28 Monks Way
Hill Head
Fareham
Hampshire
PO14 3LU
Tel. 01329-662137
6 September 2019

AUTUMN 2019 NEWSLETTER

The arrangements for last year’s Remembrance Service on Saturday 24th November were different. The abbey could only manage to let us hold it in the morning. Therefore no Evensong and seats in the quire or the hymn “Eternal Father strong to save” to close the service which had been much appreciated for many years. Instead of sitting in the nave we were inside the railings gathered round the altar and candlesticks with the book of remembrance on a lectern in front. It was standing room only as there must have about a hundred of us due to decision to make the service the last one. We were honoured to have Captain John Voyce RN attend in uniform as the Royal Navy representative. In the throng were family members of the Vice Admiral Sir Pridham-Wippell of the 5th Battle Squadron who survived the sinking and Captain Cooke RN the ship’s Captain who was killed.

The Reverend Canon David Stanton once again conducted the service, its format was unchanged and we particularly remembered Jack Nealon and George Knott who had died in the year. The chairman read Tennyson’s poem “Crossing the Bar” and laid the wreath by the candlesticks.

Once again the beautiful wreath of red and white carnations was made by Patricia Picket assisted by her husband Alan who brought it to the Abbey. She has donated it for 29 years since John Cross first walked into her shop.

I rang to congratulate Archie Ross on his 101st birthday on 18 March. He was a Stoker 1st Class at the time of the sinking and lives in Halliburton, Canada. He regularly thanks me for the newsletters. I have spoken to him recently and he still gets around though he is a bit wobbly on his legs. He plays cards twice a week and visits the casino.

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. I have received from John a printed copy of his father Chef Gordon Lumley’s diary for 1936 when he served in HMS Barham. It shows how life was on board, and I have asked our manager if he could place it on the web.

I shall only be sending a hard copy of this newsletter to Archie Ross. 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 and the change of timing.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Stratton-Brown

Chairman