DECEMBER 2011

H.M.S. Ajax & River Plate VeteransAssociation

NEWSLETTER

NEC QUISQUAM NISI AJAX

CONTENTS

Chairman/Editor's Remarks

Letter from Mayor Steve Parish

African Adventure

Archivist's Report

Membership Secretary's Report

Reunion Pictures

Battle of River Plate – 72 years ago

Minutes of 2011 AGM

2.

H.M.S. AJAX & RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION.

CHAIRMAN/SECRETARYNEWSLETTER EDITORPeter Danks104 Kelsey AvenueSouthbourneEmsworthHampshire PO10 8NQTel: 01243 371947pandedanks@btinternet.com

TREASURERAlf Larkin5 Cockles WayWeymouthDorset DT4 9LTTel: 01305 775553alflarkin@btinternet.com

ARCHIVISTMalcolm Collis‘Glenmorag’Little CoxwellFaringdonOxfordshire SN7 7LWTel: 01367 240382Mobile: 07736 929641malcolm.collis@gmail.com

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Mrs Judi Collis‘Glenmorag’Little Coxwell, FaringdonOxfordshire SN7 7LWTel: 01367 240382Mobile: 07736 929641malcolm.collis@gmail.com

3.

CHAIRMAN'S/EDITOR'S REMARKS

May I start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. In particular I wish a speedy recovery to full health to all those who have been ailing recently.

Membership and receipt of newsletter. Mrs Judi Collis, our membership secretary has been working very hard to update the Association records. In conjunction with Malcolm, an exercise aimed at trying to ensure all current members, be they Full or Associate, receive the newsletter, a number of members have been identified for whom no subscriptions have been received for one and in some cases two years. It is with regret that members attending this year's AGM have decided that the December 2011 issue of the newsletter will be the last to be posted to those members who fall into that category. If you wish to receive future newsletters, it is requested that one year's subs (for the arrears) be forwarded together with your subs for 2012.

Dates for the diary Reunion 2012 – the AGM approved the date for next year's Reunion as Wednesday 3rd October, with the Church Service and the AGM on the 4th October. The venue is to be the King Charles Hotel, Gillingham.

Articles for the Newsletter. As we are about to start a new year, may I please remind you that articles are always needed for your newsletter. The newsletters are published in March, June, September and December with copy required by the 15th of the preceding month.

Annual Subscriptions. The AGM approved that the annual subscription remain at £10. If you have had a change of address or telephone number, or you are now on email, please let Malcolm Collis know when you forward your subs. Please enclose your membership card and a sae.

News of Members. I would like to thank members attending the Reunion who signed the get well cards for members who were unable to attend due to illness. I have

received the following letters:-

From John Garrard – “it was very thoughtful of members to remember me and wish me a speedy recovery. I have not missed many reunions since I attended my first in 1979 on the Belfast. However I will do my best to be up to the mark for the next one in 2012. Best wishes to all members of the Association.”

I spoke with Reg Dolby who hopes that treatment he has been having will enable him to become more mobile – he continues to “make smoke”.

I have also exchanged emails with Maureen Dooley who says the treatment John is having is helping him to improve although he does have his good days and his bad days.

From Kenneth Byram – “what a lovely surprise when we received your very nice card with all the signatures on it. We were very disappointed we couldn't attend as we were looking forward to it very much –our son Philip was very disappointed too. Betty is now much better. We send our best wishes to all the members”.

Sam Shale – Sam has been in hospital and I am pleased to say he is now home and is on the mend. John (Sam's son) is kept busy as he ensures Sam gets back to his usual jolly self.

As mentioned above, we send you all our very best wishes and it is nice to know the get well wishes” were so appreciated.

Congratulations to John and Marion Gifford on the celebration of their Diamond Wedding anniversary on 6th October.

Assistance to a relative of William George Horsnell Peter Kemp has written to me asking if any of our members can remember his uncle George Horsnell who served as an Asdic Operator in the cruiser HMS AJAX. Peter adds the following information – his uncle preferred to be called George rather than William and was nicknamed “Ping” by his shipmates. His wife was Eliza “Lila” and they lived in Upton Manor, in London. He served while HMS AJAX was in Italy, Scapa Flow in the area of the Shetland Isles. His service number was JX 257999 and he received the 39-45 Star; War Medal 39-45; and the Italy Star and Atlantic Star with France and Germany Bar. A picture of Peter's uncle is with this article.

If you remember serving with George, please communicate direct with Peter at 57 Potters Drive, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 9RH. William George Horsnell,

uncle of Peter Kemp

2.

H.M.S. AJAX & RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION.

CHAIRMAN/SECRETARYNEWSLETTER EDITORPeter Danks104 Kelsey AvenueSouthbourneEmsworthHampshire PO10 8NQTel: 01243 371947pandedanks@btinternet.com

TREASURERAlf Larkin5 Cockles WayWeymouthDorset DT4 9LTTel: 01305 775553alflarkin@btinternet.com

ARCHIVISTMalcolm Collis‘Glenmorag’Little CoxwellFaringdonOxfordshire SN7 7LWTel: 01367 240382Mobile: 07736 929641malcolm.collis@gmail.com

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Mrs Judi Collis‘Glenmorag’Little Coxwell, FaringdonOxfordshire SN7 7LWTel: 01367 240382Mobile: 07736 929641malcolm.collis@gmail.com

3.

CHAIRMAN'S/EDITOR'S REMARKS

May I start by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Very Happy New Year. In particular I wish a speedy recovery to full health to all those who have been ailing recently.

Membership and receipt of newsletter. Mrs Judi Collis, our membership secretary has been working very hard to update the Association records. In conjunction with Malcolm, an exercise aimed at trying to ensure all current members, be they Full or Associate, receive the newsletter, a number of members have been identified for whom no subscriptions have been received for one and in some cases two years. It is with regret that members attending this year's AGM have decided that the December 2011 issue of the newsletter will be the last to be posted to those members who fall into that category. If you wish to receive future newsletters, it is requested that one year's subs (for the arrears) be forwarded together with your subs for 2012.

Dates for the diary Reunion 2012 – the AGM approved the date for next year's Reunion as Wednesday 3rd October, with the Church Service and the AGM on the 4th October. The venue is to be the King Charles Hotel, Gillingham.

Articles for the Newsletter. As we are about to start a new year, may I please remind you that articles are always needed for your newsletter. The newsletters are published in March, June, September and December with copy required by the 15th of the preceding month.

Annual Subscriptions. The AGM approved that the annual subscription remain at £10. If you have had a change of address or telephone number, or you are now on email, please let Malcolm Collis know when you forward your subs. Please enclose your membership card and a sae.

News of Members. I would like to thank members attending the Reunion who signed the get well cards for members who were unable to attend due to illness. I have

received the following letters:-

From John Garrard – “it was very thoughtful of members to remember me and wish me a speedy recovery. I have not missed many reunions since I attended my first in 1979 on the Belfast. However I will do my best to be up to the mark for the next one in 2012. Best wishes to all members of the Association.”

I spoke with Reg Dolby who hopes that treatment he has been having will enable him to become more mobile – he continues to “make smoke”.

I have also exchanged emails with Maureen Dooley who says the treatment John is having is helping him to improve although he does have his good days and his bad days.

From Kenneth Byram – “what a lovely surprise when we received your very nice card with all the signatures on it. We were very disappointed we couldn't attend as we were looking forward to it very much –our son Philip was very disappointed too. Betty is now much better. We send our best wishes to all the members”.

Sam Shale – Sam has been in hospital and I am pleased to say he is now home and is on the mend. John (Sam's son) is kept busy as he ensures Sam gets back to his usual jolly self.

As mentioned above, we send you all our very best wishes and it is nice to know the get well wishes” were so appreciated.

Congratulations to John and Marion Gifford on the celebration of their Diamond Wedding anniversary on 6th October.

