A number of older items have now been moved to the "Archive" page 

MARCH MESS MEETING

As covered in the February minutes, all future Mess meetings will now take place at Broadwater working Mens Club and no longer at TS Vanguard.

In addition, the meetings will revert back to the first Thursday of each month and not the first Friday.

Finally, there will be a Formal mess meeting only every three months, with the intervening meetings being a social one - hopefully as time goes on, with presentations or visits.

This new arrangement will allow Shipmates to catch up in an informal manner over a drink or two, without the formal reports and procedure.  It is hoped also to conduct a raffle.

First Social mess Meeting will be on Thursday 2nd March from 1900 at the Broadwater Working Mens club.

We loom forward to seeing as many shipmates as are able to make it along.

POTENTIAL CHANGE OF VENUE FOR MESS MEETINGS

We have been informed by Broadwater Working Mens Club, that the meeting room at the club would now be available once again on the First Thursday of each month.

It is planned to investigate the option to revert back to using the club on the first Thursday of the month for future mess meetings instead of Fridays at TS Vanguard.

23 JANUARY 2023

SEMAPHORE SHORT

GREETINGS SHIPMATES   Welcome to this week’s Semaphore Short and I hope that this finds you well. You will have immediately noticed that this Short has arrived in a different way to how it has been delivered in the past three months. Previous editions have been formatted via third party software which is now no longer available to us and we are now looking at new ways to format and distribute the Short and indeed the format of the Circular. For the next couple of issues of the Short, you will get an embedded PDF document that you can open or save. The vast majority of recipients should have a PDF reader but if you don’t, Adobe PDF reader can be downloaded for free here.

As usual, if anyone has anything that they would like to include in future Shorts, email me or the team at mailto:comms@royalnavalassoc.com. Whilst all contributions will be considered, please note that this is a short update newsletter and we can’t publish everything. Some content may be passed to Mike for inclusion in the next Circular.

FIRESIDE CHATS Tonight’s Fireside Chat will be a talk by Commander Gordon Jones and Leading Seaman David Clough who will give us an insight into the Royal Naval E-Gaming Association and how E-Gaming can be used to tackle isolation and build/maintain Service connections.

Next week’s chat will be given by Professor Matt Kiernon who will be talking about the Veteran’s Food Poverty Survey. Matt is a former Head of Mental Health Nursing in the Royal Navy.

To access Fireside Chats, log into zoom here. The meeting ID is 288 830 5105 and the access password is Shipmate.

VETERAN’S SURVEY The Government supported Veteran’s Survey run jointly by the Office for national Statistic and the Office for Veterans Affairs closes on February 2^nd. Whilst the survey has been promoted in the Short before, it is important that the views of all veterans are heard so if you have not taken part yet, you can access the survey here

THE RNA IN THE COMMUNITY  St Neots branch recently held their annual presentation for good causes and here Peter Smith from Grafham Water Sailability is being presented with a cheque from Shipmate Tony Webley, with Shipmate Geoff Patterson is on the right applauding. Sailability is a friendly, inclusive sailing club for adults of all ages with a range of different disabilities.  Peter related just a few of the positive and inspiring outcomes of their sailing programmes on the lives of people with disabilities. They are currently lengthening their jetty, so the cheque is very welcome at this time. Peter lives locally, but unfortunately, due to inclement weather, representatives of other organisations who lived further away and were to have donation cheques presented, were unable to join us. Their presentations will be at a later date. The branch will also be making a contribution to the Bedford Sea Cadets.

CHINA FLEET COUNTRY CLUB DISCOUNTS   The China Fleet Country Club in Saltash offers discounts for both serving and former serving members of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. Discounts can be obtained on a range of services included health club access, accommodation, golf and more. Conference rooms can also be booked free for meetings (refreshments and some equipment hire is chargeable). For further information, see here.

VIRTUAL TOT TIME  Fancy a bit of dit spinning and banter and at a loose end on a Saturday evening? Then why not arm yourself with your favourite tipple and join loads of other Shipmates in a virtual tot time session. Call the Hands is given in the events section of the RNA Facebook Community Site where you will find that week’s links to the Zoom session. If you are not a member of the Facebook Group, you can join at the above link by answering a couple of qualifying questions. The questions are not too taxing to take account of the Stokers amongst you………

The UK has taken charge of a key naval force tackling terrorism and drugs smuggling across the Middle East.

