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Newsletter number 4
Dear Members,
I would like to start by thanking everyone who contacted me after receiving my 1st newsletter, I will publish all your articles as soon as I can. The only way I can do it is to publish them on a 1st come basis, so if you don’t see your item for a while please bear with me, I haven’t forgotten about you.
You may have noticed that the header has changed from the 1st one, many thanks to Mike Wright for this. Looks better than the old one, and it includes the web address. [Webmaster- header not shown here]
It is with regret that I have to inform you that one of our members has sadly passed away. Mr. Dennis Clarke from Sidcup, Kent died recently. His family have asked that they do not receive any more communication from the association. I’m sure that I can speak for us all in saying that our thoughts are with his family during this sad time.
GOOD NEWS
I approached the Managing Director of the company I work for, Emtelle UK LTD, and asked them to sponsor the newsletter by allowing me to print it on one of our large office printers. He has agreed to this so it will save a lot of money in not having to buy paper, ink cartridges etc. All we have to pay for now are the stamps and envelopes. I would still like to ask for as many people as possible to send me their e-mail address so I can send future newsletters on to them electronically, again this will save the association more money.
AGM
Mike Crowe has been in touch and told me all about the “Get Together”, sounds like I missed out on a good time. You can read about it and also view a lot of pictures on the website. There is a report, pictures and full minutes. Also on the website there are details of next years reunion. It is to be held from October 24th – 27th in Llandudno. For full details go to www.rneba.org.uk
WANTED
I received the following from Robin Allum, our slops manager.
Have you recently discarded or upgraded your printer or word processor? Have you still got the cartridges or tapes, unused and sealed, that you can’t bring yourself to throw away? Why not let the association have them and they could go on sale for a couple of quid, which will help swell the funds. Some of us have equipment that would look at home in Nelsons time but is still working and capable of a few more print runs yet. The Slopsmeister will look after them and make sure they earn us a copper or several. Every little helps as the actress said as she……………….no we wont go there!!!!!!!!!
I also received the following from Robin, I printed it “out of turn” because it was topical and very well written.
INAUGURAL GENERAL MEETING Back to top
To those of you who had the RESISTANCE to stay at OHM, sorry but you missed a gREAt weekend with no EMbarrasing stories or reVOLTing behaviour. Those of us who sAMPled it were riCHELy rewarded with a REMarkable few days which will be REMembered for years to come. Any probLEMs were quickly sorted by Mike and all was soon peaceful. Good food, good company with entertainment after dinner, a very successful raffle and a bar that stayed open until the last drinker fell over. On Sunday we had a coach trip to Burley where we sAMPled the market fayre of various cheeses, cakes and meat PIEZ Or pasties, then on to Lyndhurst to empty our wallets and purses, after we REAlised all were on the BUS BAR two who soon appeared, a gREAt day out. It is my AVOwed intent to help CREAte a great association and REMain a Greenie as long as I can draw breath (which I hope will be later rather than sooner) and in my CAPACITY as Slopsmeister to keep you supplied with all your needs (at a price my dear!!) My opPO RELuvtantly packed and left for OHM as did most of us but looking forward to next year.
Robin Allum. Slops Manager aka The Rt Hon Robin B’Stard and one half of the Lautrec brothers. Put your name and address on the back of a picture of the Queen (5, 10, 20 or 50 it doesn’t matter) for an explanation!
Thanks for that Robin, it took me ages to type this in as my spell checker kept correcting it, so I had to keep going over it again and again.
Looking For I have had a request from Mr. Ken Hale who is looking for Stan Turner. They served together in the R.N.A.S. from 1942 – 1946 Ken was a L.A.M/L while Stan was an AM/L 1st Class. Stan resided at Longsite, Manchester. Ken thinks that Stan went to the Gold Coast and was a telephone engineer. If anyone can help Ken with this he would be very grateful.
Also Mr. Bert Griffiths is looking for Robert (Brad) Davies from Bradford. They joined up on the same day in January 1946 at RNB Portsmouth. They took their trade test together and were awarded the rank of EA4 (P.O.). Brad was posted to the Far East while Bert joined HMS Fleetwood home fleet. This is when they lost touch. Once again your help here would be very much appreciated. I can be contacted at newsATrneba.org.uk. Remember to replace AT with @ Back to top
Albert R.N. – A True Story continued.
In 1946, some five and a half years after joining, I left the Royal Navy with the rank of Chief Petty Officer and returned to civilian life. After a spell on the South Coast, in the post as Design Engineer with West Sussex Council, I moved with my family to Coventry and joined the City Council as a Design Engineer in the City Engineers Dept. retiring some 18 years ago from my post as Assistant City Engineer, a job I found stimulating, rewarding and an enjoyable environment in the City Council. In retrospect, I consider that I experienced the Royal Navy and the Coventry City Council at it’s best.
Looking back on life, I realise that in spite of the hazards of operating in a number of theatres of war, together, with being present in Manchester, London and Portsmouth during Air Raids on those cities I was perhaps fortunate to survive.
Finally, I can boast, that part of my formal education was undertaken at the prestigious educational establishment – “Roedean School” (for girls, but none present), Brighton. The school was taken over by the Royal Navy, after the bombing of HMS Vernon and where I was a boarder for 6 months and studied a course in Engineering, completing the course and qualifying with a pass rate of 73.3%.
Medals
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1. 1939 – 45 Star
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2. Atlantic Star
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3. Africa Star
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4. Italy Star
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5. France & Germany Star
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6. War Medal 1939/45
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7. The Malta George Cross
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8. Russian Convoy Medal
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9. Veterans Badge
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10. Artic Emblem
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Commemoration Medals
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1. Normandy Medal
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2. Normandy Medal
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Thank you very much for sharing this with us Albert. I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.
I have a few more stories sent in to both Mike C. and myself, they will be published over the coming months. Back to Top
VOLUNTEERS
Got one, Brian Joy (a new member) has volunteered to become membership secretary.
Need one, With the next AGM over a year away, could we have a volunteer to become Travel Co-ordinator. The volunteer would liaise with Mike Crowe, Mike would gather names and addresses of members attending the AGM and through the travel co-ordinator arrange for willing people to car share.
If you are going to the AGM and could offer someone from your area a lift, or in fact you require a lift, then this could be arranged by the co-ordinator. You could share the driving and the costs, help The Greenies become Greener.
Mike W. could set up a web page to help it along, I will have a column in future newsletters to advertise lifts available / wanted.
If you think you could take this on then your help would be appreciated. Please contact Mike Crowe, or myself, and I will pass your details to Mike.
FINALLY
After every flight, Quantas pilots fill out a form, called a “gripe sheet,” which tells the mechanics about problems with the aircraft, The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then the pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight, Never let it be said that ground crews lack a sense of humour.
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Quantas’ pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.
By the way, Quantas is the only major airline that has never, ever, had an accident.
P: Left inside main tyre almost needs replacement. S: Almost replaced left inside main tyre.
P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough. S: Auto land not installed on this aircraft.
P: Something loose in cockpit. S: Something tightened in cockpit.
P: Dead bugs on windshield. S: Live bugs on back-order.
P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent. S: Cannot reproduce problem on the ground.
P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear. S: Evidence removed.
P: DME volume unbelievably loud. S: DME volume set to more believable level.
P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick. S: That’s what friction locks are for.
P: IFF inoperative in OFF mode. S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
P: Suspected crack in windshield. S: Suspect you’re right.
P: Number 3 engine missing. S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
P: Aircraft handles funny. S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
P: Target radar hums. S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
P: Mouse in cockpit. S: Cat installed.
P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer. S: Took hammer away from midget.
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