return for a promise of jam tomorrow from those very same amateurs! (You

could not make this up fo lks!!) A promise of Jam Tomorrow from those very same

amateurs who promised us two new aircraft carrier s five years ago. An ybody

attended a Carrier keel laying ceremony lately???

Something must change because the survival of our Fleet is clearly in peril because

successive Navy Chiefs have proved to be no more effective handling the MOD(N)transient Caesars and that ever present Transylvanian bat than my granny was at surf

boarding (she drowned .twice)

The worldwide image and once proud profile of our Navy has long been rusting and

declining away for far too long. For me the rot began with the closure of the RNs (and

the nations) most successful school, the world renown and respected HMS GANGES.

That establishment today signifies everything that is wrong with our Navy and our nation.

It is derelict, abandoned, crumbling, rusting, when it should have become the Sea Cadet

training and holiday centre for our nations youngsters. Somebody failed very miserably

back in 1976!!

Move on half a decade and we had the pre-Falklands plans for cuts in ships and

manpower, delayed only long enough to save the skins of the blundering amateurs who

placed those Islanders in danger in the first place then it was a case of job-done, carry

on cutting! Onto the fudges concerning the end of the Leander batches and their

replacements, the ditching overboard of that marvellous national edifice of pride and

history, Greenwich Collage, and still the amateurs ran riot.

What did Frank Sinatra and the Royal Tournament have in common? Both played to

SRO (standing room only) crowds whenever they performed in London. That annual

tournament placed our Navy front and centre before the eyes of our Nation, not merely

at the Earls Court venue for those lucky enough to get tickets, but on compulsive

viewing television . . . publicity which other s would readily kill for. S o what did a pot

mess of transient amateurs and Service Chiefs do? They killed off the most impressive

contact that all three services had with our Nation. . . . . Talk about devasting friendly

fire. !!

he historic Navy Dockyard at Chatham is already a museum. Will Pompy or Guzz be

next? Decisions are being made that are not simply changing history they are denying

the lessons of history.

Somebody once said Admirals are very

colourful, they flutter about at whim,

escaping ones grasp and proving very

difficult to pin down The same can be said

about butterflies too.

Readers seeking more details on this

MOD subject are recommended to read

Lions, Donkeys and Dinosaurs by retired

Naval Officer Lewis Page. (A Heinemann

publication)

Whilst touring the Gettysburg Battlefield it

struck me that although Abraham Lincoln

was not a sailor his Gettysburg, with a

touch of poetic licence, would serve RNA

shipmates well at this time. Two score

and thirteen years ago Royal Navy

shipmates brought forth into these Islands

a new Association, conceived in retirement

and dedicated to the proposition that all

shipmates are equal. The modern world

will little note nor long remember what our

long departed shipmates achieved and it is

for us, the living, to ensure that the

association which they passed into our

keeping continues to exist within the spirit

which they created, and this Association of

the shipmates, by the shipmates and for

the shipmates will continue to march

behind the standard of free speech for all

shipmates.

Have you packed your bucket and spade

ready for Torquay yet shipmates? It is a

delightful spot on the south coast but it had

been visited by its share of power-mad

dictators Napoleon was a visitor to

Torbay in 1815 and then Basil Fawlty

displayed his manic conduct. And now,

coming to a Conference Hall near you a

new show, fresh from the big city Faulty

Powers ATTEND AND TAKE NOTES!

GETTING THINGS IRONED OUT.

There has never been an RN ship names

HMS Cast Iron . The Aussie had a Flotilla

called Scrap Iron during WW11 one of

the vessels, interesting enough, had the

name of Vendetta. A sailing ship described

as in irons had lost wind power and was

making little progress, Nil Momentum,

usually due to misjudgement and

mishandling.

More recently Operation Cast Iron was

poorly managed and ran aground, but

attempts to refloat this hulk will probably

continue.

Keep sharp lookout shipmates.


5/19

98

From Concept toDesign...

Several weeks ago I was asked to

see if I could come up with a design

for the current edition of Vanguard, and

rather foolishly I agreed to have a go.

Having seen several editions of themagazine, I felt I knew what was

expected, a picture with an obvious

naval slant, either a warship taken from

three-quarters on, or several uniformed

men in various poses. So, being the

contrary soul that I am, (some would

say just bloody minded!), I thought, in

one of my Monty Python modes,

...and now for something completely

different!

This year is the 25th anniversary of

the Falklands Conflict, in which the

Royal Navy played such a pivotal part.

So what better theme for my design

debut, than the Falklands Conflict?

Having decided upon this, I decided to

leave it for a few weeks in the hope

that someone else would take up t he

work! This ploy worked until last week

when my father, your esteemed Area

Secretary rang me up to remind me of

my rather rash promise. So, on the

My wife Maureens Uncle Walter, alsoknown as Flynn, was one of the Navyscharacters. After our wedding I came toknow and admire him, bluff, tall andathletic, he spoke with a distinctiveDorset/Hampshire burr. Wally was akindly soul who loved his native land.

His views on politics and religiousmatters were not to be argued with.

I was told that he had an unhappy childhood; his schooling

had finished when he was twelve and he left home and joined

the Navy as a boy entrant. By WW1, he had become an

Ordinary Seaman and while his early career is vague, it is known

that he took part in the Zeebrugge raid under Roger Keyes

Senior.

The object of the raid was to deny the harbour to U-boats by

sinking block ships in the estuary. The supporting force was

shipped in requisitioned Mersey paddle steamers, these having

the required shallow draughts, (the name Royal Iris comes to

mind).

Wally was the ammunition number of a Vickers heavy machine

gun team. In getting the weapon ashore they were veryexposed, and the gun crew were badly shot up. Wally survived

by hiding under some railway trucks. He then fought his gun

single handed, after which he succeeded in returning aboard

carrying a badly injured shipmate. For this exploit, he received

the D.S.M.

The next we hear of Wally is as a member of a victorious

Pompey team in one of the 1920s Field Gun Races at Earls

Court. I can remember seeing the commemorative group

photographs.

The 1920s and 30s were the heydays of the Navy, and Wally

served in the Mediterranean Fleet under Admiral Cunningham.

He had by then married Maureens Auntie Hilda, and they lived a

life of luxury in Malta. Walter had risen through the ratings of the

Gunnery Department, and was by now CPO. GI. Auntie Hilda

told of regattas, receptions with all the panoply of the British

presence in that part of the world.

There was no stopping him; he became Chief Gunnery

Instructor at Whale Island. Hilda lived in Bournemouth with her

relations, and my wife, then a child, recalls visits to the CPOs

mess, she said in those days Whale Island had a private zoo.

Wally and Hilda never had children, but they both doted on

their niece Maureen. Wally was a good swimmer, and he would

spend hours in the sea swimming breast stroke with little

Maureen astride his back. At times, people would raise the

alarm, but the Coast Guard Service knew him well enough to

ignore these calls.

Eventually, Wally retired into the Naval Reserve, and got a job

as a bank messenger with the Westminster Bank at their

headquarters in London, the job included a flat; so during the

late 1930s Wally and Hilda enjoyed life in the Metropolis with all

its glamorous entertainments.

