Flanged Wheel

If you are interested in a well-written, scholarly and insightful article* on the topic of submarine cables, then the link below might be of interest… https://cimsec.org/undersea-cables-challenges-protecting-seabed-lines-communication/ *I may have a close connection with the author 😉

Interestingly, there are also questions surrounding the oldest footprints found in the Americas (in New Mexico) that are also much older than previously suspected. They suggest that humans were in the area between 22,000 and 23,000 years ago, much earlier than previous estimates. The latest evidence from last October suggests that this may be true but it remains a debated finding. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/oldest-fossil-human-footprints-in-north-america-are-23000-years-old-study-reaffirms-180983018/

In 2022, I quit my job and booked one way tickets for my family to… Colombia! We stayed in the country for a month, working our way down from the Caribbean coast before crossing the border into Ecuador (mostly on public buses). We found that it was a great country to visit and had no problems at all. This wasn’t just on the tourist trail - we rented a car and did a road trip into the hills to see the tombs at Tierra al Dentro and San Agustin (both very worthwhile). Twenty six countries later, there isn’t one that I wouldn’t happily go back to, even those which, in theory, have dubious reputations (like El Salvador and Laos). We are sensible about where we go and what we do but I haven’t felt worried by any of the places that we have seen so far. Before we left, we lived in London and there were random stabbings on our local stations with alarming regularity. Having said that, we looked at Venezuela before we left as a destination and decided that it was too dangerous. We were also planning to visit Israel… So there are some limits, even for us crazies.

There’s some fascinating history surrounding seaside holidays. I spent the summer between my GCSEs and A-levels researching excursion trains from the West Riding, thanks to a HMRS grant. They even published my article. Part of the project involved recording oral history from those who went on these excursions. Sadly all have since passed away and so that research is the only way that their story was captured. One of the valuable things about this thread (apart from the sheer delight of the wealth of pictures) is the knowledge that is being recorded and (RMWeb permitting) retained. Long may it continue…!

This was where my last order from the House of Big Ladies ended up being delivered. Hilariously, this picture was sent to me in an email from them entitled “how was our service?”

She might be challenged for that record by our two boys. Their museum pace is snail like - the current record is two whole days for the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City (which is a cracking museum by the way and well worth the time). They take their notebooks and start writing and sketching and that’s us done. Our twelve year old is small for his age and blonde and very often, particularly in south east Asia, he gets more attention from the other visitors than some of the exhibits…

You jest but in eighteen years in the Royal Navy, I conducted small arms training on just one occasion (and that was when I was a cadet). To be fair, if the lawyer has a gun then everyone is probably doomed anyway…

And now, as they say, for something completely different… Certainly a long way from rural Shropshire! We’re in Ho Chi Minh City and spent some time yesterday at the City Museum. It is in the former Presidential Palace and was worth the one pound entrance fee for the architecture alone (although we did have to dodge a large number of couples who were having their wedding photographs taken). The museum is quite helpful in understanding the recent history of the country and city although obviously from a certain perspective. The real gems were sitting in the grounds outside so I present, for your delectation, delight and perusal, the following…: A captured Bell UH1 helicopter with a Northrop F5E lurking behind. The latter aircraft was stolen by a defector from the South Vietnam Airforce in 1975 who used it to bomb the Presidential Palace (of the “Saigon puppet regime” according to the sign) and then flew it into a North Vietnam controlled area. Surrounded by flowers, there sits this Cessna A-37 Dragonfly. This was another seized by North Vietnamese forces and used on 28 April 1975 to attack Tan Son Nhut airbase, two days before the fall of Saigon. It was piloted by the same defector who had stolen the F5E earlier that year. All are in rather sad condition.

I’ve developed quite a taste for the matcha KitKat bars. Not sure how available they are in the UK, but they are all over the place in south east Asia. My go-to biscuit at the moment. I’m afraid that I am an evil Marmite hater…

I once read a book, published during the war, detailing the work of Coastal Command. Although inevitably propaganda, it did make for a fascinating few hours. I would share the name of the book but it is sitting in a loft in Yorkshire and I’m in Vietnam…* Of course, we all know that it was the mighty Fleet Air Arm, flying from HMS ARK ROYAL (one of my old ships although obviously not THAT one), that eventually did for the Bismark! *Using the power of t‘interweb, I’ve tracked it down. It’s “Coastal Command at War” by Squadron Leader Tom Dudley-Gordon. The copy I have belonged to my wife’s grandfather who flew with the RAF in World War 2 and lost a leg in an accident but copies are available in the usual places for reasonable sums.

Cosford is mainly technical training these days. The only flying unit that is based there is the University of Birmingham Air Squadron (flying 6 Grob Tutors according to their website). This doesn’t mean that it isn’t temporarily used for other purposes and aircraft though.

