Personal Details
Please inform the Membership Secretary of any change of address, telephone number, e-mail or any other relevant information. If you inform the Membership Secretary that you are ex directory for either your telephone or address then it will not be divulged to anyone.
Dartmoor Virtual Kiltwalk 2021
In late April Bob Eadie went for a walk on Dartmoor, well a little more than a
walk actually. Click the link below and see what he got up.
I have today, on behalf of all members of the Survey Ships Association, submitted the following message to HM the Queen:
Your Majesty, On behalf of the Survey Ships Association, we would like to offer you our sincere condolences on the loss of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
The Survey Ships Association is open to all personnel, serving or retired, who have served on any Survey Ship of the Royal Navy across the years.
We have been informed that Rear Admiral R.O. Morris, CB (Hydrographer of the Navy 1985 -1990) passed away on 18th April 2020. He was born in 1932 and joined the Royal Navy through the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1946, specialising in surveying in 1956. His first command was HMS Medusa in 1964, he went on to command HM Ships Beagle, Hydra, Fawn, and Hecla. May he find a safe anchorage.
I received the following e-mail from Gerry Quinn this morning with reference to the The Weddell Sea Expedition 2019.
Please note this excellent update from the BBC website regarding the search for Shackleton;s "Endurance". https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science environment-52376090
Regards
Gerry Quinn
From Gerry Quinn,
Please let all know of this extremely important and relevant event.....
More than a century has passed since the "Endurance", the three masted ship of legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, sank in the Weddell Sea off Antarctica, and now researchers are currently undertaking a major scientific expedition to find it.
The Weddell Sea Expedetion 2019 has brought together an international team of scientists to look for the shipwreck which is believed to lie about 3,200 metres (10,000 ft.) under the waves in one of the planet's coldest and forbidding environments....
https://weddellseaexpedition.org
HMS Magpie commisioned in Devonport dockyard on 28th June 2018. To view a video of the Commisioning and/or Sea trials log in to You Tube and type HMS Magpie.
The Secretary received the following letter from an ex member of
HMS Owen ship's company:
Dear John,
By way of introduction, although I was never a "Droggie" I served in HMS Owen in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf from 1957 to 1959 when we paid her off in Gibraltar.
I am currently putting together some notes for my family which includes my time in Owen. It is a long time ago now but having seen the association listed in the Navy News I wondered if there are any survivors of that commission still around with whom I could exchange memories. I regret that I am no longer interested in other survey matters such as I would expect to find in the Associations magazine, but if joining the Association would help my case, I can do that.
I was drafted to the ship at Sheerness along with a whole new Ship's company and Commander
G.P.D. Hall as Captain. I was one of the complement of divers (four in number), an A/B passed for Leading Seaman. The Bosun was Lt. "Happy" Day (also a diver) the others were A/B"s Delworth, Hough and Wilson.
I was "volunteered as the ship"s painter and filled that job for a while until it was combined with that of Chippy"s Mate, In which capacity I was the bag carrier for the Shipwrights. I was also occasionally coxswain of the motor cutter and and even one of the survey boats. Basically however we were there to carry out any repairs to the ship and so never went on camp parties.
Anyway, I would appreciate your advice on how I could contact any survivors. I am 82 now myself so they have to have been junior rates at that time. I also recall there was a weekly news note called "The Sunday Buzz" produced internally, copies of which would be most useful in refreshing my failing memory.
I have long been retired and live in old Portsmouth but have mobility problems therefore e-mails are easiest for communication.
Best Regards
Bill Norton
We have received the following letter from new member Mr. Alan Parker:-
David Veevers.
I was a prodigy of his prior to me leaving the service and I encouraged
him to become an SR rating. I left the service 1956 and David became
anSR in 1957 and he left the service in 1981 as a FCPO (SR).
If he is still around, I would very much like to contact him.
Alan Parker “Lincs.”
If anyone knows anything about David then please contact the Secretary who
will put you in touch with Alan (or you can get his details from the directory).
South Atlantic Medal
Some of you may have heard the announcement that the qualifying period for the award
of The South Atlantic Medal has been extended to 21st October 1982.
