LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Forum Information and Background (Links to books)
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by timlewin »

TERRY LEWIN
A Personal Appreciation

I have been asked to contribute a personal appreciation of the young Lewin, who sixty years ago I met (he was 18) slinging our hammocks on board the training cruiser Frobisher in Fareham Creek. I remember him as a contemporary, a shipmate and as my oldest friend - our service and personal Iives criss-crossing in a variety of unexpected ways. Many years later I was his subordinate - first as a desk officer in the MOD when he was Director of the Naval Tactical and Weapons Division during a horrendous Healey Defence Review; then as his Chief of Staff in Naval Home Command (one activity was kickstarting The School of Maritime Operations (SMOPS)); finally maintaining a respectable modicum of national contact when he was First Sea Lord and I was COS to COMNAVSOUTH.
His many achievements are well known; but the Child is father to the Man. This is about his early service, because of all those, both high and low, that I have known, he changed the least, if at all, in his progress from Midshipman to Admiral. He was a great man in the making and yet did his utmost to play down this alpha plus quality, a characteristic not all that common in the embryonic ‘star’.

The Naval Cadet
He was just one among 85 Special and Direct Entry Cadets, who had passed a tightly competitive exam, straight from different Public Schools, and a minority of Grammar Schools - and he was from the latter. As a group we were fully grown; mad keen; expecting sensible discipline, but not prepared to be treated as juveniles; an extrovert even ‘bolshy’ lot, who had mostly been ‘somebody’ at school. Our parents had fought and nursed in World War I and we were proud of the Navy’s role. Whether Petty Officers Gibson (Gibbo) or Walford (Wally), our demanding ‘Sea Daddies’, or the discerning eye of debonair Lieutenant Mike Townsend, who mustered us on a foul afternoon in January 1939, noticed anything special about one tall, powerfully built cadet, is not recorded. Although clearly an impressive all rounder Lewin seemed in this extrovert bunch to be quiet and unassuming. I got to know him on the Rugger Field. Our scratch, but first class, XV soundly defeated RMA Sandhurst - not least assisted by this resolute and unstoppable centre threequarter.

One day in a rising gale, with monocle streaming to leeward, an irascible old fellow with a purple face and red hair inspected Divisions; then ordered General Drill, an event of unbelievable chaos, before addressing the dishevelled company. The apparition was Ginger Boyle, Admiral of the Fleet the Earl of Cork and Orrery. Whether or not he confused us with the Students’ Union, quite evidently he did not like what he saw. ‘You have’ he erupted ‘joined the Royal Navy to fight. If you don’t want to fight, we don’t need you. Go to a university and become a doctor or a lawyer.’ Being 1939 with Hitler on the rampage this was a miss fire - reminiscent of The Patriotic Speech in Kipling’s Stalky & Co. Cork was not to know that under his guns, as well as a future First Sea Lord, he had targeted among others the CNOs (to be) of India, Pakistan and Thailand. All were soon to be in the thick of it - a few decorated; a number killed; some wounded - but every one exercising responsibility far beyond his years.

That life is so often altered dramatically by a sudden diversion brought about by the unexpected was a subject that Terry and I discussed in his last days. We remembered how, after a training cruise to Iceland and Brittany in Vindictive, five of us chartered Madcap, an ex Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter, (still going today), for part of the summer leave. We were just about to leave our respective homes to join her at Blockhouse when Terry and I were ordered to report full speed to RNO Invergordon. Our names conveniently beginning with adjacent letters, we were ordered to join a brand new cruiser, Belfast, in Scapa Flow - opening up her Gunroom. Had our call-up come a day later we would have been bobbing about somewhere at sea without a radio. Although soon retrieved, we would have gone thereafter to other ships and, because of the vagaries of a very long war, experienced different adventures - with life and death a tossup. Similarly had Belfast not activated the first U-Boat-laid magnetic mine off May Island, which broke her back, Cadets L and M would not have been pierhead jumped next day into Valiant as she emerged from her major reconstruction in Devonport. Both of us agreed that this elderly, but first ever radar-fitted battleship, commanded by the outstanding Bernard ‘Stormy’ Rawlings (later of Crete and then Far East Carrier reputation) with Peter Reid (Controller to be) as his XO, could not have been improved on as a launchpad for a career. The earnest young ‘Schoolie’ in Belfast had unintentionally alerted me to Lewin’s superior IQ when expanding eloquently for the benefit of his class of two on the mathematical delights of trigonometrical geometry. On being asked whether the class fully understood, half said ‘Yes’ and the other half said ‘No’. Promoted to Navigator’s assistant, on Northern Patrol L was Midshipman of the 32 ft oared cutter that boarded the German prize Cap Norte. The speed with which he not only assimilated knowledge, but seemed to retain any amount of detail, was impressive - even the useless, such as for instance the length of a bolt of pusser’s canvas required by the syllabus.

