HMS Hermes 1953-1986 - World Naval Ships Forums Archive (Page 2)

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HMS Hermes 1953-1986 - World Naval Ships Forums Archive (Page 2)

HMS Hermes 1953-1986 (Page 2)

Posts 51 to 100

Big thanks Dave; I was pretty sure about the harrier, this must belong with a little wodge of papers to celebrate the delivery of the very first sea-harrier which I will post in due course, the dining table is a foot deep in curly old pics right now and i've already filled 4 files with Hermes and six others with diffrerent subs. Can anyone recomend a decent negative reader, there are packets of these, mostly 127s with no prints??

Dear Dave, do you remember Mid. Leigh Merrick (now Capt. rtd) driving the big orange crane over the side?? "It was facing the wrong way, sir"! there are a few shots of an empty deck with tyre marks leading to a parking space in the oggin and I wondered if this might be the "evidence" post factum!! tim Will post later to see it it strikes a chord

Hi Tim, Just a small observation , with the first collection of piccys,.....if you put your mouse over each photo , it shows which was the most popular one viewed. Well i must say , you can tell it,s a matlow site , the one with the two girls , has the most hits .......it shows we never change, even through age . cylla

Cylla Hmmmmmmmmm My reason was different!!!!!!! I thought that Tim had got his dates wrong and I that they were two gunners that were in 7D Mess when I was there in 1975. I was wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi Tim, A couple or corrections to my last. Squadrons were 809 [Buccaneers] 892 [Sea Vixens] 849 [ASW Gannets] 826 [Wessex Eggbeaters]. There were two incidents of "things" going over the side. 1. Feb 1967 the FDO thought he would move a Forklift Truck which was obstructing a Vixen awaiting takeoff. He leapt on not realising it was chocked - leapt the chocks and went straight over the side. We turned away and picked him up by Eggbeater. 2. The second is fuzzy - it was in Pompey when we had returned from the Far East and were hurriedly replenishing to cover the Aden withdrawal - loading ammunition a mobile crane on the flight deck overloaded toppled over the side. The divers reported that when they went down they also found a couple of lorries. Don't recall who was driving the crane but I don't think it would have been a mid. No. 1 one is probably the most logical. Your harrier question - Hermes did Harrier trials in Carmarthen Bay in 1979. She embarked Trials Team Harriers [2] and Harrier Sqn 700A It was then 1981 that she had her peeled banana fitted and became a Harrier platform. Hope this all helps. Regards ....... Dave H

[B]Your harrier question - Hermes did Harrier trials in Carmarthen Bay in 1979. She embarked Trials Team Harriers [2] and Harrier Sqn 700A[/B] Hermes did Harrier trials a little earlier than 1979, Dave I was on her when she did Harrier trials during the winter of 1977/8. We left Portsmouth, wanting bad weather for the trials. ended up near Scapa Flow before we found some.

I was reading up on your Commission [ASW Carrier ops] and lo and behold I found a reference to those Harrier trials you mention - but they are a bit later than you recall. The reference I have shows Exercise Octeval followed by a visit to Hamburg and Harrier trials in the Moray Firth ... all this in the fourth quarter of 1978. How does that sound ....... I am fishing because my commisssion was 65 thru 67. Reading further I see yet another Forklift fell off Happy Hermes, this time off the prow in Norway. Seems she didn't have much affection for FLT's. My ref for Hermes is "HMS HERMES 1959-1984" by Lt Cdr Tony Dyson - foreword by Tim's dad [My Skipper] The search continues....... Dave H

I am sorry to disagree with you, Dave. The date that you suggest was not the time that I was talking about. In fact, I left the Navy in April 1978. So I couldn't have been there. Also I never went to Hamburg on the Hermes. I am positive that it was winter 1977/78 I think that we had 5 on board for the trials made up of single and two seaters. Having been in the mess deck down aft on the port quarter 2 Deck I think. (Can't remember for sure. But is was the same deck as the Quarterdeck). We soon found out how noisy the Harrier was when coming in to land by hovering.

some more from the files; i guess all of these pictures capture the life of a ship at sea and viasiting different places. I think the visiting Admiral is Adm Serek Empson? if anyone can put names and places to the pics i would be very grateful.
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and more............
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Hi Dave, You was there at the time Dave so I defer to you - I thought I had it with Hamburg run then Moray Firth. Must agree with you on the noise. I lived in 2C Mess right below the Cats and it was early morning call each day when flying as the test run was carried out and then the COD Gannet being the first off. I'm off to look at some of Tim's fotties - hadn't realised his dad TT was such a camera buff. Regards ....... Dave H

