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The Newspaper of the Royal Navy and the Royal Naval Association
No. 175, '15th YEAR, JANUARY, 1969
.l0.0 ... £20.l9.6
Published first Thursday of the month
Price: One Shilling
'DUTY FREE' FOR MEN FROM OVERSEAS
Holiday spirit for sailors
The First Sea Lord with Lieut.-Cdr. A. H. F. Wilks, commanding officer of H.M.S. Belton.
ADMIRAL-ABOARD
It must be rare for a tiny coastal minesweeper to act as host to the First Sea Lord, but this was the honour which fell to H.M.S. Belton when Admiral Sir Michael Le Fanu saw trawling demonstrations in the North Sea. Admiral Le Fanu sailed from Hull on December 2, leaving before dawn in the side trawler Joseph Conrad, which was bound for the Murmansk fishing grounds. After seeing the trawling demonstrations, the Admiral transferred to the Belton, spending the night at sea and disembarking with his Naval Assistant (Capt. M. La T. Wemyss) at Leith. They returned to London by air.
Fortnig htly Twice-a-month pay for ratings is to end, the Admiralty Board having decided to reintroduce the fortnightly arrangements as from April.' Official pay days will then be on alternate Thursdays Fortnightly pay was discontinued early this year in favour of a scheme for twice-monthlv nnvmeant, the aim being to ease the work load on pay staffs and to ensure that ratings would know exactly how much they should receive. The scheme met with criticism when it was realized that on occasion naval families would have to go three week-ends without pay, causing difficulties in domestic budgets. Naval families will welcome the latest decision, especially as the Admiralty Board are ensuring that pay amounts will be regularized as under the twice-
NEW NAVY BASE
a 24-acre site adjoining the Royal Dockyard, Rosyth, was commissioned on December 11 in the presence of Vice-Admiral 1. L. M. McGeoch, the Flag Ofricei Scotland and Northern . This new establishment accommodation the replaces ships Duncansby Head and Girdleness, at present collecrane.
Trials vesse ordered
An order for a new £3m. experimental trials vessel has been placed with Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd., of Greenock. It is planned to have her ready for service inJ97l.
Just like holiday-makers from abroad, returning naval from personnel overseas will now be able to ashore not only their tobacco duty-tree but a half-bottle of spirits and a bottle of wine. Goods (excluding mechanical lighters) to a total value of £3, may also be allowed free of duty. This valuable concession by the Customs authorities applies to naval personnel over 17, returning from overseas as part of ship's company of one of H.M. ships or crew of a naval aircraft, and also naval personnel serving aboard other vessels (e.g* ship's flights in Royal Fleet Auxiliaries).
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FIRST TIM.ONLY Goods are to be landed on the first occasion only of proceeding on leave over seven days, or on draft, after arrival from abroad. The goods must be in accompanied baggage, and declared on arrival. The concession operates forthwith on a temporary basis, pending the consideration of detailed rules which may ultimately be necessary
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a-month plan. Opportunity has also been taken to make pay day officially Thursday, although many ratings are already paid on that day. The scheme now ended had caused additional calls on nay
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staffs, nullifying any gain by simplified procedure, so there is no grief so far as they are concerned. In fact, fornightly pay is already working, due to the introduction of the extra pay day at Christmas. Chief petty officers can continue to have their' money paid direct into a bank.
HERMES AT HONG KONG
For the men of H.M.S. Hermes it was Christmas far away : from home. The carrier arrived at Hong Kong (left) on November " 29 and stayed until December 7, when she left for Singapore. -: One of the highlights of the Hong Kong stay was the, visit on board of local actresses (above) . . ""s"s""""".. . . .... . " /.
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Fourth nuclear sub. launched
The Royal Navys fourth nuclear Fleet submarine, H.M.S. Churchill, was launched on December 20 atthe Barrowin-Furness yard of the Vickers Ltd. Shipbuilding Group, the naming ceremony being performed by Mrs. Christopher -Soames, daughter of Sir Winston Churchill. Three nuclear Fleet submarines - the Dreadnought,
Valiant, and Warspite - are already in commission with the Navy. Two others, the Churchill and another, are in course of construction, and two more have been ordered. , In addition to these capital of the future," three ships Polaris subnuclear-powered marines have been commissioned, and a fourth Is building, . 1he new Churchill is the
second ship to have the name in the Royal Navy, but the first to be named after Sir Winston. The predecessor,- a four-stack destroyer, was acquired from the United States in 1940, all ships of her class being named after towns and villages in America and the U.K. Transferred to the Russian Navy, in July, 1944, she was sunk seven months later in the Arctic.
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