The Night Mail

[jamie92208]

19 minutes ago, Willie Whizz said:

Three in WWI I think, actually. There was also Rear Admiral Arbuthnot, in command of the armoured cruisers, who went haring-off in pursuit of a damaged German cruiser between the battle-lines, almost causing serious dislocation to the Grand Fleet formation and hampering their gunnery with his smoke in a position where, at this stage of the Battle of Jutland, he really had no business being. Then the mists that cursed the battle parted and Arbuthnot found himself right under the guns of the German battleships; he and his ship and crew were promptly blown to pieces. Frankly he wasn’t much mourned, having a reputation as a fitness fanatic an unpleasant sort of chap to his officers and men. 
 

I can’t think of four during WWII though, not KIA anyway. There was Holland, lost aboard the Hood at the hands of the Bismarck, and Phillips off the coast of Malaya, a couple of days after Pearl Harbour did for the Americans, when the loss of the Prince of Wales and Repulse gave the first real evidence that battleships could be sunk by aircraft even when at sea and alert. Wonder who the others were?  

Arbuthnot may be on another memorial somewhere, I think that the navy has memorials at the 3 crewi g ports of Pompey, Plymouth and Chatham.  The other two WW2 ones were quite late on.  I think one started with D but can't be sure.  There were other names that I recognised such as Captain Johnnie Walker the anti Submarine Ace.   It was certainly a sobering experience walking round. 

 

Jamie

[pH]

18 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

There were other names that I recognised such as Captain Johnnie Walker the anti Submarine Ace.  

 

He didn’t die in action, so I’m a bit surprised he would be listed. According to Wiki, he died of a cerebral thrombosis, brought on by overwork and exhaustion.

 

(Edit - though I suppose, since those who died of disease while in service are listed on memorials, I shouldn’t be too surprised.)

Edited June 18, 2023 by pH
Further thought

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, BSW01 said:

On the subject of nuisance parking, some neighbours of ours from across the road came home to find a car parked across their drive. Tony knocked onto see if it was anyone’s who was visiting us, it wasn’t so he did the same to several houses down the street to no avail. The car in question wasn’t a very big car, so he, me and several others moved the car lifted the car up and moved it about 200 yards down the road and left it parked with the drivers door right next to a lamp post. We know they could get in via the passenger door, but with it being a small car, that would be very awkward. 
 

We did think of turning it over, but that would have been criminal damage, this was we just made it known that we weren’t pleased with their selfishness.

 

When the road near my parents' place was being relaid about ten years ago the highways agency put large, unmissable notices up weeks beforehand stating that during the several days' resurfacing a certain layby would be closed and plant and machinery left there overnight. When the work started further notices as well as cones at the layby entrance were posted but despite that, and the fact that large amounts of gravel were deposited in the layby, some people with the IQs of sausages moved the cones and left their car in the layby and went off somewhere. When they got back in the evening their car was in the middle of a large collection of road mending and surfacing machines with no way of getting out. Apparently they tried to get the police involved to no effect and it wasn't until the next morning that they were able to get the car out. According to local knowledge the dimwits complained bitterly to the council. the highways agency and anyone else they could think of as well as threatening to take legal action, again to no effect. 

 

Dave   

[Winslow Boy]

7 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

On arrival at the DEMU show I sought out New Bryford.  As I made myself co.fortable, he produced a huge chocolate muffin and passed it to me.

 

He certainly knows how to keep me on side.

 

 

So there wasn't a sign saying Don't feed the animals as it'll make them poorly- espically hippos'' then?

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[Winslow Boy]

6 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

Weren’t you talking about these a while back

 

American spelling.. Thats Google translate for you.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Winslow Boy

[Dave Hunt]

2 hours ago, Northmoor said:

There was a story of the car belonging to the Commanding Officer at Manadon Naval College going missing and after a thorough search, later being found on the roof of the building.  The trainees, as an "unofficial training exercise" had dismantled the car and carried it piece by piece up the stairs and rebuilt it perfectly.  I never heard the story of how it came down again afterwards.....

 

The Station Commander's Mini at RAF Valley was discovered more than once on the flat roof of the single storey part of the Officers' Mess, quite often at about the time a training course was graduating. It's amazing what can be done with some loading ramps and lots of alcohol fuelled personnel.

 

Dave

[J. S. Bach]

Well, I just got back from a retirement lunch for our pastor whose last service is next Sunday. Did I say that there was plenty of CAKE!!!!

