NEWSLETTER - September 2008
Hello again.
Please note that I now have a new email address for my SANO business: sano.secretary@googlemail.com
CAPTAIN D T L BAIRDOW BA VRD* RNR
As announced recently, our President, Captain Don Bairdow, passed away on the morning of Thursday 4 September. His funeral service was held on Wednesday 17 September at Holy Trinity Church, Cuckfield in the presence of a very large congregation, including many SANO members. The service was simple yet moving and had a strong naval theme, including a spirited rendering of “Sussex by the Sea”. Ian Wright gave the address and paid tribute to Don as a great leader, and as a fine friend who will be grievously missed. Neville Dutton read the Naval Prayer. Everyone in SANO sends their deepest sympathy to Eleanor, Martyn and David and the rest of the family. A full tribute to Don will follow in a later newsletter. Anyone who wishes to make a donation in his memory to the Royal British Legion, Haywards Heath branch, or to SANO, should send it via the funeral director, P & S Gallagher, Fraser House, Triangle Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4HW.
LADIES LUNCH SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER
This was of course overshadowed by the death of Don Bairdow but it went ahead, in accordance with Eleanor's wishes. Forty three members and guests enjoyed an excellent three course lunch, served in the elegant surroundings of the Hove Club, on a beautiful sunny afternoon. Brian Baker chaired and proposed the toast to the Ladies and Guests with tact and good humour; Rosemary Baker gave a charming reply. SANO took the opportunity to congratulate Mrs Wendy Kelly, the caterer at the Club, on her recent award of five stars for the hygienic standards of the kitchens at the Club.
TRAFALGAR NIGHT SATURDAY 18 OCTOBER
Our next event will be our annual Trafalgar Night. Our official guests will be one of our own members, Commodore Mike Mansergh Royal Navy, and Mrs Julia Mansergh. This will be one of Commodore Mansergh's first naval functions since taking up his appointment as Commodore Portsmouth Flotilla. Members are limited in the first instance to one guest who may be of either gender. Cost will be £28 per head, to include all wines, a three course meal and coffee. Rig will be Mess Dress for officers in uniform, and black tie with neck orders and miniatures for those not in uniform. Retired officers are urged to wear uniform if at all possible. Bookings should be sent to John Woods by Monday 13 October.
PROGRAMME FOR 2008
The following dates are confirmed.
Date Event
Saturday 15 November Lunch/lecture
Friday 5 December President's Evening
PROGRAMME FOR 2009
Your Committee has started to plan the events for next year. Here is the first draft of the programme.
Event Date
Lunch/lecture Sat 7 February
AGM/lunch/lecture Sat 14 March
Annual dinner Sat 22 April
Lunch/lecture Sat 30 May
Visit TBA
Barbecue Sat 18 July
Ladies lunch Sat 12 September
Trafalgar Night Sat 24 October
Lunch/lecture Sat 14 November
President's Evening Fri 4 December
Please let the Secretary or any member of the Committee know your views.
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Norma Colwell thanks most sincerely everyone who wrote to her following the recent death of Douglas. In view of the very large number (about 100) of messages, she asks if people will forgive her for not replying to them individually.
RNVR PRINT
Alex Sard tells us that she has a number of RNVR prints donated by Mr Christopher Justice. They were originally on sale for over £50 but Mr Justice has kindly agreed to put the proceeds towards Seafarers UK. The prints are £25 each and Alex can arrange to have them posted. Alex says the image (shown here) does not do justice to the print! Please let her know (tel no 023 9273 6101; e-mail alexandra.sard@seafarers-uk.org) if you want one.
COMMODORE G E MACDONALD LLB ROYAL NAVY
Somewhat belatedly, SANO send its best wishes to Cdre Ewan Macdonald who succeeded Cdre David Hughes as Naval Regional Commander (Eastern England) in January 2008. Cdre Macdonald is a graduate in Scots Law from the University of Aberdeen who specialised in Supply (now Logistics) and who served in a range of appointments at sea and on shore, finishing as Captain Naval Drafting.
CNOA TRAFALGAR NIGHT DINNER
The Chatham Naval Officers' Association invite members of SANO to their Trafalgar Night to be held on the Officers Mess of the Royal Engineers, Brompton Barracks, Chatham on Friday 31 October. Dress is Mess Undress for officers in uniform, and black tie with neck orders and miniatures for those not in uniform. Cost is £40, wine extra. Reasonably priced overnight accommodation is available. Contact Roy Standen tel 01322 613785; mob 07802 594396.
TAILPIECE
Like most people I thought that the days of the press gang ended some time ago, but in The Jail that went to Sea the late Peter Haining tells of how ex jail birds were “persuaded” into serving on a ship. In 1941 Britain was experiencing a terrible shortage of merchant seamen. The shortage was most acute in Glasgow, which handled 80% of incoming merchant shipping, and so the local police were tasked with recruiting a crew for SS George Washington, a former liner being converted into a troopship. The police got their men by the simple expedient of rounding up all the local able-bodied crooks, including some just released from Barlinnie Jail, and giving them the choice of serving their country or doing more time inside. With some financial inducement, they made the patriotic choice and were sent to Canada were the ship was being refitted. The man chosen to captain the ship, Captain (later Sir) David Bone, was admirably suited for the task; he was a Glaswegian born and bred, he had served at sea for more than 50 years and on his first voyage, to San Francisco in 1891, his crew had been supplemented by the waterfront villain “Shanghai” Brown, who, for a price, would “acquire” seamen by any means including getting them drunk. The pressed men on George Washington did quite well because Captain Bone, when commanding HMS CIRCASSIA later in the war, met his former ship in Bombay, he said “I had always known she would be a grand sea-boat”.
Best wishes
Ian