1939 put a stop to that; Wally was recalled as a reservist. Now

the rule is that any such recall merits a rise in rating, but Wally

was already, as the ex Chief GI at Whale Island, at the top of his

profession, so they made him a Warrant Gunner.

He told me how he fudged the exam, but there he was, the boy

entrant and OD had become a Naval Officer; he rose further to

full commissioned rank as a Lieutenant and note this he still

wore his DSM which is a lower deck decoration.

At first, Wally served in HMS Penelope, but his GI experiencecame to the notice of My Lords Commissioners, and he was put

in charge of the DEMS Gunnery Training School at Roker Park, in

Sunderland. His expertise regarding the older weapons that

were brought back into use in the armed merchant cruisers was

an asset to that service.

After WW2, Wally finally retired with Hilda to Bournemouth; he

worked his days out as a local bank messenger. He was a keen

gardener, filling his house with scrumptious vegetables. He had

a flagstaff in his garden, and never failed to hoist his colours on

the appropriate occasion.

Wally was elected Secretary of the Zeebrugge Veterans

Association, and he and Hilda would cross to Belgium and

officiate at the annual reunions, he also took part in a broadcast

commemorating the raid.

Wally lies in a modest grave in Bournemouth; his estate was

left to Hilda, who in turn willed it to the Royal Lifeboat Institute.

Submitted by Ken Nicholson.

Wednesday, with about a week to go until the deadline I had to come up with

something both respectful and thought provoking, and to fit it in with a set of night

shifts!

My first thoughts, apart from taking the phone off the hook and emigrating, were of

a rather broad nature which colours work best, what pictures define the Conflict,

and how do you show respect for the fallen, whilst celebrating the Islands' liberation?

All of these, along with the need to keep a decidedly naval slant on proceedings led

me to research the details of what happened 8,000 miles away for those 3 months a

quarter of a century ago.

We all remember Sir John Nott, the here today, and gone tomorrow politician,

intoning in his very measured and cultured voice I regret to inform you that one of

our ships has been hit, and Brian Hanrahan's iconic I counted them out, and I

counted them all back yet neither of these gave a sense of both the tragedy and

sacrifice, and ultimately the success by our armed forces. Digging a little deeper, I

found that one of t he famous misquotes of Sir Arthur Wellesley after Waterloo, was

also uttered after the Falklands - It was a damn close-run thing - and probably no

other quote exemplifies the knife-edge that t he whole campaign was balancing

upon.

Armed with a suitable quotation, I then needed to show the sacrifice and danger

faced by our forces, concentrating on the Naval setbacks. What better way to

commemorate the ultimate sacrifice, than to gather together in one place the names

of all the Fallen, side by side with their comrades in arms.

The set of photographs, all iconic pictures showing the last moments of once-proud vessels were arranged so that no one picture took overall prominence, yet

when taken as a whole presented the viewer with a sense of the murderous violence

that modern warfare engenders so different from the sanitised video games and

films that most of us are lucky enough to associate with war. The plaintive and

haunting words of William Whiting's hymn has also crossed oceans and boundaries

and is universally recognised as the Naval Hymn - one can almost imagine it being

sung by a warship's young crew in memory of their shipmates.

Yet what of the Islands themselves? This little outpost of Britain, half a world away,

yet only 300 miles off the coast of South America's major military power. None of us

had heard of them, in fact, why were the Argentineans invading islands off the coast

of Scotland? Putting aside the politics, the economics and the supposed indifference

of the UK government towards less than 2,000 sheep farmers, this country managed

to fight a bloody little war with so many risks, under the eyes of the world's media,

and with very little in the way of a Plan B. The Islanders remain resolutely British,

yet their lives were changed irrecoverably, thrust onto the world stage, their country

turned into a garrison, with five servicemen for every Islander. The image of the

Islands coloured with the Union Flag shows this simply, effectively and provides a

celebration of colour within the starkness and austerity of the design as a whole.

So, a magazine cover from start to finish in less than a week. Take some time off

for a set of nights, add in a family life and my penchant for beer, It really was a

damn close-run thing!

LIEUTENANT WALTER CHILDS, RN

VANGUARDVANGUARD

A DAMN CLOSE-RUN THING


6/19

FALKLANDS 1982

1110

On 2 April 1982 Argentinainvaded the Falkland Islands.There was, and is, a disputeover the sovereignty of theislands. The invasion waspreceded by the landing inSouth Georgia (a FalklandIslands dependency) of anArgentine party in March. It isprobable that the Argentinegovernments perception hadbeen shaped by efforts by theBritish to negotiate over theIslands and the impressionthat the Royal Navy was aboutto be reduced significantly,including the withdrawal fromservice of the Antarctic patrolship ENDURANCE.

The powerful Argentine landing couldnot be prevented by the small RoyalMarines garrison and before long the

Falkland Islands and South Georgiawere completely in Argentine hands. Inthe UK immediate steps were taken toassemble a naval task force. Themission was given the title OperationCORPORATE. Initially the Task Forcecomprised two carriers, HERMES (Flag)and INVINCIBLE, a number ofdestroyers and frigates and supportships. The first ships of the Task Forcesailed from the UK only 3 days after theinvasion. An amphibious group basedon two assault ships and all availablelanding ships followed with 3Commando Brigade (Royal Marines,Paras and other units) embarked. Evenbefore the initial deployment a numberof nuclear submarines had beendespatched to the South Atlantic.

It took some time for the force to makethe passage of more than 7000 miles tothe area of the Falklands. This was atime of much diplomatic activity; whiletalks took place, military planningcontinued. Because of the extent of likelyoperations, the difficulties of theoperating theatre and the greatdistances involved, there was particularemphasis on reinforcements and logisticsupport. These involved two keyfactors: the building up of AscensionIsland as a support base, and therequisition of many merchant ships.Such vessels were known as STUFT(Ships Taken Up From Trade).

The first active operat ion of the Task Force was the re-taking of South Georgia. Asmall group of ships was sent ahead of the main force (ANTRIM, PLYMOUTH,CONQUEROR and RFA TIDESPRING) together with ENDURANCE and a number of

Royal Marines and special forces. This was Operation PARAQUAT and wassuccessfully completed by 25 April. The Argentine garrison was captured, as was thesubmarine SANTA FE which had been reinforcing the Argentine forces.

Some days later the main Task Force moved into its main operating areas east ofthe Falklands. On 1 May operations began against the enemy ashore withbombardments by naval gunfire, carrier-borne Sea Harriers and a long-rangebombing attack by an RAF Vulcan from Ascension. On 2 May the Argentine cruiser,GENERAL BELGRANO, the flagship of one of two surface groups which had beenthreatening the task force was followed, then attacked, by the nuclear submarineCONQUEROR. She sank with the loss of over 320 lives. From this point onwards theArgentine surface fleet was little seen; some submarine operations were attemptedwithout any success. However, on 4 May, the Argentineans hit back and the destroyerSHEFFIELD was disabled by an air-launched Exocet missile. She later sank under towin bad weather.

The Argentine air force and naval air force had proved their capabilities andremained formidable opponents until the end of the conflict. It was the crucial battlefor air superiority which was the key to the whole campaign. Without it, there wouldhave been no liberation of the Falkland Islands. On 15 May, a daring raid was carriedout by special forces on Argentine air units based on Pebble Island, north of WestFalkland. The aircraft were destroyed.

