by Guest » Sat Aug 18, 2012 11:36 am
I joined Glasgow & Strathclyde URNU in October 1972
I was dragged in during the Strathclyde University Fresher's Fair by the then Midshipman Graham Taylor, later Commander Taylor who is now a COS Padre in Broughty Ferry
The CO then was Lt Cdr (later Commander) Dudley Pound, son of Captain George Pound and grandson of Admiral Dudley Pound of 'Sink the Bismark' fame
The Chief was CPO Leo Gibbs, a 'Boomer', who I believe ran a pub after he retired. He had previously broken his back on an icy flight deck on HMS Fearless
Lt Cdr 'Mac' Ayres took over from Dudley and whilst Dudley was General Service, Mac was a helicopter pilot and that did make for a great difference in approach - especially in coming alongside!!
I left the URNU to join Clyde Division RNR in May 1975 - a Ton-class HMS Clyde (HMS Repton)
Before the formation of the URNU, Droxford was a tender to HMS Graham - the RNR Division in Glasgow and she was berthed in Queens Dock (?) in Govan - a site now overlooked by the Science Museum. Every sailing therefore involved a two-hour cruise down and up the memory-lane of the Clyde until 'Specials' fell out at the "Tail of the bank".
It was in about 1974 that Droxford's berth shifted to the Great Harbour in Greenock - this at the time that she left the RNR and a permanent RN skeleton crew was established to maintain her and provide the technical functions - a 1st Lt was then appointed to run the ship through the week as the CO was in the Glasgow office, at 15, Ashton Lane, which was then the URNU base.
I first saw Droxford in about February/March 1973 - we sailed her out of Fairmont's Shipyard on the Clyde where she had been for a refit - the first cruise was up the western isles at Easter 1973 - through the Caledonian canal and around the top back to Glasgow.
Some of the names that I remember from that era were:
Jim Craig - an RN University Cadet
John Duncan
Ian Robertson - a Doctor
Ian Pears - Joined the RN as an Nuclear Sub MEO
Philip Cafolla
Stuart McHardy - Now sadly deceased
Julian Ferguson - joined the RN and went on to command a nuclear submarine
Graham Taylor - joined the RN as a Schoolie - now a COS Minister
Jim Hughes - joined the RNR
Liam O'Neil
Moving on to the origin of this thread - as part of my Duke of Edinburgh's Gold award, the first and last ship model that I ever built was of HMS Droxford and that was built from a set of 'As Fitted' drawings that I came across one day, together with a set of hull profiles that were provided by DG Ships in Bath. Her claim to fame is that she actually sailed in the Clyde, just off the Cumbraes, in a bit of a swell - I can still recall the terror of an inadvertent sinking.
I believe, but I may be wrong, that Droxford's last posting was to HMS Neptune (Faslane) where she was used as a target - her end came when she suffered severe structural damage, amidships, while berthed in Faslane in a heavy swell.
Mino Manekshaw
I joined Glasgow & Strathclyde URNU in October 1972
I was dragged in during the Strathclyde University Fresher's Fair by the then Midshipman Graham Taylor, later Commander Taylor who is now a COS Padre in Broughty Ferry
The CO then was Lt Cdr (later Commander) Dudley Pound, son of Captain George Pound and grandson of Admiral Dudley Pound of 'Sink the Bismark' fame
The Chief was CPO Leo Gibbs, a 'Boomer', who I believe ran a pub after he retired. He had previously broken his back on an icy flight deck on HMS Fearless
Lt Cdr 'Mac' Ayres took over from Dudley and whilst Dudley was General Service, Mac was a helicopter pilot and that did make for a great difference in approach - especially in coming alongside!!
I left the URNU to join Clyde Division RNR in May 1975 - a Ton-class HMS Clyde (HMS Repton)
Before the formation of the URNU, Droxford was a tender to HMS Graham - the RNR Division in Glasgow and she was berthed in Queens Dock (?) in Govan - a site now overlooked by the Science Museum. Every sailing therefore involved a two-hour cruise down and up the memory-lane of the Clyde until 'Specials' fell out at the "Tail of the bank".
It was in about 1974 that Droxford's berth shifted to the Great Harbour in Greenock - this at the time that she left the RNR and a permanent RN skeleton crew was established to maintain her and provide the technical functions - a 1st Lt was then appointed to run the ship through the week as the CO was in the Glasgow office, at 15, Ashton Lane, which was then the URNU base.
I first saw Droxford in about February/March 1973 - we sailed her out of Fairmont's Shipyard on the Clyde where she had been for a refit - the first cruise was up the western isles at Easter 1973 - through the Caledonian canal and around the top back to Glasgow.
Some of the names that I remember from that era were:
Jim Craig - an RN University Cadet
John Duncan
Ian Robertson - a Doctor
Ian Pears - Joined the RN as an Nuclear Sub MEO
Philip Cafolla
Stuart McHardy - Now sadly deceased
Julian Ferguson - joined the RN and went on to command a nuclear submarine
Graham Taylor - joined the RN as a Schoolie - now a COS Minister
Jim Hughes - joined the RNR
Liam O'Neil
Moving on to the origin of this thread - as part of my Duke of Edinburgh's Gold award, the first and last ship model that I ever built was of HMS Droxford and that was built from a set of 'As Fitted' drawings that I came across one day, together with a set of hull profiles that were provided by DG Ships in Bath. Her claim to fame is that she actually sailed in the Clyde, just off the Cumbraes, in a bit of a swell - I can still recall the terror of an inadvertent sinking.
I believe, but I may be wrong, that Droxford's last posting was to HMS Neptune (Faslane) where she was used as a target - her end came when she suffered severe structural damage, amidships, while berthed in Faslane in a heavy swell.
Mino Manekshaw