Assistance to a relative of William George Horsnell Peter Kemp has written to me asking if any of our members can remember his uncle George Horsnell who served as an Asdic Operator in the cruiser HMS AJAX. Peter adds the following information – his uncle preferred to be called George rather than William and was nicknamed “Ping” by his shipmates. His wife was Eliza “Lila” and they lived in Upton Manor, in London. He served while HMS AJAX was in Italy, Scapa Flow in the area of the Shetland Isles. His service number was JX 257999 and he received the 39-45 Star; War Medal 39-45; and the Italy Star and Atlantic Star with France and Germany Bar. A picture of Peter's uncle is with this article.

If you remember serving with George, please communicate direct with Peter at 57 Potters Drive, Hopton on Sea, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR31 9RH. William George Horsnell,

uncle of Peter Kemp

4. 5.

By Peter Danks - On behalf of all our members, may we wish you a speedy recovery following your hip operation and hope you will appreciate the benefits of a new hip joint.

November 14, 2011

Mr. Peter DanksChairmanHMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

Dear Peter,

I am writing to extend greetings to you and all members of the H.M.S. Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association. I was sorry that I was unable to attend this year’s reunion dinner. Councillor Brown, Councillor Jordan and I would have loved to have been able to join you but our Municipal duties kept us from having the opportunity this year.

Council and I are off to a successful term and wanted to share some of the exciting events that have taken place in Ajax so far this year. Our new Memorial Outdoor pool opened

November 14, 2011

Mr. Peter DanksChairman HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

Dear Peter,

I am writing to extend greetings to you and all members of the H.M.S. Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association. I was sorry that I was unable to attend this year’s reunion dinner. Councillor Brown, Councillor Jordan and I would have loved to have been able to join you but our Municipal duties kept us from having the opportunity this year.

Council and I are off to a successful term and wanted to share some of the exciting events that have taken place in Ajax so far this year. Our new Memorial Outdoor pool opened here at Town Hall Square in time for the start of our summer programming offering much needed relief to the Town’s residents from a hot dry summer. I am proud to say that this fall the St. Francis Centre for Community Arts and Culture opened its doors to the public. The St. Francis Centre is a state of the art performance and reception space and is the first of its kind in west Durham. The Centre combines, heritage architecture with modern design, the St. Francis Centre features a stage, retractable theatre seating for 150, reception/meeting space, glass atrium, bar, catering kitchen, theatrical light, sound and audio-visual capabilities. This flexible programming space is able to accommodate a variety of private and community-based programming for our citizens.

The Town of Ajax has an extensive walking/bicycling trail system and continues to expand the trail system throughout the Town so that all can enjoy, and we just celebrated the completion of the north-east portion. One of the ongoing and very exciting events to share with you is that the Town has broken ground at Bayly and Harwood on a $30 Million state-of-the-art complex. This exciting initiative is in partnership with a major developer and will see a multi-use complex of residential and commercial units that will be the gateway to our new downtown. This will revitalize our downtown core and allow us to better serve the Town’s residents and guests.

I also wish to let you all know that I was so pleased that this past June we had a special visit from family members of Sydney Blackburn, who was a gunner aboard HMS Ajax 1938 - 1940. Sydney’s son Ken and his wife Myra were welcomed by Council and me to the Town of Ajax for their first visit to Canada from East Yorkshire. We were able to provide Ken and Myra a tour of Town Hall, a quick tour of the Town and were honored to show them the street that was dedicated in Sydney Blackburn’s memory. We had a wonderful time and were very proud to share our Town and history with the Blackburn’s.

Visits from our veterans and their families remain one of the highlights here at the Town. I wish to remind everyone that the Town of Ajax is always pleased to welcome veterans or their family members who may wish to visit “their Town”. All they need to do is contact my office and we will be happy to assist them in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Steve Parish, MayorTown of Ajax

46th Annual Reunion While the attendance was not as large as last year, and due to illness some regular attenders were absent, a most enjoyable evening was had by those who were able to be present. Alf Larkin and Mike Fox welcomed members with “Up Spirits” for those who wished to be reminded of what a real tot tasted like – sherry was available for those who preferred something less strong. A fine meal was served by the staff. Professor Jerry Kirk gave a very entertaining speech and Malcolm and Judi Collis provided their very successful raffle. My thanks to members who brought along prizes for the raffle.

A major attraction for the evening was the unveiling of the wonderful painting which Clive Sharplin had commissioned to mark his father's 100 birthday. Details of the picture were given in the last Newsletter.

“Get well cards” were signed by members present and as stated above, they were much appreciated by the recipients.

The church service was conducted by the Reverend Canon Paul Kerr who is the Canon of Rochester Cathedral. He much enjoyed meeting members and I am pleased to say, he is looking forward to conducting the service for us next year. Congratulations to Alf Larkin who acted as our standard bearer and those who helped make this event a success.

The AGM was held on the return to the hotel and the minutes are enclosed with this newsletter.

Ties Alf Larkin has done an excellent job of arranging for the purchase of Association ties – half with the cruiser logo and half with the frigate logo. All members and associate members who have close connections with the cruiser and who would like to purchase one of the new ties are encouraged to connect Alf direct.

AGM The minutes of the last AGM are attached.

River Plate Veterans and Families Association. Myself and Elizabeth attended the Service of Remembrance for the fallen on Plymouth Hoe on Saturday 29th October. It was dry but with quite a cold wind as members gathered for the service conducted by the Reverend Peter Warland. Crew members from HMS EXETER who served at the Battle of River Plate were Basil Trott and Stanley James London who was a Stoker first class. Lieutenant Tim Hall from the Royal New Zealand Navy was present and Captain Stephen Harwood was also present with Mrs Harwood in addition with many relatives. In the evening, a most enjoyable dinner was held with families and members in a local restaurant. The whole event was very well organised by Jim Smith.

World War II – The Last Heroes A firm called Impossible Pictures were responsible for the production of this programme shown on Channel 4 over five episodes with the first on 15th October. I hoped members enjoyed it but it was very disappointing that the contribution from William Smail was the only one selected for the programme.

Letter from Mayor Steve Parish I am very pleased to enclose a message from Mayor Steve Parish.

4. 5.

By Peter Danks - On behalf of all our members, may we wish you a speedy recovery following your hip operation and hope you will appreciate the benefits of a new hip joint.

November 14, 2011

Mr. Peter DanksChairmanHMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

Dear Peter,

I am writing to extend greetings to you and all members of the H.M.S. Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association. I was sorry that I was unable to attend this year’s reunion dinner. Councillor Brown, Councillor Jordan and I would have loved to have been able to join you but our Municipal duties kept us from having the opportunity this year.

Council and I are off to a successful term and wanted to share some of the exciting events that have taken place in Ajax so far this year. Our new Memorial Outdoor pool opened

November 14, 2011

Mr. Peter DanksChairman HMS Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association

Dear Peter,

I am writing to extend greetings to you and all members of the H.M.S. Ajax & River Plate Veterans Association. I was sorry that I was unable to attend this year’s reunion dinner. Councillor Brown, Councillor Jordan and I would have loved to have been able to join you but our Municipal duties kept us from having the opportunity this year.

Council and I are off to a successful term and wanted to share some of the exciting events that have taken place in Ajax so far this year. Our new Memorial Outdoor pool opened here at Town Hall Square in time for the start of our summer programming offering much needed relief to the Town’s residents from a hot dry summer. I am proud to say that this fall the St. Francis Centre for Community Arts and Culture opened its doors to the public. The St. Francis Centre is a state of the art performance and reception space and is the first of its kind in west Durham. The Centre combines, heritage architecture with modern design, the St. Francis Centre features a stage, retractable theatre seating for 150, reception/meeting space, glass atrium, bar, catering kitchen, theatrical light, sound and audio-visual capabilities. This flexible programming space is able to accommodate a variety of private and community-based programming for our citizens.