6 days later, at San Carlos, the major landings took place involving the two assaultships, FEARLESS and INTREPID together with a number of the landing ships andsome STUFT vessels including the liner CANBERRA, (used as a troopship), andaccompanied by a number of escorts. Small Argentine forces in the area werequickly dealt with and the landing force was rapidly built up. The reinforcing Armyforce, 5 Brigade, was already on its way in various ships, including the requisitionedliner QUEEN ELIZABETH II.

Argentine aircraft reacted to the landings and carried out a series of attacks. Severalescorts were hit, leading ultimately to the loss of the frigates ARDENT and ANTELOPEas well as significant damage to others. The aggressive role played by the escortsallowed the transports to be largely unharmed. The San Carlos area, at sea and onshore, was subject to air attacks until near the end. Classic layered defence was used

VANGUARDVANGUARD


7/19

to counter them. Sea Harriers weredeployed on Combat Air Patrol. Closerin, ship missile systems wereemployed and guns closer in still.An attempt to use a combination ofmissile systems in ships workedreasonably well but the Type 42COVENTRY was sunk by bombingduring one such operation. On the

same day, 25 May, the STUFT shipATLANTIC CONVEYOR was attackedby air-launched Exocet andsubsequently lost. This was significantas she had been carrying much vit alequipment, in particular Chinookhelicopters which would have beenvery useful for land operations.

A week after the landings the groundforces were well established. On 29May, Goose Green 15 miles South ofSan Carlos surrendered to 2 Para aftera fierce fight. The following days wereto see considerable progress on landwhilst Argentine air activity continuedunabated. British naval and air unitsremained fully occupied dealing withaircraft and providing support to theland forces.

On 8 June, two landing ships, SIRGALAHAD and SIR TRISTRAM, whichhad taken troops to Fitzroy on thesouth coast of East Falkland werebombed with significant loss of lifeand damage. On 12 June, thedestroyer GLAMORGAN returning froma shore bombardment operation washit by a shore-launched Exocet missileand damaged. Nevertheless, the Armyand Royal Marines advanced steadilyto Port Stanley.

On 14 June the Argentine forces

surrendered and the Falklands conflictwas effectively at an end. The wholecampaign had lasted less than 3months; there were a total of 255British and 655 Argentine dead as wellas three Falkland Island civilians.

A total of 68 Royal Navy and RoyalFleet Auxiliary vessels together with 45

STUFT ships were used. Land forceswere mainly 3 and 5 Brigades withsignificant augmentation. There werealso many aircraft involved from all 3Services. This was truly aCORPORATE venture.

The short but intense conflict onceagain emphasised the value ofmaritime power. The operation wastotally unexpected and not covered byany national contingency plans.Moreover, it took place nearly 8000miles from the UK. The only way thatthe Falkland Islands could have beenrecovered was by the use of maritime

forces, which had to take with themthe means to defend themselvesagainst air attack, and eventually winsufficient air superiority to enable thetransported troops to be protected onpassage, and landed to defeat theoccupying forces.

In addition, RN surface ships t ook

part in the air battle, destroying atleast 15 enemy aircraft; theycompletely deterred Argentine navalforces from attempting to intervene,and bombarded enemy positionsashore throughout the length of theconflict.

RN units took part in every aspect ofthe conflict, at and under the sea, inthe air, and on the ground. The costwas high, but the Royal Navy hadfulfilled its mission.

Naval Historical BranchNovember 2006

VANGUARD 1312 VANGUARD

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8/19

LAUGHTER PAGES

Make and Mends at sea. He also

gave them a laundry that they might

keep their splendid uniforms clean.

When you are God you tend to get

carried away.

On the seventh day as you know

God rested and on the eighth day at

0700 Zulu God looked down upon

the earth and God was not a happyGod. So he thought about his

labours and with his infinite wisdom,

God created a divine creature, and

this divine creature he called a

Submariner. And these Submariners,

whom God created in his own

image, were to be of the deep, and

to them he gave a white woolly

jumper to keep them warm. He gave

them black, steely messengers of

death to roam the depths of the

seas, waging war against the forces

of Satan and evil. He gave them

hotels to welcome them when they

grew weary of doing Gods will. He

gave them subsistence that they may

entertain ladies on nights ashore andimpress the hell out of the creatures

called skimmers.

At the end of t he eight day God

looked down upon the earth and saw

all was well. But still God was not

happy, because, in the course of his

labours, he had forgotten one thing.

He had not given himself a

Submariners white woolly jumper.

He thought long and hard and finally

satisfied his mind. Not just anybody

can be a Submariner.

Submitted by S/m W Watts Salford

Branch

GOD IS WATCHINGThe children were lined up in the

cafeteria of their elementary school

for lunch. At the head of the table

was a large pile of apples. The

teacher made a note, and posted it

on the apple tray. It said, Take only

one. God is watching.

Moving further along the lunch line,

at the other end of the table was a

large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had writ ten a n ote, Take all

you want. God is watching the

apples.

DID I READ THATSIGN RIGHT?

TOILET OUT OF ORDER: PLEASE

USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat:

AUTOMATIC WASHING

MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE

ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE

LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store:

BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office:

WOULD THE PERSON WHO

TOOK THE STEP LADDER

YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT

BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL

BE TAKEN

In an office:

AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF

SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT

AND STAND UPS IDE DOWN ON

THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop:

WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING

BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES,

ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR

WIFE ALONG AND GET A

WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop

window:

CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park:

ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY INYOUR CAR

Seen during a conference:

FOR ANYONE WHO HAS

CHILDREN AND DOESNT KNOW

IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON

THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmers field:

THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS

TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR

FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet:

IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS

LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW

TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door:

WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING.

(PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE

DOOR THE BELL DOESNT

WORK)

Northampton Hospital:

BIRTH CONTROL ADVICE

PLEASE USE REAR ENTRANCE

Surgeons from big cities were

discussing who makes the best

patients to operate on. The first

surgeon, from New York, says, I like

to see accountants on my operating

table, because when you open them

up, everything inside is numbered

The second, from Chicago,

responds, Yeah, but you should try

electricians. Everything inside them

is colour coded. The third surgeon,

from Dallas, says, No, I really think

librarians are the best; everything

inside them is in alphabetical order.

The fourth surgeon, from Los

Angeles ch imes in: You know, I l ike

construction workers...those guys

always understand when you have a

IN THE BEGINNINGIn the beginning was the word; and

the word was God. Al l else was

darkness and void without form. So

God created the heavens and the

earth. He created the sun and the

moon and the stars, so that light

may pierce the darkness. The earth,

God divided between the land and

the sea and these he filled with manyassorted creatures

The dark, salty slimy creatures that

inhabited the seashore he called the

Royal Marines and he dressed them

accordingly, and the flighty creatures

of the air he called Airy Fairies, and

these creatures he clothed in

uniforms which were ruffled and foul.