The Royal Navy has taken up the reins of Combined Task Force 150; tasking international warships and aircraft to patrol the Indian Ocean and waters of the Middle East to deter terrorism and illicit activities which support it, such as drugs smuggling. This is the eleventh time the Royal Navy have taken command of the Task Force.

The force has proven to be particularly successful in the fight against the illegal drugs trade. Since July 2022, and under the recent command of the Royal Saudi Naval Force, there have been six busts: capturing more than eleven tonnes of hashish, three tonnes of heroin, two tonnes of methamphetamines and three tonnes of opium – taking over £150m drugs off the streets.

One of those seizures – totalling nearly £15.5m of illegal narcotics – was carried out by Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose in October. She’s now been replaced in the region by her sister ship HMS Lancaster which has been on patrol in the Strait of Hormuz with the US Navy.

The Royal Navy’s Captain Jim Byron took charge from the Royal Saudi Naval Force at the group’s HQ in Bahrain.

Capt Byron said his predecessor, Rear Admiral Abdullah Al-Mutairi had achieved “huge success” in his six months in charge.

“Commanding Combined Task Force 150 is a huge privilege and I am delighted to have been welcomed so warmly to Bahrain to work once again with our Combined Maritime Force partners.

“The work these 38 nations do – ready and stronger together – is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved when like-minded nations come together for the common good.”

“Through persistent military presence, we will do all we can to maintain maritime security across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, ensuring the legitimate use of the global maritime commons and disrupting the illicit activity of terrorist organisations and narcotics traffickers.”

DIARY OF COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS - WORTHING 2023

(Further details for each event will be promulgated once timings etc are known.)

27th January    Holocaust Memorial Day               Beach House Park Memorial Tree

10th February  Annual General Meeting                TS Vanguard

24th May         HMS HOOD                                  Worthing Memorial outside Town Hall

                                                                                 www.hmshood.org.uk 

30th June         Battle of Boars Head Memorial     Beach House Park

2nd July           Sea Sunday Service                        Worthing Pier

20th August     Canadian Memorial                        Canadian Memorial - Opposite Grand Avenue

17 September   Battle of Britain Service                Christs Church, Chapel Road Worthing

24 September   HMS Fittleton Memorial               Worthing Pier

15th October    HMS Broadwater Memorial           St Mary's Church, Broadwater

20th October    Trafalgar Night Dinner                   Ardington Hotel, Worthing

6th November  Open Garden of Rememberance    Town Hall

12th November Rememberance Parade                  Worthing Memorail outside Town Hall

19th November Pidgeon Memorial (Animals)        Venue tbc

REMEMBRANCE DAY PARADE 2022

The annual Remembrance day Parade took place at the War Memorial on Sunday 13th November. 

The Branch was represented along with representatives of local Cadets and Youth services.

Trafalgar Night Dinner​ 

The Branch held a Trafalgar Night Dinner at the Ardington Hotel in Worthing on Saturday 22nd October 

Photos can be found on the Trafalgar Night 2022 page on the website.

The Trafalgar Night Dinner for 2023 is booked for Friday 20th October 2023 again at the Ardington Hotel.

HMS BROADWATER MEMORIAL SERVICE

The annual HMS BROADWATER Memorial service was held at St Mary's Church in Broadwater on Sunday16th October.

The Service was attended by Shipmates from Worthing Branch, the Mayor of Worthing - Councillor Henna Chowdhury, TS VANGUARD and the Standards from the RNA, Royal British Legion and Worthing Sea Cadets.

September Mess Meeting

The mess Meeting for July will take place on Friday 2nd September at

TS Vanguard, 9A Broadwater Road, BN14 8AD.

                            Please also note the new times!

                  Doors open at 1830 for a prompt 1900 start.

                                          Bar available.

New Members always welcome

Here at Worthing Branch of the RNA, we are always looking to add new members to the Branch - an opportunity to meet with fellow "old Boys and Girls" and exchange a dit or two and socialise.

Membership of the RNA is free, and there is a small annual Branch subscription only.

Members can be Veterans, serving members or simply those with an affiliation to the Royal Navy.

Anyone interested in joining us, can email message@rna-worthing.org.

Naval Association Parade - London 12th September

Shipmate Richard Shenton - the Unit Standard Bearer, attended the RNA Parade at the Cenotaph in London on September 12th following the Naval Associations Parade. Richard is shown carrying the Area 3 Standard along with  S/m Ian Robinson, who carried the County Class Destroyer Association Standard.