The Town of Ajax has an extensive walking/bicycling trail system and continues to expand the trail system throughout the Town so that all can enjoy, and we just celebrated the completion of the north-east portion. One of the ongoing and very exciting events to share with you is that the Town has broken ground at Bayly and Harwood on a $30 Million state-of-the-art complex. This exciting initiative is in partnership with a major developer and will see a multi-use complex of residential and commercial units that will be the gateway to our new downtown. This will revitalize our downtown core and allow us to better serve the Town’s residents and guests.

I also wish to let you all know that I was so pleased that this past June we had a special visit from family members of Sydney Blackburn, who was a gunner aboard HMS Ajax 1938 - 1940. Sydney’s son Ken and his wife Myra were welcomed by Council and me to the Town of Ajax for their first visit to Canada from East Yorkshire. We were able to provide Ken and Myra a tour of Town Hall, a quick tour of the Town and were honored to show them the street that was dedicated in Sydney Blackburn’s memory. We had a wonderful time and were very proud to share our Town and history with the Blackburn’s.

Visits from our veterans and their families remain one of the highlights here at the Town. I wish to remind everyone that the Town of Ajax is always pleased to welcome veterans or their family members who may wish to visit “their Town”. All they need to do is contact my office and we will be happy to assist them in any way possible.

Sincerely,

Steve Parish, MayorTown of Ajax

46th Annual Reunion While the attendance was not as large as last year, and due to illness some regular attenders were absent, a most enjoyable evening was had by those who were able to be present. Alf Larkin and Mike Fox welcomed members with “Up Spirits” for those who wished to be reminded of what a real tot tasted like – sherry was available for those who preferred something less strong. A fine meal was served by the staff. Professor Jerry Kirk gave a very entertaining speech and Malcolm and Judi Collis provided their very successful raffle. My thanks to members who brought along prizes for the raffle.

A major attraction for the evening was the unveiling of the wonderful painting which Clive Sharplin had commissioned to mark his father's 100 birthday. Details of the picture were given in the last Newsletter.

“Get well cards” were signed by members present and as stated above, they were much appreciated by the recipients.

The church service was conducted by the Reverend Canon Paul Kerr who is the Canon of Rochester Cathedral. He much enjoyed meeting members and I am pleased to say, he is looking forward to conducting the service for us next year. Congratulations to Alf Larkin who acted as our standard bearer and those who helped make this event a success.

The AGM was held on the return to the hotel and the minutes are enclosed with this newsletter.

Ties Alf Larkin has done an excellent job of arranging for the purchase of Association ties – half with the cruiser logo and half with the frigate logo. All members and associate members who have close connections with the cruiser and who would like to purchase one of the new ties are encouraged to connect Alf direct.

AGM The minutes of the last AGM are attached.

River Plate Veterans and Families Association. Myself and Elizabeth attended the Service of Remembrance for the fallen on Plymouth Hoe on Saturday 29th October. It was dry but with quite a cold wind as members gathered for the service conducted by the Reverend Peter Warland. Crew members from HMS EXETER who served at the Battle of River Plate were Basil Trott and Stanley James London who was a Stoker first class. Lieutenant Tim Hall from the Royal New Zealand Navy was present and Captain Stephen Harwood was also present with Mrs Harwood in addition with many relatives. In the evening, a most enjoyable dinner was held with families and members in a local restaurant. The whole event was very well organised by Jim Smith.

World War II – The Last Heroes A firm called Impossible Pictures were responsible for the production of this programme shown on Channel 4 over five episodes with the first on 15th October. I hoped members enjoyed it but it was very disappointing that the contribution from William Smail was the only one selected for the programme.

Letter from Mayor Steve Parish I am very pleased to enclose a message from Mayor Steve Parish.

6. 7.

The conclusion of Malcolm & Judi Collis’ report of their year touring southern Africa in their fully kitted out Land Rover allowing them to camp in the roof tent for most of the time and visit most of the many National Parks.

AFRICAN ADVENTURE

We then entered Botswana again and hit the start of the rainy season although a day trip to Victoria Falls was in stark contrast to our previous visit with very much less water. Chobe River was also a lot lower than when we visited in April and it was strange to be driving and camping on tracks that had been under several metres of water before. We made our way across the Kalahari Desert and each evening we witnessed some spectacular thunderstorms: who says deserts are dry! We crossed into Namibia from the Okavango Panhandle and headed across the northern section hugging the Angolan border before stopping off at the Ruacana Falls on the Cunene River to camp for a few days. Here we received several warnings from police and park officials about going too close to the water as it seems a few days before a German tourist had been killed by a crocodile in front of his wife and right where we were camping. We spent Christmas in the Etosha National Park where the 42oC+ each day sparked off fierce afternoon downpours that turned the white earth into a sticky quagmire that plastered everything on the vehicle. From here we headed west through the Namib Desert to the Skeleton Coast hitting the sea at Henties Bay. The Skeleton Coast is aptly named for the numerous wrecks, over a thousand, along its 300 mile length but probably got its name from the numerous whale bones on the beaches, a legacy of the whaling trade. The Bushmen called it The Land God Made in Anger and the Portuguese knew it as The Gates of Hell. Ever since European navigators first discovered it, ships have wrecked on its off-shore rocks or run aground in the blinding fog. While small boats could land, the strong surf made it impossible to launch; most sailors perished, either in the seas or subsequently in the arid desert.

We detoured north to visit the largest fur seal colony in Africa at Cape Cross where the Portuguese explorer Dias landed in 1487 and erected a cross on his way south and around the Cape of Good Hope. We stayed at Swakomund and were amazed at the number of South African vehicles all sporting anywhere between 3 and 10 fishing rods on the front of their 4x4s - the marine life here is particularly rich thanks to the cold Benguela current sweeping up the coast. In Walvis Bay we checked out the port as Father had requested some photographs as he had called in for oil 68 years ago on 31st January 1942 on the HMS Despatch! After a couple of days in Walvis Bay we headed inland back into the Namib Desert and the world's highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei before dropping further south and turning west across to Luderitz on the coast. Here the winds whipped up the sands so-much-so that bulldozers were in constant use to keep the roads clear of sand – a timely reminder that back home the bulldozers were doing the same but snow not sand, being the 8th January 2010. We dropped down into the Ai-Ais Park and camped on the Orange River opposite where we had camped 10 months earlier and from here we visited the mighty Fish River Canyon; second only to the Grand Canyon.

Back into South Africa making our way back to Cape Town as the friends were joining us for the final 3 weeks. We collected them from the airport and immediately took them up Table Mountain as it was a cloudless day before setting off along the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth. Stopping off at Gansbaii I managed to persuade another of our party to join me in a cage dive with the great white sharks out on the reefs – a memorable experience indeed. We camped at L'Aghulus which is the most southerly point of Africa and the point where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic, before continuing towards the Addo Elephant Reserve north of Port Elizabeth where we managed to find our friends some lion, having failed in Botswana before. Back in Hout Bay in time to collect a hire car and a day to get the Land Rover ready for shipping back. On 4th February 2010 we delivered her to our shipping Agent and said goodbye to her knowing that she had served us well over the past year.

The following day we took a ferry over to Robben Island and were moved by what Nelson Mandela and many others had suffered during the many years they had spent there for their political beliefs. We visited the Cape of Good Hope and saw the monuments set up in honour of Dias and Vasco da Gama, another 15th century Portuguese explorer. These had signification as mariner's waypoints as once lined up they pinpointed the Bellows Rock, a submerged rock in False Bay that has claimed many ships and lives, most notably the Portuguese liner Lusitania (not the British one) that ran aground on 18th April 1911 with 774 souls on board. False Bay got its name because ancient mariners heading west would reach the headland on the east side of the bay and in poor visibility mistook it for the Cape of Good Hope leading them to turn in to the bay only to find that the prevailing winds hindered them getting back out again. The old lighthouse is set 249 metres above the sea on a knife edge with sheer drops either side. They obviously didn't do their homework when they built it as, being so high, it was often shrouded by low cloud and mist making its 67kms beam ineffective. Following the sinking of the

Lusitania a new one was built lower down on the Point, 87 metres above sea level and below the clouds. A signpost indicates than London is 9623kms away as the crow flies and the South Pole a mere 8360kms away!