One dark starry night much later, when turning over the watch, L and M for fun competed to see which could recognise the most stars and planets. M was very surprised to win. But the following night L identified correctly every twinkle in the sky down to the insignificant and totally useless for navigation. Decades later as ISL and then CDS he was in the same way to astonish and influence high powered senior Scientists, Mandarins and Uncle Tom Cobley, whose opinions he (knocking heads together always agreeably) influenced with the object of achieving coordination, in for instance the interstertices of the Polaris/Chevaline project, by his confident and speedy ability to master complex technical detail. For this he was rightly much admired in the MOD. I myself recall that earlier when still a Captain ‘selling’ some new Naval Staff Requirement to the Joint Operational Requirements Committee - a sort of high level Treasury dominated Exchange and Mart - a senior soldier queried what he, DNTWP, meant by a ‘Type Number So and So frigate’. Terry replied that as he personally had taken the trouble to brief himself on the other Services’ hardware in detail, he could see no reason why they should not be equally knowledgeable about the navy. No one took him on. His reputation was established.
Modest and a good mixer, he was never a ‘Know all’; nor did he put down those not in the same league, like me. As Midshipmen we would often argue about different subjects, even Naval History, a subject not covered in formal instruction - ‘no time’ the excuse. His hero was James Cook, and we shared admiration of Duncan and Cochrane - no coincidence that all three were ahead of their time in care of people. How lucky the National Maritime Museum was later to be! Formidable knowledge, common sense, enquiring mind, humour, charm, self control, all combined with fine athletic physique and striking ability to get on with every level, marked Terry out early as a quite remarkable personality. A reliable friend, never making demands, he was good fun on a run ashore. Such a paragon presents a challenge to find the flaw. If there were any, I did not come across them either then or in later life. As in our star quiz that I have described, he was cheerfully competitive by nature even when years later playing ‘Buccaneer’ with his children; but had the grace to camouflage the appearance of ’needing to win’ which might have put off other less gifted players.

The Midshipman
The saga of Valiant would fill a book even until - sadly missing Matapan - Terry with the rest of our group from other ships left her in Alexandria in 1941 to return round the Cape to the UK for ‘Sub’s’ courses. This period included an Atlantic convoy; Norwegian campaign (a major cockup). In the wardroom the C- in-C was (unfairly as we now know) called ‘Wrong Way Charlie’; to the sailors (equally unfairly) ‘Fifth Column Forbes’. Cork turned up as a surprise Supremo over the top in a ‘Push-me-Pull-you’ Walrus. The Captain utilised Terry’s and my youthful eyes when to go ‘hard over’ at the shout ‘bombs away’, thereby putting the accurate high Heinkel’s missiles regularly where we would otherwise have been. Pattern 1900A binoculars into the midday sun was par for the course. It was amazing that (with radar assistance) not one high level, dive or torpedo bomber, ship’s gun or shore battery scored a single hit on Valiant during our time in her. It was not for the want of trying. This included Force H - James Somerville - with tragic Mers-el-Kebir (but, unlike the wardroom, we Snotties and Lower Deck believed that to be an essential action); then under Cunningham - Malta convoys; Naval Gunfire Support off North Africa; support at Taranto; bombarding Valona. Our Journals required no imagination to fill and our caring Captain, at sea never off the bridge, added his reasoned gloss in the margin. (Terry believed, as I and others do, that it is quite extraordinary that the Journal, a valuable and traditional method of education and test of a young officer’s qualities, should have been abandoned).
We Midshipmen worked watch and watch at Defence Stations when not at Action, and it was our supposed ‘indispensability’ that deprived Terry and myself of statutory destroyer time. The enemy kept interfering with instruction. This irritated the ‘Schoolie’ Commander; so some like me would be deprived of a run ashore to teach us that life is unfair. An adventure fortunately cancelled was the possibility of having to take the French cruiser Flagship by boarding her in Alexandria. Apparently, all of a sudden becoming dispensable, Mid L was to lead one party over the stern and Mid M his up the bow cable. Had this event occurred this page would be blank. I am sure that it was in the happy Valiant that Terry first developed his tremendous understanding of sailors and their relationship with officers, which enabled him later to set such a high example in command - and to motivate the Navy in the right direction when there were those who perhaps yearned for a past which did not, and anyway could no longer, exist; or were happily prepared for things to just rumble on. I believe that it was the Navy as a concept, and as a power for good in a troubled world, that really motivated him. However brimming with talent and goodwill he needed, not just a worthwhile, but a grand purpose to achieve ‘lift off’ .