The minehunters are represented by: Her Majesty’s Ships Chiddingfold and her sister Brocklesby (berthed outboard) with 36 and 32 crew appearing in the photograph and Shoreham and, outboard, Penzance (33 and 32 sailors on parade).

They rely on the Mine Countermeasures Battle Staff (18 personnel lined up in front of Chiddingfold’s stern) and all the vessels need maintenance support and assistance. Step forward 23 engineers of the Forward Support Unit (in front of Shoreham’s bow).

Although principally a Royal Navy hub, the base is also home to a detachment of soldiers for force protection (nine are lined up here, the rest are on duty guarding the facility), and eight RAF personnel who live on the base but operate the small, but crucial, air hub for moving personnel in and out of Bahrain as well as crucial supplies for the fleet.

(And the two ships top left? They’re US Avenger-class minehunters with whom RN vessels train frequently.)

With personnel on duty both in the ships, on the base, and in the UK/US headquarters the actual number of personnel – military and civilian – supporting the RN’s peacekeeping and security operation in the region is well over 403, closer to 600.

Commanding them for the past two years, said Cdre Bassett, had been “an honour”: “the professionalism, sense of duty, commitment and humour has been quite extraordinary, particularly during the past 12 months when the global pandemic has made life much more demanding.”

During his time in charge, Montrose has made her mark as the RN’s permanent major presence east of Suez – both safeguarding shipping and, with other British and allied warships, keeping millions of pounds of illegal narcotics off the streets of the UK and Europe thanks to a series of major busts.

Cdre Bassett has handed over the reins to Commodore Ed Ahlgren. The role also involves serving as deputy commander of the Combined Maritime Forces, the coalition of more than 30 nations and navies committed to the safe passage of shipping from Suez to the shores of Pakistan and as far south as the Seychelles.

Cdre Ahlgren takes over having previously commanded one of the coalition’s major task groups, CTF 150, which is focused on maritime security across more than two million square miles of ocean and has been operating since the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the US in 2001.

FAREWELL TO HMS BRISTOL

END OF AN ERA FOR ROYAL NAVY’S UNIQUE DESTROYER

HMS Bristol’s White Ensign was lowered for the last time at a decommissioning ceremony in Portsmouth, ending an era which began in March 1973.

Designed to defend a class of aircraft carriers which were never built, Bristol was the sole Type 82 destroyer delivered to the Royal Navy and, until now, its second oldest commissioned vessel thanks to a unique career.

Her final Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander David Price, said: “We knew the day HMS Bristol decommissioned from the Fleet would come, so it is my privilege as her final Commanding Officer to lower the White Ensign for the last time on behalf of the thousands of sailors and cadets for whom this ship has been an invaluable training platform, and also for all those who served on board during her first commission.”

Bristol notably saw action in the Falklands during 1982. Initially leading a group of two destroyers, five frigates and one RFA supply ship arriving as reinforcements, the ship later joined the carrier battle task group to fulfil her primary role as an air-defence destroyer and then assumed flagship duties.

Representatives of Navy Command, the HMS Bristol Association (1982 veterans), youth organisations and ship's company gathered on her upper deck for a small decommissioning ceremony. They were also joined by Major Theo Hogg, RM, grandson of Lady Hogg who launched the ship in 1969. The senior Royal Navy officer present was Rear Admiral Philip Hally MBE, Director Personnel and Training.

Do you have any old Photos of your old Ships?

We are looking to start a page dedicated to ships that members have served upon in the past (or where still serving - currently) as a sort of Rouges Gallery!

If you have any photos - along with any comments or dits that you would like to see go on, please email to : 

pro@rna-worthing.org

NAVY OFFICERS AND RATINGS MAKE HISTORY AT UNIQUE PARADE

For the first time in the history of the Royal Navy sailors and officers today passed out side-by-side.

The parade ground at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth – the spiritual home of the officer cadre for the past 115 years – witnessed a unique ceremony as 34 ratings and 130 officers completed their training.

Britain’s most senior sailor, First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin, welcomed the ratings – who formed a guard of honour – and officers into the naval family as the guest of honour.

Traditionally, the nine-week transformation from civilian to sailor takes place at HMS Raleigh in Torpoint, but with a surge in interest in joining the Navy, an additional course was provided at Dartmouth.

Among the ratings completing training was 24-year-old Engineering Technician (Weapons Engineering) Sarah-Jayne Stoppel from Northampton.  “The course has been good, but some parts have been really challenging, particularly the Initial Military Fitness because it’s quite intense.