We flew home on 8th February 2010 arriving to snow - having left one year ago in deep snow – it was good to be home!!! The Land Rover was due to be containerised on the 18th February and sailing on the Amber Lagoon on 1st March. Once again the internet allowed us to track the boat but as we got closer to scheduled departure date we were a bit surprised that she was heading north to Mozambique rather than towards Cape Town. It wasn't until 7th March that she was off Cape Town having called in at Richards Bay and Durban. The internet tracking software froze so we had difficulty continuing with the tracking. Our shipping agent in South Africa confirmed she had left Cape Town on 7th March with an ETA at Tilbury, UK, on 29th March but to allow 5 – 7 days for the container to get to the Croydon depot and be destuffed (a real word it seems!) and cleared by Customs. We lost her for 20 odd days until she popped up in Lisbon; then to Vigo in Spain and then steamed on towards the English Channel, nearly on schedule. She headed across to Rotterdam for a few days and when we she left we fully expected her to head across to Tilbury up the Thames but no, she headed north to Hamburg! Then back south to Antwerp for over Easter. When she left on Easter Sunday she was finally heading west towards the Thames. She got to within a few dozen miles of England before turning sharp left and clearing off back down the English Channel and never did stop off in the UK. The subsequent e-mail was headed “Where is my Land Rover!” Fortunately the Land Rover was not heading back towards Cape Town but was apparently off-loaded on the Rotterdam stop-over and subsequently put on another ship and arrived at Tilbury on 31st March – thanks for telling us!

The Land Rover was eventually cleared by customs and delivered home on 15th April 2010 some 14 months after she had left and that was the end of the adventure – where did the time go??? We had had a brilliant 12 months in southern Africa and thoroughly enjoyed the people, the wildlife, the driving and all other aspects of the adventure. The Land Rover survived 32,000 gruelling miles on some atrocious tracks, not without a few problems it must be said, but it never let us down. To experience camping in the bush miles from anything or anyone with just the wild animals and stars for company is difficult to describe but I would recommended it to everyone, if you like that sort of thing and don't get too fazed with elephants, lions, buffalos and a host of other creatures wandering through your camp in the middle of your dinner! We'll be back!

Wise words in Swaziland

Stuck in black cotton mud with lionsnearby, Zambia.

That is the road, Zambia.

The GPS said it was the road! The vehicle bridge had been washed away earlier.

6. 7.

The conclusion of Malcolm & Judi Collis’ report of their year touring southern Africa in their fully kitted out Land Rover allowing them to camp in the roof tent for most of the time and visit most of the many National Parks.

AFRICAN ADVENTURE

We then entered Botswana again and hit the start of the rainy season although a day trip to Victoria Falls was in stark contrast to our previous visit with very much less water. Chobe River was also a lot lower than when we visited in April and it was strange to be driving and camping on tracks that had been under several metres of water before. We made our way across the Kalahari Desert and each evening we witnessed some spectacular thunderstorms: who says deserts are dry! We crossed into Namibia from the Okavango Panhandle and headed across the northern section hugging the Angolan border before stopping off at the Ruacana Falls on the Cunene River to camp for a few days. Here we received several warnings from police and park officials about going too close to the water as it seems a few days before a German tourist had been killed by a crocodile in front of his wife and right where we were camping. We spent Christmas in the Etosha National Park where the 42oC+ each day sparked off fierce afternoon downpours that turned the white earth into a sticky quagmire that plastered everything on the vehicle. From here we headed west through the Namib Desert to the Skeleton Coast hitting the sea at Henties Bay. The Skeleton Coast is aptly named for the numerous wrecks, over a thousand, along its 300 mile length but probably got its name from the numerous whale bones on the beaches, a legacy of the whaling trade. The Bushmen called it The Land God Made in Anger and the Portuguese knew it as The Gates of Hell. Ever since European navigators first discovered it, ships have wrecked on its off-shore rocks or run aground in the blinding fog. While small boats could land, the strong surf made it impossible to launch; most sailors perished, either in the seas or subsequently in the arid desert.

We detoured north to visit the largest fur seal colony in Africa at Cape Cross where the Portuguese explorer Dias landed in 1487 and erected a cross on his way south and around the Cape of Good Hope. We stayed at Swakomund and were amazed at the number of South African vehicles all sporting anywhere between 3 and 10 fishing rods on the front of their 4x4s - the marine life here is particularly rich thanks to the cold Benguela current sweeping up the coast. In Walvis Bay we checked out the port as Father had requested some photographs as he had called in for oil 68 years ago on 31st January 1942 on the HMS Despatch! After a couple of days in Walvis Bay we headed inland back into the Namib Desert and the world's highest sand dunes at Sossusvlei before dropping further south and turning west across to Luderitz on the coast. Here the winds whipped up the sands so-much-so that bulldozers were in constant use to keep the roads clear of sand – a timely reminder that back home the bulldozers were doing the same but snow not sand, being the 8th January 2010. We dropped down into the Ai-Ais Park and camped on the Orange River opposite where we had camped 10 months earlier and from here we visited the mighty Fish River Canyon; second only to the Grand Canyon.

Back into South Africa making our way back to Cape Town as the friends were joining us for the final 3 weeks. We collected them from the airport and immediately took them up Table Mountain as it was a cloudless day before setting off along the Garden Route to Port Elizabeth. Stopping off at Gansbaii I managed to persuade another of our party to join me in a cage dive with the great white sharks out on the reefs – a memorable experience indeed. We camped at L'Aghulus which is the most southerly point of Africa and the point where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic, before continuing towards the Addo Elephant Reserve north of Port Elizabeth where we managed to find our friends some lion, having failed in Botswana before. Back in Hout Bay in time to collect a hire car and a day to get the Land Rover ready for shipping back. On 4th February 2010 we delivered her to our shipping Agent and said goodbye to her knowing that she had served us well over the past year.

The following day we took a ferry over to Robben Island and were moved by what Nelson Mandela and many others had suffered during the many years they had spent there for their political beliefs. We visited the Cape of Good Hope and saw the monuments set up in honour of Dias and Vasco da Gama, another 15th century Portuguese explorer. These had signification as mariner's waypoints as once lined up they pinpointed the Bellows Rock, a submerged rock in False Bay that has claimed many ships and lives, most notably the Portuguese liner Lusitania (not the British one) that ran aground on 18th April 1911 with 774 souls on board. False Bay got its name because ancient mariners heading west would reach the headland on the east side of the bay and in poor visibility mistook it for the Cape of Good Hope leading them to turn in to the bay only to find that the prevailing winds hindered them getting back out again. The old lighthouse is set 249 metres above the sea on a knife edge with sheer drops either side. They obviously didn't do their homework when they built it as, being so high, it was often shrouded by low cloud and mist making its 67kms beam ineffective. Following the sinking of the

Lusitania a new one was built lower down on the Point, 87 metres above sea level and below the clouds. A signpost indicates than London is 9623kms away as the crow flies and the South Pole a mere 8360kms away!

