Page Updated  16 - 1 - 2010

16 - 1 - 2010  Lt. Cdr. Paul Millett DSC who died on 2nd September aged 78 served on the ship with 821 as a Sub Lt. pilot.  On February 9th 1953  when returning from a strike with Capt. Ralph Berry R.A. one of our ground liaison officers the plane's wing dipped as it touched down and swung to starboard and went in over the starboard side of the ship. The pilot was quickly out of the sinking plane but Captain Berry had great difficulty in getting free  and tore his immersion suit in his struggles. After nearly a minute and a half he finally surfaced where they were both picked up by the "Crash Boat", destroyer HMS Comus's whaler. Captain Berry had been there before when  doing a similar job in WW2 his plane had ditched off Burma.

17 - 7 - 2009 Shipmate Bob Worth Crossed the Bar recently, his funeral was on Wednesday 15th. Our standard and the FFA one along with an RNA one were there. there were also enough of us former shipmates, Glory and FAA, attending to form a "guard of honour" which pleased the family and impressed those attending. Bob supplied me with photos and info on them that I have used on the First Commission page.

17 - 7 -2009 Shipmate Reg Watkins C t B this month, his funeral was on Thursday 16th in Coventry.  Reg and I had two other ships in common, HMS Anson where he did his basic training and I was later ship's company before she "Paid Off". Also on one of the beautiful "Battles" HMS Jutland where we were both "A" turret shell loaders.

6 - 6 - 2009 Captain Tug Wilson CBE DFC MiD who died on March 17th at the age of 87. He volunteered for the Navy in 1941 as a naval airman and trained as a pilot in Canada. He served on the ship as a Lt. with 812 Sqdn.  as a Firefly pilot, During the 1950 Med cruise he ditched with engine failure and  was taken down with his aircraft before being able to release himself and join his observer Lt. Hawker, they were rescued two hours later by submarine  HMS Tabbard. In 1951 during an attack on the bridge at Husan-Ni his Firefly was hit by flak and he nursed the plane out to sea before ditching of Paengyong-do where he and observer Sub-Lt. Shepley were picked up by the Yank rescue chopper in four minutes. After converting to helicopters he again ditch this time in the Solent. He was in command of the S & R copters on the Eagle making nine aircrew rescues before becoming senior pilot of 848 during the Malayan troubles and was later commander (air) on Albion.

13-01-2009  Message from Bernie. " Bert Roach, one of our oldest active members has Crossed the Bar, his funeral is on Tuesday 20th at the Kings Lynn Crematorium. Bert paid for our standard in memory of his first wife"   Berni will be attending with the Standard. 

15-2-2003 I have recently been informed that two former shipmates have "Crossed the Bar". On 26  th Jan. Cmdr. F.A. Swanton DSC & Bar, DSO. He flew in a Swordfish during the attack on Bismark, later as C.O.747 flew Barracudas.  In 1944 as C.O. 828 he took part in attacks on the Tirpitz. As C.O. of 814 he flew sorties over Korea in 1951, he took over as C.O. of the 14th C.A.G. in '52 taking part in more operations over Korea.   Also Member Bert Hubbard, as former Capt' Flight Deck, Bert has been a great source of info' on crash photos of the first commission and I am going to miss his help as I continue to build up the site.  May they find "Safe Anchorage".

About twelve messages have been removed today 16-10-04 from the main message page as the address were dead