STAND BY Filli BELIEF ! Six-ship fay-up to 'oversfretch'
ease
Navy’s Drafting organisation is swinging into operation to tackle the task of placing men where their skill is now needed following the decision to “retire” six major ships prematurely in the next 14 months, starting in September. The
Laying-up of the helicopter
cruiser H.M.S. Blake and five Tribal-class frigatcs to relieve manpower “overstretch" elsewhere in the Fleet will bring under consideration the futures of more than 2,000 men at present serving in these
ships.
From H..\i.S. Centurion has come assurance that the Drafting Division will seek to minimise turbulence and ive as much notice :5 possible._ rafty also sap that special attention will be paid to individual preferences. and officers will be consulted in each
t’: the £75,000
iofly iackpol
Who knows
good way to spend £75,000? That's the size of new “Supergrants" to be made by the Nuflield Trust. one a year to each of the three Services in turn. And the Royal Navy. being Senior Service. gets in
first shout.
idea of the grants l\ to provide fixed assets for L-'.K. establishments by funding amenities not available from public funds and which will benefit maximum numbers of serving rsonnel. These grants, ad itional to the Trust's non'nal annual grants to the Services. have been made possible bv careful husbandry. One factor has been the extra cash available as :1 result of dis I of the .\'uffield United rvices Officers‘ Club at Portsmouth. Last wear the Trust made grants of £336,(XX] to the Services. Of this. the !\'avy's share (including allowance for Inter-Service grants and Women's Services) was more .
than £8-MIX). Over the past 40 years the Trust has given over £9 million to the Armed Forces. The first 'rant under the new scheme will made to the RN. and RM. in I980. and ;i DCI is expected shortly giving full details.
DOLLARS, TOO 0 Another windfall is coming the Navy's way. An American
business man now selling "pusser's rum" in the U.S. has indicated that he wishes to donate 20.000 dollars and has been told that the most appropriate fund would be the Sailors‘ (Tot) Fund. A presentation ceremony is being
arranged.
CRSC.
Shortages Currently
ta e
2.
the .\'aw_.' has a shorof about 350 officers and
ratings.
Announcing the decision on the
ships‘ future.
the Defence Secretary (.\lr. Francis Pym) said at the end of June that the Blake and the
frigates Nubian. Zulu, Mohawk,
Gurkha and Eskimo all of them would be over 15 years old transferred to the Standby —
~
Squadron.
He said that the move was necessary to ensure that the momentum of the programme of new ships and weapons was not prejudiced by current manpower shortages. The ships would remain available for operation in tension or war. when thev would he 0 Continued In
Page 9
with the Hood of rain sea and Illegal Immigrants arriving in Hong Kong the Royal avy has become Involved In the reinforcement to allow more patrol actl The 102-ton fast tralnl boat H.Il.S. lritltar is due to be shipped out by comrnercla vessel this summer. while two ton-ton hovercraft from the R.N. Hovercraft Trials Unit at Loo-on-Solont are going out In the store carrier R.F.A. Bacchus. Two naval Sea from the loyod ships heading for Australia are also to be sod In Hong orig. Fl.F.A. Fort Grange was diverted from the deployment to transport them. In all. about 50 naval personnel are involved In the rain.
King:
lorcemont.