The best of my wishes go with you Mick.. on the 23rd of this month it was 44 years since i joined the Royal Air Force.
On the 23rd of this month it was 21 years since i left.
As Jules will tell you ... I miss it every day ... never a day of my life goes by without the RAF being in my thoughts.
You never really leave ... you are part of it forever ... It is you ..
Per Ardua Ad Astra ...... ...
Have the best of times Mick .. and wear your medals with pride ...
Tears are permitted ....
50 years ago
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landsurfer
- Posts: 5327
- Joined: 27 Oct 2012, 9:13pm
Re: 50 years ago
“Quiet, calm deliberation disentangles every knot.”
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Be more Mike.
The road goes on forever.
Re: 50 years ago
Thanks.
It was a tearful day for me - and Mrs Mick F was emotional too.
We met some of the trainees, and watched them too. What struck us was their bearing and fitness, as well as cheerfulness and pride. Absolutely wonderful. They do ten weeks nowadays against our six weeks. They are far better prepared for the life in the RN than we were.
I'm so proud of them. Most of us were 16 or 17, but these days kids stay at school until 18, so the average age was higher for them than us.
The passing out parade was a moving experience not just for them and us watching, but for all the families there too. Mums in tears, fathers proud and grinning. The weather was rotten intermittently so the parade was held in the drill hall next to the parade ground, so we were all warm and dry. Royal Marine band played Hearts of Oak of course, a tune that always gets me absorbed and thoughtful. The inspecting officer was American Rear Admiral David Manero. Wonderful chap, and did a good rousing speech at the end.
After the platoons of ratings finished and it was all over, me and Mrs Mick F were at a bit of a loose end as the families all dispersed to speak and hug their newly passed out men and women. We walked over to the dias where the CO Captain Richard Harris and the entourage were chatting, and I walked up the steps and excused myself and interrupted. Me and the CO chatted for a minute or three and I bust into tears! He had no idea who I was, but I don't think he'll forget me.
I'll be writing to him in the next few days, congratulating him and HMS Raleigh for the standard of their ratings, and thanking him for allowing me and Mrs Mick F to visit.
Photos taken by Mrs Mick F on her phone. I was too emotional to take any.
These are the best of them.
This last one, is a candid shot at the bar over lunch with me in thoughtful reflective pose.
It was a tearful day for me - and Mrs Mick F was emotional too.
We met some of the trainees, and watched them too. What struck us was their bearing and fitness, as well as cheerfulness and pride. Absolutely wonderful. They do ten weeks nowadays against our six weeks. They are far better prepared for the life in the RN than we were.
I'm so proud of them. Most of us were 16 or 17, but these days kids stay at school until 18, so the average age was higher for them than us.
The passing out parade was a moving experience not just for them and us watching, but for all the families there too. Mums in tears, fathers proud and grinning. The weather was rotten intermittently so the parade was held in the drill hall next to the parade ground, so we were all warm and dry. Royal Marine band played Hearts of Oak of course, a tune that always gets me absorbed and thoughtful. The inspecting officer was American Rear Admiral David Manero. Wonderful chap, and did a good rousing speech at the end.
After the platoons of ratings finished and it was all over, me and Mrs Mick F were at a bit of a loose end as the families all dispersed to speak and hug their newly passed out men and women. We walked over to the dias where the CO Captain Richard Harris and the entourage were chatting, and I walked up the steps and excused myself and interrupted. Me and the CO chatted for a minute or three and I bust into tears! He had no idea who I was, but I don't think he'll forget me.
I'll be writing to him in the next few days, congratulating him and HMS Raleigh for the standard of their ratings, and thanking him for allowing me and Mrs Mick F to visit.
Photos taken by Mrs Mick F on her phone. I was too emotional to take any.
These are the best of them.
This last one, is a candid shot at the bar over lunch with me in thoughtful reflective pose.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: 50 years ago
Great stuff Mick.
Al
Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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philvantwo
- Posts: 1730
- Joined: 8 Dec 2012, 6:08pm
Re: 50 years ago
Tell us about your medals please Mick F!
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fausto copy
- Posts: 2809
- Joined: 14 Dec 2008, 6:51pm
- Location: Pembrokeshire
Re: 50 years ago
Hi Mick, I'm just delighted you had a splendid day.
It's wonderful to see people totally enjoying something that's been part of their life for so many years and I'm glad someone thought enough of you to invite you to a memorable occasion.
fausto.
It's wonderful to see people totally enjoying something that's been part of their life for so many years and I'm glad someone thought enough of you to invite you to a memorable occasion.
fausto.
Re: 50 years ago
Thanks.
Medals:
The coloured stripy on is the South Atlantic Medal. I also have the rosette which means I was in the thick of it in 1982.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Medal
The blue and white one is the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal awarded to me November 1985.
This is for ratings with an unblemished record of fifteen years service from age 18. You would get a bar to it for another fifteen years making minimum age of 48.
These days, the bar is awarded after another ten years, making minimum age 43.
