New draft

[hucks216]

Just wanted to say hello. I'm a new joiner here. I have an interest in Naval history and I am a current serving member of the Royal Navy.

[herakles]

You are very welcome here! We all look forward to you sharing your knowledge with us. It's going to be right up to date seeing as you are under the Colours now.

[romft1945]

Welcome aboard mate hope you find the site useful and enjoy yourself
Rom:)

[The Sailor]

Hi Hucks. We will look forward to your posts. Got an avatar and all to start.
What is the ship in your avatar?

[hucks216]

Thanks for the welcomes. The ship in my avatar is the one I am currently serving on, HMS Monmouth - "The Black Duke", in Hong Kong last year during a 9 month global deployment.

[herakles]

I though I recognised the background!

What is your work on her or is that Top Sacred?

[Stan.J]

H.M.S.Tamar Hong Kong, in its heyday, not sure what it looks like now?

[hucks216]

My job is Electronic Warfare which is basically long range early warning by intercepting and analysing radar pulses, and also involves advising the command on all aspects of anti-ship missile defence and responsibility for deploying the ships decoys.

[hucks216]

HMS Tamar, or what used to be Tamar, is now a building site and the main jetty is used by dredgers at the moment.

[hucks216]

Two photos of Hong Kong taken last year.

[The Sailor]

Glad you weren't at the Falklands old mate.
Check out these posts.

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=759

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=777

[hucks216]

I joined up 6 years after the Falklands conflict. There are a couple of sailors onboard my current ship who were down there for the war in '82.

[The Sailor]

What I meant was that it might have been you on duty that day that missed seeing the Exocet coming

[hucks216]

Sheffield was a Pompey ship & you wouldn't find me on a Pompey ship - I'm Guz based through & through! :)

[romft1945]

Sheffield was a Pompey ship & you wouldn't find me on a Pompey ship - I'm Guz based through & through! :)


I shou;d be so lucky I was Guz based but in the very early days you got sent wherever they decided my first post was to rosyth to collect HMS Tenby,
ROMFT:D

[romft1945]

H.M.S.Tamar Hong Kong, in its heyday, not sure what it looks like now?

Stan nice photo I was in Hong kong 1954 to 1957 as a school kid went to the swimming pool there loads of times looking at the photo that is either HMS Lion or HMS Tiger top left after being converted any idea when it was taken,
ROM

[astraltrader]

Welcome Hucks - nice to have you on board. I really loved the photo of the Black Duke at Honkers- although kind of sad as well from the point of view of British history...

[hucks216]

Apart from the pollution, Hong Kong hasn't really changed much since the handover. Prior to last year the last time I was there was in 1992 and it is all still familiar and still one of the best run ashores in the world.

[astraltrader]

Out of curiosity, when you visited with your ship were there Chinese or any other naval ships there as well?

[hucks216]

While we were there, HMAS Perth & HMAS Parramatta were there, one astern of us & one ahead of us and when we were leaving a US destroyer was coming in but as I understand it, all ships now tie up to buoys in the river. I'm not sure if this is due to lack of jetties or because of high port costs to go alongside. My guess is the former although the former HMS Tamar jetties were being used by dredgers / barges so they may now belong to a construction type company.
Not in HK itself but just a few miles away, there was also an ex-Russian aircraft carrier (the Minsk) that is now Chinese but it looked to be in use as a museum.

[astraltrader]

Thank you for that useful bit of insight. Appreciated my friend.

[Maritime Michael Ian]

Hello Hucks,

Can I add my welcome to the forum, was in HK for a couple of days last year en-route to Oz for some maritime research.... seem to be a lot of expats- UK, Oz, NZ living and working there!

Ian
(ex RANR OS)

[hucks216]

It doesn't seem to have changed that much since the handover really. There were loads of UK people out on the town when we headed ashore. The only downside to Hong Kong now I'd have to say is the level of pollution. The place just sits in a smoggy haze which just doesn't lift.

