Sea Time

Back in July 1985 while working at HMS Daedalus Practical Aircraft Training Section (PATS) I was given the opportunity to do something that was extremely unusual for a Wren in those days. I was asked to travel up to Newcastle to escort the Fairey Swordfish that we had in our hangar as a display for all sorts of occasions like Air Day and Trafalgar Day. The Swordfish had been the first aircraft to fly from an aircraft carrier and they wanted to have ours plus a Sea Harrier on display on the flight deck of the soon to be HMS Ark Royal built by Swan Hunter in Wallsend.

The ship was to spend five days at sea doing sea trials on her way down to be handed over to the Navy in Portsmouth. The fact that it wasn't actually a commissioned ship meant that we were allowed to sail on her. So Shirley and I set off by train to Newcastle to have some sea time.

We were met at the station by a tilly (mini bus) and taken to a guest house in Whitley Bay (which is still there by the way) where we were to spend three nights while preparing to sail. Each day we went to the shipyard and helped fetch and carry all sorts of equipment around the ship. Not being accustomed to life onboard a real ship it took us a long time to get from one place to another because decks don't always go right around the ship and to get from one place to another you often had to do a bit of a snakes and ladders thing. Up one flight across a few yards down a flight.

At night we went out with the rest of the ships company and hit the bars and clubs of Whitley Bay. We quickly got to know a few of them but they were a little bemused at the fact that there were Wrens on their ship. I'm sure a few thought we were like an albatross and bad luck, but mostly we were well looked after and hardly bought a drink.

While in dock we saw the arrival of the swordfish and relinquished control of our precious old lady to the resident 'chockheads' (aircraft handlers) who knew how to secure aircraft on wobbly flight decks as opposed to static hangar floors. We patted her prop and told her she would be fine.

Here she is with Shirley in the foreground. I'm at the back somewhere.

The day we set sail was rather emotional. It was a new experience to me. I had never been on a big 'boat' before, just the Gosport Ferry really so I didn't know what it would feel like to be out in a rough sea. We stood on the deck and waved to the hundreds of people lining the Tyne as we slowly moved towards Tynemouth. Many of whom would have spent a good part of their lives building her.

We moved into one of the midshipmen's cabins just beneath the quarterdeck as they didn't have wrens accommodation and so had to keep us out of the way of the sailors of course. We settled in, got changed into civvies and went off to find the junior rates galley for supper. Of course no-one had bothered to tell us that while onboard you always wore uniform, even when you were off watch. Another lesson learnt.

While at sea Shirley and I were given jobs to do. Mine was up in the control tower alongside Commander Air (to the right of me in the photo) My job was to log every flight in and out. While at sea we had lots of flying trials with Sea Harriers and the occasional Seaking. Not the most exciting job and not one I would want to do for a living, but I had a fantastic view of the flight deck and what was going on.

I'm not sure why, but I had been wearing No. 8's (working rig - navy trousers, blue shirt and beret) all the time but when the photographer wanted to take some publicity shots I had to go and get changed into No. 2's (skirt, white blouse and cap). I remember trying to sort out my hair as it looked a mess - and ended up looking like Brylcreem boy.
One of the funniest memories was of taking a large painting from the Captains cabin to the wardroom while we were doing trials involving taking off the stabilisers. The ship rolled from side to side just as I was carrying it along 4(?) deck (one of the decks that went the length of the ship) I could see another sailor walking towards me as if he were drunk. rolling from side to side in time with the ship. I got the giggles and couldn't stop laughing, so much so that I had to stop and put the painting down. The other guy must have thought I was very odd as he gave me a strange look as he lurched past.

The five days at sea were good fun, mostly because there was a mixture of RN and civvies onboard so it was much more relaxed than normal sea time. The Swan Hunter VIP's had brought along lots of beer and spirits. Rather than the regulation two 'tinnies' a day that you got at sea, there were 'extra's handed round on evenings. We usually went into the Chefs mess as it was closest to our cabins - and it was also close to one of the cabins being used to store the surplus beer. Every time someone from Swan Hunter walked past the mess they handed us more cans.

I wasn't sure if the odd feeling of nausea was sea sickness or the effects of a hangover as there was lots of partying going on.

Day five we sailed into Portsmouth. It was early morning and a bit misty but there along the sides were more people who had come out to welcome the 'baby' of the fleet. This time we were in uniform and lined the deck as they always do when entering port. Shirley and I stood either side of the swordfish. I had shivers down my spine and remembered seeing the ships return from the Falklands War to an amazing reception. Of course this was nothing close to that but I got a taste of what it must have been like

This is the only photograph I can find of the Ark Royal entering Portsmouth. If you look carefully you can see me standing to the left of the aircraft positioned at the rear of the flight deck on the black line. Once there it was all a bit of an anti climax. We disembarked, jumped on the Gosport ferry and went back to HMS Daedalus a few miles away, leaving the Swordfish to be collected by the transport unit.

Twenty five years later, here I am again. in 2010, the Government decided to scrap HMS Ark Royal earlier than scheduled. After serving the Royal Navy faithfully she went on her farewell tour and arrived back in her birthplace at Wallsend to say goodbye to the people who had breathed life into her.

Who would have thought that I would now be living a few miles up the road from where I had embarked on my first (and only) ship. I had to go and see her for a last time. The Navy is now a long way from where it was when I was a Wren. Smart foul weather clothes, Wrens are no more and are now the same as sailors, wearing the same uniform. Computers are everywhere, sailors have laptops and mobile phones and doing divisions (and marching practice) is no longer a regular event.

I resisted the urge to tell everyone that I was there the first time she left Newcastle. It was pretty miserable weather so I doubt anyone would have cared.

This Seaking helicopter was was positioned in the exact same place as our Swordfish on the day we sailed into Portsmouth. It was also the same type of aircraft hubby worked on while on squadrons and one I was also familiar with as I used to tow them around the hangars with a tractor. More memories.

For some reason, as I'm getting older, I'm spending more time thinking back to my days in the Navy. Sad that many of the places I served in and ships I knew have gone. The Ark Royal was an adventure, one of many, but possibly the most significant as I was able to do something very unusual in my day and sail on one of the Navy biggest ships.