If you can think and not
make thoughts your aim - Rudyard Kipling's "IF"
If you can think and not
make thoughts your aim - Rudyard Kipling's "IF"
The Royal Navy Submarine Centenary Year 2001-that was the year, that was
This site may take a couple of minutes to load - this may be due to the numbers accessing the internet, the telephone lines down, gremlins, a forgotten full stop or any other reason outside of my control.
Also, I keep altering the site.
I was born in 1933 and named George William Caton. I lived in Blackpool, Rhyll, Barnsley, Bradford and anywhere else where my father could sell confectionery. His marriage certificate gave his occupation as confectionery salesman. Six years after I was born he changed his occupation to the Army as a Sapper in the Royal Engineers and went with the BEF to France. I and my brother went to Todmorden as evacuees. Seven years later we were back in Blackpool. Two years after that I was in the Royal Navy.
This is a new personal site which is intended to support family and friends research. It is especially valuable for ex-service personnel who,by connecting to the Naval channels and the Royal British Legion channel, will find valuable information. However, it also acts as an information base for my old friends or relations.
A list of links to sites are at the end of this site.
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My Pal Derek Walsh and self in a Plymouth pub c 1951. (the beer - no comment). We had recently returned from the Far East - ex HMS Unicorn. We were roughly aged about 18.
We now had a choice for our future ( that is, within the confines of the navy) so we opted for an underwater weapons course at HMS Defiance then on to HMS Vernon for further tuition.
This gave us a good opportunity for becoming submariners which we took advantage of. An alternative to the French Foreign Legion - well it was for me.
Derek's Boats - Aeneas, Acheron and T boats an odd time or two.
Mine - Sea Devil, Ambush(Portland) Telemachus(Far East based in Sydney and last boat Anchorite (Rothsey and all points north)
Derek now lives in Australia with his wife Gladys. They have three daughters and six grand-children.
E-mail Address: derekwalsh@bigbluenet.au
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Left - Boys Training Establishment - retired, but the spirit lives on as HMS Ganges Association
Right - HMS Ganges's school - Probably converted into Upmarket flats. This school gave boys a chance of further education, catching up on education missed and outward bound activities. Education did not finish after leaving the school. Further Education was available on HM Ships at sea and shore bases.
It would be unusual if any Ganges boy missed seeing the following poem which was displayed both sides of the stage in the Gym. The Gym having been used for prayers, films, concerts, body building, body bashing and any other fatigue which could be thought up by the PTIs'. (Hup in the air go! - who told you to come down?) Click on IF to read it.
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HMS Unicorn now retired
© 2 photos copyright Derek Walsh
Our first ship. Derek Walsh and I were deposited on HMS Howe as a temporary measure first. Derek Wroe went on to enjoy the experience of small ships. We joined HMS Unicorn in 1949 to 1951. Sailed to the Far East without a word to anyone. We carried the Middleses Regiment and Brigade Headquarters from Hong Kong(Kowloon) to Pusan in Korea, inter alia. We had the Military Police in our Mess. When they disembarked, my hammock disappeared. Taken back to the stores which was the last time I saw it. After all the loving care and attention given to it whilst at Ganges.(pointing and grafting) However, this was nothing compared to the suffering that the British troops went through in the cold harsh winters of Korea in 1950. To see the British troops marching off as only the British could do brought a lump to the throat. The Unicorn was a support carrier for the Fleet. When we left the Unicorn we traded places with the Warrior crew. We brought the Warrior back home and left her, disembarking in Plymouth sound. We arrived home as silently as we had left. |
Click on above image for Submarine Museum
TAS Branch
| At 18, specialised in underwater-weapons.[torpedoes,mines,minelaying/sweeping,demolition etc]. Then qualified as submariners serving in and under the UK waters, (Sea Devil, as asdics then Ambush as after endsman) and elsewhere North. Then Far East (again).Based in Sydney Australia, (Thorough and Telemachus). On return to UK took further course in underwater weapons (UW2). Joined Anchorite, i/c afterends. It goes without saying that these courses stood us in good stead for civilian life. Plumbing, electrical, painting and decorating,washing up. Climbing Gange's mast stood me in good stead for climbing ladders at home,inter alia. However, it didn't do much for my nerves. I understand from Derek that he too can repair his vacuum cleaner. But alas, the TAS Branch is no longer, but of course we no longer use cannon balls. |
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Telemachus |
Ambush |
Anchorite |
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Telemachus operating from Sydney, Australia - now retired. I don't remember taking this one. News just in 11/8/2000 - This photo was taken by a Royal New Zealand AirForce plane P2 Neptune in the Tasman Sea in the early fifties. No wonder there's white water.
