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Post by Alex Catterall on Jul 17, 2008 21:38:29 GMT
Go on, give us the details.
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Post by Alex Catterall on Jul 17, 2008 21:39:07 GMT
None - applied for army but was rejected due to metal plate in my leg. -gutted-  (and dodgy knees) (oh and a bad back) (probably a good job I didn't eh)  |
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Post by Karl Webb on Jul 18, 2008 8:22:17 GMT
;D
Good timing for this post Alex.
Complete 25 Years in the Royal Navy next Friday (25 Jul 08).
Travelled all around the world, been involved in quite a few 'skirmishes', 'Humanitarian Relief Operations', 'Surveillance Ops' and general Public Relations visits!
Qualified as a Radar Operator, Photographer and Intelligence (Imagery) Analysis.
Loved being in the Navy but felt it was time to leave, kids come first and I wanted a little more stability at home now I'm in my early 40's ;D
Below is text copied from MySpace account (don't really use it much now but I did spend time putting some profile bits there!). First is where I've been and then what ships I've served on:
The first place as a baby sailor back in 1984 was Gibraltar, which was my first stop on the way to the Falkland Islands, quite topical considering we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the end of the conflict there. On the way we stopped off at the Ascension Islands and during the trip I spent some time in South Georgia. The trip home was my first visit to America, with a week in Fort Lauderdale (during Sping Break, what a great time I had there!).
After that the visits came in thick and fast, I went to Ancona, Italy followed by a visit to Crete, a few islands in the Med then off to Lisbon, Portugal, Copenhagen, Denmark, Norkopping and Stockholm, Sweden and again popped into Gibraltar.
More visits later saw me in Zebbrugge, Belgium, Hamburg, Germany, Rouen, France, Monte Carlo, Monaco. Back to the West Indies where the ship visited Bermuda, Trinidad and Tortola, Jamaica, Peurto Rico, Grand Cayman (My favourite place on Earth), Dominica, Curacao, Turks and Caicos, St Lucia and back to the States to Pensicola, New York, Boston, and Maryland.
A trip that will remain in memory just because of where we visited was Lenningrad (Now St Petersburg), in USSR, Gdniya and Gdansk, Poland.
Another trip was more by plane than ship! I travelled to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpar and Penang, Malasia for a Royal Fleet review consisting of over 21 different nations ships including Great Britain before flying back to Hong Kong and UK. A strange one that as I had 20 hours in the UK before flying out to New York and joining HMS Ark Royal for their visit to the states. Later I went to New York, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba then Cartagena, Columbia before I flew back to the UK.
During the days when Terry Waite was a captive I went to the Gulf, on the way we went to Djibouti, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Dubai, Kuwaite, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and on the return went via Alexandria and Cairo, Egypt.
I spent some time in Scotland before my next trips overseas, I did a visit to Arrowmanches for the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the D-Day landings then spent time on some UK visits during the Queens Jubilee celebrations.
Back to the Med and visited Cyprus, Haifa and Jerusalem, Israel, and Palma, Mallorca.
For now these are the places I can remember, some I have visited more than once (Gibraltar especially) other places I cant remember as some may have been short fuel stops! I think you can see how easy it is to forget a few places visited but I am very pleased to say Ive been most places around the world.
Aha! just remembered some more, how could I forget Valetta, Malta spent time in 'The Pub' the last night of Oliver Reid's life after he collapsed there and died after a heavy drinking session with of all people a bunch of Royal Navy sailors!, part of a different trip I had also visited Keil, Germany for the famous 'Keil Week', lots of beer, bratties, fun and frolics! Then lastly amongst all the above I was at Stavanger and Harstaad, Norway!
And the Ships........
My first ship! in reality I suppose the little training ship HMS Mentor which was part of the training squadron at HMS Raleigh (Shore base where baby sailors are made from boys and girls into men and women lol). The training squadron consisted of HMS Manly, HMS Mentor and HMS Milbrook and as above were small patrol craft type ships.
During my basic training I spent some time on the Rame Head which was an old Salisbury class Auxilliary vessel.
