Beds and North Herts Advanced Motorists
Registered Charity No 1052278
Registered Charity No 1052278
Beds and North Herts Advanced Motorists
Tuesday 9th February 2010
On a somewhat raw winters night some 24 people attended to hear our new Events Organiser, Hugh Lambert, speak on his career in the Navy, Nine years before the mast. Hugh had kindly stepped in to fill the breach when we were unable to visit Stopsley Fire Station.
Hugh talked of his early love of the Navy, not least as his dad had been in the Royal Marines in WW2 and whilst he joined a plastics firm as a toolmaker apprentice and then a junior draughtsman it was not long before he joined first the Sea Scouts and then the Potters Bar Sea Cadets. Selected as one of three Cadets to serve on the aircraft carrier, HMS Theseus to celebrate the Queens Coronation, the dye was cast and he enlisted in the RNVR in 1955. He visited France and Holland in a Ton class minesweeper, progressing, then 17, to junior stoker learning engineering theory for a week on HMS Flint Castle and then being called up to do National Service in February 1956. Drafted again to HMS Theseus at the time of the build up to the Suez crisis he found himself on the way to the Med. with some 1500 paratroopers bound for Aden. A brief return to Pompey and back to Suez for the landings themselves in November 1956, followed by a momentous decision to sign on for a nine year stint in the Senior Service.
His transfer to another aircraft carrier, HMS Albion, saw his pay soar from six shillings and sixpence a day to eighteen shillings and sixpence! Hugh clearly enjoyed his time in Albion which included visits to Norway, exercises in the Arctic Circle and then a round the world cruise, ostensibly to sell carriers to overseas governments. Promotions followed and having passed exams for Petty Officer he was posted to HMS Scott, a 1939 built minesweeper engaged on East Coast surveys from its base in Dover. To quote Hugh the boat was absolutely knackered but fitted with the very latest radar and surveying equipment and it seems a good time was generally had by all. A further move, now as a full P.O., to HMS Bulwark meant a complete change given the ship, a commando carrier, was 28,000 tons and had a complement of 1500 crew. Hugh told us various tales of replenishment at sea, the joys of Admirals inspections and other anecdotes. It was from this ship that he retired from the Navy on February 1965, to join the Metropolitan Police two days later for another 28 years.
Hugh had brought various pictures of the ships and their coats of arms by way of background and we are very grateful to Hugh for his entertaining talk on Navy life at such short notice.
Arthur Cushway
On a somewhat raw winters night some 24 people attended to hear our new Events Organiser, Hugh Lambert, speak on his career in the Navy, Nine years before the mast. Hugh had kindly stepped in to fill the breach when we were unable to visit Stopsley Fire Station.
Hugh talked of his early love of the Navy, not least as his dad had been in the Royal Marines in WW2 and whilst he joined a plastics firm as a toolmaker apprentice and then a junior draughtsman it was not long before he joined first the Sea Scouts and then the Potters Bar Sea Cadets. Selected as one of three Cadets to serve on the aircraft carrier, HMS Theseus to celebrate the Queens Coronation, the dye was cast and he enlisted in the RNVR in 1955. He visited France and Holland in a Ton class minesweeper, progressing, then 17, to junior stoker learning engineering theory for a week on HMS Flint Castle and then being called up to do National Service in February 1956. Drafted again to HMS Theseus at the time of the build up to the Suez crisis he found himself on the way to the Med. with some 1500 paratroopers bound for Aden. A brief return to Pompey and back to Suez for the landings themselves in November 1956, followed by a momentous decision to sign on for a nine year stint in the Senior Service.
His transfer to another aircraft carrier, HMS Albion, saw his pay soar from six shillings and sixpence a day to eighteen shillings and sixpence! Hugh clearly enjoyed his time in Albion which included visits to Norway, exercises in the Arctic Circle and then a round the world cruise, ostensibly to sell carriers to overseas governments. Promotions followed and having passed exams for Petty Officer he was posted to HMS Scott, a 1939 built minesweeper engaged on East Coast surveys from its base in Dover. To quote Hugh the boat was absolutely knackered but fitted with the very latest radar and surveying equipment and it seems a good time was generally had by all. A further move, now as a full P.O., to HMS Bulwark meant a complete change given the ship, a commando carrier, was 28,000 tons and had a complement of 1500 crew. Hugh told us various tales of replenishment at sea, the joys of Admirals inspections and other anecdotes. It was from this ship that he retired from the Navy on February 1965, to join the Metropolitan Police two days later for another 28 years.
Hugh had brought various pictures of the ships and their coats of arms by way of background and we are very grateful to Hugh for his entertaining talk on Navy life at such short notice.
Arthur Cushway
Meeting Report