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Photographs and paintings of Royal Navy warships, establishments and their ships
company, including mementoes of the
crew who sailed in them. Also photographs and paintings with
details of foreign warships.
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A brief log of David Axford's career in
the Royal Navy during the "swinging sixties" (they were
quite literally 'rocking and rolling' at times during the many stormy
seas) onboard the warships I served.
Some of my experiences
involved:
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climbing up Ganges mast, approximately 130 feet high (without
any safety harness - so just as well I had little fear of heights
back then) to climbing the mast of Fearless, only this time
internally;
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sleeping in a comfortable hammock
for the first five years to eventually having the luxury of my own bunk;
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keeping watch on an
open-air bridge with the discomfort of cold, wet and
occasionally the noise of 'A' and 'B' 4.5" guns forward,
offset by being able to sunbathe whilst working in warmer
climes;
-
down the mess cooler fresh air
provided by wind scoops (which
occasionally scooped in the sea instead!) to real
air-conditioning;
-
from having to set-up
the messdeck ready to watch a film, to the luxury of just
switching on the TV in the mess onboard my last
ship.
Life may of been generally very hard in the Royal Navy,
encountering one extreme to another - but it
was never
dull!
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List of shipmates who
served in HMS Cassandra during any one of her commissions
and are now part of the Cassandra Association. Did you ever
serve in HMS Cassandra? If so come and join us. We have a
reunion once a year where we all get together and thoroughly
enjoy ourselves.
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HMS Bronington is one of the few remaining wooden
minesweepers that has not ended up being scrapped. A couple of other preserved
"Tons" have been purchased and are being used as static Sea
Cadet training vessels. These ships were built between 1953 and 1960 -
a total of 118 "Ton" class were built, named after villages
and hamlets in the UK; 116 for the Royal Navy and 2 for the South African Navy.
Some of these minesweepers were converted to minehunters and others as
patrol ships.
There used to be a saying "wooden ships and
iron men". Conditions were very cramped and difficult at times but
this only meant that the sailors would work and play harder as well as
learn how to improvise;
this made for a united friendly atmosphere onboard these great little
ships, that weren't found in any other that I ever experienced.
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Links to other good naval
web-sites from around the world.
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Jack's ditties (Salty Sea Stories).
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Enter inside the 'Slop
Shop' Mall and you'll find detailed lists of many hundreds
of naval books and videos for you to choose from. As well,
you'll see details of where to purchase naval memorabilia;
from affordable wall shields, badges, cap tallies, crystal
glasses, ties, jumpers, sweatshirts, polo shirts, pilot
shirts, ship photographs and much more. Come in and browse
for as long as you like.
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