The Rugby Field provided another introduction on a personal level to the Lower Deck. Being a West Country battleship there were usually more ratings than officers in the successful ship’s XV. On the field and over a drink afterwards, as in the SAS, a long standing convention existed that first names were used, and conversation ranging far and wide was not restricted to goal posts and referees. This was the same when Terry played for United Services and the Navy after the war. Everything and anything was discussed with ratings during endless hours on watch and when running boats. Midshipmen are privileged in this. Some, like Midshipman Lewin, would make a great deal out of a unique dispensation.
But he was no ‘goody goody’. On one occasion during dinner L and M exceeded the limits of tolerance - in what manner I cannot remember - of the avuncular and good humoured Gunroom Sub-Lieutenant, the Hon Terence Stopford. He had no hesitation in ordering us to leave the table. This we did; but, being hungry, improperly picked up our loaded plates and scoffed the contents in a remote gunnery control room to the accompaniment of one of L’s favourite ditties ‘Abdul- a-Bulbul Amir’. The ‘Sub’ - no fool he - chose to ignore the incident. The result was that we felt guilty of our uncivilised behaviour for ever after. Terry and I recalled it during one of our last ever conversations. Stopford could have fined us each a round of Port - which we could not afford. He also had authority to beat.

Apart from being permanently hungry and short of sleep Midshipmen on 5 shillings a day - depleted by messbill, laundry, hammock boy and Royal Marine servant payment deductions - were invariably hard up, and so could rarely afford the cost of a run ashore to the cinema. One day a new Midshipman joined. He was HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Whether it was L or M’s idea I honestly cannot remember, but the gunroom, not being great respecters of correct behaviour, drew the newcomer’s attention to the undoubted fact that the plushiest cinema in Alexandra was owned by a Greek. It was therefore up to him as one of their ‘Royals’ to work the oracle. Watched by his ten messmates, Prince Philip embarked courageously into what seemed an endless dialogue of, as far as we knew, faultless Demotic - first with the box office and then the manager. The result was a dramatic victory - anyway for Valiant. History does not record what the wealthy Egyptian families, turfed out of their expensive boxes, had to say. The new Midshipman had made his mark and appeared to take it all in the course of duty.

Starting back to the UK five Midshipmen slept in a filthy 3rd class railway compartment rumbling across the desert to Port Tewfik. All survived the war totting up to one Admiral of the Fleet, an Admiral, a Vice Admiral, a Captain, a Commander and a Church of England Parson. Being a Scot, who only gambles on certainties, I then bet my father a fiver that, provided he was not killed, Lewin would in due course become First Sea Lord. It was certainly not Terry’s idea. Always a more private person than most of his friends would ever realise, he was very much a family man. He and Jane first met at Immingham where she was a Wren rating and his ship was on East Coast convoy duty. A marvellously close and happy family theirs - Jane, their children and grandchildren, to the end supported Terry’s very public life whether or not this was what any of them would personally have chosen. What a pity he was not allowed to enjoy a long and happy old age. Typically of Terry ‘I’ve had a marvellous life,’ he said, ‘No complaints’.

Just before he died Terry told me that the one achievement, for which he would like to be remembered, was the major improvement in the life of both officer and rating - their careers, living conditions, pay, welfare and modernisation of discipline. He referred to some of the antedeluvian attitudes and reactions of the officer corps towards ratings, and vice versa, that were too common when we both joined. He hoped that he had helped to replace such overbearing authority and snobbery - a sort of Divine Right to rule which had prevailed - by a civilised respect between ranks.