These creatures were not over

popular as their droppings fell on the

earth below, but God forgave them

because he said, they knoweth not

what they do. The lower creatures of

the sea God called Skimmers, and

with a twinkle in his eye, and a sense

of humour that only he could have.God gave them big grey targets to

go to sea on. He gave them many

splendid uniforms to wear. He gave

them many wonderful and exotic

places to visit. He gave them pen

and paper so that they might write

home every week, and he gave them

few parts left over. But the fifth surgeon, from Washington, DC shut them all up

when he observed: Youre all wrong. Politicians are the easiest to operate on;

there are no guts, no heart, no balls, no brains and no spine, and the head and

the ass are interchangeable.

A minist er decided to do s omething a litt le diff erent one Sunday m orning. He

said Today, in church, I am going to say a single word and you are going to

help me preach. Whatever single word I say, I want you to sing whatever hymn

that comes to your mind.

The pastor shouted out CROSS. Immediately the congregation startedsinging in unison, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS.

The pastor hollered out GRACE The congregation began to sing AMAZING

GRACE, how sweet the sound.

The pastor said POWER. The congregation sang THERE IS POWER IN THE

BLOOD.

The Pastor said SEX The congregation fell into total silence. Everyone was

in shock. They all nervously began to look around at each other afraid to say

anything. Then all of a sudden, way from in the back of the

church, a little old 87 year old grandmother stood up and began to sing,

MEMORIES.

DEAR ABBY...

Dear Abby,

Ive never written to you before, but I really need your advice on what could

be a crucial decision. Ive suspected for some time now that my wife has been

cheating on me. The usual signs... Phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs

up.

My wife has been going out with the girls a lot recently although when I ask

their names she always says , Just some friends from work , you dont know

them. I always stay awake to look out for her taxi coming home, but she

always walks down the drive, although I can hear a car setting off, as if she has

gotten out of the car round the corner. Why? Maybe she is in a taxi? I once

picked her cell phone up just to see what time it was and she went berserk and

screamed that I should never touch her phone again and why was I checking

up on her.

Anyway, I h ave never broached t he subject with m y wife. I think deep down I

just didnt want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I

decided to really check on her. I decided I was going to park my Harley Road

King next to the garage and then hide behind it so I could get a good view of

the whole street when she comes home. It was at that moment, crouching

behind my Harley, that I noticed that the rocker boxes on my engine seem to

be leaking a little oil. Is this something I can fix myself or should I t ake it back

to the dealer?

Thanks,

Harley Man

14 15VANGUARDVANGUARD


9/191716

then give her captain a clear warning of the proposed sinking; the

submarine captain must then make provision for the crew of his

victim, and ensure their safety. The Sivonia refused to stop, so

Cromie fired ahead of her, then, after the crew had abandoned

ship, he again fired but with little effect.

He tried torpedoes but the first failed after launch and the

second dived deep and missed. Eventually the Savonia ran

aground.

A week later they attacked another

German ship with four torpedoes. Two

missed, one circled just missing E19

and another hit but failed to explode.

Again the target ran aground.

However, E19s luck was changing,

and the next day made history. First she

stopped the ore carrier Walter Leonhardt

putting the crew aboard a neutral

Swede, Cromie sank the ore carrier with

charges. Almost immediately, he sighted

the Germania and chased her onto aSwedish reef. Leaving her there, Cromie

next stopped the Gutrune and after the

crew left, sank her with three shells.

Again he persuaded a Swede to take

the crew. Later that afternoon the

Director Rippenhagen strayed into his

sights and was also scuttled, a ship being stopped to t ake her

crew. As darkness approached, the final target sailed into view.

The Niconiedia was sunk as her crew rowed to safety.

The episode became known as the E19 massacre; Cromie had

changed German strategy in the Baltic. Next day, not one German

vessel appeared, so Cromie stopped the Swedish Nike carrying

ore to Germany, believing this broke her neutrality he put a prize

crew aboard and escorted her to Reval, where he learned the

reason for the lack of targets. The German merchant fleet refused

to sail unescorted with Cromies submarine at large.

The next patrol started with the Suomi being set alight, then on

November 7th E19 sighted the German cruiser Undine .

Submerged, Cromie closed to 1,100 yards before firing one

torpedo that exploded amidships. As the crew abandoned ship,

he moved to the stern and fired a second torpedo that again

exploded.

Returning to Reval, Cromie was awarded the Order of St.

George, Russias highest award for bravery.

In winter, with the sea frozen over and shipping immobile, the

crews carried out maintenance while living aboard the old Russian

cruiser Dvina. While officers shared the Russian wardroom, the

men had their own accommodation. The treatment of Russian

sailors by their officers shocked the British. Typically they

would spit in the face of a saluting sailor, and then order him

to turn and bend before kicking him.

In cinemas, the Russian ratings were only allowed behind

the screen and stood if an officer came or went. Britishsailors, although in front of the screen, also stood for the

Russians, until they realised that the Russians did not afford

British officers the same courtesy. The

Russians complained, but Cromie backed

his men.

Unsurprisingly, rebellion was brewing in

the Russian fleet and during November,

two battleships mutinied.

Christmas 1915 came, and on

December 31st Cromie was promoted to

Flotilla Commander. The British were

entertained ashore by expats, who later

recalled the high regard the officers and

crews had for Cromie.

As the weather warmed, the submarinessailed again, although now the Germans

tracked them by aircraft in the clear

shallow Baltic. During June 1916 E19

was bombarded with over 34 bombs.

Although revolution was drawing nearer,

the Russian officers seemed oblivious. A

British sailor on his way to deliver a report encountered an

Russian Admiral, while standing and saluting, the Admiral spat

in his face. Returning to his submarine, the sailor reported this

to Cromie who immediately took him to the Admirals quarters

and demanded and received a personal face to face apology

for the seaman.

In May 1916, Cromie was awarded the DSO and in August

the flotilla became an independent command, boosted by

four smaller submarines. These arrived from England by

barge along rivers and canals. The following winter, with

everything again frozen, Russian unrest grew. On March 15th

1917 Russians sailors paraded to the sounds of the outlawed

Marsellaise. When the rebels set fire to the police station

next to the British Consulate, Cromie took 80 volunteers to

fight the fire, after extinguishing it, they marched back

unarmed to the dockyard amid random shootings.

The Russians were now openly rebelling and killing their

despised officers. Cromie managed to save some, one was a

Russian Paymaster and another later joined the Australian Air

Force, eventually becoming Winston Churchills interpreter.

Meanwhile in Kronstadt the famous island fortress guarding

the approaches to the capital Petrograd- the Russian fleet

mutinied, the sailors killing all the Admirals along with some

Today it is still uncertain who killed

him, the Germans or his Russian allies.

The Times reported in September1918:-

BRITISH ATTACH MURDERED.RUSSIA TO FIGHT ALLIES - APETROGRAD OUTRAGE

Born in Ireland on January 30th 1882 to

an American father and a Welsh

mother, Francis Cromie grew up in

Pembrokeshire. His father Charles had

joined the British army and while

stationed at Pembroke Dock married

the Chief Constables daughter, Mary

Ince Webb-Browne.

When Francis reached school age,

they settled in Fishguard, where for 10

years Francis was educated at the Free

School. In 1891, after moving to

Haverfordwest, Francis attended the

Grammar School until the summer of

1896.

