The Second HMS Manchester Association

MESSAGE BOARD AND GUEST BOOK

The Organisers of The Second HMS MANCHESTER ASSOCIATION welcome comments from Shipmates and those who have visited this site....if only to prove someone has actually read it!!

COMMENTS - Please send your comments in an email to the Webmaster. They will be pasted on the board shortly thereafter.

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July 2009

Dear 2nd HMS Manchester Association members

Thank you so much for your donation of £100 kindly given to Naomi House children's hospice. We are so grateful, your support means so much to the children and their families that use Naomi House and to the young people who will soon be able to use our new hospice, Jacksplace.

As you may know Naomi House provides a homely environment to children and young people with life-limiting conditions. We provide one-to-one specialist care, including respite, end of life and bereavement support, and are proud to have supported over 640 families since we opened in 1997.

Once again thank you for your very kind donation which will help us reach the £2.5 million each year that is needed to keep these crucial care services open to the children and their families that need us. Alongside this we have raised over £9 million towards our £12 million target towards Jacksplace. If you would like more information about Naomi House or Jacksplace we would be delighted to hear from you.

Fundraising Office

Naomi House Children's Hospice

Unit 3 Sun Valley Business Park

Winnall Close

Winchester

SO23 0LB

Telephone: 01962 853513

Fax: 01962 870811

Web: www.naomihouse.org.uk

E-mail: fundraising@naomihouse.org.uk

Global 86 Film Crew -

Dear All,

A few details on the Global film crew for Tony Shingler.

There were 3 lots of 'Phots' dumped on the Manchester for the Global trip due to the Illustrious (of current TV fame) having a major fire in one of its main gearboxes and being delayed on deployment for about 4-5 months. I came into contact with them more than most because as the RN members had an aircraft on their badge, it was deemed that they were to be part of the Ships Flight for divisional purposes. Largest Lynx flight in history, but useful when the hanger needed bollocking out for rounds.

There was a CPO Phot Les Warr (last rumoured to be scenes of crime phot for Somerset and Avon Constabulary) plus a Killick Phot for stills. They stayed with the Manchester for the whole deployment.

A slack handful of other RN phots who were a movie team, departed after the Hong Kong visit.

The civvie team, led by John Tippy (producer) who had 1 cameraman (had filmed a team of 'yoofs' quad biking across the Sahara), an assistant cameraman, and a sound man. They stayed on for the full trip. I seem to remember that there was a competition to name the film with the winning entry being 'Sailor Blue'. Whether or not this was taken up, I don't know. Rumour also said that it was only ever shown by Anglia TV.

There was also someone I can't remember who 'cause it was last year some time, who had been on the Illustrious and was asking similar questions on the Navy News web site. Maybe worth a few questions in that area.

Hope this helps in the search.

Yours Aye

Alan McKendrick

ERNIE EARNSHAW

It is with much sadness that we inform members of the 2nd HMS Manchester Association of the passing of popular former shipmate Ernie Earnshaw. Many of our Association will remember Ernie as a young PO onboard the Mighty Manch circa 88 - 91. As we understand, Ernie - who was a serving Warrant Officer1, collapsed and passed away en-route to Pompey Dockyard on the morning of Wednesday 28th October. He was 46.

Message from John White from www.melbournestar.co.uk website -

Hello Steve and Ian

Just to thank you for your comments and for adding a link to my website www.melbournestar.co.uk .

I have now added photographs of HMS Eagle, Manchester, Foresight, Cairo and Nigeria - all of which were sunk or badly damaged during the Malta Convoy 'Operation Pedestal'. Also included, is the address of your website beneath HMS Manchester's photo see - www.melbournestar.co.uk/Operation_Pedestal_Ship .

Again thanks for the link and good luck to all of you involved with HMS Manchester Association.

Best Wishes

John White

Global 86 Film - another update -

Apparently the 'film' has been found - see below

Global 87: Some years ago I wrote the following request (see bottom of piece for update) : Global 86: Scott Hayward is still trying to find the 'lost' film of this 1986 deployment. The ships he remembers on the deployment were: HM Ships Amazon, Manchester, Beaver and Illustrious. Joined up with HMS York for a few weeks around Hong Kong also; and of course, there were several RFA ships involved. It is thought the working title was 'Navy Blue(s)' - can any readers and/or participants on Global 86 help to restart this initiative? Scott will be ably assisted in the pursuit of the information by a long standing friend and remarkably talented amateur historian - Ashley Browne HMS Amazon 1985-87 - although he doesn't know it yet!

UPDATE: After much searching and after working with the Royal Gibraltar Police (who were looking to track down the footage as part of their ongoing investigation with Hampshire Police into the disappearance of sailor Simon Parkes in 1986 - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/police-search-gibraltar-for-sailor-missing-since-1986-541527.html), the footage has at last been found safe and well in the archives at the Imperial War Museum! It is currently being scrutinised by Hampshire Police. May I ask all of those who have contacted me in the past about this to do so once again; as recently, my archived Outlook emails have all gone TU...I shall be happy to keep you in the loop on developments as I try to get my hands on it. It all depends on its security status of course although I can't see anyone being overly excited in unpicking the intricacies of a few seacat and 20mm's these days? 14/12/2088 scott.hayward@tesco.net.

Via Ken Hinchliffe - January 2009 (Apologies for the delay in getting this information onto the website - paperwork went missing!).