THE MOORINGS ISSUE 58
22 November 2017
Core Values: Unity, Loyalty, Patriotism & Comradeship - Once Navy, always Navy
LEST WE FORGET
On Sunday 12 November, the Royal British Legion hosted the Act of Remembrance, with the parade through Rayleigh High Street followed by a service at the Holy Trinity Church.
Incorporated by Royal Charter
Patron: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
ROYAL NAVAL ASSOCIATION RAYLEIGH BRANCH (No.5 Area)
BRANCH CONTACTS RNArayleigh@outlook.com President:
Bob Hill
01268 780449
Chairman:
Jim Hammond
01268 414616
Vice Chairman:
Terry Barker
01268 456165
Hon. Secretary:
Gary Daisley
01268 555570
Hon. Treasurer:
Margaret Day
01702 524561
Membership Secretary:
Bill Vernon
01268 772775
Standard Bearer:
Dave Bishop
01268 770521
Welfare Officer:
Dave Mead
01702 307922
Social Secretary:
Audrey Blomfield
01268 781116
Gangway:
Mike Sandbrook
01702 801103
Padre:
Revd. Canon Mike Lodge
01268 742151
PR Officer:
Vacant
BRANCH DETAILS Bank Details: email: RNArayleigh@outlook.com HSBC Rayleigh Royal Naval Association Rayleigh Branch. A/C: 81065955 Sort Code: 40-38-24. Meeting Venue: Royal British Legion 2 London Hill, Rayleigh SS6 7HP Tel: 01268 776503 Meeting Dates: Fortnightly (see back cover). Registered Charity: Registration Number 1069148 2
Poppy Appeal Collection: Throughout the day of 8 November, shipmate Ray Fenn and his team were in Rayleigh High Street collecting for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal. Congratulations and well done to shipmates Jim Hammond, Ray Fenn, Phil Edwards, Tony Reekie, Alan White, Cliff Severn, Terry Barker, Dave Mead, Iain Hendry and Arthur Haslam who together raised a total of £461.98 for this year’s appeal.
The History of the Royal Naval Division (see page 8).
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Arctic Star presentation to Rayleigh Museum Following the Remembrance parade and church service in Rayleigh on Sunday 12 November, shipmates Jim Hammond, Gary Daisley, Iain Hendry, Eddie Dray, Dave Smith and Edd & Christine Callis were joined at the Rayleigh Museum by Mike Davis (Curator) and Mrs Carol Pavelin (Chairman of the Rayleigh Town Council) to witness the presentation of an Arctic Star medal to the Rayleigh Museum.
Former Rayleigh man, Geoffrey Negus travelled half way around the world from his home Masterton (near Wellington) in New Zealand to present his father’s (Alfred Negus) Arctic Star medal awarded for his service in the Russian convoys on board HMS Indefatigable during WW2. During the presentation, Geoffrey spoke at length about his childhood memories of living in Rayleigh before his parents emigrated to New Zealand in the 1960’s. He also shared what he knew about his father’s time at sea and the events with the Australian & New Zealand veterans which had followed the posthumous award in his father’s name. 4
It also turned out that one of Geoffrey’s uncles who had been lost during WW1 was named in the Roll of Honour read out during the remembrance service outside the RBL hall earlier in the day. The medal will now reside at the Town’s Museum in Rayleigh High Street together with its history and details of the presentation.
Crossed the bar It is with great sadness that Rayleigh Branch announces the passing of two shipmates with this issue of The Moorings. Roy Swain passed away on Monday 6 November and had been a long standing member of Rayleigh Branch since it’s inauguration year in 1986. Greg Foster also crossed the bar a few days later on Thursday 9 November. As always, a White Ensign (or Union Jack for non RN servicemen) will be available for the coffin (if required) and the Branch Standard will be present subject to a stand-in making themselves available whilst S/M Dave Bishop is unavailable. Roy Swain’s funeral will be 12 noon at Pitsea Crematorium on Friday 1 December. The date of Greg Foster’s funeral is yet to be announced, but the RNA has been requested to attend both events. More information will be made available through our Welfare Officer, shipmate Dave Mead.