We flew home on 8th February 2010 arriving to snow - having left one year ago in deep snow – it was good to be home!!! The Land Rover was due to be containerised on the 18th February and sailing on the Amber Lagoon on 1st March. Once again the internet allowed us to track the boat but as we got closer to scheduled departure date we were a bit surprised that she was heading north to Mozambique rather than towards Cape Town. It wasn't until 7th March that she was off Cape Town having called in at Richards Bay and Durban. The internet tracking software froze so we had difficulty continuing with the tracking. Our shipping agent in South Africa confirmed she had left Cape Town on 7th March with an ETA at Tilbury, UK, on 29th March but to allow 5 – 7 days for the container to get to the Croydon depot and be destuffed (a real word it seems!) and cleared by Customs. We lost her for 20 odd days until she popped up in Lisbon; then to Vigo in Spain and then steamed on towards the English Channel, nearly on schedule. She headed across to Rotterdam for a few days and when we she left we fully expected her to head across to Tilbury up the Thames but no, she headed north to Hamburg! Then back south to Antwerp for over Easter. When she left on Easter Sunday she was finally heading west towards the Thames. She got to within a few dozen miles of England before turning sharp left and clearing off back down the English Channel and never did stop off in the UK. The subsequent e-mail was headed “Where is my Land Rover!” Fortunately the Land Rover was not heading back towards Cape Town but was apparently off-loaded on the Rotterdam stop-over and subsequently put on another ship and arrived at Tilbury on 31st March – thanks for telling us!

The Land Rover was eventually cleared by customs and delivered home on 15th April 2010 some 14 months after she had left and that was the end of the adventure – where did the time go??? We had had a brilliant 12 months in southern Africa and thoroughly enjoyed the people, the wildlife, the driving and all other aspects of the adventure. The Land Rover survived 32,000 gruelling miles on some atrocious tracks, not without a few problems it must be said, but it never let us down. To experience camping in the bush miles from anything or anyone with just the wild animals and stars for company is difficult to describe but I would recommended it to everyone, if you like that sort of thing and don't get too fazed with elephants, lions, buffalos and a host of other creatures wandering through your camp in the middle of your dinner! We'll be back!

Wise words in Swaziland

Stuck in black cotton mud with lionsnearby, Zambia.

That is the road, Zambia.

The GPS said it was the road! The vehicle bridge had been washed away earlier.

Archivist Update December 2011

I am pleased to take on the role of Association Archivist even though it will be something of a challenge, particularly as I do not have a naval background. However, I do have Google!

I am grateful to Tom McCallion, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Bury Branch of the Royal Naval Association, who emailed me to say, “We have been doing a D2 of our storage spaces and I have been able to salvage a small item which may be of interest to your association. It is a knife for opening envelopes made of Teak from HMS Ajax.” The paper knife is now in my possession so thanks to Tom and the Bury RNA.

Tom served on HMS Cumberland, the later one (the three funnel bugger as he puts it), rather than the one that came to support Ajax and Achilles to prevent the escape of the Admiral Graf Spee.

thA repeat of Timewatch Battle of The River Plate was screened on Sunday 6 November 2011 and resulted in a couple of email enquiries to me. Once I have our public website up and running I expect to get many more enquiries as, currently, it is extremely difficult for members of the public to firstly find us and, secondly, contact us.

One of the enquiries was from the son of 'Ajax Adams' who was a member of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors and worked on the design of the Ajax cruiser along with other cruisers. I am in contact with him and hopefully he will be able to supply some interesting information.

Another was from a lady who lived in Buenos Aires at the time of the Battle and hopefully will be able to supply me with some film footage, taken by her father, along with her reflections on life there at that time.

I would be delighted to receive anything of relevance from any of you in order to build up the archives before it is too late: my address and email details are included on page 2.

Malcolm Collis, Archivist

8. 9.

Membership Secretary's Update December 2011Apologies to William Fowler Marshall as we inadvertently included William in the birthday wishes as William Fowler rather than William Marshall

Welcome to new members:

Ian Large, a Frigate man but we await full details from him.

John Slader, an associate, son of Bill Slader who was a CPO Canteen Manager on the Ajax in 1946. Both attended this year's reunion. John lives near Salisbury.

I am very please to report that we have received no notifications of any of our members Crossing the Bar in this newsletter period: long may it continue.

stThat time of year is coming around quickly; a reminder that the annual subscriptions fall due on 1 January 2012. If you don't pay by standing order, please send your cheque (for £10) to me, as soon as you can in the New Year.

As raised at the AGM in Gillingham and mentioned in the minutes, there are still a number of outstanding 2011 dues and in some cases, 2010 as well, so I would urge you to send me your overdue subs now.

Judi Collis

Address and email as per page 2

Happy Birthday to the following Members who had birthdays in this Newsletter period (September to November inc.):

thBob Gee – Ajax 1946 who was 86 on 12 September

rdJohn Hitchen – Ajax 1942 – 1943 who was 88 on 23 Septemberth

Mike Turner – Ajax 1946 – 47 who was 86 on 24 SeptemberrdKen Holden – Ajax 1942 – 1943 who was 92 on 23 October

thKenneth Ward – Ajax 1968 – 1970 who was 64 on 26 October

(apologies to anyone not mentioned in this or previous editions – to rectify this, please complete your update form and send to the Membership Secretary)

Archivist Update December 2011

I am pleased to take on the role of Association Archivist even though it will be something of a challenge, particularly as I do not have a naval background. However, I do have Google!

I am grateful to Tom McCallion, Honorary Secretary and Treasurer of the Bury Branch of the Royal Naval Association, who emailed me to say, “We have been doing a D2 of our storage spaces and I have been able to salvage a small item which may be of interest to your association. It is a knife for opening envelopes made of Teak from HMS Ajax.” The paper knife is now in my possession so thanks to Tom and the Bury RNA.

Tom served on HMS Cumberland, the later one (the three funnel bugger as he puts it), rather than the one that came to support Ajax and Achilles to prevent the escape of the Admiral Graf Spee.

thA repeat of Timewatch Battle of The River Plate was screened on Sunday 6 November 2011 and resulted in a couple of email enquiries to me. Once I have our public website up and running I expect to get many more enquiries as, currently, it is extremely difficult for members of the public to firstly find us and, secondly, contact us.

One of the enquiries was from the son of 'Ajax Adams' who was a member of the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors and worked on the design of the Ajax cruiser along with other cruisers. I am in contact with him and hopefully he will be able to supply some interesting information.

Another was from a lady who lived in Buenos Aires at the time of the Battle and hopefully will be able to supply me with some film footage, taken by her father, along with her reflections on life there at that time.

I would be delighted to receive anything of relevance from any of you in order to build up the archives before it is too late: my address and email details are included on page 2.

Malcolm Collis, Archivist

8. 9.

Membership Secretary's Update December 2011Apologies to William Fowler Marshall as we inadvertently included William in the birthday wishes as William Fowler rather than William Marshall

Welcome to new members:

Ian Large, a Frigate man but we await full details from him.

John Slader, an associate, son of Bill Slader who was a CPO Canteen Manager on the Ajax in 1946. Both attended this year's reunion. John lives near Salisbury.

I am very please to report that we have received no notifications of any of our members Crossing the Bar in this newsletter period: long may it continue.

stThat time of year is coming around quickly; a reminder that the annual subscriptions fall due on 1 January 2012. If you don't pay by standing order, please send your cheque (for £10) to me, as soon as you can in the New Year.

As raised at the AGM in Gillingham and mentioned in the minutes, there are still a number of outstanding 2011 dues and in some cases, 2010 as well, so I would urge you to send me your overdue subs now.

Judi Collis

Address and email as per page 2

Happy Birthday to the following Members who had birthdays in this Newsletter period (September to November inc.):

thBob Gee – Ajax 1946 who was 86 on 12 September

rdJohn Hitchen – Ajax 1942 – 1943 who was 88 on 23 Septemberth

Mike Turner – Ajax 1946 – 47 who was 86 on 24 SeptemberrdKen Holden – Ajax 1942 – 1943 who was 92 on 23 October

thKenneth Ward – Ajax 1968 – 1970 who was 64 on 26 October

(apologies to anyone not mentioned in this or previous editions – to rectify this, please complete your update form and send to the Membership Secretary)

11.10.

