NEWSLETTER 3/06 (SEPTEMBER)
In a way this year has so far been a bit of an “annus horibilis”, as Her Majesty The Queen once said of her year. It started of course with the decision of Shipmate George Toomey to stand down as Chairman, after being at the Association’s helm for such a long time. Whilst the Association is more than just one person, the changes that become necessary naturally cause some turmoil. The next thing was the realisation that we had lost 15 of our members (7 full members and 8 associates) through failure renew their membership. In most cases they haven’t responded to letters, phones, etc. so there is no way of knowing why.
In the last newsletter we asked members to nominate someone to be the new Chairman. The aim of this was to get a list of candidates to be put forward for a vote by the electorate. The list of candidates was not long, only one in fact! There were many nominations for Shipmate Ken Satterthwaite. Several other names were put forward but they did not wish to be included.
A letter was sent to all full members on 10th August giving these details and it was proposed by Shipmate Peter Harrison and seconded by Shipmate Jack Price that Shipmate Ken Satterthwaite be elected Chairman with effect from 1st October 2006. The date of 1st October was selected because George Toomey wanted to stand down as soon as possible and so that the new Chairman would be in place to make any decisions in the run up to the next reunion.
The letter also included a resumé of Ken’s attributes for those who did not know him personally, and this is reproduced below for the benefit of our Associate members. A return postcard was included so that the members could vote for or against the proposal.
168 members were eligible to vote and replies were received from 139 (82.74%). Thank you to all those who sent in their votes. The result of the voting was:
FOR 138 (99.28% of the votes)
AGAINST 1 ( 0.72% “ “ “ )
and therefore Shipmate Ken Satterthwaite is elected to be our new Chairman. This will be ratified at our next AGM.
I hope that all our members will rally behind our new Chairman and give him every support in shaping plans for the future of our Association.
Peter Harrison
Secretary
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KEN SATTERTHWAITE’S RESUMÉ
I joined the navy in 1954 as a boy seaman and left in 1978 as a Chief Petty Officer Gunnery Instructor (CGI). I served my time on HMS Cossack (D57) as an AB 1957/58. For those who served in the RN, you will be aware that rising through the ranks meant that you had to manage men at various levels, my final sea going appointment was on HMS Tartar a Type 81 Frigate, where I was responsible for 100 of the ships company whilst on board, accountable to the 1st Lt, this included a marine detachment and a small ships flight. Therefore man management had to be one of the skills required.
Also I served on the committee and eventually become President of the RN & RM Gunnery Instructors Association, as it was known then.
On leaving the service I joined British Waterways as their national Safety Adviser, amongst other requirements I had to establish local safety committees throughout the organisation, plus a national committee, for which I was the secretariat. I also served on and chaired a number of other external work related committees and working groups.
In my private life I joined the Watford Branch of the RNA and was elected onto the committee where I became the Ceremonial Officer and Assistant Standard Bearer, during my tenure I have organised a number of memorable parades etc.,
I also joined the Management Committee of my local sea cadet unit TS Renown which I served on for ten years, where I had the job of secretary and finally chairman.
I am currently Chairman of the HMS Tartar Association and on the committee of the Herts Branch of the Inland Waterways Association (IWA), a voluntary pressure group. Further more I am currently your Ceremonial Officer.
So much for my experience, so what can I bring to the party if I am elected as your Chairman? I can bring integrity, organisational skills, dedication and a vision, that vision being that the association can build on its past leadership, it will continue to have its esprit de corps and hopefully it will continue to grow. It should also provide you, the membership, with an association to which you have an input as to its development and future.
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I’m sure all are sorry that George Toomey’s has had to stand down as Chairman and many expressed the wish to honour him in some way. In discussion with the Chairman elect, making George a Life Vice-President, an honorary position entailing no work, was proposed and put to George, together with a plea for him to attend the reunion next April to make it formal and officially hand over to Ken. However, he is adamant that he does not wish to accept and he will not attend any more reunions. It is very sad that it should happen this way but we must thank him for all he did for the Association over the years. Our thanks too to his wife Pat’s patience and support over those years. We wish him a contented retirement and for some improvement in his health.
His farewell message is given below:
Members
I write to you for the last time as your Chairman - before standing down due to Health which was mentioned in the last NL.
I had a bad fall 12 months ago over a kerb-stone and injured my spine, legs and fractured 5 bones in feet. Had a body scan - which require major surgery - but age and general
health make this not possible given pills - but affected my mind - these have now been withdrawn - and my mind has greatly improved - I know it has - as I get the right cat in at night - I barely have much recollection of last reunion.
At least - I have left you with 2 associations - 8th Destroyer Flotilla & the Cossack Ass which I foundered and also designed the 8th ships standard & Ties and Blazer badges - and also Cossack 2 Standard & Blazer Badge & Ties & Headscarf which was the foundation of both my Associations. So take care of them, and also I built 2 Rum Tubs one for the 8th DA and one for Cossack which are in use to this day.
To all Members that have phoned me - my deepest thanks. 6 from overseas & 41 from Home - one from Russia.
Have a great Reunion in 2007 and support your fellow shipmates that work very hard for you.
That it - Take care
George Toomey
Chairman and Founder
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Membership Matters
Membership
As mentioned earlier, we have lost a number of members since our last newsletter, most due to lapsed membership but we have also sadly heard that Shipmate Philip Bryant (D57 1953-55) has passed over the bar since our last newsletter. His obituary is given below.