In 2017, we took the fast catamaran vehicle ferry from Portland, Maine to Yarmouth in Nova Scotia. This was a sizeable craft, leased from the US Navy who had originally purchased it to work in Hawaii. The sea state was not particularly high but it had a terrible motion. Most people were lying around and not enjoying the trip. My main memory of the crossing is watching the news coverage of the USS Fitzgerald collision, particularly poignant as I was working with the US Navy at the time. When we got there, Nova Scotia was superb and if you get chance to go, I thoroughly recommend it. They have a floating Flower Class corvette in Halifax!

We rode the Chinese CR200J trains in Laos last month which were both comfortable and smart. The whole experience was very smooth and enjoyable. Sadly our Indonesia route through Java didn’t go through Bandung so we used the older railway lines - still a great way to travel across the island though. Poor photos of the CR200J below… (in my defence, I was hauling a very large rucksack and corralling the family). I didn’t think to take any photos inside the washroom!

I once prosecuted a nasty case where the complainant had an emotional support St Bernard (and it genuinely seemed to help them). The evidence was being given by live link from another room in the court centre so that they didn’t have to come into the courtroom but I still had to make an application to the judge for the dog to be in the room when evidence was being given. I got a raised eyebrow from the judge when I stood up at the start of the trial and opened with “Your Honour, I have an application concerning a dog…”

T’was William Blackstone in “Commentaries on the Laws of England” back in 1769. I’m currently in Cambodia where the former leader Pol Pot once decreed that it was better an innocent man arrested than a guilty man go free so other views are available although not necessarily from individuals that are renowned for their balanced views on law and order…!

The official list doesn’t have Zimbabwe but otherwise full marks… Somehow I forgot about Cuba and spent a very annoying 24 hours trying to work out the last one. Don’t pick me for your pub quiz team.

No - that was the RV Petrel. Originally owned by a Microsoft founder and now by the US Navy. https://news.usni.org/2023/03/22/research-ship-that-found-famous-wwii-wrecks-damaged-in-scotland-dry-dock-several-injured OceanX was originally launched in 2010 and built by a Spanish shipyard. She was refitted for her current role by Damen in Rotterdam in 2020.

Oooh I know this one! It’s a Wing-In-Ground craft. I can remember these from when I had to learn COLREGS, nearly twenty years ago. Nobody had any idea what it was really but we all knew that it had to display a high intensity all round red flashing light…

At the other end of the spectrum, and stretching the definition of “ship” to breaking point, I give you the Mekong river ferry at Luang Prabang in northern Laos. Given this is a communist country (quick quiz - can you name all five communist countries in the world), I suspect that it is not owned by a global hedge fund…

OceanX is a pretty impressive set-up. See the link below. https://oceanx.org/oceanxplorer It is funded by the Dalio family, famous for setting up Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s leading hedge funds. Presumably trimming front gardens pays reasonably well…

No idea if this is still true but when I was serving in the old aircraft carriers, the best paid person on board was the Dental Officer. The Captain came in at fourth (behind the Doc and the Bish)!

For those interested in Troubridge (and if you’re not then please accept my apologies for my part in prolonging and protracting the musings on this topic), then there is an excellent blog from the National Archives on this case. https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/court-martial-rear-admiral-troubridge/ With respect to the Battle of the River Plate, I had the fortune to be a Young Officer in HMS EXETER when we hosted three World War Two veterans of our namesake. Not only had they fought in the South Atlantic, they stayed with the ship until she was sunk in the Java Sea in 1942 and were then captives of the Japanese with all that entailed. They were amazing men to meet and needless to say that we treated them like royalty for the day.

Churchill was fond of a good court martial threat… He once threatened Edward VIII (when he was Duke of Windsor) with a court martial if he refused to leave Portugal and return to a British territory. That would have been an amazing case to prosecute! It would make a great play. “The King’s Court Martial”… You could explore all sorts of themes regarding loyalty and honour. I already have my eye on Andrew Scott to play the Duke. He would be excellent!

The family of Admiral Byng are still actively trying to clear his name (or at least they were fifteen days years ago)… https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-byng-idUKHO45269320070314/ The MoD said ‘no’… https://amp.theguardian.com/uk/2007/mar/15/military.immigrationpolicy His epitaph is particularly vitriolic: To the perpetual Disgrace of PUBLICK JUSTICE The Honble. JOHN BYNG Esqr Admiral of the Blue Fell a MARTYR to POLITICAL PERSECUTION March 14th in the year 1757 when BRAVERY and LOYALTY were Insufficient Securities For the Life and Honour of a NAVAL OFFICER For the record, I’m not related to him either but I am writing the first comprehensive history of the British Court Martial.

Looks like one of these… https://defence-blog.com/royal-navy-tests-aerial-logistics-drone-on-aircraft-carrier/?amp