Scribe's Caboosh, The Royal Naval Association, Cyprus, Send a Signal!

SCRIBE'S CABOOSH

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THE BIRLEY'S DEPART

The July meeting was Lt.Cdr. John Birley’s farewell meeting. During his time on the Headquarters Staff in Cyprus John and his wife Kim were great supporters of the RNA Branch where John regularly gave an update on the Royal Navy and Royal Marines at our monthly meetings. Kim meanwhile ran the monthly raffle for the Branch. At the July meeting The Chairman thanked Lt.Cdr. and Mrs. Birley for all their support to the Cyprus Branch over the past two and a half years and wished them well at John’s next appointment in FLEET HQ. John then gave an extended update on the Royal Navy and showed the most recent RN produced DVD “2-6” as a fitting end to his time in Cyprus.

John always gave his presentations in a light hearted manner holding the Shipmates attention with his particular view of the Senior Service news. John and Kim will be missed at Episkopi.

MEDAL FOR SHIPMATE

On Tuesday 22nd June shipmate David May was asked to attend at a local Paphos hotel to receive the Pingat Jasa Malaysia medal. It is awarded for service in the Malaysian theatre during confrontation with Soekarno’s Indonesia between dates in the 1960s.

The people of Malaysia wish to express their gratitude to those who helped protect their new country at that time. However they have no record of names, formations, ships or dates of service. Therefore they have invited anyone who was involved to apply individually for the award pictured (left). Her Majesty has graciously allowed her Forces to accept the medal but there are restrictions as to wearing.

Fuller details can be obtained from several good websites entering ‘Pingat Jasa Malaysia’ in the search engine.

GLORIOUS 21^st JUNE FOR CYPRUS SHIPMATES

The 21^st.June was an unusual day for the shipmates of our Branch in that two significant events were attended.

Pictured here Richard Hughes parades our standard, with true Royal Marine flair, flanked by those of the RBL and the RAFA. The flag raising ceremony was attended by eight shipmates and was held at the Garrison in the Episkopi Sovereign Base Area.

The second event was a meeting of shipmates with a group of ex Wrens from Portugal. 9 RNA shipmates, three of whom were genuine ex WRNS, 2 Waafs, 2 husbands and 2 ‘also rans’ joined the party for drinks at the Miremar Beach hotel in Limassol at 1830. Much to our member’s great surprise and pleasure they were all invited to join the visitors for dinner when they mingled and exchanged stories.

One result was that Marjorie Thompson found herself sitting at the same table a lady who was in the same intake as herself in 1956; they even had the group photo to prove it.

The ladies will be keeping in touch so our Secretary Janet is sure that further news can be obtained from Marjory.

HIDEAWAY SUPPER

On Wednesday 16th. June our shipmates met at the Hideaway Taverna in Pissouri to share a good social evening in the gentle warmth of the Cyprus summer evening.

At this time of year the air at dusk can be heavy with the floral scents such as the Night Scented Jasmine. In the village square the local vendors set up their food stalls and the local expats and tourists enjoy eating in the open with views all around of the Cyprus countryside.

There is an air of fun and relaxation with many smiling faces.

SHIPMATE WILLIAM GEORGE PAYNTER “BILL”

Our good friend and shipmate Bill died quietly at home on 17^th.June with his friend and latterly companion Tania by his side. Her devotion and care for Bill was of the highest order. She regularly saw that he attended our meetings and her company not only lightened his days but eased his struggle against a long illness.

Bill was born in Wales and left school to join the Royal Engineers. He talked little of his time in the Army but was in the D-Day assaults as a member of the 6^th. Airborne Division landing by sea. That day he went on to protect Pegasus Bridge and others from further damage plus other engineering tasks.

After WWII Bill became a Clerk of Works in the Army.He was involved in building quarters and roads in the Cyprus bases. In 1959 he joined the Diplomatic Service as a Queen’s Messenger retiring as a First Secretary.

Bill settled in Cyprus and was a member of the RBL, the Air borne Forces Association and the RNA. It is as a shipmate in the latter that we remember him; a quiet kindly and self effacing man. The sort of man that our Branch attracts and for whose company we will always be grateful.

Bill is buried here at Erimi with his brother and sister in the company of other gallant Airborne soldiers.

2 LANCS AND AFGHANISTAN

On Thursday 13 May the Branch was priveleged to be hosted by the 2nd Battalion the Lancaster Regiment in their Officers' Mess in Episkopi Garrison. The meeting started with a presentation of 200 Euros to the Episkopi Branch of the Sea Scouts and the donation was presented to the Sea Scouts by our Chairman, Lt Col Andrew Noyes.

After normal Branch business Major Edward Hemesley, the Second in Command of the 2 Lancs Battalion, then spoke to the Branch on life for the Battalion in Cyprus, welfare issues, preparation and training for operations in the Middle East, and recent operations in Afghanistan.

Major Hemesley chats with the Philips.

