Sparker's Talk

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Pelican
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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DaveH wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:28 am Awesome David , I only knew one guy RN who could match that and he was my great mentor and oppo Ron Hill [RCI] a Scouser from Magull in Liverpool .
He was my Insturctor for my Killick's Course and RS's Course . We served together Malta 1958 , him at STC Manoel Island , me at Lascaris . Again when on the same Squadron 1972/4 , he on Charybdis , me on Lynx . When he eventually finished his sixth five he became a leading light in the Amateur World Operating from HMS Plymouth [Liverpool] and HMS Belfast [London] and from Home practically 24/7 until he passed aaway. He was music to the ears on a bug , a skill I never acquired to any degree that was readable . Great memories RIP RONNIE .
In my case Dave it was Dinger Bell, a Geordie who was my Sea Daddy. We first met on the trooper going out to Malta, he going back to Phoebe after returning home to bury his wife and me a 16 year old Boy Tel going to Pelican. He was acknowledged as the best Sparker in the fleet at the time, 1950-52. We both ended up on Chequers when our former ships went home. He excelled in clearing enemy reports - they needed two operators at Lascaris to keep up with him. He was also an expert on screech. He had his personal glop can the contents of which he consumed at the bottom of the gangway before coming onboard no matter how late. Always early never late going on watch. RIP Dinger.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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DaveH
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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Happy days David , You had Chequers - I copped Chevron 55/56 - the Ch's were great ships although the accommodation down in the Snakepit left a lot to be desired :shock: Don't know what todays generation would have made of it .
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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DaveH wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 2:39 pm Happy days David , You had Chequers - I copped Chevron 55/56 - the Ch's were great ships although the accommodation down in the Snakepit left a lot to be desired :shock: Don't know what todays generation would have made of it .
Being leader + other extras due the Duke was Jimmy twas even more tight.
Remember Chevron first coming out. She was canteen boat then.
You don't often see two in a bed Dave. Think they were changing turrets - Tim's Dad had worn the barrels out. :lol:
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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Today one would ask "Where is my locker" and the answer was "You're sitting on it lad" , a tin box 15" wide 18" inches deep and 18" inches high into which went all your kit ......... hammock in the rack .......... green suitcase [if you had one] stowed anywhere you could find a space . Sleeping ? My slinging billet was up against that ladder so everyone coming up and down nudged me . Luxury ? I did have a punka luvva above my mick and a trunking where I could stow my fags, lighter & Book . If I remember rightly there were 12 of us down there sharing with 8 QM's and Bosun's Mates .

Who was it sed "You've never had it so good" .... he'd obviously never served on a CH :)
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DaveH wrote: Wed Feb 27, 2019 7:18 pm Today one would ask "Where is my locker" and the answer was "You're sitting on it lad" , a tin box 15" wide 18" inches deep and 18" inches high into which went all your kit ......... hammock in the rack .......... green suitcase [if you had one] stowed anywhere you could find a space . Sleeping ? My slinging billet was up against that ladder so everyone coming up and down nudged me . Luxury ? I did have a punka luvva above my mick and a trunking where I could stow my fags, lighter & Book . If I remember rightly there were 12 of us down there sharing with 8 QM's and Bosun's Mates .

Who was it sed "You've never had it so good" .... he'd obviously never served on a CH :)
There were so many of us packed down there on Chequers Dave that the only way to get the micks in the netting was as you see them.
Pelican had all wooden upper decks, kept the dabtoes busy, we had wooden lockers, the cushions on top of them had handmade fine canvas covers with combed fringes, tassels etc. The stanchions were covered in fancy ropework. Over the years the crew had added to it all. The storerooms were wooden lined hence we had the biggest cockroaches in Sliema. The office desks were covered in copper sheeting and edged in brass strip, even the slots in the screws that held them in place were all lined up horizontally. First job for me as a Boy Tel in harbour was to polish them with usual bluebell and cotton waste then up to the flag deck to clean the AE insulators. Even the coolie hats were painted red and green. Always footgear off at the top of the gangway before coming onboard. Great days.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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RNZN LEANDER CLASS RADIO SYSTEMS
See attached.
For info there are others in this series. Google - history of naval ships wireless systems -
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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Never served on a Leander David - but I had ICS on Hermes 65-7 , good system after years dashing from BWO/MWO's tuning , retuning and rigging wire aerials . It always eemed to me that the new boys got the new ships and I got the one to be held together with whatever or conversions . Remember on Adamant the two main transmitters were SWB*'s and they were a ten day camel ride from the MWO and down two decks [vertical ladders] , Chevron had TBL's TCS's and Rampart had an old Marconi Transmitter. Happy days in the Dinosaur Age :)
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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DaveH wrote: Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:13 am Never served on a Leander David - but I had ICS on Hermes 65-7 , good system after years dashing from BWO/MWO's tuning , retuning and rigging wire aerials . It always eemed to me that the new boys got the new ships and I got the one to be held together with whatever or conversions . Remember on Adamant the two main transmitters were SWB*'s and they were a ten day camel ride from the MWO and down two decks [vertical ladders] , Chevron had TBL's TCS's and Rampart had an old Marconi Transmitter. Happy days in the Dinosaur Age :)
Never was on a new ship Dave. Nearest was Obedient after she was converted to a minelayer. Never laid a mine while I was on her but you certainly learnt very quickly how to avoid sore ankles from those ruddy rails. No running around on MTBs but you had to get used to working in a biscuit tin - the office was completely lined as there was 3k gallons of high octane next door. At speed or in roughers the lining flexed, creaked, groaned etc.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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The Falklands & Main Roofs
"Those Argie barstards have knackered my main roof"
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HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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Re: Sparker's Talk

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The Telegraphist’s Lament

In a cold and lonely BWO, where the last B40 stands,
A museum set of signal pads held idly in my hands,
With my jargon half forgotten, of my stock-in-trade bereft,
I wonder what’s ahead of me – the only sparker left.

The relics of my ancient craft have vanished one by one,
Superhetrodyne, B28 and Slidex all have gone,
And I hear they’d be as useless in the final global war
As W/T procedure and the bunting’s semaphore.

The office is sprouting gadgets like a nightmare Christmas tree,
There are keyboards for computers where my morse key used to be,
And I couldn’t read steam broadcast midst this lunatic array,
For at every height and angle there’s a visual display.

The proud, efficient telegraphist is rendered obsolete
By electronic computer equipment fitted in the fleet,
And a signal’s through the system in the blinking of an eye
But everyone’s too busy to make a wet of kye.

To delete the human error, to erase a noble breed,
We rely upon a micro chip, we pin our faith to speed.
So we press a key, make a switch and spin a little disc,
And it’s cent per cent efficient – and never mind the risk.

But again I may be needed, for the time will surely come
When there’s a fault within the system and the modern stuff is dumb,
When the Satellites are useless but CW’s flying free –
It was good enough for Jackson and Mountbatten, and it’s good enough for me.
HMS Pelican 1938 - 1958 GGCV L86 U86 F86 What I Have I Hold ~ A wonderful bird is the Pelican its beak can hold more than its belly can.
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