Admiral Tubby Squires with members of the Ship’sCompany of the Frigate which visited Ajax - fromleft to right Mike Fox, Alf Larkin, Admiral Tubby

Squires, Fred Coates and Nigel Masters.

Joe Stokes and Marion

Vic and Joe Wilson

Ken and Sandy Dyer

Peter Danks presents guest speaker Jerry Kirk with hiscruiser tie.

Jerry Kirk, Ken Jones, Admiral Tubby Squires andPeter Danks admire the excellent picture of

HMS AJAX at the Battle of Crete commissioned byClive Sparling

REUNION PICTURES

Group of members attending reunion

Cruiser members - back row Jerry Kirk and JohnHitchen, front row Ken Jones, Mike Turner, Bill Slader,

Dennis Talbot and Joe Collis

Frigate members - Peter Danks, Fred Coates,Admiral Tubby Squires, Alf Larkin, Vic Wilson,

Mike Fox and Nigel Masters

Jim Smith, who made the plaque, which Alf Larkinpresents to Admiral Tubby Squires

Peter Danks and Joe Collis and the gavel which Joehad made and presented to the Association

11.10.

Admiral Tubby Squires with members of the Ship’sCompany of the Frigate which visited Ajax - fromleft to right Mike Fox, Alf Larkin, Admiral Tubby

Squires, Fred Coates and Nigel Masters.

Joe Stokes and Marion

Vic and Joe Wilson

Ken and Sandy Dyer

Peter Danks presents guest speaker Jerry Kirk with hiscruiser tie.

Jerry Kirk, Ken Jones, Admiral Tubby Squires andPeter Danks admire the excellent picture of

HMS AJAX at the Battle of Crete commissioned byClive Sparling

REUNION PICTURES

Group of members attending reunion

Cruiser members - back row Jerry Kirk and JohnHitchen, front row Ken Jones, Mike Turner, Bill Slader,

Dennis Talbot and Joe Collis

Frigate members - Peter Danks, Fred Coates,Admiral Tubby Squires, Alf Larkin, Vic Wilson,

Mike Fox and Nigel Masters

Jim Smith, who made the plaque, which Alf Larkinpresents to Admiral Tubby Squires

Peter Danks and Joe Collis and the gavel which Joehad made and presented to the Association

12. 13.

thMinutes of the 46 Annual General Meeting of the

HMS AJAX and RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION

thHeld at The King Charles Hotel, Gillingham on Thursday 6 October 2011

thThe meeting was convened following the 46 annual Memorial Service held at the nearby St George's Centre, Chatham Maritime, Chatham with the following members present:John Hitchen, Archivist, taking the Chair; Alf Larkin, Treasurer; Malcolm Collis, Membership Secretary; Judi Collis; Joe Collis; Prof. Jerry Kirk (Also guest speaker at reunion dinner); Dennis Talbot; Mike Fox; Cliff Hoppé; Mike Turner; Bill Slader; Fred Coates; Nigel Masters.Also present: Admiral 'Tubby' Squires* (Frigate Captain & Guest of Honour at reunion dinner); Jim Smith* (River Plate Association); Steve Hoppé (Son of Cliff); John Slader* (Son of Bill)* Indicated they were interested in joining association.

The agenda had been published in the September 2011 Newsletter

Item 1 Chairman's Opening remarksThe Chair read out the written remarks of the Chairman in his absence:“Apologies for my absence, I was very keen to take Elizabeth on a birthday cruise. Your committee have been very busy throughout the year; we have met once and email is a bonus when passing information and getting comments. It was good to see a nice number at dinner last night and I hope you like the picture Clive Sharplin has donated to us. Please see the leaflets concerning cost of prints and notelets.

thThe 75 Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate is beginning to loom on to the horizon and the committee are keen to hear your views on how this should be marked. Malcolm will give more details but

ththere has been a request from Canada to have a function actually on the 13 December 2014 which is a Saturday. I am delighted to say that Stephen Harwood has agreed to be part of the organising committee; his knowledge of such events will be invaluable.

As Newsletter Editor I am very grateful to Malcolm for his input of pictures and articles and to other contributors throughout the year. Great credit for the Newsletter must go to our printer Colin in Harwich who puts together the material I email to him. I would like to invite Colin to our dinner next year as our guest – he's done a tremendous job, certainly during my time as editor. Are members happy with 4 issues a year and a 16 page newsletter? (Those present were happy with current arrangements) I do need your contributions if it is to continue in its present format of 16 pages and quarterly.

Item 2 ApologiesApologies had been received from the following:Peter Danks, Chairman; Reg Dolby; Basil Trott; Ted Wicks; Kenneth Byram; Sam Shale; John Garrard; John Dooley; Barry Clutton; Vic Wilson; Trevor Dixon; Kenneth Byram; Philip Byram.No further apologies were received from the floor.

thItem 3 Minutes from Last AGM held on Thursday 14 October 2010The previous minutes had been circulated in the March 2011 Newsletter and also made available at this AGM. No reports of inaccuracy had been received. Mike Turner proposed that the minutes as recorded be adopted as a true record of what then took place and this proposition was seconded by Mike Fox and carried by those members present on that occasion.

Item 4 Matters ArisingThere were no matters arising.

Item 5 Treasurer's ReportThe Treasurer circulated a copy of the 2011 accounts, duly Audited and Certified correct by the Independent Examiner, Commander Chris Rose (Squadron Supply Officer on Ajax). They will appear in the December

12. 13.

thMinutes of the 46 Annual General Meeting of the

HMS AJAX and RIVER PLATE VETERANS ASSOCIATION

thHeld at The King Charles Hotel, Gillingham on Thursday 6 October 2011

thThe meeting was convened following the 46 annual Memorial Service held at the nearby St George's Centre, Chatham Maritime, Chatham with the following members present:John Hitchen, Archivist, taking the Chair; Alf Larkin, Treasurer; Malcolm Collis, Membership Secretary; Judi Collis; Joe Collis; Prof. Jerry Kirk (Also guest speaker at reunion dinner); Dennis Talbot; Mike Fox; Cliff Hoppé; Mike Turner; Bill Slader; Fred Coates; Nigel Masters.Also present: Admiral 'Tubby' Squires* (Frigate Captain & Guest of Honour at reunion dinner); Jim Smith* (River Plate Association); Steve Hoppé (Son of Cliff); John Slader* (Son of Bill)* Indicated they were interested in joining association.

The agenda had been published in the September 2011 Newsletter

Item 1 Chairman's Opening remarksThe Chair read out the written remarks of the Chairman in his absence:“Apologies for my absence, I was very keen to take Elizabeth on a birthday cruise. Your committee have been very busy throughout the year; we have met once and email is a bonus when passing information and getting comments. It was good to see a nice number at dinner last night and I hope you like the picture Clive Sharplin has donated to us. Please see the leaflets concerning cost of prints and notelets.

thThe 75 Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate is beginning to loom on to the horizon and the committee are keen to hear your views on how this should be marked. Malcolm will give more details but

ththere has been a request from Canada to have a function actually on the 13 December 2014 which is a Saturday. I am delighted to say that Stephen Harwood has agreed to be part of the organising committee; his knowledge of such events will be invaluable.

As Newsletter Editor I am very grateful to Malcolm for his input of pictures and articles and to other contributors throughout the year. Great credit for the Newsletter must go to our printer Colin in Harwich who puts together the material I email to him. I would like to invite Colin to our dinner next year as our guest – he's done a tremendous job, certainly during my time as editor. Are members happy with 4 issues a year and a 16 page newsletter? (Those present were happy with current arrangements) I do need your contributions if it is to continue in its present format of 16 pages and quarterly.