Andrew presents
our cheque

The presentation, aided by numerous slides, was of a high standard and members present found the evening a most revealing insight into current operations by the Army in Afghanistan, and this was followed by a long question period by Branch members. The Branch are most thankful to 2 Lancs for their hospitality throughout a most successful evening

OF LOSSES

The Branch shipmates met in the Base Officers Mess, Episkopi in sombre mood on Thursday 8^th. April at 1930. In everyone’s mind was the dear memory of Vice Chairman Ian Gould’s crossing the bar on the 30th. of March. Our Secretary Janet Gould and son Douglas were greeted with great affection and sympathy. Appreciations were read from Chairman Andrew Noyes on behalf of the branch, from former chairman and Life Vice President ‘Nobby’ Hall and Helen Hall and also Janet’s own tribute to her husband. Extracts of these follow.

Remembering Ian, (Janet and Douglas in right foreground)

Janet:
‘Dear Shipmates,
I and my children would like to thank most sincerely. All of you who either by your physical presence, or by you kind words, cards and emails, gave us the strength to face our grief and to say our farewell to Ian in such a wonderful way. I can guarantee that the village would never have seen anything like it.

Ian was a great character who lived his life by a high standard. He had strong beliefs in many subjects, and if given a task to perform, did so diligently and well. He also had a wicked sense of humour and could keep us all entertained with his fund of silly jokes and stories. He was in fact many things to many people, and all have a different and special memory of him.

He was justly proud of his short time in the Royal Navy, and is still today held in very high regard by many of the ex young and nervous conscripts that he helped adjust to life away for the first time from their families. He loved the RNA and worked hard to support the Branch. He did not miss a single meeting since he became a member at the inaugural meeting.

I have never before appreciated or given much thought to what a lovely and apt expression is “Crossing The Bar”. It comforts us all greatly to know that he is not really gone from us and will always be remembered.’

Andrew Noyes:
‘Ian was an invaluable member of our Branch. A founder member, committee member and a great supporter of the Branch’s activities, he was also extremely pleasant and great fun to know socially. I, in particular, am most grateful to him during my short period as Chairman during which he provided me with such good support and useful advice to me in his role as the Vice Chairman of the Branch.

Needless to say we will miss Ian at our future meetings and social activities, but I can assure he will not be forgotten and will always be remembered as a most agreeable fellow Shipmate, most sincere member of the Royal Naval Association and a very proud former member of the Royal Navy.

All Shipmates in the Cyprus Branch offer their sincere condolences, deepest sympathy and our thoughts at this sad time for you and your family.’

Nobby Hall:
‘Ian was a great character and will be sorely missed by all who knew him. I have many fond memories of late nights in the Mess, parties at his and Janet’s home and so much more involving him, with a brandy and a cigarette clutched firmly in his hand. You can take solace from the fact that he lived a long and happy life and brought pleasure to all who knew him.

The world will be a lonelier place without the presence of the old Club Swinger.’

(As the editor of this website and not having known Ian as long as others I can fully endorse all the foregoing and add that Ian was one of the loveliest characters that I have had the good fortune to meet in 71 years.
D. May.)

Chaplain shipmate Eric Freeman then addressed the meeting. He said that although he knew Ian well he had never ever been able to find out exactly what he had done in life after leaving the RN. When he asked, Ian would only say ‘lots of things’! Eric read Captain J. Rogers paraphrasing of the 23rd.Psalm for seafarers and Tennyson’s ‘Crossing the Bar’. We then stood in silence.

36 Shipmates and guests attended. Guests Mike and Tatiana Hillier, Andy Kirby, Emma Birley and Douglas Gould were welcomed by our chairman. The Branch officers then gave their reports including an RN update by Jonathan Birley. These are always enjoyed as Jonathan has a light hearted amusing delivery. The news of RFA Largs Bay, a dramatic RN flight to the assistance of two premature babies born in Stornoway, the building of the bow sections for the new ‘carrier’ and the inspiring narratives of recent gallantry awards held our attention. We noted with regret the departure of our last grey hulls ‘Dasher’ and ‘Pursuer’ by transport for the Clyde Base.

We then stood down for ‘stand easy’ during which
Ann Hasney won the raffle for a beautiful watch.

The Birleys

Kim Birley presents Ann’s watch.

The address for the evening was by Detective Inspector Andy Kirby who was intimately involved in the investigation of the loss of the Stern Freezer Trawler MV Gaul on 9th. February 1974. She had sailed from Hull ostensibly on a routine voyage but was equipped to monitor the Russian North Sea Fleet. She was only two years old when she disappeared without warning in heavy weather off North Cape.

Andy described how he was commissioned to travel to the Bybachiy peninsula on the Barents Sea and the town of Nikel; which he described as a most awful place. There he had to oversee the exhumation of bodies found on the shore line and take DNA samples for matching to those of the families of the Gaul personnel. No matches were found but later penetration of the wreck, once located, yielded positive matches from bodies therein.

Andy described the anguish of the Gaul Families Association and their reluctance to admit that she had been lost in a severe storm (waste chutes and a door had been left open). He also related how a local Hull MP and Cabinet Minister helped fund the investigation.

Throughout his talk he described in some detail that human remains found were where they should have been in a storm situation; this was done at a depth of 1000feet by ROVs. The resulting forensic analysis was conclusive. Despite all the alternative theories of capture by the Russians, snagging by submarines etc. it was proved beyond doubt that the Gaul was overcome by freak waves in very heavy weather.

Questions about the MV Gaul

Altogether a fascinating talk by the police officer who was on the spot.

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