Dear Dave, I think the photographic dept aboard the ship was the hardest worked of all! the best pics of the commission are bound up into three albums, black with black card pages and about 4" thick but I gave these to the NMM after he died, they have them in their collection. One of these fine days I'll borrow them back and scan them in but meanwhile will continue to post all of the rest with exception of those that are too samey. Dad was never much of a snapper but he did like to make sure they were around to record life aboard!. Can you remember where the ship is with those high barren cliffs in the background? I think it might be Greece, did you not sail into the crater of Santorini? if they get too dull just let me know and we can move on to another topic. all best tim

[B]"if they get too dull just let me know and we can move on to another topic."[/B] You won't be hearing anything from us, Tim. Keep 'em coming!

Picture third from last. Great picture of the Happy Hermes!!! One of the good things about being on a Carrier. There was always a photographer handy. One thing, Tim. Do you think that it is a foregone conclusion that if you get command of a Carrier you will get promotion to Admiral? That, of course, if you don't run it aground somewhere on the M25!!!!!!

Hi Tim, You are spot on with the location. We had just been to Athens and we then passed through to submerged extinct volcano center onward past Santorini on our way to the Suez Canal and the Far East. There is a great shot of this in Navy News 1954-1994 [All Pictures with many of the Happy H]. If I can master the art of posting pickies I will try and put some of them on. But if I fail my course you are quite welcome to borrow the book. Keep them coming Tim - Big H was my favourite ship and you know my regard for TT. Dave H

Hi Dave, It didn't do the Fieldmouse any harm did it. He was Commander on Adamant in '65 - I remember him acting local Captain when Captain Parker [Hermes after TT] was taken ill in Mombasa - and then I think he went on to run the Unclean, sorry Unseen brigade before overall command for the Falklands. Pretty good pedigree I would say. They used to say if you managed Aide D'camp to Her Majesty flag rank was assured - how true - I don't know. Dave H

Hi again Tim, The one with the Seacat firing prompted a memory. After they took our guns and left us with just the one [Quad Mount] Seacat we used to wonder how quick they could reload - could they with a 100% success rate against five incomings reload fast enough to stop the fifth one making a mess of our paintwork. :confused: Dave H

[B]"making a mess of our paintwork"[/B] It wouldn't have happened Dave. The Buffer and Jimmy would have been on the Flight Deck with Buckets, Scrubbers and Mops to throw at it as backup!!!!!

[QUOTE=qprdave;58898][B]"making a mess of our paintwork"[/B] It wouldn't have happened Dave. The Buffer and Jimmy would have been on the Flight Deck with Buckets, Scrubbers and Mops to throw at it as backup!!!!![/QUOTE] Aye and a few spare sets of Nappies from the LSBA me thinks

Watch we don't get the Dave's mixed up - me Dave H, im qprdave. Don't put more than one tot in your tea Harry it blurs the grey stuff.

These were in a tatty manilla envelope marked Malta; i leave it to you to decide how many are actually Malta and how many are from elsewhere in the Mare Nostrum (Italian for local oggin). Surely someone must recognise a face or two? note the two chums sampling the local brew, is that you Dave??
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Not this Dave Tim them's Wafoos

they do look as tho that might not be the first bottle... more to come in morning. Changing tack; I tremember there was a thread on the Charybdis/Limbournememorial, I have found a bunch of photos from the 1946 service and will post in due course. tim

The purpose of an aircraft carrier is to fly her aircraft; here are a few pics of that purpose being carried out. Anyone you recognise Dave? All best tim
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Very nostalgic Tim,Could have been scenes from quite a few Flight Decks from that era, Photo 4, if it had been the 'Vic' the guy astride the catapult could have been me.

Hi Tim, Great pics bringing back loads of memories. However, the one that really stands alone is the Tiger Moth, watched that from the goofing deck. The rest with so many launches and recoveries the only ones that really stand out are to near misses and sadly the fatals. Dave H

the fatals were indeed very sad, i will send you the transcript of his tape on this later, it was a bad do at the time and only escaped from by a lot of diplomacy in the air dept. Here is the tigger leaving...
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Dave, were you there, must have been, when the first night landing of the commission nearly ended with the senior flyer, forget who, trying to land on Bournemouth pier insisting it was the deck lights he could see below? i think i posted the story a while ago. tim

A really excellent group of photos Tim. I just love seeing any picture of the Buccaneer. Also loved the refuelling shot with the Lightning. Many thanks.

