The Moorings, Issue #21

THE MOORINGS 8th June 2016 ISSUE 21

Core Values: Unity, Loyalty, Patriotism & Comradeship - Once Navy, always Navy

RAYLEIGH BRANCH – AREA 5

Incorporated by Royal Charter Patron: HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN

CROSSED THE BAR Alan Peter Booth

31st May 1934 – 13th April 2016

Hon. Branch Secretary 1989-2016

Rest in peace shipmate.

Extract from the Semaphore Circular June 2016.

Dear Shipmate,

Welcome to the June Circular – the second electronic copy, with now only 18 hard copies going to the few branches that remain off-line. This is now our main way of communicating with Branches and Members and it is vital that the information that it has is passed on, preferably by email so photos are in colour and links work.

I hope you are enjoying the excellent first Test against Sri Lanka and warmer evenings. The Central Office Staff is in busy pre-Conference mode, getting ready for Wokefield Park. We have over 70 delegates attending and it should be a fun and lively weekend. Of course it is also Her Majesty’s 90th birthday celebration weekend, so things will finish early on Sunday to enable shipmates to get home or go up to the Royal Parks in London to join in the Patron’s Lunch fun.

We have 22 RNA Shipmates attending the Royal festivities, members and sponsors, with those nominated by their NCM for doing that bit extra, with a ballot for the few places available. I hope they all have a great day!!

As we have the lead into Conference can I just reiterate that I am delighted to take your questions about any aspect of the business at Conference, be that Accounts, the Trustee report or the motions. I would rather give a full and well-researched answer before Conference than an ‘off the top of the head’ answer from the platform. Don’t forget to buy your Conference raffle tickets, if you need more books give Nigel a ring please.

To let you know that the dates for next year’s Conference at Perth have come forward a week due to events beyond our control the new dates are Friday 9 to Sunday 11 June 2017. Booking Forms will be available at Conference, again with CONA Travel our partners.

Project Semaphore

• We have now a better idea about how the Project will work. More details at Conference, but in outline: We will be looking for a substantial number of volunteers to deliver the iPAD tablet computer to those receiving them and to take the shipmate through the much simplified set up process. Volunteers will have a day and a half training and their own iPAD to get familiar with the set-up. Registration will be on-line and the process will involve a very brief assessment of your computer skills (just a few basic questions – can you use email etc). Details will be promulgated when the link is ready.

• We need to start to build our list of who could use an iPad tablet to bring them on-line. This should be something to chat over at a Branch meeting. I encourage branch officials who are not on-line to put themselves forward. You can start that process now. Names should go to the Project Manager Sharon Brown at [email protected] . As a rough guide I would hope that most branches will nominate between 3 to 10 possible candidates depending on the size of branch.

• The package includes 2 years broadband, but we will assume that an applicant will have a land line – we won’t be using iPads over the 3G telephone system due to the cost.

• I am delighted to say that the iPads will all be Air2 – which is the latest and lightest of the machines and easiest to use.

Jutland

Of course this month our thoughts are turning towards the commemorations of the Battle of Jutland 100 years ago on 31 May 2016. The National President and I are attending the National event at Lyness Cemetery on Orkney – with Bob Coburn carrying the National Standard in the place of honour.

HMS Caroline opens for 31 May in Belfast and is the only surviving warship of the battle. Well worth the effort of visiting in the Titanic Quarter. There are commemorations at the naval memorials in Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth – where the names of most of the 6,097 sailors and Royal Marines killed are listed. The blockbuster exhibition ‘Jutland 1916, the battle that won the War, opens on 24 May at Portsmouth. The Chapel door from HMS Warspite, loaned by the RNA, is in a very prestigious position and the exhibition is highly recommended.

Royal Navy divers intend to visit the wreck of battle-cruiser HMS

Invincible, whose loss provided the most terrible and iconic image of Jutland, to place a White Ensign in memory of the 1,020 officers and men killed when she blew up. There are also plans for events in Rosyth, where the battle-cruiser force was based in 1916, and paving stones remembering the four Victoria Cross winners in the battle will be dedicated in the men’s respective home towns. I shall be attending a ceremony at Waltham Forest on 26 May to commemorate Boy Cornwell’s VC (we are both East End lads).

The battle was fought on the afternoon and evening of Wednesday May 31 and into the small hours of Thursday June 1; 1916 was the only time in the Great War that the battle fleets of the two largest navies in the world met. Two hundred and 50 men of war locked horns – 151 British, 99 German – around 80 miles west of the coast of Jutland in Denmark – which gives the battle its English-language name (Germans call it the Battle of the Skagerrak). By the time the battle was over, the Royal Navy had lost 14 ships – including three battle-cruisers which blew up in devastating fashion – the Germans 11 vessels, but only one capital ship.

The Germans claimed victory at the time, but fled the field of battle and never seriously threatened British naval superiority in the North Sea for the rest of the war. Navy Books have some great Jutland books if you would like to learn more. https://www.navybooks.com/.

Don’t forget that the RNA is in partnership with the Woodland Trust to establish a Jutland Wood and I hope your branch has had a chance to chat over and support this worthwhile project.

All the best from me and the Central Office (HQ) team.

Paul Quinn

General Secretary

BRANCH CONTACTS

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: Iain Hendry 01268 655800

Gangway: Jack Harrison 01268 743100

Padre: Revd. Canon Mike Lodge 01268 742151

PR Officer: Vacant

Contact details

available on request.