 |
HMS GANGES
ASSOCIATION
Noticeboard |
 |
October 2004
North Yorkshire Division?
From John Kennedy <jmkend@hotmail.com>
I have recently retired to Whitby, North Yorkshire. If there are any ex Ganges lads out there who live nearby and would like to form a local branch
at Whitby I would be pleased to hear from you. The meetings would be informal with perhaps a meal, and would of course include our wives as
well.
Look forward to hearing from you.
My telephone number is 01947604560
26Oct2004
Remembrance Parade – 2004
I have received 15 tickets for the Cenotaph Parade, Sunday, 14 November, 2004. With the additional 10 members from West London Division who will march with us, this means we will have a respectable “trial” platoon of about 20 or more members for this year’s ceremony. Remember, we hope to parade 100 members next year, our centenary. The trial group will therefore become the “experts” on protocol to assist all the Nozzers next year.
There are pages of detailed instructions with the tickets and, quite clearly, those who are attending will be better placed if they have these to hand. I am sending copies of these through the post to all whose names and addresses I hold. The names are appended below. If I don’t have your full address please let me have this, with a telephone number if things go wrong.
We also need to supply some biographical details to the BBC. I am dealing with this (and will try to use it as part of our recruiting campaign for next year). I would like to have any personal anecdotes, heroic tales of derring do, or just amusing ditties from those participating.
Perhaps the year(s) at Ganges and other ships, conflicts, unusual appointments etc would be of interest. Come on fellas – let’s tell the world we exist!
Attendees so far (in no particular order):
Colin Hobbs - address known (01707) 263015
Ron Thoms – (07884) 305694
Brian Deaves – (01622) 843355
Ben Goodman – (01493) 857962
Jack Stokes – address known (01843) 831294
Ron Dorey, Maidstone, Kent
Doug Harris, Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent
Bill Baxter, Warminster, Wiltshire
Bill Rispin, Brighton, Sussex
Eddy Merrick, Didcott, Oxfordshire
David Martin Dundee, Tayside
+
Martin Zak & Kevin Wood plus 8/10 others from W. London Divn.
About 4 tickets still available for those who want to go – first come, first served!
Tony Thipthorpe
Chairman HMSGA
Tel: (01702) 341968
thipthorpe@btconnect.com
25Oct2004
THE HMS GANGES MEMORIAL AT THE NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM
During this Summer, progress has been made in the design of our memorial. We have not yet placed a firm order. It has been discovered just this last weekend that the final cost for the memorial will be greater than was originally believed. This is due to factors that have changed since the original estimates were given and is completely out of our control. It is now anticipated that the cost could be in the region of a maximum of £7,000 to £8,000, which is much more than the original £1,500 to £2,000 anticipated.
This information was presented to the HMS GANGES Association Committee at their meeting on Sunday 17 October and after discussion it was agreed that all members should be advised and asked to consider if they agree to this extra cost. Whilst I (who proposed the idea) am obviously disappointed that it will cost more, I am still firmly of the opinion that the overall cost is somewhat irrelevant in light of the aim of our memorial. Even if the final price were to be £8,000, that would equal roughly £2.00 per current Association member, or to stretch it to the true reason for our memorial, the cost for each of the 150,000 who were trained there would equal just about 5p each. It should be noted that there will be no separate cost to individuals but just approval (or not) for the money to be taken from Association funds to pay for the memorial.
I ask that you consider the above and advise me if you consider it is NOT worthwhile paying the extra money.
There is NO need to respond if you consider the project should continue.
I would be grateful for responses as soon as possible but no later than SUNDAY 9 JANUARY 2005.
A copy of this item will be included in the next issue of the Gazette.
Please respond to: Brian Coward <BDOTDOTC@aol.com>
19Oct2004
At this year's AGM a motion to introduce a 40 Year Certificate was carried by a Majority of 452 votes.
Mike Wild (72) has volunteered to manage this task and sets out his stall below.
(Please note that 50/60 Year Certificates are still managed by Dave Tait,
whose details are recorded on the Gazette inside front cover.)
40 Year Certificates
Mike Wild
40 Year Certificates will be issued during 2005 to all members who qualify in that year or before. The cut off date for application for the first issue will be December 2004 (though I suggest you get in earlier to avoid your application getting lost in the Christmas post).
An announcement will be made mid 2005 when they will go on general issue. This will give us time to gauge the demand for ordering blanks, processing and despatching.
Because we envisage a high level of interest it is unlikely we will be able to present formally at the annual reunion due to time constraints. However, please indicate whether you will be attending just in case.