“Physical exercise in civvy street really doesn’t prepare you for two hours of military exercise, but I can feel that my fitness has massively improved.  It’s been exciting to be part of something significant by training here at Britannia.”

Fellow Engineering Technician Lucas Cann from South Wales joined the Royal Navy to travel, gain qualifications and enjoy a better lifestyle.  The 18-year-old lost both of his grandfathers while he was in training.

“When I found out my grandads had died I just wanted to leave, but everyone got around me and I’m still here. The staff and the management team of recruits were great. The Navy is really good at handling this type of thing.

“I have made friends for life. I don’t have words to describe how good it feels to complete this course.  There was no pressure from the Royal Navy, but as a group we got together and decided that we had to make an impression being the first to train here.”

Of the officers passing out, 98 completed a 29-week initial training programme, while 28 more underwent the transition from ratings. Four nursing officers of the Queen Alexandra Royal Naval Nursing Service, 11 new officers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service and 28 international cadets from 13 overseas nations also completed their training.

“I’m extremely proud, and grateful to all the people who have been on this journey with me – it’s been a long road to get here, with lots of ups and downs, but I feel more confident, capable and stronger than ever. It’s also an absolute privilege to be passing out alongside the ratings. I think being part of this historic moment is one of the best silver linings we could have hoped for,” said 23-year-old Midshipman Ellie Johnson from Suffolk.

“It’s amazing to think how far we’ve come in eight months, and there have been so many highlights, but my favourite part was definitely being on destroyer HMS Defender. We learned so much at Dartmouth, but it all seemed to come together finally living on board an operational warship.”

Admiral Radakin told the officers and ratings gathered before him:

“This is a historic occasion – and it is historic on two levels.  It is of course the first time that we have ever had officers and ratings training together, and passing out together, at Dartmouth.  And that is historic in itself.  But it is also a historic occasion for each and every one of you.  You will always remember this day as the real start of your naval career.

“That applies to all of you on parade, officers and ratings, regardless of your specialisation or which country you come from. You have made a commitment to put yourself in harm’s way.  To serve your country.  And to do so cheerfully, with determination and in the face of whatever challenges may come.  You should all be enormously proud of yourselves.”

Captain Roger Readwin, the Captain of BRNC, bristled with pride at the sight of officers and ratings passing out together.

“It is magnificent to see them all standing side-by-side, as they will at sea in the years to come. Our people are the life blood of the Royal Navy.

“They have all worked hard to meet the stringent standards and thoroughly deserve their place on this historic parade ground. It is also very special to welcome their families and friends on this momentous day, to thank them all for their incredible support during these uncertain times and introduce them all to the Royal Naval family.”

Most of the Officers passing-out began their training in January and over the course of the 29 weeks, they have been tested on Dartmoor, on the River Dart and have spent time at sea on board an operational warship.

Both Britannia Royal Naval College and HMS Raleigh have continued to train throughout the pandemic to provide the front-line Fleet with fresh blood. A further class of ratings will begin training at Dartmouth in October.

HMS HOOD Event

As a result of the restrictions for COVID19, the annual service of Rememberance for HMS HOOD could not take place this year.

Not wishing to fail to mark the event at all, a duly "Socially Distanced" 2 minutes silence was observed in the front garden of the President S/M Bob Scott.

In attendance were The President - S/M Bob Scott, the Chairman - S/M David Shipley, S/M Tony Avery, and S/M Richard Shenton who attended with the standard.  S/M Paul Minter attended as the photographer to record the event!

HMS HOOD Anniversary

VE DAY Photos

Altough there were many events and celebrations that had been arranged to commemerate VE day, sadly these all had to be cancelled.

A number of "socially distanced" events did take place, and a couple of these are shown below.  Any additional photos to include, email to pro@rna-worthing.org

PRESENTATION OF HMS CONSORT TIE TO TS VANGUARD

On Wednesday 11th March, The Worthing Branch of The  Royal British Legion presented to TS Vanguard the Tie given to the Unit by Cannon and Mrs Nunn.  The tie was given to Cannon Nunn whilst he was serving as the padre onboard HMS Consort.

S/M Paul Minter accepted the tie on behalf of TS Vanguard in his role as Chairman of the Unit.

Mrs Nun was unable to attend the presentation, and it was agreed a separate occasion would be arranged for her to visit and view the Tie on display.

Also present at the presentation were the Worthing RNA Branch President -S/M Bob Scott, and the Branch Chairman - S/M David Shipley, as well as the Worthing Deputy Mayor, Cllr Lionel Harman.

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Updated 26 February 2023

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