His father moved away in 1894 after

divorcin g Francis mother. On January

15 1897 Francis joined the Royal Navy

and by June 1898 was a midshipman

on HMS Repulse. While serving

aboard HMS Balfleur, during the Boxer

Rebellion of 1900, he landed as part of

the relieving force of Tiensin. Cromie

was commended as showing much

zeal and ability with the Naval Brigade. In December 1901 he was commissioned

Sub-Lieutenant and in June 1903 promoted to Lieutenant. He then made the decision

that was to lead to his death he volunteered for the fledgling submarine service.

Not only were submarines dangerous but submariners were despised. In 1901

Admiral Wilson declared that captured submariners should hang, submarines wereunfit for gentlemen. Yet Cromie was every inch a gentleman. In 1963, Rear Admiral

Brodie remembered him as tall, good looking, with curly black hair and whether in

sea-going or any other rig was always carefully dressed. Also, in contrast with some

contemporaries, he was polite to the training class, his Portsmouth landlady thought

him a lovely man

As Captain of HM Submarine A3, Lieutenant Cromie began earning the respect of

his contemporaries. Under way off Spithead in February 1906, he dived fully clothed

into the sea to rescue a seaman. Initially he held the man up before lapsing into

unconsciousness himself. The seaman died but artificial respiration revived Crombe.

During 1907 he married Gwladys , and settled in Lee-on Solent. There Dolories

Anthea his only child was born, and by 1908 Cromie was commanding a new C

class submarine.

Promoted Lieutenant Commander in1911 he assumed command of the Devonport

flotilla. Next came command of the Navys latest submarine E4 but after just a yearhe left his family to command the Hong Kong flotilla. However with war approaching,

the flotilla returned home in August 1914.

At Barrow in July 1915 Cromie commissioned E19, a boat of 664 tons surfaced and

708 dived. At 181 feet long with a beam of 23 feet she was driven by two propellers

powered by two diesels at 14 knots on the surface. and Submerged, her speed was 9

knots driven by two electric motors. Her armament consisted of a six-pounder gun

and ten 18inch torpedoes. After working up, E19 sailed to join the Baltic submarine

flotilla based in Russias port of Reval. (now Tallin in Estonia). Neither E19 nor Cromie

would return.

The Baltic approaches were mined, forcing E19 through neutral Swedish waters

where internment awaited. detection. Dodging and diving she crept through the

shallow water. On one occasion her steering failed, and she refused to surface. After

four frantic hours she surfaced, listing and out of control. Grounding on Hven they

blew more ballast and floated free, only to plunge to 50 feet with a 30-degree bow-up

angle. By moving all portable gear forard the boat regained some degree of trim.

Surfacing, Cromie found the hatch stuck., forcing it half open he squeezed through

only to find he could not re-enter until he had freed the hatch.

Still their troubles were not over. Diving to await darkness they found one motor had

wiped its bearings. Finally on September 13, after bumping along the bottom at four

knots, they surfaced and entered Reval, serenaded by a Russian Naval band.

On E19s first patrol her bad luck continued. She became entangled in an anti

submarine net to which small charges were fixed, these exploded, alerting the

German Sylvania. For two hours the submarine crew struggled to free themselves,

twice surfacing to be greeted by shell fire, they eventually escaped and crept away.

Their bad luck continued when they sighted the German Svionia on October 3rd and

E19 surfaced in front of her.

British submarines at this time operated under the Hague Peace Conference rules

that stated; Any boat intending to sink an enemy vessel must first stop that vessel,

WHO KILLED CROMIE?k

The death of CaptainFrancis Cromie CR.

DSO. RN passedalmost unnoticedamid the slaughter ofthe First World War.

Yet on one day,without loss of life,he had stopped theentire German Fleetin the Baltic.

VANGUARDVANGUARD


10/191918

100 other officers and imprisoning another 200. They hacked the CinCs body to

pieces and threw it piecemeal onto a bonfire in the t owns centre. The Russian fleet,

now run by a seamens committee threatened to try the Russian officers seconded

to the British fleet. Cromie successfully argued that they were subject to Royal Navy

discipline. Cromies sailors also saved lives. Dvinas bosun, an elderly warrant officer,

refused to join the rebels and was brought before the seamans committee. After he

had been humiliated and stripped of his uniform, they decided to hang him. However

the British sailors confronted the mob and won his freedom. He escaped to London,

becoming the doorman of the Imperial Russian Consulate.

Towards the end of April 1917 the patrols restarted and the flotilla moved to Hango

in Finland, even though Russian-Finnish relations were becoming strained. WithRussia in a state of turmoil the Germans advanced and took Riga.

Crobie was advised to put his submarines under the control of the seamans

committee. His response was that the Admiralty had ordered him to fight the

Germans not to take sides locally. Luckily he won the argument four Russian officers

who also had the temerity to question the committees authority were executed.

By the winter, the situation in Russia was ready to boil over into full-scale revolution.

On November 7th, under protest, Captain Ericsson commanding the Russian cruiser

Aurora took the ship up the River Niva to Petrograd. There he resigned his

commission and left. At 2140 Aurora opened fire, signalling the start of the attack on

the Winter Palace.

Back in Hango the Russian CinC had vanished, leaving Cromie commanding the

Russian and British submarines. The Bolsheviks, now controlling Russia, were seeking

an armistice with Germany, making the British very vulnerable. That winter the flotilla

moved to Helsingfors but relations with the Russian Navy were rapidly deteriorating.The Bolsheviks considered the RN to be imperialist and capitalist, the enemy of the

common man Cromies command of seven submarines and over 200 men was no

longer welcome in Russian waters. In December 1917 the new Sailors Soviet

decided to take the Baltic Fleet to Kiel. Cromie was determined this would not

happen, and managed to persuade the Soviet that sailing was not wise with Germany

still attacking Russia. With the situation worsening, Cromie managed to arrange safe

passage overland for his sailors to Petrograd, then Marmansk and finally by freighter

home. He and about 20 crew remained to prepare for scuttling his submarines to

prevent them falling into the hand of the advancing Germans.

Cromie was now also Naval Attache and acting as ambassador in Petrograd.

Regular payment for Cromies sailors had long ceased and so he sold the flotillas

stock of clothing to pay the seamen. Eventually, with the Germans less than five miles

away, they scuttled the submarines at sea, the remaining crew members then

returned home, leaving Cromie at the embassy in Petrograd.

With the Allies uncertain about the new Soviet Republic and even Lenin and Trotsky

unsure what to do next, Russia was a very dangerous place. The Revolutionaries

continued to sue for peace but Germany continued to attack.

CromIe now set about scuttling three abandoned British merchant ships before they

fell into German hands, enrolling anyone he could and cajoling often at gunpoint, he

persuaded the Russians to allow him to scuttle these ships at sea. This did not

endear him to the Germans who put a price of 1,000,000, rouble reward on his head.

Petrograd was rife with intrigue at this time, and Cromie was eventually caught up in

it. Allied agents were stirring up trouble among the rebels, while t he Soviet secret

police had planted two men within British circles where they pretended to be counter

revolutionaries (White Russians). One of them, significantly perhaps, is believed to

have been German. Cromie was taken in by their story and introduced them to

genuine counter revolutionaries.

Then, on August 30th, the chief of

Petrograds secret police was

assassinated, and Lenin was shot in

the neck and chest. Turmoil followed.