[Dave Hunt]

So, we had the church BBQ today and sho'nuff it rained. Most attendees were OK as there was a large marquee where the food was laid out and there were tables and chairs enough for all; but despite being equipped with large parasols the cooks got wet. Guess which category I was in? Ah, well, Jill won a bottle of Ardmore in the raffle so there was some consolation.   

 

Dave

Edited June 18, 2023 by Dave Hunt
skoolboy speling misteaks

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, Willie Whizz said:

There was also Rear Admiral Arbuthnot, in command of the armoured cruisers, who went haring-off in pursuit of a damaged German cruiser between the battle-lines, almost causing serious dislocation to the Grand Fleet formation and hampering their gunnery with his smoke in a position where, at this stage of the Battle of Jutland, he really had no business being. Then the mists that cursed the battle parted and Arbuthnot found himself right under the guns of the German battleships; he and his ship and crew were promptly blown to pieces. Frankly he wasn’t much mourned, having a reputation as a fitness fanatic an unpleasant sort of chap to his officers and men. 

He was the pillock in charge of HMS Defence and as was responsible for the death of one of my great grandfather's cousins when Defence went down with all hands.

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2866899/reginald-george-ough/

 

HMS Defence was thought to have been completely destroyed by the magazine explosions and the wreckage field site was only located in the mid 1980s.  In 2001 it was dived on by an archaeological dive team and found to be mainly intact, so was belatedly given protected status as an official War Grave.

 

 

[New Haven Neil]

The sunny day here has just turned in to the liquid type, with added tympani and flash bulbs.  It's gone reet dark.

 

Little else of note, trip out a whole mile to a local nursery/country garden open day, with Jayne who bought loads of plants, we bought none for a change.

 

 

[Willie Whizz]

13 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

He was the pillock in charge of HMS Defence and as was responsible for the death of one of my great grandfather's cousins when Defence went down with all hands.

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2866899/reginald-george-ough/

 

HMS Defence was thought to have been completely destroyed by the magazine explosions and the wreckage field site was only located in the mid 1980s.  In 2001 it was dived on by an archaeological dive team and found to be mainly intact, so was belatedly given protected status as an official War Grave.

 

 

Arbuthnot certainly wasn’t the sharpest knife in the box, though he had excelled in the “brass and smart paintwork” days before Jacky Fisher and Percy Scott dragged the Navy out of the Victorian era. In December 1914 he single-handedly cost the country what could have been a game-changing victory, when the German Admiral Hipper’s battle-cruisers bombarded Scarborough and Hartlepool. 
 

A British force, alerted by early code breaking success, had been positioned to intercept them on their return leg. Rear Admiral Arbuthnot was second-in-command of the battleship squadron, so was positioned half-way down the line. The weather had turned misty (again), and suddenly Arbuthnot’s ship spotted German warships in a gap in the mist, at fairly close range. The ship’s captain wanted to open fire at the near-sitting ducks at once, but Arbuthnot said “No, we must wait for the Admiral to order ‘Open Fire’ “And as Admiral Warrender at the head of the line had seen nothing in the mist, of course no such order came … so the golden opportunity was lost, the Germans escaped and a chance  to destroy a significant part of their fleet and change the course of the War was lost. 
 

But he was so well-connected, he was never seriously criticised for this stunning lack of initiative, and served on to, as HH says, get a lot more good men pointlessly killed a year and a half later. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Willie Whizz

[AndyID]

3 hours ago, Hroth said:

 

At my school the popular end of summer term prank was the insertion of the headmasters car in the secondhand car columns of the local paper, at a cheap "come and buy me" price. This happened for several years in succession, until he left to enter the Church. He wasn't a well regarded man in the school so the aggro was worth it.

 

 

A few years after I left school an enterprising pupil put an ad in the paper selling the entire school as a "desirable villa". It was a very convincing ad. The the school's phone number was included and it got a lot of inquiries. He did get in a bit of bother for it 😁

[SM42]

I am at a loose end. 

 

it's too late to start any painting and it's Sunday anyway. 

 

I'm on days tomorrow, so an early start in the offing

 

Mrs SM42 is currently doing her on line peadiatric first aid course, so she has taken residence in the current  modelling space and I.on call for any IT related issues ( as if I know anything about it)

 

So here I am.  Browsing RMweb and the TV making background noise. 

 

I may partake of a non alcoholic drink. 

 

Andy

 

First call to assist 

[PhilJ W]

Flag officers who died in WW1.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Royal_Navy_flag_officers_who_died_during_the_First_World_War

[Winslow Boy]

2 hours ago, SM42 said:

I am at a loose end. 

 

it's too late to start any painting and it's Sunday anyway. 