Admired and respected by all three services; also internationally, Terry Lewin was (unlike Nelson) politically astute. But what was so special about Terry was that he always had time for everyone. He never took sides and seldom criticised people. He gave credit when it was due, never pretending that someone else’s idea was his own. He was equally at home with the Queen and the humble sailor. He was a master of his brief and never lost his cool in discussion. I never heard anyone speak ill of him. He was a giant of a man whose love of the Navy and care for its people was inspiring. His leadership, tenacity and downright common sense made him the finest Admiral I knew in my 40 years in the Navy and that says a lot. His country should be grateful. They don’t come often.
Roddy Macdonald

AND WHAT OF THE GREAT SHIP?
Valiant fought on throughout the rest of the War, a pivotal role in the victorious surface night-action against the Italian fleet at Matapan, she survived the sabotage by frogmen of the Italian Navy who bravely penetrated the defences of Alexandria anchorage to place charges under the keels of her and her sister-ship Queen Elizabeth. She went on to join the war in the Far East. While serving in the Indian Ocean she was docked in the floating dock at Trincomalee, mistakes in docking lead to a collapse of the dry-dock as pumping-out was in progress. The dry-dock was irreparably damaged, Valiant lost the use of both inner screws and most of the movement in her steering ability. She was sailed slowly and painfully back to Suez where her damaged screws were removed before she began the difficult steam back to Plymouth via the Cape. She arrived back home in February 1945 to be taken in hand for repairs but the War was ending, her refit was abandoned and she was relegated to duties as a harbour training ship for stokers. After surviving two World Wars and adding eight new Battle Honours to her name the old warrior was sold to BISCO in August 1948 for breaking. In 1963 her name was transferred to a nuclear submarine.

THE LAST WORD
Terry Lewin slipped peacefully away in the early raw and fog-shrouded evening of the 22nd. of January 1999. He left instruction for “No memorial service, no fuss”. His simple funeral was attended only by members of the immediate family; but, his extended family of the Royal Navy doesn’t do “No fuss”. First Sealord Sir Michael Boyce put in motion the plans for a memorial service for the Navy to say its own “goodbyes”. On the 13 April 1999 the magnificent Wren chapel at his old home in the Royal Naval College at Greenwich was packed to capacity with more than seven hundred people; Admirals and senior officers of all Services packed the front rows but at least two thirds of those who came were sailors and marines who had served with him in the past. Lady Thatcher came to bid farewell to her old ally, HRH Prince Philip read the lesson, Vice- Admiral Roddy Macdonald gave the eulogy and the youngest sailor in the Fleet in his best uniform proudly marched the length of the Chapel to present Terry’s medals on a velvet cushion to the Alter. The first hymn, so robustly delivered……
“He who would Valiant be”
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by timlewin »

Seeing some of the names in RM's piece brought back a few recollections; I remember the Earl of Cork & Orrery was known to the sailors throughout the Fleet as the “Earl of Cork & ‘orrible”; the mention of Lieutenant Townsend early on is another bit of circular history, he was the brother of the famous fighter pilot who was forbidden to marry Princess Margaret, the Queen’s sister, because he had been divorced, the mentioned Lt. Townsend went on to greater things and just after the war as Captain “Killer” Mike Townsend commanded the 1st. destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean, HMS Chequers, where my dad was the Flotilla Gunnery Officer and Prince Philip was Chequers’ first lieutenant, this was just before King George VI died and Princess Elizabeth became queen.
Does anyone know who the Indian cadet/Mid who went on to become the CNO of the Indian Navy was?
User avatar
jbryce1437
Posts: 1879
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:28 pm
Location: Roker, Sunderland

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

What a lovely ending to the story.
It is no wonder that the Chapel at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich was filled to capacity to pay their respects to such a great man.
Many thanks for sharing Lewin of Greenwich with our Forum members Tim.

