I joined 'The Fighting 101'
as she was then affectionately known, from HMS
Cambridge with a bunch of other Junior Seaman Gunners, I can't
remember all the names but the ones I do remember are; Nigel Gubb -
Geoff Barnett (Barney or Scottie) - Terry 'George' Harman - Martin 'Titch'
Arnell - Bill Headon - Willie Wileman - Dolly Grey - Dusty Rhodes -
Geoarge Gare - Tony Parky Parks.
I was also Known as
Rusty, Ginge, Les and of course Skin (well I was
only 16 then)
Most of the gunners
were in the fwd seaman's3E mess but I, and a few others were
in the aft seaman's 3P mess with the TAS apes, Those I remember are;
John Lindsey (L/S killick of the mess) - My 'sea dad' Tony Bamatry
A/B (Worked on the mortar Mk 10) - Vernon 'Smudge' Smith L/S - Mick
Fryatt O/S - Frank Cousins A/B - Sherlock Holmes A/B - Peter Lloyd
A/B - Johno Johnson A/B - 'Buck Ryan' A/B ' got drafted in from
another ship after being busted from PO - I remember the clubs swinger 'L/PTI Barry Leech (who
now lives in South Africa) he was also our PTI - At HMS Ganges in
1967 - Jan Derges Seaman - Peter Acres SA - Stokers Brum Atkins
& Danny Danks - Peter Sharp RO - Vic Harris RO - Robert Gurkin
Captain (Death or Glory Gurkin) - Bill Dungate ' Gunnery Officer -
Barrie Lomas Sub Lieutenant.
There are many more
faces I can't put names to as yet. For me it's been some 40 years
since my days on Yarmouth and I have some fine memories, albeit some
vague, she was my first ship, I was 16 years old fresh out of
Training and ready to see the world. (Well, to me Portsmouth was
foreign) My eyes were opened to many things such as;
1. When you were
called round for a wet and offered sippers from the treasured 'Tot'
you didn't dare do more that wet your lips. (It was not a pretty
site to see a 3 badge stoker cry after you sank half his tot.)
2. Your 'Sea Dad'
was not always your protector, especially when you're bronzying on
the flight deck in skimpy trunks and you look up to see a bunch of
hairy arse matelots and your Sea Dad with the biggest wooden handled
screwdriver you've ever seen in your life topped with a lump of
starters, and hear the terrifying words 'cum here skin'.
3. Your 'Sea Dad'
was not always your protector when he tries to sell you in 'Boogie
Street' as a 'cherry boy' to a 'kietie'. (Transvestites that had
real Boobs and still had ALL the bits)
4. Your 'Sea Dad'
was not always your protector when you have 'Cinderella Leave' and
he rings up the OOD to get you all night leave so you can go to your
first 'Orgy' then lets you get pi**ed, get thrown out the club by
the bouncers, put in cells and trooped the next day.
5. Your 'Sea Dad'
was not always your protector when you're in the showers crashing
out your nicks and socks and he wops a lump of tooth paste up yer
ring piece and laughs his nuts off while you're running round in
ever decreasing circles screaming 'Oh my God' 'Oh my God' with your
arse on fire.
6. The words
'Christ! he's rigged like f****** donkey' referred to the size of my
nether regions and that all you lesser mortals were envious (sorry
chaps but now having 5 children and 7 grandchildren I guess being
rigged help a bit). All that said, I seem to remember Vic Harris was
compared to a 'Horse'
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