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- HMS Devonshire 1964- 66 Commission
HMS Devonshire 1964- 66 Commission
- By Robby G
- Published 05/6/2008
- HMS Devonshire
- Unrated
The Ship’s Flight
A gleaming blue and yellow, noisy object came out of the sky one day and planted itself on the fiat piece of deck between the trelliswork construction and the rotating lollipop. t was the 15th July, 1965, and the Flight had arrived. The month before, on 14th June to be exact, a little ceremony had taken place at the Royal Naval Air Station, Portland, and 829 DEVONSHIRE Flight was formed.
Although we had our own views on what our duties on board would be the ones that mattered were soon made clear to us. In order of priority, they were:—
(a) to collect the mail;
(b) to deliver the mail;
(c) to cease all work on the helicopter when the Flight Deck was required for Sports;
(d) to give R.E.A. Godwin as much leave as he wanted, to represent the Ship at soccer and to further his aim of looking more like a native than a native.
After settling down and weathering the storms of abuse from the “fish heads”, we “airy faries” were allowed to get on with the job. As soon as we had fulfilled our commitments described above, we were permitted to take part in anti-submarine, search and rescue and navigation exercises, passenger carrying (including those seven lightweight students from Socotra with their heavyweight baggage: the former weighed a total of 700 lbs. and the latter well over 1,000 lbs.), spotting for Guns, simulating a missile target for the W. & R.’s, photographic sorties, “roughing it” on Tidespring and Tidepool, and a host of other tasks too numerous to mention.
The first of many disembarked periods at R.N.A.S. Sembawang occurred on the 18th August, 1965, when the Ship arrived at Singapore. It was always a pleasure to disembark there, for the welcome was like the climate, always warm.
Operationally, this Flight has been more fortunate than most having the opportunity to participate in so many exercises. There was “Guard Rail” with ARK ROYAL, “Warrior” without ARK ROYAL, “Mill Stream”, when we were embarked in R.F.A. Tidepool while the rest of the Ship’s Company got “browned off” at Singapore during the D.E.D. period,
and finally, the SEATO Exercise “Sea Imp” during which the Flight operated from R.F.A. Tidespring.
Probably the most memorable flight this commission was after exercise “Warrior” when we flew from Sydney to meet the Ship at Melbourne, its next port of call. H.M.S. EURYALUS’S Wasp accompanied us on that epic flight arid caused quite a panic when it made a precautionary landing at the now famous resort of Royal Naval Air Station Ulladulla about 80 miles south of Sydney; and then failed to start for the last leg the following day! Whilst this eventful trip was taking place our tame U.C. was also having his “moments”. It was his doubtful privilege to accompany the Ship’s Shop Window Display from Sydney to Melbourne in a three-ton lorry driven by one of those Digger fellows. They hadn’t reached the outskirts of Sydney before the Aussie proposed that they should partake of a “drop of the hard stuff” and Petty Officer Davies’s protestations (never happen) were ignored. It was a very tired U.C. that arrived in Melbourne a couple of days later having driven most of the way with this drunken Digger asleep alongside him.
On the social side, it would be true, and to be on the safe side, suffice it to say that we have had some successes, some more than others! With Naples, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Ulladulla, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore, Pulau Tioman, Singapore, Borneo, Alongapo, Okinawa, Yokosuka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Bang Icok, Singapore, and the 144 Milestone—Sembawang Road behind us it would not he prudent to claim that the Flight had led a sheltered commission. Who’d believe us anyway?
Although the Flight is more or less a self-contained unit we do rely upon virtually every department in the Ship to help us maintain a high state of operational efficiency and this book provides the ideal opportunity to offer our gratitude. It would take too long to mention by name all those concerned and a few would inevitably and wrongly be omitted, but the efforts put in by the Firesuitment, Controllers, Stores and Catering personnel, Refuelling parties, F.D.O.’s, Lookouts, Sea Boat crews, Met. men and many others have not gone unnoticed and helped to make this a very happy and operationally successful commission for the Flight. Thank you.
A gleaming blue and yellow, noisy object came out of the sky one day and planted itself on the fiat piece of deck between the trelliswork construction and the rotating lollipop. t was the 15th July, 1965, and the Flight had arrived. The month before, on 14th June to be exact, a little ceremony had taken place at the Royal Naval Air Station, Portland, and 829 DEVONSHIRE Flight was formed.
Although we had our own views on what our duties on board would be the ones that mattered were soon made clear to us. In order of priority, they were:—
(a) to collect the mail;
(b) to deliver the mail;
(c) to cease all work on the helicopter when the Flight Deck was required for Sports;
(d) to give R.E.A. Godwin as much leave as he wanted, to represent the Ship at soccer and to further his aim of looking more like a native than a native.
After settling down and weathering the storms of abuse from the “fish heads”, we “airy faries” were allowed to get on with the job. As soon as we had fulfilled our commitments described above, we were permitted to take part in anti-submarine, search and rescue and navigation exercises, passenger carrying (including those seven lightweight students from Socotra with their heavyweight baggage: the former weighed a total of 700 lbs. and the latter well over 1,000 lbs.), spotting for Guns, simulating a missile target for the W. & R.’s, photographic sorties, “roughing it” on Tidespring and Tidepool, and a host of other tasks too numerous to mention.
The first of many disembarked periods at R.N.A.S. Sembawang occurred on the 18th August, 1965, when the Ship arrived at Singapore. It was always a pleasure to disembark there, for the welcome was like the climate, always warm.
Operationally, this Flight has been more fortunate than most having the opportunity to participate in so many exercises. There was “Guard Rail” with ARK ROYAL, “Warrior” without ARK ROYAL, “Mill Stream”, when we were embarked in R.F.A. Tidepool while the rest of the Ship’s Company got “browned off” at Singapore during the D.E.D. period,
Probably the most memorable flight this commission was after exercise “Warrior” when we flew from Sydney to meet the Ship at Melbourne, its next port of call. H.M.S. EURYALUS’S Wasp accompanied us on that epic flight arid caused quite a panic when it made a precautionary landing at the now famous resort of Royal Naval Air Station Ulladulla about 80 miles south of Sydney; and then failed to start for the last leg the following day! Whilst this eventful trip was taking place our tame U.C. was also having his “moments”. It was his doubtful privilege to accompany the Ship’s Shop Window Display from Sydney to Melbourne in a three-ton lorry driven by one of those Digger fellows. They hadn’t reached the outskirts of Sydney before the Aussie proposed that they should partake of a “drop of the hard stuff” and Petty Officer Davies’s protestations (never happen) were ignored. It was a very tired U.C. that arrived in Melbourne a couple of days later having driven most of the way with this drunken Digger asleep alongside him.
On the social side, it would be true, and to be on the safe side, suffice it to say that we have had some successes, some more than others! With Naples, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Ulladulla, Melbourne, Perth, Singapore, Pulau Tioman, Singapore, Borneo, Alongapo, Okinawa, Yokosuka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila, Bang Icok, Singapore, and the 144 Milestone—Sembawang Road behind us it would not he prudent to claim that the Flight had led a sheltered commission. Who’d believe us anyway?
Although the Flight is more or less a self-contained unit we do rely upon virtually every department in the Ship to help us maintain a high state of operational efficiency and this book provides the ideal opportunity to offer our gratitude. It would take too long to mention by name all those concerned and a few would inevitably and wrongly be omitted, but the efforts put in by the Firesuitment, Controllers, Stores and Catering personnel, Refuelling parties, F.D.O.’s, Lookouts, Sea Boat crews, Met. men and many others have not gone unnoticed and helped to make this a very happy and operationally successful commission for the Flight. Thank you.