The next day one of the White

Russians phoned the British Embassy,

arranging to meet Cromie in the

embassy at 4pm. Meanwhile, cars,

armed soldiers and civilians gatheredaround the embassy.

Confusion surrounds events but at

about 4.45pm Cromie opened the door

of a conference room to find himself

facing an armed Russian. Shutting the

door, he told the two White Russians

and other embassy staff to remain in

the room, Drawing his pistol, he re-

opened the door and faced down the

man. Red guards, however, were all

over the embassy and as Cromie

descended the stairs, two shots hit him

in the head from behind.

He fell at the bottom of the stairs, as

more armed Russians stormed throughthe embassy doors. The

embassy staff were all arrested and

although they released the women that

day, it was 13 weeks before the men

were freed.

Cromies body was taken to the

Smolny Institute where it lay unclaimed.

The Dutch Ambassador, William Jacob

Oudenijk came to the rescue, and

persuaded the Russians to release

Cromies body, which was taken to the

English Church on Palace Quay.

Other allied diplomats wanted a quiet

burial, but Oudenijk would not hear of

it. Organising a proper coffin, he had

the body cleaned and prepared. They

found a babys glove in one pocket of

his civilian suit along with the leather

straps from his watch in another, but

no watch or money. They tried to

retrieve his naval uniform but this was

refused. Unable to find a White Ensign

for the coffin they used a Union Jack.

Cromies funeral took place on

September 6th in the packed church.

During the journey to the cemetery a

coach containing floral tributes

WHO KILLED CROMIE? continuedfollowed the hearse. The Dutch

Ambassador and Consul walked

behind, leading a long procession.

Smolensky Cemetery is reached by

crossing the river Neva where three

Russian destroyers were moored, as

the procession approached, the

Russians watched. Hearing that it was

Cromies funeral, the sailors lined up,

came to attention and saluted, much to

the annoyance and scorn of the

accompanying secret police.

Happy is the country that has sons

like Captain Cromie. May his splendid

and beautiful example inspire us til the

end of time said the Dutch

Ambassador as the coffin, still draped

in the Union flag, was lowered into the

grave. Today they lie there still, lost in a

cemetery of untended wildness.

Home in England, Cromies widow

sought to boost Cromies meagre

pension. At the time of his death he

was, Naval Attach, Acting

Ambassador in Petrograd and

Commander of the defunct Baltic Fleet.

Many masters but few paymasters.The Foreign Officer hinted that it might

make a one-off payment of 500. But,

Cromie had served his purpose,

although the manner of his death was

used as propaganda, causing more

grief for his family. The King, however,

was more grateful. In September 1918,

Cromies wife was presented at the

palace with her deceased husbands

Commander of the Most Honourable

Order of the Bath

The London Gazette records the

award; in recognition of his

distinguished services in the Allied

cause in Russia and of devotion to duty

which he displayed in remaining at his

post as British Attach in Russia, when

the British Embassy was withdrawn.

This devotion to duty cost him his life.

Back in Pembrokeshire they also

remembered, and his old school

erected plaques. His name also graces

the County War Memorial, and a road is

named after him.

Grateful thanks to Pembrokeshire Life

and to John Bartlett, for permission to

print this article

REUNIONS NEWS

HMS Ambuscade

Reunion in Crewe Cheshire May 19th 2007 Fur ther details contact; I. Thornton 4

Kimberly Close Thorpe Audlin PONTEFRACT W Yorks WF8 3ER

HMS Antrim [D18}25th Annual reunion at the Adelphi Hotel Liverpool October 6th

[email protected]

HMS Cambrian AssociationReunion at the Norbreck hotel Blackpool May 18th to May 21st 2007. Any interested

ex shipmates please contact Don McDonald Tele 01344 774386

HMS Fearless [L10]25th reunion at the Royal Sailors Home club Portsmouth Friday June 1st Contact

Ray Metcalf 23 Sedgewick Close, Gosport, Hants. PO13 9RB Tel. 023 9252 8302

[email protected]

HMS Glamorgan AssociationReunion Dinner at Portsmouth Royal Sailors Home club Saturday June 9th 2007

Further information from [email protected]

HMS Llandaff Association2007 reunion at Llandaff institute Cardiff September 28th and 29th. Further details

from [email protected]

HMS St Brides Bay Association50th anniversary reunion. Possible venue Chester: date to be confirmed. Further

informati on from Del Card 01904 630639 Or; David Lee 01392 725497

([email protected]

HMS Newcastle Association2007 reunion at the Royal Sailors Home club Portsmouth on September 15thFurther

information from David Park 15 Ditton Close Stubbington FAREHAM PO14 2EU

Telephone: 01329 314733

HMS Penelope Association

2007 Reunion at the Royal Fleet club Plymouth on 21st -22nd September 2007

Please contact Ron Thomas 07717 685657 email ron.t homas-gourd @coulter-

connection.co.uk for further details.

HMS St Vincent AssociationAGM at St Vincent College in Gosport Annual Reunion Dinner at the Thorngate Halls

in Gosport Saturday 13th October 2007 For Further information please contact: Mrs

Diane Smith 02392 584498.

HMS TigerReunion for 2007 is at the Royal Sailors Home club Portsmouth September 29th

30th. No further information at present

VANGUARDVANGUARD


11/192120

Most shipmates will be familiar of the eventswhich took place at Pearl Harbour onDecember 7th 1941. What many will not knowis the story concerning the battleship USSArizona. Approximately 10 minutes after thestart of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbourthat fateful morning, USS Arizona was struck bya 16 naval artillery shell which had beenmodified as an armour piercing bomb. Thebomb struck the ship abreast B main turretpenetrated several decks, and entered themagazine spaces serving the forward mainguns. The bomb exploded, setting off asecondary explosion of the forward powdermagazines of the ship. This explosion wreckedthe entire forward section of the ship, blew the

bottom out, and the USS Arizona sank in under10 minutes. 1,177 men died in the ship.

Among the men aboard that day was RearAdmiral Isaac C Kidd Sr. Commander ofBattleship Division One, which included theBattleships, USS Arizona, Oklahoma and USSNevada.

During the attack, Admiral Kidd made his wayto the signal bridge of USS Arizona, which layjust behind B turret. He was still at the signalbridge when the fateful explosion occurred. Thebody of the Admiral, like so many othersaboard that day was never recovered. The onlyproof the Navy discovered regarding his deathwas his Naval Academy class ring. The ringwas not located on the deck of the signalbridge; it was actually discovered melted to the

deckhead. In all likelihood, Admiral Kidd wascompletely vaporised in the explosion andsubsequent conflagration following the bombhit. He was posthumously awarded the Medalof Honour and on 22nd January 2005, the USNavy christened the third vessel named in hishonour, USS Kidd (DDG-100) an Arleigh Burkeclass guided missile destroyer.

After the sinking of the USS Arizona and theputting out of the fires which raged inside thevessel; salvage work commenced. The shipwas never to rise again from the bed of theharbour. However, as many workable fitt ingsaspossible, including several components of therear turrets of the ship, were salvaged for lateruse. Among the other items recovered werethe personal effects of Admiral Kidd. Thesewere placed in a trunk and shipped to his

widow (Inez Nellie Gillmore Kidd) in Cleveland.She never opened the trunk, and it was placedinto the attic of the family home and forgotten.After Mrs Kidd passed away, the Admirals son,Isaac C. Kidd Jr. himself having attained therank of Admiral, and accompanied by his ownson, discovered the trunk in the attic, andopened it, not knowing it contained his fatherspersonal items from the time of the attack. Whatan overwhelming and powerful moment it musthave been for them.