This may well mean that HMS Hecate Ships Company may qualify. (See below)
The qualifying period for the award of the South Atlantic Medal without the rosette
will be extended from 12th July to 21 October 1982. The original decision to end the
qualifying period on the 12th July 1982 was taken too hastily: those who served beyond
that date experienced both risk and rigour until the airfield at Mount Pleasant was
completed on 21st October .
As HMS Hecate arrived in the war zone on the 19 August 1982, it’s possible the ships
company who served from 19th August 1982 until 21st October 1982 may qualify for
this medal. They will (individually) have to fill out the form on the Veterans UK web
site after the 1st October 2014.
HMS Enterprise
The following correspondence has been received from the Liaison Officer for HMS Enterprise, Lt. P. J. Kelly RN.
There has been a bit of a delay getting them on so please accept our apologies and enjoy.
The tree and plaque sponsored by the Association and the Hydrographic Department
at the National Memorial Arboretum.
I received an e-mail from Gordon Smith at naval-history.net which may interest some of you:-
Dear Sir,
I have a link to you under Naval Associations at http://www.naval-history.net/indexlink-aMAIN.htm
Would you like to add a link back to www.naval-history.net? We include all RN casualties 1914 to 2008. A selection of logos are attached.
You might like to know that we include a page on hydrographic work in the RN by Lt Cdr Geoff Mason at http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Tech-HydrographicSurvey.htm plus detailed ship histories of HMS COOK, DALRYMPLE, DAMPIER, OWEN and FRANKLIN listed towards the end of http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-aContents.htm
Thanks and best wishes
Gordon Smith
Naval History is now also linked on the link page.
The following email was received by the Secretary:-
From: terry dukes
Sent: Sunday, September 05, 2010 4:41 AM
To: secretary@surveyships.org.uk
Subject: H.M.S. Dampier
Hi Joe
I am an ex-dockie from Portsmouth now living in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah ,(Borneo) Malaysia.
I spend most of my free time tracking down shipwrecks around these parts (mainly Japanese from WWII) and I have just come across that HMS Dampier was stationed in these waters during the 50's and surveyed a few wrecks.
Would you know how I could possibly get hold of any of her findings or any crew members who were around in those days.
Cheers
Terry Dukes
Mike Wigg, whose father served onboard HMS Challenger, has posted a website containing some of his father‘s photographs from Challengers 1950 – 1952 survey of the Pacific.
Visit the site at:- http://web.me.com/mikewigg/HMS_Challenger/Welcome.html
The following Links were kindly sent by Millar Telfer ( X LRO (T) Hecate 70 – 72 )
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-17Survey-Dalrymple.htm
Another Link worth looking at: Could this really be the Beagle????
http://www.motoryachttitan.com/index.html
The Association has had a request from someone looking for a David Oldnall who is believed to have served onboard HMS Bulldog , or a ship of that class. Anybody who has any information or who feels they can help in any way please Contact the Secretary.
Click on the following News/Jobs tickers which are supplied curtesy of Mod Oracle (See also Links page)
SAMA & FVF
The South Atlantic Medal Association (1982) [SAMA (82)]
Registered Charity No: 1118842 Registered Company No: 6113679
Website: http://www.sama82.org.uk
Chairman:- Gordon Mather MM
All Holders of The South Atlantic Medal are encouraged to join SAMA (82).
For Details, contact:-
The Secretary
SAMA (82)
Unit 25 Torfaen Business Centre
Panteg Way
Pontypool
Gwent
NP4 0LS
Tel: 01495 741592
Email: secretary@sama82.org.uk
SAMA (82) - & THE FVF WORKING TOGETHER
The Falklands Veterans Foundation (FVF) & Liberty Lodge
Registered Charity No: 1094950
Website: http://www.falklandsveterans.org.uk/about.html
Chief Executive: Mr. Derek “Smokey” Cole
167 Stoke Road
Gosport
Hampshire
PO12 1SE
Tel: 023 9251 1582
Email: info@falklandsveterans.org.uk
Check out the following by clicking on the name
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