My first 'Real' ship however was HMS Berwick a Type 12 Frigate which had been brought out of mothballs due to the Falklands crisis in 1982.
During my stint on the Falklands I spent some time on HMS Sentinal, a Falkland Islands Patrol Ship as well as RFA Dilligence which was also supporting the Royal Naval ships in the South Atlantic.
After HMS Berwick my next fulltime draft was to HMS Ariadne a Leander (Gun) Class Frigate and this was closely followed with some shorter 'onboard' time deployed with HMS Ark Royal (Invincible Class Aircraft Carrier), HMS Arrow (Type 21 Frigate), HMS Edingburgh (Type 42 Destroyer), HMS Bristol (Type 82 Destroyer), and HMS Cardiff (Type 42 Destroyer).
My last ship was a few years ago now (been shore based for a while!), was HMS Invincible an Invincible Class Aircraft Carrier.
Hope this has answered your Q Alex, and not bored you too much ;D
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Post by Alex Catterall on Jul 19, 2008 11:41:14 GMT
Not at all. A bit jelous but... well but nothing really. lol
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Post by captaintau on Jul 22, 2008 23:44:56 GMT
Karl, I personally cannot claim that, but
My old man served 22 years in the Royal Navy. Joined at 16 as a Rating and worked his way up to Chief Petty Officer.
Served on Britain's first nuclear sub' (which could explain me).
Me personally: leading Cadet of Tenbury Wells platoon Army Cadet Force.
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Post by Karl Webb on Jul 23, 2008 20:16:20 GMT
Me personally: leading Cadet of Tenbury Wells platoon Army Cadet Force. lol, I could add 5 years as a Sea Cadet but thats just taking the biscuit ;D Loved my time in the mob, two days to g ;D and its all over  No regrets, lots of happy memories but time to go ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by Stuart Anslow on Jul 24, 2008 7:43:03 GMT
Cant say.. official secrets act, non-disclosure document and all that Stuart  Can you see me!  |
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Post by Tim White on Aug 25, 2008 0:42:27 GMT
Alex,
I am spent a majority of my live wearing a Military Uniform.
I Serve as a Militay Policeman and Emergency Management Specialist.
I have serve in Germany twice
Korea Twice
England once
9 Years at Ft. Leavenworth Kansas, Home of Military Prison.
2 Years at Ft. Knox Kentucky
I have served in Combat Support Elements and Law Elements
I currently serve with a Division of the National Guard and I am the Sergeant Major for BDE Operations.
Tim
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Post by 74superman on Oct 17, 2008 18:34:50 GMT
Go on, give us the details. /(@@@###%***~~~@@@).... |
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Post by Glen Doecke on Oct 19, 2008 10:31:01 GMT
None here either. Can you see me! Spotted ya, your the guy in green ;D ;D |
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Post by Tim White on Oct 20, 2008 22:55:30 GMT
Cant say.. official secrets act, non-disclosure document and all that Stuart Can you see me! and I thought I was color blind....lol Tim |
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Post by Stuart Anslow on Oct 21, 2008 0:49:42 GMT
Spotted ya, your the guy in green ;D ;D LOL ;D Actually, thats a tree. Im dressed in black, lying dead straight at the bottom of the picture, with numbers in white all up my side ;D |
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Post by Glen Doecke on Oct 23, 2008 0:32:45 GMT
LOL ;D Actually, thats a tree. Im dressed in black, lying dead straight at the bottom of the picture, with numbers in white all up my side ;D Ah very cunning, I thought that was a decoy ;D |
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Post by Marie-Jessique G. on Nov 21, 2008 23:56:03 GMT
10 yrs. US Army.
speaking to those who served in the US:
Just a remider that you can continue serving honorably to your country on a local level, by joining your neighborhood VFW or American Legion post.
These 2 organizations desperatly need new members and are in danger of fading away. Personally and with great pride I serve both, and I'll tell you: we help a lot of people, specially returning veterans.
Please help us, help others, Thanks.
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