RNA on Twitter RNA Central Office now has a Twitter Page! If you are a Twitter user, you can follow them @SemaphoreCrew for the latest updates. If you would like to know more about how to use Twitter, talk to S/M Gary Daisley. 5
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RNA Membership Renewal A note to remind anyone that doesn’t currently pay their RNA subscriptions by Standing Order, that our Membership Secretary S/M Bill Vernon is now collecting your £14 renewal fee in time for the 2018 deadline. If you wish to start paying by Standing Order, please complete the yellow sections in the form below and send to your Bank or Building Society.
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History of the Royal Naval Division The 63rd (Royal Naval) Division was a United Kingdom infantry division of the First World War. It was originally formed as the Royal Naval Division at the outbreak of the war, from Royal Navy and Royal Marine reservists and volunteers, who were not needed for service at sea. The division fought at Antwerp in 1914 and at Gallipoli in 1915. In 1916, following many losses among the original naval volunteers, the division was transferred to the British Army as the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division, re-using the number from the disbanded second-line 63rd (2nd Northumbrian) Division Territorial Force. As an Army formation, it fought on the Western Front for the remainder of the war. Advanced Base Force When the war began, a Marine Brigade of four infantry battalions was formed from men of the Royal Marine Light Infantry and Royal Marine Artillery. The brigade was to be an Advanced Base Force, according to a pre-war plan to furnish the Admiralty with a means to take, fortify or defend temporary naval bases for fleet operations or the supply of army field forces. The recruits included regular marines and those mobilised from the Fleet Reserve; each battalion was drawn from one of the big naval depot portsChatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth & Deal and named accordingly. Royal Naval Division On 16 August, Winston Churchill the First Lord of the Admiralty, decided to embody two more naval brigades with surplus men of the Naval Reserve, to join with the Marine Brigade to produce a composite Royal Naval Division. A few petty officers and ratings were transferred from the navy to provide a cadre and some officers were provided by the army but most of the recruits were reservists or men who had volunteered on the outbreak of war. The eight battalions were named after naval commanders, Drake, Benbow, Hawke, Collingwood, Nelson, Howe, Hood and Anson, later being numbered from 1st to 8th. The division was not provided with medical, artillery or engineer units, consisting solely of lightly-equipped infantry. Many of the trained men were then reclaimed for fleet service and recruits were taken over at the request of the War Office, from oversubscribed north-country 8
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E ER 2 C I CTOVEMB A R 8N L P DAY
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A NES N I F W ED
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Guess Who? Can anyone put a name to the modified face of this post WW2 Matelot? As a clue, our mystery man joined the RNA after 33 years in the RN and served with both the Fleet Air Arm and submarine service. There aren’t any prizes for guessing correctly, it’s just for fun! The answer will be published in the next issue of The Moorings. Issue #56’s Guess Who was Shipmate Les Holyome. Thank you to everyone who has participated in this section of The Moorings by providing photographs of your time in uniform. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Continued from page-8. regiments. Training was slow, except for the Marine Brigade which had its own infrastructure, because resources were needed for the rapid expansion of the Army and naval ratings were not issued with field equipment or khaki uniforms before being embarked for overseas service. On 26 August, the Marine Brigade was sent to Ostend to reinforce the Belgian garrison, after German cavalry had appeared in the area. The brigade returned on 1 September after the scare subsided and on 3 September the Admiralty decided to train the two Naval Reserve brigades as infantry, to form an infantry division with the Marine Brigade. Rifles were drawn from Royal Navy stocks and only arrived at the end of September; these were older charger-loading Lee–Enfields rather than the modern Short Magazine LeeEnfields issued to the army. 10
Diary Dates.
TURKEY & TINSEL 27 November - 1 December 2017 A festive Christmas break to the Isle of Wight. Details from S/M Margaret Day.
RNA Rayleigh Christmas Social Wednesday 6 December 2017 Enjoy letting your hair down and spending the evening with StarStruck Disco.
UCKERS TOURNAMENT Saturday 16 December 2017 (10:30 - 16:30) £5.00 entry. Contact S/M Gary Daisley.
First Branch Meeting of 2018 Wednesday 10 January Start: 8pm The Royal British Legion Hall 2 London Hill, Rayleigh
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