28 Monks Way
Hill Head
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 3LU
Tel. 01329-662137
15 September 2015

AUTUMN 2015 NEWSLETTER

The Very Reverend John Hall, Dean of Westminster Abbey, has very kindly given permission for us to hold our Remembrance Service at the abbey on Saturday 28th November. Survivors, members and guests are advised to enter the abbey by the west door no later than 1430 and proceed to the nave seating as directed by the abbey staff. I recommend coming slightly earlier to avoid the exodus of tourists leaving by 1430. Prior to Evensong the abbey staff will direct us to seats in the choir stalls for the service.

On completion of Evensong we will retire to the nave seating for our service in memory of all those who died in HMS BARHAM and we also remember all those survivors who have passed away during the year. The service includes the laying of our wreath which Pat Picket has again volunteered to make. If any member or members of the Association wish to lay the wreath please let me know. After the service the book of remembrance will be open for inspection

Some members have planned to meet at the Methodist Central Hall restaurant for a light lunch and get together before the abbey services. An alternative is the Cellarium cafe just off the Abbey cloisters (cellariumcafe.com). The Union Jack Club has again kindly given permission for members and their friends to use the club's bar and restaurant after the Remembrance service. The Union Jack Club is in Sandell Street on the east side of Waterloo railway station.

The guestbook on our website has a steady stream of entries from members of families of those who served in HMS Barham but for whom the Association had never before had any contacts. We would welcome any of them and any others who wished to come to the Remembrance service.

Last year our service was held on St Cecilia's day and was conducted by the Reverend Canon Andrew Tremlett. Survivors Jack Nealon and George Knott together laid the wreath for the 73rd anniversary of the sinking of HMS BARHAM. As ever our beautiful wreath was made and donated by Patricia Picket assisted by her husband Alan who brought it to the Abbey. Many thanks yet again. I read the Tennyson poem "Crossing the bar".

We have had an email from Peter Duffell-Canham in South Africa to say that his uncle Alfred Duffell-Canham died in January. He was one of twelve South African Navy Ordinary Seamen who joined the ship while it was being repaired in Durban after X turret was hit by a bomb off Crete in May 1941and near misses blew a hole in the port bow that a London trolleybus could be driven through. Most of them were friends who had been through school and Sea Cadets together. Six of them were killed in the sinking and are named on the Plymouth War Memorial. Alfred was the last of the six survivors to die. The others were Fletcher Evans, Aubrey J Farmer, Richard Morris, Douglas H Maclarity and CA Potter.

Over 50 people attended our service some of whom had never before attended. Mrs JP Smith whose brother Leading Seaman HN Reddick was lost in the sinking and whom I mentioned in last year's newsletter managed to attend in a wheel chair she had attended the early services meeting the Captain's widow who organised the first service.

Keith Robus, now the Chaplain of Britannia Royal Naval College has written to say that they have recently found in a vault some reels of film recounting the 1914 battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands. They were commissioned in 1926 and used warships of the day to portray the ships at war in WW1. There is some footage of HMS Barham which portrays HMS Invincible, the flagship of Admiral Sturdee. A soundtrack was added by HM Royal Marine Band Plymouth. A copy may be obtained from the British Film Institute and the link is: http://shop.bfi.org.uk/battles-of-coronel-and-falkland-islands-the.html at £19.99.

Again this year I shall only be sending hard copies of this newsletter to our survivors. If you know of anyone without access to the internet who wishes to keep in touch about our activities please tell them about this year's service.

Next year will be the centenary of the Battle of Jutland in which HMS Barham as the Flag ship of the fifth battle squadron played a notable part. She withstood 5 hits but 26 of the crew were killed. I intend to give a more detailed account of the battle on the website before the anniversary.

Again this year I shall only be sending hard copies of this newsletter to our survivors. If you know of anyone without access to the internet who wishes to keep in touch about our activities please tell them about this year's service.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Stratton-Brown

Chairman