The Kidd family decided to share theirdiscovery. Several of the items discovered inthe trunk are now on display at the USS ArizonaMemorial Museum in Hawaii. To this day, the

ship is said to weep. Her teardrops take the form of small droplets of oil, which still leak from theship to break the surface above her.

Story by Rich Jacobs

With acknowledgements to the US Navy Cruiser magazineTHE FATE OF THE USSARIZONATHE FATE OF THE USSARIZONA Pearl Harbour: The cost

On Sunday, December 7th, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack

against the U.S. Forces stationed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii By planning his attack

on a Sunday, the Japanese commander Admiral Nagumo, hoped to catch their

entire fleet in port. As luck would have it, the Aircraft Carriers and one of the

Battleships were not in port. (The USS Enterprise was returning from Wake

Island, where it had just delivered some aircraft. The USS Lexington was ferryingaircraft to Midway, and the USS Saratoga and USS Colorado were undergoing

repairs in the United States).

In spite of the latest intelligence reports about the missing aircraft carriers (his

most important targets), Admiral Nagumo decided to continue the attack with his

force of six carriers and 423 aircraft. At a range of 230 miles north of Oahu, he

launched the first wave of a two-wave attack. Beginning at 0600 hours his first

wave consisted of 183 fighters and torpedo bombers which struck at the fleet in

Pearl Harbor and the airfields in Hickam, Kaneohe and Ewa. The second strike,

launched at 0715 hours, consisted of 167 aircraft, which again struck at the

same targets.

At 0753 hours the first wave consisting of 40 Nakajima B5N2 Kate torpedo

bombers, 51 Aichi D3A1 Val dive bombers, 50 high altitude bombers and 43

Zeros struck airfield s and Pearl Harbor Within the next hour, the second wave

arrived and continued the attack.

When it was over, the U.S.losses were:

Casualties USN: 2,008 KIA, 710 WIA. USMC: 109 KIA, 69 WIA.

Civilians: 68 KIA, 35 WIA. TOTAL: 2,403 KIA, 1,178 WIA.

Battleships: USS Arizona (BB-39) total loss when a bomb hit her magazine.

USS Oklahoma: (BB-37) Total loss; when she capsized and sank in the harbour.

USS California (BB-44) Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS West

Virginia (BB-48) Sunk at her berth. Later raised and repaired. USS Nevada: -

(BB-36) Beached to prevent sinking: later repaired. USS Pennsylvania: (BB-38)

Light damage. USS Maryland: (BB-46) Light damage. USS Tennessee: (BB-43)

Light damage. USS Utah: (AG-16) (former battleship used as a target) Sunk.

Cruisers: USS New Orleans: (CA-32) Light Damage. USS San Francisco:

(CA-38) Light Damage. USS Detroit: (CL-8) Light Damage. USS Raleigh: (CL-

7) Heavily damaged but repaired. USS Helena: (CL-50) Light Damage. USS

Honolulu: (CL-48) Light Damage.

Destroyers: USS Downes: (DD-375) Destroyed. Parts salvaged.

USS Cassin: - (DD-372) Destroyed. Parts salvaged. USS Shaw: DD-373) very

heavy damage. USS Helm: (DD-388) Light Damage.

Minelayer USS Ogala: (CM-4) Sunk but later raised and repaired.

Seaplane Tender USS Curtiss: (AV-4) Severely damaged but later repaired.

Repair Ship USS Vestal: (AR-4) Severely damaged but later repaired.

Harbor Tug USS Sotoyomo: (YT-9) Sunk but later raised and repaired.

Aircraft: 188 Aircraft destroyed (92 USN and 92 U.S. Army Air Corps.)

VANGUARDVANGUARD

PHOTO: XXXXXXXXXXXX


12/192322

YOUR LETTERS

Dear Shipmate Editor,

Having been on holiday and missing the

monthly meeting of my local RNA branch, I

have just managed to read the October 2006

issue of the Vanguard.

After some interesting reading and a good

chuckle at the Laughter Page I turned to the

back page and there to my amazement and

a feeling of dj vu is a photograph of a

Royal Naval Sub. Lieutenant incorrectlydressed! His rank epaulette is on the wrong

side which in good old naval parlance means

that he is going astern. A round of drinks I

believe!

No doubt other shipmates have picked up

on this error, if they have not; I suggest a visit

to Specsavers.

S/m Colin Percival (Crewe Branch)

Sir,

At our Area conferences I try to advise our

members through the Delegates and

Observers how they may be able to receive

assistance from various Welfare

organisations.

Our Area Secretary sends out the

conference minutes which include my report,in the hope that branch Secretarys will pass

on the details of the conference reports.

Unfortunately, not all Secretariess read these

minutes to their members and not all

Delegates make notes of what has been

discussed at the Area conferences,

consequently, many points are not brought to

the attention of the branch members.

I have been able to give advice to some of

our shipmates, but from experience as a

Welfare Caseworker I know we have

members who need financial help to help

replace household items such as kitchen

appliances, carpets etc. Help is needed to

pay for decorating, beds bedding clothes

and the cost of removals. Shipmates, if you

need help please let me know and I will put

you in touch with people who can help. Ifyou know anyone who needs help, let them

know: I can assist. There are those of you

who may need respite care following an

illness or operation, - we are able to to get

that for you as well. There are wives and

widows who are able to receive the same

benefits, dont let them struggle; let them

know that help is there for them also.

S/m Jan Thomas.. Area Welfare Advisor

Dear Editor

Your interesting editorial in the October

issue of Vanguard raised some interesting

points on the possible move out of

London.

Yes it is true that the present HQ. is on

the small size as those few shipmates who

have visited will agree, indeed it is so

small that you can walk past without even

noticing the plaque on the wall outside.

There is no doubt that it has served the

RNA well over the years, in the days whenthe Royal Navy H.Q. were in the Admiralty

and a full staff of serving officers and

ratings employed it was a viable option,

things have moved on since those halcyon

days, the Admiralty incorporated into

Ministry of Defence, and only the First Sea

Lord is based in the capital: it is time to

review the position of our H.Q.

We are an ageing organisation and must

look to the future: it is well known that over

the years, conference have debated this

on more than one occasion.

The National Council are well aware that

a thorough financial review must take

place, this will mean finding a property,

having a full inspection of any building and

any modifications that may need to be

done, its location is also important,shipmates must know that all of these

points will be properly investigated and

checked before any decisions are

finalised.

Shipmates will be kept informed of

progress, this will be communicated by

NCMs and in the Circular, it will be up to

branch secretaries to make sure their

members are informed by reading the

circular at meetings, not pushing it to one

side and ignoring this element of

information

Yours aye, Terry Halder. Association Vice

Chairman, NCM No11 Area

Dear Editor,

Todays RNA was given its present titlewhen the Royal Naval Old Comrades

Association was renamed just over 60

years ago. Should we now be bringing the

premier Association into the 21st century

and reinventing ourselves?

