This page is Dedicated to the Memory of:

'Aggy' Aggar

CHOPS (M)

Died during exercises off Norway 1986

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I am the widow of Aggy and came upon this website by pure chance.  I just wanted to say how touched I was to read the nice things said about my late husband .

Ann Aggar

I'm not an ex-crew member, so I hope it's alright that I'm contributing to this page. My name is Joanne Wilder, and Aggie was my Dad. His full name was Arthur John Aggar. I didn't know this site existed until today, when my Mum called to tell me about it. Somehow it seems fitting that I'm reading this today, Feb 10th 2010, the 1st Birthday of my son, John. Aggie would have made a great Grandad, as he was a great Dad. Thank you all for your thoughts and memories-John can read them someday.

Joanne(Aggar)Wilder. 

Ann and Joanne's tribute added 11th February 2010

I’ve been looking at your memorial page and remember CHOPS(M) ‘Aggy’ Aggar who died onboard during Exercise Cold Winter in 1986. He was due to retire from the mob that year and I remember him talking about his retirement plans. !! His plans for retiring were in full swing, settling back in Pompey, having a home life, etc, all the things we take for granted now.
Aggy had a great sense of humour and always had a kind word, even after bollocking someone and ensuring Daily Orders were distributed before evening scran.

The night he passed away we were in a force 10 gale off Tromso, Norway. In convoy with Fearless, Exeter, Herald, Jupiter, we were taking a real battering heading north for the exercise. Aggy collapsed in the Chief’s mess and despite the best effort of the LMA and SSFAP, Aggy never regained consciousness. He was flown off by a Sea King helicopter, which made the trip from Tromso. No aircraft from the Fearless were allowed to fly that night due to the weather and everything was done over a stornaphone between the LMA and the doc on the Fearless.

A memorial service was held in the JR Dining Hall and in all my years in the mob, the feelings that abounded that day are still with me. There was a feeling of great loss and initially, a lack of enthusiasm toward the exercise.

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo of him, but I’m sure there will be an ex-shipmate who does.

Colin Shieber

I was a member of the SSFAP that night and we worked non stop on Aggie for about an hour and a half and and it was with a heavy heart that we were told to stop working on him, it was a very sad night indeed and he was sorely missed by us all.

Colin Townsend.

I was in the Chief's mess with Aggy that night. We were in Defence Watches and we were both off watch. Aggy had just finished watching the film MASH on the ship's TV and remarked how funny he found the film every time he watched it. Aggy being rather stumpy was sat on a bench seat with his feet not quite touching the deck. Suddenly the ship lurched and he fell off the seat. We all laughed until we noticed that Aggy wasn't moving and had stopped breathing.
After his body had been cleaned up by the LMA the First Lt said a prayer for him in the sickbay accompanied by every CPO that could sneak away from their defence station. The Norwegian coastguard helo took his body away and the Chiefs held a wake for him in the night with the Jimmy bringing a bottle of rum from the Wardroom so that we could all drink a toast to his memory.
Not once did the Captain come to the mess and express his condolences to Aggy's messmates. Aggy slept in the bunk next to mine and I found it very upsetting sleeping next to his empty bunk......................I'll never forget him.

Colin Bracey

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