21 Monks Way
Hill Head
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 3LU
Tel. 01329-662137

SPRING 2011 NEWSLETTER

The Association have completed the purchase of a "Memorial Stone" which has been placed at the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, Staffordshire. The site is off the A38 between Lichfield and Burton-on-Trent. We are proposing to hold a service of dedication to all those who served in HMS Barham at the stone on Saturday 11th June at 2pm. It is to be conducted by the Reverend Keith Robus who will then be the Chaplin of St Ann's church in Portsmouth dockyard An attendance slip is attached to this news letter which I would like to returned by 31st March in order to inform the Arboretum of numbers attending and to arrange refreshments.

The Remembrance Service held at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 27th November 2010 was once again very moving .As usual we were directed to the seating in the nave and most members were able to be seated in the choir stalls for evensong. Our service was attended by 114 members and their guests including two survivors Mr George Knott and Mr Jack Nealon . The service was conducted by the Canon in residence Canon Nicholas Sagovosky who accepted the Standard paraded by Chief Petty Officer Bob Woodgate This was followed by the two survivors laying the wreath on behalf of those present. The service started with a minutes silence in memory of lost comrades , parents, husbands and relatives.

We would particularly like to thank MrAlan and Mrs Pat Pickett for again kindly making and delivering the beautiful wreath . The service was recorded by Mrs Sara Wrigley who has the edited video placed on the HMS Barham web site under "latest news".

It was very pleasing for members of the committee to see so many old and new friends attending the service. Afterwards some members made way to the Union Jack Club where they were made welcome for a rewarding beverage and meal.

Provisional dates for the Remembrance service for 2011 will be Saturday 26th November. Confirmation of this will be in the Autumn/Winter Newsletter. This service will be the day after the Seventieth Anniversary (70th) of the sinking. With even fewer survivors attending it is intended that this will be the last time the HMS Barham Survivors Association Standard will be paraded at Westminster Abbey.

On the following Sunday the 4th December the Standard will be laid up in St Ann's Church in HM Dockyard Portsmouth during their morning service at 1000 It is hoped as many members as possible will attend , Further details will be in the Autumn newsletter.

We have received an e- mail from a Mr Lockley whose uncle Tommy Lockley was killed on 29th December 1939 and is buried at Bootle cemetery. The incident is covered in the book "Battleship Barham " by Geoffrey Jones "ISBN 07183 0416 0 " between pages 176 and 189.

Deborah Cox informed us that her father Ronald Rowe Charles a survivor died on the 10th January aged 90 years. We have had returned the Autumn newsletter to Mrs Minnie Corbett in NSW Australia.

We have learned that Mick Tapsell has been in hospital , get well soon Mick.

As we have not had any new volunteers to help with committee work it is intended to simplify the administration next year by not sending out a hard copy of our newsletters. The date of the service and subsequent report of it will be placed in the "Latest News" on the web site "www.hmsbarham.com".

I would like to thank all those who have been in contact with the Association for their support and gifts. I would also like to thank my committee for all their work in keeping the organisation going.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Stratton-Brown

Chairman