When the RNA takes part in a parade or

march past, what does the ordinary man in

the street see? A column of men and

women following a flag: and trying and in

some cases; failing to keep in step with

the band. How many of those spectators

actually know who we are; and what we

represent? Do they see a number of men

and women wearing navy or black blazers

with various badges sewn on the breast

pockets, and trousers and skirts of varying

hues ranging from blue, to navy and all

shades of grey? Some wear navy berets,

but all too often these resemble anything

from a pancake to a souffl: slightly risen.

If you dont believe me, take a good look

at the next parade. Very few shipmates

seem to be wearing the same uniform.

How much smarter would we all look if

there was a corporate uniform, that was

instantly recognised? The ordinary

member of the RNA, wearing his present

apparel, could be mistaken for ANY ex-

service organisation. Try asking this

question when you are in company Name

three ex-service organisations First will be

The RBL, closely followed by the RAFA or

the Royal Marines, where is the Navy?,

certainly not the first in line, (unless you

live in or near a port).

Could I put forward for discussion the

following? A uniform consisting of the

following; white shirt, with an RNA tie,

navy-blue double breasted jacket with

embroidered RNA logo, shoulder flashes

denoting that the wearer is a naval veteranand navy blue trousers/skirt and black

shoes. Ladies would wear the same outfit.

(The jacket and trousers could be based

on the present Sea Cadet Officers uniform

and if ordered in bulk would be cheaper

that single items bought from your local

shops.

Associate members could also wear this

uniform but instead of Naval Veteran

shoulder flashes, theirs would read Royal

Naval Associate.

By the way, my grey skirt is now rather

old and decrepit; does anyone know

where I can buy another?

Diana Hutton (Associate member).

Dear Sir,

With all the proposed cuts by

Government, in Naval ships /manpower,

establishments and staffing levels needing

to be brought down to a level that the

Government deems viable, perhaps the

Ministry of Defence should consider the

following to save money.

In the future the Admiral of the Fleet will

be responsible and will oversee the Navy,

he/she must be educated to university

degree level, with at least 4 useful degrees

to his/her name ie; Media Studies, Human

Resources, Arts and Crafts and Health and

Safety, Sea going or ability to steer large

ships an advantage but not necessary as

full training will be given on the job.

There will be a maximum of six ships of

various sizes and each ship will have 2

admirals, with three rear admirals to stand

on the rear of the ship, when it is leaving

harbour. The staffing level will be at any one

time; six captains, 6 WO1s 12 CPOs and12 POs. Sufficient ratings to man the side,

when entering and leaving harbour, if costs

are found to be prohibitive i.e.; salaries,

insurance, holiday payments etc, each

rating will be issued with a cut-out dummy

appropriately dressed to affix to the deck,

to give the appearance of a full

compliment.

No more than three ships will be at sea at

any one time, no ship will sail further than

ten miles from harbour. All ships and

personnel to be back in base by 1700, no

ship to put to sea between 1700 Friday and

0900 Monday ( this will cut down on

overtime and weekend payments).

The Royal Marine and Bluejacket Bands

will be hired out as session musicians. Forpurposes of Beating The Retreat on board

ships, a large cinema screen will be erected

on the upper deck the Admiral will be

solely responsible for placing the C.D in the

midi system, but if he/she is busy greeting

foreign dignities, this would then cascade

down the ranks until someone is free.

All present Naval Police will be seconded

to administer ASBOs in the community.

PTIs will be employed by Local Education

Authorities to ensure all children are able to

do a three mile run daily while under 7s will

be required to complete one mile.

Redundant catering staff will amalgamate

with Jamie Oliver, Antony Worrall-Thomas

and the school meal services, all children

will be fed a healthy diet, whether they wantit or not

As there will be a lot of ships surplus to

requirements, aircraft carriers to be leased

to the Air-force to practise takeoff and

landing in confined spaces, fast cruisers to

be hired out for deep-sea fishing parties of

rich Americans.

All ships will be licensed for weddings,

Bar Mitzvahs etc, with all fees going to keep

the fleet afloat.

Evan Evans Llareggub

The Escort Carrier Ruler has a history unique.Of course the men aboard think, shes a bloody freak.One fine day in April, we steamed from Sydney Bayand headed north for Leyte three thousand miles away.The boys aboard were singing and buzzes flew around,until in Leyte harbour we anchored safe and sound.But on the way to Leyte we hadnt time to slackfor we passed Jap held New Guinea with a port they called Wewak.One week we spent in Leyte, and again we headed norththis time to Sakishima, the Ruler she set forth.For thirty days and thirty nights the Ruler steamed aroundnot once did the men aboard set eyes on solid ground.Now and then wed join the fleet and fuel them through the day,but soon this job was over for they hadnt time to stay.

Then early one evening, before the light did failanother carrier came into sight and signalled she had mail.The boys aboard the Ruler jumped up and down with glee,and the saying of the evening was Is there one for me.VE Day we spent there steaming round and round,yet the men aboard the Ruler uttered not a sound.Then one day upon the flight deck before the setting sun,the skipper he did tell us at last our job was done.So we headed south to the Admiralty Isles,but when the Ruler got there we soon lost all our smiles.We went ashore at Pityilu and also at Ponam,but the beer ashore was rationed one bottle for each man.Eight days we spent in Manus,then off again we went,ourselves, four cruisers and a carrier and a Walrus wed been lent.

The task force headed northwards to the Jap held isle of Truk,but the Ruler as per usual was definitely out of luck.The first day off the islands we ran into a storm,when the Walrus on the flight deck suddenly became airborne.She took off down the flight deck, over the side without a sound,and the pilot enquired of everyone Have you seen my kite around?Someone up and told him, the pilot looked aghast,he went to see the skipper and someone got a blast.The cruisers let Truk have it, and poured in shells galorethe Japs left on the island must have been mighty sore.Later we returned to Manus, and a chap said he would seethat the gallant deeds of Ruler went down in history.

Three weeks we spent in Manu then off to sea again,we cruised around off Tokyo amidst the heat and rain.For forty days and forty nights we have perspired up here,typhoons are in fashion but weve managed to keep clear.Now the Japs are crumbling and victorys close at hand,the next run ashore we hope will be in the Promised Land.But the skipper is all for it which makes it pretty grim,we feel well never see Sydney if the matter rests with him.So all you fellow matelots wherever you may bejust say a prayer for Ruler for her forty days at sea.But forty days are nothing to what were going to do,if the Jap Emperor Hirohito decided to see it throughWell that is all for now lads and I think you will agreethat the Escort Carrier Ruler has done her share at sea.

Submitted by the Oswestry branch

THE ESCORT CARRIER RULERS/m Tony Parsons Telegraphist

VANGUARDVANGUARD


13/192524

HMS RINGTAIL

Royal Naval Air Station:. Burscough 1943 - 1946

The most impressive aircraft to arrive at the air station in August

1944 for further training was the Curtis Helldiver. It was operated by

1820 squadron, which had been formed in the USA during April of

the same year. Unfortunately, several aircrews were killed in

accidents in these large dive-bombers, which ultimately led to the

disbanding of the unit on 16th December.

For much of January and February 1944

VanguardApril07.pdf

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