Sorry Tim, I was probably on watch when that one came through. I am trying to get a friend [Tom Potts] who was a two and half in the Ops Room during the 66/67 commission to log onto the Forum. He was also in Kenya [Mombasa] with me as the Senior Officer Patrol Craft. You dad sent us a Good Luck in Training the Kenyans signal when we first arrived in Mombasa in 1969 - shows how much interest he took in people. Dave H

thanks for those really great pics, maybe if we'd still had big carriers i might even have become a WAFU! even more sleep than a WE:)

[B]"i might even have become a WAFU"[/B] That's a bit drastic, Dave!!!!!!

Hey Dave, Only WAFU's wanted to be WAFU's. Orrible, Noisy, Stinky things and that was just the Aircraft. WAFU's code was "Last on, First off - the Deck apes can take it in - oh, and I'll have another egg on my night flying meal". All real sailors got was Kye and Hard Tack Biscuits. Dave H

[QUOTE=Dave Hutson;60344]Hey Dave, Only WAFU's wanted to be WAFU's. Orrible, Noisy, Stinky things and that was just the Aircraft. WAFU's code was "Last on, First off - the Deck apes can take it in - oh, and I'll have another egg on my night flying meal". All real sailors got was Kye and Hard Tack Biscuits. Dave H[/QUOTE] Well said!!!!! Couldn't agree more

Yeh boys and they didn't need to be on carriers went right down to the Frigates with helos..... back to the Sqdn you know... Sorry Jim ;) Little h

ooooppppssss, I forgot about our superb artist (Crawl, Crawl, Creep, Creep) Sorry Jim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never went on a squadron, I was always ships company, I even done six months Damage control/ ventilation Patry, issued with my own wheel spanner and grease gun for servicing the Rod and gear u/v joints.This was in the Ark, we were in a communual mess, so there were Stokers Fish 'eads, Greenies and all sorts Ps stop snivelin'

ah yes i can remember the flight on frigates and destroyers, always last to turn up but first to get home and when they werent there, us WE's had to do rounds of the hanger etc at least now i'm on a ship with a hanger but no flight deck that will confuse the blighters!:)

I must admit that when ordered that I was going to DCHQ as POOW for three months communal duty on Hermes I thought "Who the hell have I upset". On reflection I learn't more about that ship during that period than most in 2 years. Yes, there were plenty of Klankies down there but we were all in the same boat. It was certainly quieter after the Bridge Wireless Office, except when we were cowtowing to the Flyboys who insisted on alternate cats which meant we had to pump 50 tons of ballast port to stbd and vice versa [by hand] every time they launched. Never did get an answer as to why they couldn't do it by computer. Probably getting their own backs on us Fishheads. But that was the attitude of our sisters in the "We fly" world:rolleyes::rolleyes:;)

Dear Hermes enthusiasts, I have just found two volumes of photos of Hermes under the commission of Captain Fitch, most are taken around mid-1977. There is also a copy of the Hermes Herald I can reproduce if anyone is interested? No time to scan now but will do it at the beginning of next week, there are loads of inside shots with plenty of ships company personel, the kite competition and the ever popular horse racing. Just to whet appetites! tim
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Tim 1977 That is the time I was on the Happy Hermes. Post everything please!!!!!!!!!!

A little bit of Gaussian blur gets rid of those aggravating marks although I may have overdone it a bit. Bob.
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Thanks Bob. Much better

Hey look Dave she's turned round and is coming back... yours' is going away;);)

Yeah Doesn't matter which end you look at...Still a great ship.

Dave please see email.

[QUOTE=qprdave;63694]Yeah Doesn't matter which end you look at...Still a great ship.[/QUOTE] Yeh mate gotta admit she certainly did the business during her commissioned life afloat!!

can anyone confirm that HMS HERMES flew off aircraft whilst in VALETTA harbour,striclty against rules i believe,in the early 60`s.

Don't know about HERMES Peter but the old ARK Certainly did as the attached photo's show. Regards Dave
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Hermes Harrier trials '76. A good year for Loan Drafts...
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