Item 2 ApologiesApologies had been received from the following:Peter Danks, Chairman; Reg Dolby; Basil Trott; Ted Wicks; Kenneth Byram; Sam Shale; John Garrard; John Dooley; Barry Clutton; Vic Wilson; Trevor Dixon; Kenneth Byram; Philip Byram.No further apologies were received from the floor.

thItem 3 Minutes from Last AGM held on Thursday 14 October 2010The previous minutes had been circulated in the March 2011 Newsletter and also made available at this AGM. No reports of inaccuracy had been received. Mike Turner proposed that the minutes as recorded be adopted as a true record of what then took place and this proposition was seconded by Mike Fox and carried by those members present on that occasion.

Item 4 Matters ArisingThere were no matters arising.

Item 5 Treasurer's ReportThe Treasurer circulated a copy of the 2011 accounts, duly Audited and Certified correct by the Independent Examiner, Commander Chris Rose (Squadron Supply Officer on Ajax). They will appear in the December

14. 15.

2011 Newsletter. The Treasurer explained that as a result of the change agreed at last year's AGM the st st

financial year now runs from 1 September to 31 August. Consequently, these accounts related to a shorter st stperiod, 1 January 2011 to 31 August, to allow for the financial year change-over. Therefore, it was difficult

to make a direct comparison with the previous year. A problem previously raised was the fact that the production and circulation of the newsletters alone exceeded the individual subscription income. However,

stthe Association funds, as of 31 August, were still healthy at £5238.61. The Treasurer advised that he had been endeavouring to find an account with a better interest rate but this was difficult given the current economic climate. There were no questions from the floor and Mike Turner proposed that the accounts be adopted and this was seconded by Joe Collis and carried by members present.

stThe Treasurer advised that there was no requirement to raise the current £10 subscriptions, payable on 1 January for the ensuing year. This was proposed by Dennis Talbot and seconded by Nigel Masters and carried by the members present. The Treasurer also stated that it was easier for subscriptions to continue to go the Membership Secretary as membership records could be updated and updated paperwork sent out to members as they renewed. The Membership Secretary's paying-in book would be sent to the Treasurer to be made available for the Auditor each September.

Item 6 Membership Secretary UpdateThe Membership Secretary updated members with the current membership situation:Members = 69 (2010 = 70)Life Members = 11 (2010 = 10)Honorary Members = 5 (2010 = 7)Associate Members = 40 (2010 = 31)TOTAL MEMBERSHIP = 125 (2010 = 118)

The Membership Secretary expressed the view that the Association was doing extremely well and during the year we had recruited 6 new Members, all Frigate men, and 5 Associate Members but sadly had lost 5 Members who had crossed the Bar.

Update forms: a plea was made to those members who have not yet completed their update form to please do so. This information allows us to maintain records of, for example, next of kin, email addresses, navy history, and, when the time eventually arrives, the compilation of an obituary entry. The birthday wishes list is also taken from these forms but unfortunately we have some members for whom we have scant information – if a member fails to get a mention, then this is because we do not have the information, so please rectify this omission by contacting the Membership Secretary for an update form. Members indicated they were happy to have birthdays published.

The Membership Secretary also reiterated that annual subscriptions should be sent to the Membership Secretary who would bank them, generate any subsequent correspondence and maintain the master membership list.

Subscriptions: The Membership Secretary reported that it was disappointing that by late August we had 30 non-payers out of a total of 107 paying members, so over a quarter were outstanding. Of the 30, 13 were also outstanding for 2010 – a shortfall of £430. Following some phone calls, emails and letters, with return address (none returned as yet) the situation as of date of AGM is that there are 14 still outstanding of whom 10 are also still outstanding for 2010 so, despite our efforts, the Association is short of £240, bearing in mind the four annual Newsletters costs over £10, collectively, to produce and distribute. The Membership Secretary invited ideas from the floor to deal with these individuals and the consensus of opinion was that a note should be included in their December Newsletter advising this would be the last one, unless payment was forthcoming. The Membership Secretary advised that should any member have difficulties making payment to contact him/her to make alternative arrangements as we do not wish to lose contact with members.ACTION - NEWSLETTER EDITOR/MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Communicating information: many (35) of our members can be contacted by means of email and this is a quick and efficient means of spreading information, for example, we were able to circulate information

about Don Cull's funeral allowing a good turn out from Members. The Membership Secretary asked for suggestions of how we inform other members because telephoning the remaining members for whom we have numbers (we have no telephone number for 15 members) was burdensome. Mike Turner suggested people may well attend funerals, for example, if they were fairly local to them, so perhaps we should limit phone calls geographically. In addition, we should endeavour to telephone those members who served with the individual. The Membership Secretary thanked members for their sensible suggestions which they would adopt.

Item 6a Archivist UpdateThe Archivist advised that after 10 years he had decided to stand down. Malcolm Collis proposed a vote of thanks for John's contribution to the Association in general and to the role as Archivist in particular and this was seconded by Alf Larkin and carried by members.

Item 7 Election of OfficialsThis item had been included within the Agenda published in the September 2011 Newsletter and in the absence of any other nominations the following officials were declared elected:Chairman – Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Secretary – Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Newsletter Editor - Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Treasurer – Alf Larkin re-elected. Proposed by Mike Fox and seconded by Fred Coates.Membership Secretary – Judi Collis elected. Proposed by Dennis Talbot and seconded by Reg Dolby.Archivist – Malcolm Collis elected. Proposed by John Hitchen and seconded by Dennis Talbot.

thItem 8 75 Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate

th th Malcolm Collis introduced this item explaining that the 75 Anniversary, although on 13 December 2014, would soon be upon us and it was time to start preparations for the commemoration of the Battle. He outlined progress so far and stated that the committee would be meeting soon to start the ball rolling. Captain Stephen Harwood had agreed to be part of that organising committee for which the Association was very grateful. Malcolm Collis was due to go back to the Head of Navy PR to enquire about the keel laying for the last Astute Submarine, likely to be named Ajax and likely to be laid in 2014. He would also ask for Navy support in order to make the commemorations national and high profile. Members were invited to put forward suggestions either at the AGM or in due course; nothing was raised from the floor.

It was agreed that our Association ought to link in with The River Plate Association with Jim Smith from that Association being present. Jim Smith mentioned that the Cambridge Stamp Centre would produce commemorative first day issue stamps and this would be explored.

Malcolm Collis explained that The Town of Ajax would have an election year in 2014 but probably would be clear by the December but it did mean they would be unable to do anything 'official' in the summer in Canada. Fred Coates asked if it was intended to arrange a trip to Ajax and Malcolm Collis suggested that many of our older members, come 2014, would more likely than not, be unable to travel to Canada. However, 6 members present indicated that they would like to visit so this will form part of the committee's deliberations.

Alf Larkin advised he was still very friendly with Alf Hodges who had been on the Town Council at the time of the Frigate's visit to Ajax and he would make contact with him.

Malcolm Collis asked if any other member would be prepared to join the organising committee to help and Mike Fox volunteered – thanks.

Item 9 Date and Venue for the 2012 Reunion and AGMrdThe Chairman proposed to hold next year's reunion dinner on the Wednesday 3 October 2012 followed by

ththe Memorial Service and AGM the next day, Thursday 4 October, the same week as this year's reunion, and this was agreed.

With regard to the venue, it was noted that the Association had been well served by the Hotel who knew our

14. 15.