Jim
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
User avatar
jbryce1437
Posts: 1879
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:28 pm
Location: Roker, Sunderland

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

I came across this interesting Oral History account by Holloway, Adrian George who also served on Valiant:
British cadet served with Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, GB, 1936-1940; midshipman served aboard HMS Valiant in Mediterranean, 1941-1942 including mining in Alexandria Harbour, 12/1941; officer served on shore duties in GB, 1942; served aboard HMS Suffolk in GB coastal waters and Far East, 1943-1944; trained as fighter controller with 790 Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm at Charlton Horethorne in GB, 1944-1945; served aboard HMS Indomitable in Pacific, 1945
He was a good talker and he recorded thirteen reels at half hour each. I have listened to the first reel and he mentions serving on Valiant with Prince Philip. The first reel covers his time at Dartmouth and ends where he is at Capetown, enroute to join HMS Kent in the Med. I found it very interesting and will let you know if he mentions the Indian Naval Officer (who I was searching for when I came across these recordings). Follow the link below to the IWM site and the 13 recordings.
Just started reel 2 and his appointment to Kent was changed to Valiant, due to Kent being damaged in an attack. One of the first people he mentions on joining Valiant is Terry Lewin.

Jim

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80024996
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
User avatar
ivorthediver
Posts: 3659
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:42 pm
Location: Cambridge Shore Battery

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by ivorthediver »

What a touching and wonderful awe inspiring statement to present on a friend who clearly was very moved and respectful of a comrade and role model your father proved to be to him .

Thou not TTL's style, mine would struggle to fill a line of comments , had he been asked to comment !

Apart from an impossible void to fill Tim I now understand totally the respect and love you held for your Dad which when we first meet I was confused over.... but not know that over the last ten years I have read of his life's work and adventures ....its the kind of thing you read in "Boys own" stories and fiction adventures , and with the greatest respect would make a wonderful film script if left in its factual formate rather than glorification as that was clearly not TTL's wish or style .

How do you fill a void like that ? .......by the respectful devotion to his memory you clearly follow

Thank you so much for sharing that with us Tim........... greatly appreciated
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by timlewin »

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dartmouth-War- ... oks&sr=1-3

Thanks Jim, i didn't know about his recordings but i did know he wrote a book which i read quite a while ago, i think he used his Mid's journal to base his text on. The book was very readable, i may even have it here somewhere! here is the link on Amazon to it...

thanks everyone for so many kind words.

next week we can start on "Tribal Warfare" which has an over-the-rail from Tartar perspective of Ashanti during TTL's time onboard.
User avatar
jbryce1437
Posts: 1879
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 7:28 pm
Location: Roker, Sunderland

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by jbryce1437 »

timlewin wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 6:23 am https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dartmouth-War- ... oks&sr=1-3

Thanks Jim, i didn't know about his recordings but i did know he wrote a book which i read quite a while ago, i think he used his Mid's journal to base his text on. The book was very readable, i may even have it here somewhere! here is the link on Amazon to it...

thanks everyone for so many kind words.

next week we can start on "Tribal Warfare" which has an over-the-rail from Tartar perspective of Ashanti during TTL's time onboard.
Just to let you know that I have now listened to all of the recordings and he did not mention the Indian officer on Valiant.

Jim
HMS Raleigh 1963 , HMS Collingwood 1963 & 67 , HMS Ark Royal 1964-7, HMS Undaunted 1968-71, HMS Victory (Fleet Maintenance Group) 1971-72, HMS Exmouth 1972-74
JEM, EM, OEM, LOEM, POOEL
Then 28 years in the Fire Brigade
Retired since 2002
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by timlewin »

thanks Jim, i think the event with the Admiral the Earl of Cork & 'Orrible was either Vindictive or Belfast, before Valiant, my feeling is vindictive as this is where the special entry lot ended up rather than Dartmouth which then was rather more for the younger set.
timlewin
Posts: 916
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 12:18 pm

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by timlewin »

now we have completed the Valiant book i am figuring out a way i can put to the forum the "Tribal Warfare" book.....the text is easy enough but including the photos is less so.....
User avatar
ivorthediver
Posts: 3659
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 8:42 pm
Location: Cambridge Shore Battery

Re: LEWIN OF GREENWICH, THE BOOK SERIALISED FOR FORUM MEMBERS

Unread post by ivorthediver »

Awaiting the fruits of your labour with baited breath Tim ..... ;) , which I am certain will be worth the waiting for , as all good things are .....
"What Ever Floats your Boat"
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic

Return to “Posts Dedicated to T.T. Lewin”