Triumph and tragedy in the Himalayas
ONE-PIIBT SAILIIBS AGAIN ? NOVEMBER 19% 1
dralttngiritem
Navfi
is studying the leasihlltty of introducing a The which would tnen with one base port torthewhole,oriniicli, their naval careers. Already it has become clear, however, that many
wouldneedtohesolvedheloresuchaschemefiorthelong-terutfuture coiildgoahead. For many years. centralised drafting has
greater interchan between ports
meant
men in
e
—
ship
of lh
and shore billets than in the old days of rt divisions when a man 0 ten
Medical
rsonnel from R .‘s'
H ital aslar. including a elite and ll other ratings. took up temponirs dun-' at Frantland PFISOFI. the unlinished_ I securiti ail near Durham at I end of ‘tober Because ol the prison ollrcers dispute. the ]flll has been
early service from police cells
into
nuse men
to
Portsmouth. Pl)"(‘hatham rating
a
mouth or lor the whole of his
career
Efficiency
—
Ratings on prison duty
pressed
became
Shi comp
now vastly for specialist
are
it.
calling
operating and
equi
nt
more
maintenance of
At the
dep o_i-rnents
are
same iii-iie
shorter and
bases lctu Alreads there
overseas
is
some
"twang" of ships to ports. with large numbers of whole classes based in one place Now thoughts have turned to seeing It it is possible to "type" not only ships, but also men with rtiuilar sliills. to indmdual se ports The aim would be to reduce the enormous load of pretointng training at present
DANA! RAISES THE RM-TERS l D
2
lured III: Unix.-ct. Timur
if if
Hie Green. Web: Jiiiiu uiit Cllfll Clllfil.
dooptte H.I.S.
dell
Weddlngton Sub-Uoiite.
gar:-guu.wunrm lloiridtahblaorv no I(R eat‘ 1 :9lit Lweuiri lg} l 3
necessar).
to
Improve cmciei-icy
and highly important lrom the family point ol view to take some ot the domestic un.1.-rtainti out of the sailor's lile The studv being camed out —
—
forms
part of
I
continuing
re-
aimed at stabilisi naval Iile A complex range problems come Into the reckoning. including the actical sine of base port for t is purpose and the future organization ol the dockyiirds (on which it comprehensive Government report has just been published! No early decision seeim liiely and a scheme ot this kind would need a considerable period to Implement However. it drafting changes alon these lines eventuallv prove possible. it could improve the lives of mans’ in the view
Navy
Co n quest-
H
asadretrn... “ii-“iscrvtocs expedition to the Himalavas climging the
Four Royal Marines. all members of in northern India. have succeeded in west face of Mount Phabrang.
previously unsealed 6.000ft. nonhv
members the Mountaineering] Club tell while descending
R.M. expedition. the first to take R..\‘. Himalayas. was marred hi‘ the death of CPOPT U'arr_v Thomas (32). in The
thc north lace ot the
mountain.
('apt
to
u
Dasid .ViI:holl.s. R M the expedition leader. brought details ol the accident when he and other members of the ll-man team returned to the L7 K on October 27 CPU Thomas, an Instructor at the Joint Serswces Mountain lrainin (entre at Tvvwn North Wales. had reache the summit ridge with three other members of the expedition via the north face They were prevented lrom reaching the actual summit by unstable snow conditions. and were on their wav back down the 20.54111 mountain when (1’() Thomas slipped and tell I.‘-mtt to a glacier Although wearing a helmet. he suffered severe head iniuries and died the neit da_\ ,
Treacherous Conditions were too treacherous lor the body to be taken down the mouritain. and the altitude was too great for a helicopter to he called In Expedition members buried CPO Thomas at the site of their advance base and later returned with a headstone. cam dead mans ice axe was hired over the grate. and porters climbed down the mountain to find llnincrs for the simple luneral service A memorial service for (‘P0 Thomas, who leaves a Wllt and two children. was held at I S M T C T_W/_\‘n. on .\ovemher 2 Two lour-man teams reached the summit of Phabran learning or’ the traizeclv only after thev h returned to the advance base camp The ll-man team was made up ol tour Royal Marines. four members of the Royal .\'an'. and two each from the Army and Royal Air Force The party included I doctor .
.
.