I left the RN soon after my 43rd birthday, five years before being eligible for the bar. I left early, because I'd had enough. I was tired of it and stopped enjoying service life. No regrets about leaving early.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Lon ... edal_(1848)
Letter to the CO written, and will be posted today.
Captain Richard Harris RN
Commanding Officer
HMS Raleigh
Torpoint
PL11 2PD
30th September 2019
Sir,
No doubt you remember my wife and I coming onto the dais at the end of the passing out parade on Friday last. I was rather emotional and didn’t introduce myself properly, and for that I apologise.
Hilary had organised a visit to HMS Raleigh to view the passing out parade on the 50th anniversary of my joining up at Raleigh 29th September 1969.
After completing training at HMS Collingwood with a spell in HMS Achilles, I passed out as a Radio Electrical Mechanician, serving in HMSs Gurkha, Ambuscade (including the Falkland’s Conflict in 1982) Sirius, Iron Duke, Marlborough and latterly Argyll, and leaving the service in 1996.
Shore postings included HMS Cochrane, HMS Neptune COMCEN, CSOE Devonport, HMS Drake Fleet Maintenance, and a spell assisting SWEO to F9.
I was most impressed with the trainees at HMS Raleigh. The ones we met and saw were polite, proud, alert and had good bearing. They are a credit to you and your training.
The passing out parade was excellent. They all enjoyed themselves immensely and you could see the concentration on their faces, and not one of them put a foot wrong. You must be as proud of them as the parents and families were in the audience.
It was a memorable day for Hilary and I, and we really enjoyed ourselves and I thank you most sincerely.
Mick Fairhurst.
ex Charge Chief WEA
Medals:
The coloured stripy on is the South Atlantic Medal. I also have the rosette which means I was in the thick of it in 1982.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Atlantic_Medal
The blue and white one is the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal awarded to me November 1985.
This is for ratings with an unblemished record of fifteen years service from age 18. You would get a bar to it for another fifteen years making minimum age of 48.
These days, the bar is awarded after another ten years, making minimum age 43.
I left the RN soon after my 43rd birthday, five years before being eligible for the bar. I left early, because I'd had enough. I was tired of it and stopped enjoying service life. No regrets about leaving early.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Lon ... edal_(1848)
Letter to the CO written, and will be posted today.
Captain Richard Harris RN
Commanding Officer
HMS Raleigh
Torpoint
PL11 2PD
30th September 2019
Sir,
No doubt you remember my wife and I coming onto the dais at the end of the passing out parade on Friday last. I was rather emotional and didn’t introduce myself properly, and for that I apologise.
Hilary had organised a visit to HMS Raleigh to view the passing out parade on the 50th anniversary of my joining up at Raleigh 29th September 1969.
After completing training at HMS Collingwood with a spell in HMS Achilles, I passed out as a Radio Electrical Mechanician, serving in HMSs Gurkha, Ambuscade (including the Falkland’s Conflict in 1982) Sirius, Iron Duke, Marlborough and latterly Argyll, and leaving the service in 1996.
Shore postings included HMS Cochrane, HMS Neptune COMCEN, CSOE Devonport, HMS Drake Fleet Maintenance, and a spell assisting SWEO to F9.
I was most impressed with the trainees at HMS Raleigh. The ones we met and saw were polite, proud, alert and had good bearing. They are a credit to you and your training.
The passing out parade was excellent. They all enjoyed themselves immensely and you could see the concentration on their faces, and not one of them put a foot wrong. You must be as proud of them as the parents and families were in the audience.
It was a memorable day for Hilary and I, and we really enjoyed ourselves and I thank you most sincerely.
Mick Fairhurst.
ex Charge Chief WEA
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: 50 years ago
Any ideas about the abbreviations?
COMCEN is communications centre.
I worked with cryptography and data processing. Fascinating subject!
CSOE maybe should have been CSOe perhaps.
Commander Staff Operations (engineering)
SWEO was Squadron Weapon Engineer Officer.
F9 was the 9th Frigate Squadron of half a dozen or more Type 23 frigates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_23_frigate
HMS Cochrane no longer exists. It was the naval base at Rosyth Scotland closed in 1996.
HMS Neptune is the Clyde Submarine Base - HM Naval Base Clyde.
HMS Drake is Devonport Naval Base.
HMS Collingwood was the Naval School of Electrical Engineering, but nowadays the School of Maritime Warfare as they've combined many bases there now.
COMCEN is communications centre.
I worked with cryptography and data processing. Fascinating subject!
CSOE maybe should have been CSOe perhaps.
Commander Staff Operations (engineering)
SWEO was Squadron Weapon Engineer Officer.
F9 was the 9th Frigate Squadron of half a dozen or more Type 23 frigates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_23_frigate
HMS Cochrane no longer exists. It was the naval base at Rosyth Scotland closed in 1996.
HMS Neptune is the Clyde Submarine Base - HM Naval Base Clyde.
HMS Drake is Devonport Naval Base.
HMS Collingwood was the Naval School of Electrical Engineering, but nowadays the School of Maritime Warfare as they've combined many bases there now.
Mick F. Cornwall
Re: 50 years ago
What a wonderful thread. Thank you Mick F!