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Association Archive
News & Events for 2002
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November 2002 - "Memorabilia": Mike Bridges would
like to thank all those who sent him Commissioning Books and Leaflets plus
of course all the notifications he has had about Albion Pubs. Mike is
currently busy with initial arrangements to commemorate the 90th
Anniversary of the sinking of the 5th HMS Bulwark in 1914. Provisionally
this will take place on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 November 2004. For
further information about the event please contact Mike Bridges by e-mail
at mikeb6024@aol.com
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Trafalgar Night Dinner 2002 : Captain Keith
Winstanley and Commander Mike McCartain of HMS Bulwark (L15); Commander
Mike Richardson, Lt Cdr Duncan Fogg, CPOMA D. Parker and POSA P. Buckley
of HMS Albion (L14) were guests of honour at our Jubilee Dinner at HMS
Nelson. Our President Admiral Patrick Symons, KBE gave an informative
address as regards Nelson's innovative strategy at the Battle of the Nile
and Trafalgar. Thereafter a bouquet was preseted to Lady Symons by Jackie
Truscott. After an excellent dinner with harpist accompaniment and
traditional port a 60/70s disco was thoroughly enjoyed by the 70 members
and guests attending.
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October 2002 - "Away Days": The annual "Away Day"
was this year held at the RNA club in Birmingham. Our thanks are
particularly due to Bob Styants and his committee who provided all the
facilities and hospitality. Local Members attended the monthly committee
meeting and very much enjoyed the Saturday nights hospitality.
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August 2002 - Arctic Convoys : Hello George (Ullyatt)
- I thought you might want to pass this on I got a medal from the Russians
for Murmansk Convoy duty in 1985 the fortieth anniversary of the ending of
WW2 and there were many more in Canada who received them at the same time.
Is this the same medal that is the subject of this letter. Most were
presented by the Russian Embassy and others at points throughout Canada I
assume. I was in Florida at the time and mine was mailed to me. (Yours
aye, Frank O'Shaughnessy).
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August 2002 - Arctic Convoys : Dear Shipmates, I
am sure you will be aware of coverage by the BBC national and regional
programmes about the appalling manner in which the MoD seems to have
handled the matter of the Russians wishing to award the survivors of the
Arctic Convoys. Well, many old salts, including ex HMS Ganges 'boys', are
getting up a head of steam over this! I hope that your Association can
give this issue some form of coverage, perhaps as a follow up to the
article recently about Arctic Convoys printed in a recent Navy News. I
have taken the liberty of including the report taken from the BBC website
regarding this issue:- "...Hundreds of British veterans of the Arctic
convoys of the Second World War are to miss out on medals from Russia
because the Ministry of Defence says it will not allow it. Moscow wants to
award the 1,600 surviving Royal and Merchant Navy sailors with bravery
medals for their part in keeping supply lines open on the Eastern front.
They (the MoD) have no idea of the hell we went through . The veterans are
furious they have been denied the honour but officials here say it breaks
the rules, and the medals cannot be given. It is understood the medals
would be the same as those presented to Soviet sailors. But the MoD
confirmed the British veterans would not be allowed to accept any medals
because it does not fall within the rules of such presentations. A
spokeswoman said: "The acceptance and wearing of foreign awards is subject
to the rules agreed by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the
Honours and Decorations Committee (of the Cabinet Office). "These rules do
not permit the acceptance and wearing of medals for services rendered in
the distant past, i.e. over five years previously." MoD rules govern the
wearing of medals. One veteran, Commander Eddie Grenfell, from Havant,
Hants, told The Daily Telegraph: "These decisions are made by people
who've never seen a shot fired in anger. They have no idea of the hell we
went through. "We veterans are dismayed and disgusted by the Government's
ungrateful attitude." The Arctic convoys helped carry around 22,000
aircraft and 13,000 tanks during the battles on the Eastern Front and were
widely seen in helping tip the balance in favour of the Allies.
Conservative defence spokesman Keith Simpson said the MoD was being
"pedantic" applying the rules to veterans who served in "appalling
conditions and survived". He added: "The Russian Government has seen fit
to acknowledge their bravery. Our government should now do the same."
Hundreds of British veterans of the Arctic convoys of the Second World War
are to miss out on medals from Russia because the Ministry of Defence says
it will not allow it. Moscow wants to award the 1,600 surviving Royal and
Merchant Navy sailors with bravery medals for their part in keeping supply
lines open on the Eastern front." Yours aye, Derek Harper, ex RN, 1949-58
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January 2002 - Site Re-vamp : Due to a technical
fault the site took a slight hit at the end of December 2002, nothing
serious just a few pages decided to do their own thing. This is hopefully
now all sorted out and the site has been recently re-loaded with new pages
being added. Your feedback is appreciated and will serve to improve the
site overall.
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January 2002 - Members On-Line Details : Within
the "Members Only Area" there is going to be a section where you
can leave some brief service details with the webmaster who will upload to
the site. To make sure that no-one is listed who does not wish to be
listed the webmaster requires that you send a confirmation e-mail to him
stating your service details.
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2001 Archive...
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