The Committee has decided to formalise the donation towards this issue with any surplus going to the Museum fund. Please note this does not affect 50/60 Year Certificates. The awards will not come ready framed thus saving on frames which are unsuitable for the recipient. Please send the following details along with a cheque/postal order for £10 (no cash) made out to 'HMS Ganges Association' to the address below:
NAME, OFFICIAL NUMBER, DATE JOINED GANGES, DATE JOINED ASSOCIATION (you must have been a paid up member for a minimumof 5 years), any other details you can remember (class, recruitment etc.), and of course your home address.
Please state how you would like your name presented, e.g: 'J A Tar', 'Jack A Tar', 'Jack Tar' etc. (Please submit your own name in the format you require not the examples - thank you).
For further information and/or clarification please contact me at:
Mike Wild, 10 Tavistock Road, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB10 8PW
Tel: 01895 678870 (evenings)
Email:
f.boy@btinternet.com
30Sep2004
Discus record of 125 ft in 1952-53
Hi,
my name is Lofty Goodger formerly of Blake, and Grenville Divisions 1952-53.
Is there anyone out there, PTIs or former lads within that training time, remember or have knowledge to whether anyone taking part in the athletics can tell me if the discus record of
125 ft in 1952-53 was ever broken by any other competitor who threw the discus upto the date of the closure in 1976 or have all records in the field of athletic's been mislaid please.
Could someone out there throw some light on the matter,
Aye.
Kind regards and best wishes to all.
Lofty Alan Goodger. <Alangoodger@aol.com>
16Oct2004
Patrick McMannus
Sir,
I am trying to find anybody, who has knowledge of a relative of mine, he died on the HMS Royal Oak.
His name was Patrick McMannus (Paddy) he died when he was only 22 years and was from Dublin.
Any pictures or contacts would be a great help, especially for closer family in Ireland.
Your help is greatly appreciated.......
Dave Anderson <dave.anderson40@ntlworld.com>
Portsmouth
19Oct2004
Ulster Sub Hero To Be Honored.
By John McGurk
The following article by John McGurk of the Belfast telegraph
was submitted by George Fleming <
george9.fleming@ntlworld.com>
ex Ganges boy and author of the book
'MAGENNIS VC'
10 October 2004
A huge wave of support has greeted plans to honour the heroism of a Victoria
Cross-winning Catholic sailor - in the heart of Protestant east Belfast.
For Ulster Unionist Assemblyman, Michael Copeland's dream of marking World
War II seaman, James Magennis's bravery with a memorial in the Clonduff
estate is getting closer to reality.
Magennis - Belfast's Boy's Own-styled hero - became the only Ulsterman to be
awarded Britain's highest military honour, during the Second World War.
In an extraordinary act of courage, Magennis helped steer a tiny XE-1
submarine under a Japanese battle cruiser, and attach limpet mines to the
enemy boat, anchored in Singapore harbour in July 1945.
But the man, originally from the Grosvenor Road area of west Belfast, showed
even more backbone when he swam back, to clear snagged containers holding
the mines.
Magennis was greeted back home with a civic reception and £3,000 from a
public appeal - but, controversially, was not given the Freedom Of The City
by the Unionist-controlled council.
Magennis became Ulster's forgotten hero - dying in Bradford in 1986.
But, thanks to the efforts of people such as ex-sailor, George Fleming,
Belfast belatedly honoured their courageous sailor son, with a memorial in
the grounds of the City Hall, in the late Nineties.
And now the area where he lived in the early Fifties - Clonduff - may become
another poignant 'port of call', in memory of Magennis.
Mr Copeland told Sunday Life that he had received numerous phone calls of
support for the plan, to erect a replica midget submarine memorial for the
Catholic sailor, in the middle of the Castlereagh Road estate.
He said: "My phone hasn't stopped ringing with people who are keen on doing
this - both from Northern Ireland and England.
I looked at an estate on the fringes of east Belfast that, basically, does
not enjoy any great standing.
But, then I thought that it has something unique - a man who was the only
VC winner from the island of Ireland during the Second World War having
lived there.
The fact that he was a Roman Catholic is, to me and to most people, an
irrelevance. James Magennis's exploits should be a source of pride to
everyone in the maritime history of this city."
The Castlereagh councillor revealed that he had organised meetings with
potential funding sources to help cover the estimated £3,000 cost of the
memorial.
John McGurk <jmcgurk@belfast_telegraph.co.uk>
21Oct2004
Cecil Arthur James HAMMOND
Dear Sir,
I am trying to piece together my late grandad's past, and I have found a photograph of him together with the entire ships crew, aboard HMS GANGES, taken I think in 1933.
My grandads name was Cecil Arthur James HAMMOND.
Do you or any of your members have knowledge of my grandad, where else he served, his serial number etc; or can you provide a useful link so I can further retrace his past.
Many Thanks
Mr Jon Hammond <Hamstamp@aol.com>
23Oct2004