Its interesting to note, well it is for me, that when I was a young lad on the Unicorn (in Singapore) I looked down from the flight deck to the Telemachus parked in front of us, little realising that one day I would be a member of her crew.
Being out in Australia was handy for Hong-Kong and Singapore. Singapore dockyard was an experience. Chinese dockyard mateys cutting the saddle tanks and making wooden templates for refitting new plates to the tanksides. Would she ever float again? She did. Hong-Kong was another story.
Ambush operated out of Portland via the Portland races and the open sea. The odd shot at the Queen Mary or Queen Elizabeth for target practice. We visited Bristol for the Queen's Coronation. The Ambush had not been streamlined with a large fin so there was a lot of polishing to do on entering harbour. Anyone who has polished the gun will know.
Anchorite arriving Rothesey in Scotland - now retired. This photograph was taken by the Engineer Officer(?) as we came alongside the Adamant. (Depot Ship). The Squadron was based in Rothsey Sound. However, due to reorganisation, the squadron moved up to Gareloch Head circa 1957. My father, who was with the Royal Engineers during the war (WW2), helped to construct the jetty at Faslane. He was evacuated from Dunkirk but went out again during the Normandy landings. (D-Day +)
Anchorite was the first 'A'boat to have a section cut out of the roof of her hull to allow the motors to be lifted and repaired, resulting in a 500 feet dive to test the welding afterwards. Well done Fred Green and his pals of Chatham Dockyard - the weld held. Well Fred didn't do the welding.
©originator©<><><>©Paul Enrico© |
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Comment: Left the Royal Navy in 1958 - Life revolved mainly around insurance. Sold business, retired to a Nautical College. Back to College and University, Graduated with a BA, BSc(Hons) and an MSc., not at the same time though. Then retired for real. However, returned to active life becoming a caseworker with the Royal British Legion for a period.Now aged 74 and counting. Married, two daughters - three grand-daughters and one grand-son. Great-grandson arrived 8/12/2000.
My philosophy-There is no such state as old, we are either older or younger depending which way we are looking.
After active service what better than to give some time to youth such as:
The Sea Cadets Corps and the Girls Nautical Training Corps - Now combined.
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Left - Lynda receives Best Cadet Award. She was also an excellant bugler. Later Lynda joined the Wrens - Centre- On course at HMS Raliegh. Right - The Blackpool Sea Cadet Band. Thats Julie in the pram. You can just about see her.
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I have been involved in genealogy since the early 70s. Check personal interests, we might be relate Even through drink
This is not an exercise in egoism. It is my way of exploring the frontiers of this amazing medium which, through technological evolution, not only allows us to spread our knowledge for the future, it helps us to keep in touch with our past and allows us access to the present. For the younger generations the past is not available. It is only when we arrive in the future that we value the past, which was then the present. Without history there is no future, for they compliment each other. As does Ying and Yang.
© george.w.caton
Jagger
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The following Websites have an abundance of information and they link to other sites - TO RETURN TO THIS SITE, CLICK THE BACK BUTTON ON THE BROWSER.
HMS Unicorn Article + link to some Korean Stories,inter alia. |
you are the
visitor to this site. However, due to alterations to the
sight it goes back to zero.
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The End - Well for the time being,or,
Copyright of ©
George W Caton.
Last revised: December 13, 2008