2011 Newsletter. The Treasurer explained that as a result of the change agreed at last year's AGM the st st

financial year now runs from 1 September to 31 August. Consequently, these accounts related to a shorter st stperiod, 1 January 2011 to 31 August, to allow for the financial year change-over. Therefore, it was difficult

to make a direct comparison with the previous year. A problem previously raised was the fact that the production and circulation of the newsletters alone exceeded the individual subscription income. However,

stthe Association funds, as of 31 August, were still healthy at £5238.61. The Treasurer advised that he had been endeavouring to find an account with a better interest rate but this was difficult given the current economic climate. There were no questions from the floor and Mike Turner proposed that the accounts be adopted and this was seconded by Joe Collis and carried by members present.

stThe Treasurer advised that there was no requirement to raise the current £10 subscriptions, payable on 1 January for the ensuing year. This was proposed by Dennis Talbot and seconded by Nigel Masters and carried by the members present. The Treasurer also stated that it was easier for subscriptions to continue to go the Membership Secretary as membership records could be updated and updated paperwork sent out to members as they renewed. The Membership Secretary's paying-in book would be sent to the Treasurer to be made available for the Auditor each September.

Item 6 Membership Secretary UpdateThe Membership Secretary updated members with the current membership situation:Members = 69 (2010 = 70)Life Members = 11 (2010 = 10)Honorary Members = 5 (2010 = 7)Associate Members = 40 (2010 = 31)TOTAL MEMBERSHIP = 125 (2010 = 118)

The Membership Secretary expressed the view that the Association was doing extremely well and during the year we had recruited 6 new Members, all Frigate men, and 5 Associate Members but sadly had lost 5 Members who had crossed the Bar.

Update forms: a plea was made to those members who have not yet completed their update form to please do so. This information allows us to maintain records of, for example, next of kin, email addresses, navy history, and, when the time eventually arrives, the compilation of an obituary entry. The birthday wishes list is also taken from these forms but unfortunately we have some members for whom we have scant information – if a member fails to get a mention, then this is because we do not have the information, so please rectify this omission by contacting the Membership Secretary for an update form. Members indicated they were happy to have birthdays published.

The Membership Secretary also reiterated that annual subscriptions should be sent to the Membership Secretary who would bank them, generate any subsequent correspondence and maintain the master membership list.

Subscriptions: The Membership Secretary reported that it was disappointing that by late August we had 30 non-payers out of a total of 107 paying members, so over a quarter were outstanding. Of the 30, 13 were also outstanding for 2010 – a shortfall of £430. Following some phone calls, emails and letters, with return address (none returned as yet) the situation as of date of AGM is that there are 14 still outstanding of whom 10 are also still outstanding for 2010 so, despite our efforts, the Association is short of £240, bearing in mind the four annual Newsletters costs over £10, collectively, to produce and distribute. The Membership Secretary invited ideas from the floor to deal with these individuals and the consensus of opinion was that a note should be included in their December Newsletter advising this would be the last one, unless payment was forthcoming. The Membership Secretary advised that should any member have difficulties making payment to contact him/her to make alternative arrangements as we do not wish to lose contact with members.ACTION - NEWSLETTER EDITOR/MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY

Communicating information: many (35) of our members can be contacted by means of email and this is a quick and efficient means of spreading information, for example, we were able to circulate information

about Don Cull's funeral allowing a good turn out from Members. The Membership Secretary asked for suggestions of how we inform other members because telephoning the remaining members for whom we have numbers (we have no telephone number for 15 members) was burdensome. Mike Turner suggested people may well attend funerals, for example, if they were fairly local to them, so perhaps we should limit phone calls geographically. In addition, we should endeavour to telephone those members who served with the individual. The Membership Secretary thanked members for their sensible suggestions which they would adopt.

Item 6a Archivist UpdateThe Archivist advised that after 10 years he had decided to stand down. Malcolm Collis proposed a vote of thanks for John's contribution to the Association in general and to the role as Archivist in particular and this was seconded by Alf Larkin and carried by members.

Item 7 Election of OfficialsThis item had been included within the Agenda published in the September 2011 Newsletter and in the absence of any other nominations the following officials were declared elected:Chairman – Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Secretary – Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Newsletter Editor - Peter Danks re-elected. Proposed by Sam Shale and seconded by Ted Wicks.Treasurer – Alf Larkin re-elected. Proposed by Mike Fox and seconded by Fred Coates.Membership Secretary – Judi Collis elected. Proposed by Dennis Talbot and seconded by Reg Dolby.Archivist – Malcolm Collis elected. Proposed by John Hitchen and seconded by Dennis Talbot.

thItem 8 75 Anniversary of the Battle of the River Plate

th th Malcolm Collis introduced this item explaining that the 75 Anniversary, although on 13 December 2014, would soon be upon us and it was time to start preparations for the commemoration of the Battle. He outlined progress so far and stated that the committee would be meeting soon to start the ball rolling. Captain Stephen Harwood had agreed to be part of that organising committee for which the Association was very grateful. Malcolm Collis was due to go back to the Head of Navy PR to enquire about the keel laying for the last Astute Submarine, likely to be named Ajax and likely to be laid in 2014. He would also ask for Navy support in order to make the commemorations national and high profile. Members were invited to put forward suggestions either at the AGM or in due course; nothing was raised from the floor.

It was agreed that our Association ought to link in with The River Plate Association with Jim Smith from that Association being present. Jim Smith mentioned that the Cambridge Stamp Centre would produce commemorative first day issue stamps and this would be explored.

Malcolm Collis explained that The Town of Ajax would have an election year in 2014 but probably would be clear by the December but it did mean they would be unable to do anything 'official' in the summer in Canada. Fred Coates asked if it was intended to arrange a trip to Ajax and Malcolm Collis suggested that many of our older members, come 2014, would more likely than not, be unable to travel to Canada. However, 6 members present indicated that they would like to visit so this will form part of the committee's deliberations.

Alf Larkin advised he was still very friendly with Alf Hodges who had been on the Town Council at the time of the Frigate's visit to Ajax and he would make contact with him.

Malcolm Collis asked if any other member would be prepared to join the organising committee to help and Mike Fox volunteered – thanks.

Item 9 Date and Venue for the 2012 Reunion and AGMrdThe Chairman proposed to hold next year's reunion dinner on the Wednesday 3 October 2012 followed by

ththe Memorial Service and AGM the next day, Thursday 4 October, the same week as this year's reunion, and this was agreed.

With regard to the venue, it was noted that the Association had been well served by the Hotel who knew our

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requirements; Gillingham was reasonably accessible by car, bus or train; and the Ajax Memorial was housed in the St Georges Centre and was ideal for the Memorial Service. In the absence of any other suggestions it was agreed to remain at Gillingham for now. Members were invited to contact the committee if they have any ideas in the future, or anything they wish to be done differently.

Item 11 Any other businessThere were no notified items of business. 1. Mike Turner asked to make mention of the following; 'I would like to have placed on record my appreciation, and those of others, particularly cruiser ship members who now, certainly in my case, contribute so little to our Association, to those, both Frigate, Associate Members, Judi Collis in particular and of course John Hitchen, who have worked to ensure the smooth running of our Association. They are all owed a great debt of gratitude.' These comments were endorsed by those present. Mike was thanked for his kind comments.

2. Malcolm Collis made mention of the painting that was display at the reunion dinner and advised that it was intended to approach Chatham Docks Museum to see if they would wish to display it along with the models etc. of Ajax. In this way the painting would be seen by many more people throughout the year and would be in safekeeping. The intention would be to 'reclaim' the painting for display at the reunion dinners. Other members were asked if they had other suggestions, but none were forthcoming.ACTION - M COLLIS TO CONTACT MUSEUM

3. Malcolm Collis raised the issue of having a public website for the Association. There was one in existence but it required passwords etc and we had lost touch with the member who had constructed it. In his new role as Archivist he undertook to develop a new one which would contain history, events, significant dates, etc. which anyone could view and could contact us for further information meaning it could be a useful recruiting tool. Members agreed with this approach.ACTION - M COLLIS TO DEVELOP WEBSITE & REPORT BACK TO COMMITTEE

There being no other business the Chair thanked Members for attending the AGM and closed the meeting at 1200 hrs.