[nogrub]

Sheffield was a Pompey ship & you wouldn't find me on a Pompey ship - I'm Guz based through & through! :)

Dont you believe it.
I was Guz based,and spent most of my time at Portsmouth, and Chatham.

[BuntingBob]

Hucks. Serious question but probably not PC(Who cares?). Are the EW branch still referred to as Gollies? Was in my time but I never did find out why.

[harry.gibbon]

Hey up Bunting Bob, wonder why you never did get a reply to your question... I was in HK 70-72 and very aquainted with yer aktual gollies (who incidently have their own website)... so no PC probs there!

I was tel(s) branch and am surprised that this thread seems to have died:confused:

Little h

[Dave Hutson]

Hi Bunting Bob from Sparker Dave. It is 15 months since you posed that question - and noone has yet come up with the answer. I confess that after 25 years as a Communicator I never knew the answer to that one - they just were. Come on Gollies and ex Gollies - what is the answer???
Yours aye.......Dave H

[Fairlead]

OK - I was NOT a 'Gollie' but I was at MERCURY at the time the RO(W)' ratings were nicknamed Gollies - The logic behind this was that with the introduction of the UA8/9 which was manned by up to 5 of them at a time, it became necessary to recruit more and more of them - more indians meant more 'Chiefs' of course - so it turned out that a few senior rates were being promoted CRS(W) at a very early age (nearly quicker than 'tiffs'). The RS and CY rosters at the time were about 8 years long, so it was suggested that if you were a (W) all you had to do to get promoted was save enough Robinsons Marmalade 'Gollie' stickers and you would be there! This got serious and Robinsons even had a special commemorative pin badge made, which was a limited edition and now very rare and sought after. (W) senior rates could be distinguished by a Gollie pin badge on their ties, and none on their left sleeve! Incidentally, I believe the first such young CRS(W) went on to be a Commander before he retired.
I relate this as it was back in the 60's when a black faced colourfully clad doll with frizzy hair was called a 'golliwog' and images of this doll were used by Robinsons as a label on their products. I am aware that this is now a racist comment and therefore wish to emphasise that I relate this as it WAS and assure the readership that I am NOT a racist in any shape or form.

Fairlead (ex CRS(RCI))

[John Brown]

Hucks. Serious question but probably not PC(Who cares?). Are the EW branch still referred to as Gollies? Was in my time but I never did find out why.

As Dave had said..The 'Gollies' do have their own website...

http://navygollies.co.uk/default.aspx


Regards...John

[CYLLA]

John Brown ,

Thanks for that link ... i have sent "bunting Bob" a e.mail.

cylla

[harry.gibbon]

As Dave had said..The 'Gollies' do have their own website...

http://navygollies.co.uk/default.aspx


Regards...John

and me John I mentioned they had a w/site as well... please don't leave me out at this stage after resurrecting the thread! I just wanted Bunting Bob to go and search it out cause the answer is on their home page.. Little h

[harry.gibbon]

As Dave had said..The 'Gollies' do have their own website...

http://navygollies.co.uk/default.aspx


Regards...John

and me John I mentioned they had a w/site as well... please don't leave me out at this stage after resurrecting the thread!:):) I just wanted Bunting Bob to go and search it out cause the answer is on their home page.. Little h;)

[BuntingBob]

Thanks guys. I'd obviously forgotten about my original post. Things to do, brass to be polished. You know how it is. A Buntings work is never done.
Only just re-visited the thread and now I know the answer to my question.

[harry.gibbon]

Hucks. Serious question but probably not PC(Who cares?). Are the EW branch still referred to as Gollies? Was in my time but I never did find out why.
BuntingBob its all in the forum just type in gollies in the search box and stand back!!! they have their own very good site on the web also so lookie ere:-

http://navygollies.co.uk/default.aspx

Little h

[qprdave]

Are you the same Buntingbob that cast aspersions on Ganges Boys and upset a vast amount of them

Dave
(Ex-Ganges Boy)