 

I'm on days tomorrow, so an early start in the offing

 

Mrs SM42 is currently doing her on line peadiatric first aid course, so she has taken residence in the current  modelling space and I.on call for any IT related issues ( as if I know anything about it)

 

So here I am.  Browsing RMweb and the TV making background noise. 

 

I may partake of a non alcoholic drink. 

 

Andy

 

First call to assist 

 

Is this the Do you have a problem with your colours? Then ring Andy our painter in residence. Would you like to know the correct size of brush for your architrave? Or what about your rollers. Well Andy's the painter you need. Just ring our toll free number at the bottom of the page. Only available between noon and one o'clock on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. All calls may be recorded for purposes of training and health and safety.

[bbishop]

Did Admiral Ramsey die in a plane crash?

[AndyID]

4 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

American spelling.. Thats Google translate for you.

 

I thought it was spelled* "peeonknee".

 

(*As opposed to spelt which is a type of wheat.)

[J. S. Bach]

Night Owl from the Piedmont.

[AndyID]

A belated Happy Fathers Day to all affected. As I said to the dental hygienist the other day, "Don't worry. I have a high pain threshold. I have three children."

 

There were moments but it was well worth it. Second daughter just sent me this pic from last year. I knew it was her but it actually took me a moment to figure out who the old geezer was.

 

 

 

[AndyID]

12 minutes ago, AndyID said:

A belated Happy Fathers Day to all affected. As I said to the dental hygienist the other day, "Don't worry. I have a high pain threshold. I have three children."

 

There were moments but it was well worth it. Second daughter just sent me this pic from last year. I knew it was her but it actually took me a moment to figure out who the old geezer was.

 

 

 

 

Related question:

 

Why can't jeans have a cell-phone pocket on the thigh? Hip and front pockets are not a good place. It's not like they don't have special pockets already. That little pocket they have is not really for your nail clippers. It's for your pocket watch.

[iL Dottore]

28 minutes ago, AndyID said:

…..but it actually took me a moment to figure out who the old geezer was.

 

Old geezer? Old geezer??

I larf with skorn

 

Doncha know 60 is the new 40?

 

(seriously though, the baby boomer generation was the first generation to benefit from pretty good nutrition and health care continuously from infancy onwards. When I first started my career patients in the “geriatric” wards were a very few late 50s [stroke, early onset dementia] mostly in their 60s, a few in the 70s and almost none in their 80s. And now? My GP friend says that when he started, 40 years ago, he had about two patients over the age of 80, when he retired last year he had a dozen or so patients over the age of 80 and a few into their 90s)

[zarniwhoop]

1 hour ago, AndyID said:

 

I thought it was spelled* "peeonknee".

 

(*As opposed to spelt which is a type of wheat.)

True when I was in school, but nowadays in britain many verbs are moving from -ed to -t for the past tense in common usage. It's a living language.

[AndyID]

1 minute ago, zarniwhoop said:

True when I was in school, but nowadays in britain many verbs are moving from -ed to -t for the past tense in common usage. It's a living language.

 

Likewise. It was "ed" in Scotland in the 50s. I moved t the US in 82 and it's always been "ed" here so the "t" version always jars with me when I see it. Ironically it really doesn't matter what England thinks English should be anymore. There are far more people using it now than those who live in England. It seems the "ed" version is actually winning 😀

[AndyID]

32 minutes ago, iL Dottore said:

Old geezer? Old geezer??

I larf with skorn

 

Doncha know 60 is the new 40?

 

(seriously though, the baby boomer generation was the first generation to benefit from pretty good nutrition and health care continuously from infancy onwards. When I first started my career patients in the “geriatric” wards were a very few late 50s [stroke, early onset dementia] mostly in their 60s, a few in the 70s and almost none in their 80s. And now? My GP friend says that when he started, 40 years ago, he had about two patients over the age of 80, when he retired last year he had a dozen or so patients over the age of 80 and a few into their 90s)

 

With 74 revs on my axis my BMI isn't all that bad. I put it down to a lot of beer and skiing (admittedly skiing might have more to do with it). My back was a total disaster 40+ years ago. Thanks to our son and Boy Scouts Of America I got back into skiing. The physical benefits are understandable but in my case the psychological benefits might be even greater. I love the Winters here just as much as the Summers.

 

Our honeymoon was in Seefeld 50 years ago. Maybe we'll arrange a ski trip there one of these Winters 😀

 

I'm pretty sure I really haven't changed much at all.

 

 

 

[AndyID]

A recent happy time in IDSPIDY with #1 daughter. Note: Ruth was born in Scotland but those are US orthodontic teeth.

 

 

The biggest problem with the US is it is so big!