Philip’s widow is now an Associate member.
Membership now stands at 262, made up as follows:
Full/Life Members 168 (19 L03, 149 D57)
Associate Members 87
Honorary Members 7
Total 262
OBITUARIES
MAY HE FIND A SAFE HARBOUR FOR EVER
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CAN YOU HELP?
We didn’t receive any response to our request in the last newsletter for anyone who knew Reg Marriott. He would presumably have been the Coxswain before Bob Seymour. Surely someone would remember being put in the rattle by Reg Marriott.
Now, another son is trying to find out about his father’s naval career. John Bramble is trying to get information about his father, Kenneth John Charles Bramble. He has no other information than that he served in Cossack during the Korean War. That means he would have been in either the 1949-51 commission or the 1951-54. Any information please to the Secretary.
REUNION 2007
In the last newsletter (June) we asked members to let us know if they would be attending the next reunion at Worthing in April 2007. This was for planning purposes only. Time marches on and the Group Reservation Contract with the Chatsworth Hotel has now been signed and a holding deposit paid. The dates will 13th - 15th April and the prices (including the association’s charge for extras) will be as follows:
3 nights dinner, b & b - £135.00 per person
2 nights dinner, b & b - £102.50 per person
1 night dinner, b & b - £ 60.00 per person.
Banquet dinner only - £ 25.00 per person.
Those who have said they will be attending, and their guests, amount to 101 persons. From previous experience that number is likely to reduce by about 6 or so due to illness, etc. but we hope that more will decide to book. Please try to make it. It isn’t a re-union if YOU aren’t there.
Booking forms will be sent out with the next newsletter (end of November/early December).
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CAN YOU HELP? - 2
What about Ronald Melsom? Anyone remember him? Thomas Melsom has applied to join us an Associate (Family) member being the son of Ronald. He says that his father, an OA, joined D57 when she first commissioned and went with her to the Far East. He doesn’t currently have a copy of his father’s Service Cert.
This puts us in a bit of a dilemma. We do not have a list of all those who served in the ship and the MOD can’t (?) supply us with one. We therefore have no way of corroborating the claim. S/M Harry Ripp was the senior OA when the ship commissioned and thinks he remembers an OA named Ron but cannot remember his surname.
We have less members who served in D57’s first commission than served and survived from L03 so the chances are not good. However, if you knew Ron Melsom please let the Secretary know.
CAN YOU HELP? - 3
The e-mail printed below is fairly self-explanatory. Here’s a chance for you to tell your war-time story. Remember, when we’ve gone only such as these records will stand to tell what it was like.
To:
Subject: The Second World War Experience Centre
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Matthew Smaldon, and I am a volunteer recorder with The Second World War Experience Centre (www.war-experience.org).
The Centre is a registered museum and charity, and exists to document the lives of men and women who lived through the 1939-1945 years. Volunteer recorders, such as myself, record the recollections of people who lived and served during the Second World War. These tape recordings are sent to the Centre for transcribing and inclusion in the archive, where they are utilised by authors, TV researchers,
students, veterans groups and historical societies.
The reason for my email is that I wondered if it would be possible to include a notice in the HMS Cossack Association newsletter, inviting your members to contact the Centre if they are interested in having their wartime recollections recorded for posterity and inclusion in the Centre's archive? Recollections are tape recorded during an informal conversation. This is an opportunity for the interviewee to recount their stories and experiences - the volunteer's questions are minimal. There are volunteers all over the country and I am responsible for the West Berkshire & Oxfordshire area.
Thank you for your consideration of this invitation, I would be happy to provide you with additional information if you wish.
Regards
Matthew Smaldon (for The Second World War Experience Centre)
The Second World War Experience Centre contact details:
5 Feast Field (off Town St), Horsforth, Leeds,
West Yorkshire LS18 4TJ
General/Business Enquiries: 0113 2584993
Archival/Academic Enquiries: 0113 2589637
Fax: 0113 258 2557
email:
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Now, a contribution from one of those who joined D57 in the early days. As a Surgeon Lieutenant Neil Shand joined her in 1945 and now as Dr. Neil Shand, OAM from New South Wales, Australia, he has sent us a reminiscence from that time.
A WINTER’S TALE
It was cold as we went up the coast to Yokohama and after a year in the warm climate of further South we were unhappy.
I tried to recall the chill of a Glasgow November and tell myself that this was better but it didn’t work and I was more than ever grateful for the wardroom radiators and the good old custom of hiding oneself behind a newspaper at breakfast; those out of date papers were
really read but they invariably appeared on the table as legitimate excuses for the thick clouds of silence broken only by “pass the toast please” and “More coffee Ah Wing”
Even the quiet and efficient Chinese stewards seemed to have grown clumsy in the cold and there were peevish bursts of oriental profanity as Cossack rolled and dishes crashed in the pantry.
I gave up the crossword in disgust and dumped down the ladder to the iron deck, past the motor boat, threading my way through the duty part of watch who were huddled in the lee of the funnel in unaccustomed duffel coats and boots but as I paused to gauge the threatening seas before crossing the exposed deck another of my boyhood dreams was realised - there was Fujiyama shining in the morning sun!
A hard breeze had scattered the morning mists and though the summit was 30 miles away it stood out clearly above the lower coastal hills with only one narrow cloud creeping across the snowy summit.