Sharkey Ward has got a blog
Originally Posted by Cows getting bigger
Sharkey, like many officers of previous generations, is irrelevant and the sooner he realizes this the better.
I was brought-up in a tri-service environment and not long before I left the military we really started to think Joint. If Defence is to remain relevant, we don't need idiots spouting-off about what colour a particular capability should be painted.
IMHO, the really good senior officers I worked for were purple through-and-through. They understood and respected the individual attributes and skills that we all brought to the party.
I was brought-up in a tri-service environment and not long before I left the military we really started to think Joint. If Defence is to remain relevant, we don't need idiots spouting-off about what colour a particular capability should be painted.
IMHO, the really good senior officers I worked for were purple through-and-through. They understood and respected the individual attributes and skills that we all brought to the party.
I joined in the bad old days but am pleased to see that approaching retirement, things are slowly changing for the better. If all memebers of all 3 services don't realise that our future lies together (when did it not?
) then we will surely succumb.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Wholigan, thank you for that. I thought the RN/RM presence was more than that by 2 RM Commandos is quite significant.
I spent 3 years on exchange with the USN 78-81. I am a huge fan of naval aviation - done properly.
I was on HERMES in 82. Apart from the skipper - who must have been Sharkey's Dad, and hated the RAF even more than Sharkey - the light and dark blue folk onboard got on extremely well - at every rank level.
When Atlantic Conveyor was sunk, BN which was on an airtest, landed onboard HERMES. We were told that if it was not off the deck in the morning, the Captain had declared that he would have it pushed overboard. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that he would order such, and that his orders would be carried out without question - as were all his orders. As a result, that Chinook went ashore unsupported, and its subsequent contribution - thanks to some amazing efforts by its groundcrew and aircrew - is well documented.
I think that on HERMES, we were mostly unaware of the hatred being developed onboard INVINCIBLE. Some of them did a great job - including Sharkey. But so too did many onboard HERMES. Light and dark blue. Perhaps, even, some of the GR3s. I think Moggie did quite well on the kills ladder, even though he was, at that stage, light blue, flying the SHAR. I seem to recall that some 25% of SHAR pilots during that conflict were light blue.
It is a great shame that we cannot accept that each Service brings different attributes to the fight, so that we can join together to fight the real enemy - the politicians and bean-counters - rather than fight each other.
If we could, then perhaps we could avoid some of the detrimental inter-Service fighting that serves only to satisfy the Treasury in its quest for the Holy Grail.
One of the reasons I pvr'd.
Sorry - thread drift. But, Sharkey - if you read these - broaden your thought process and think of what is best for us all, not just your parochial single-Service crusade - which is now well past its sell-by date.
I was on HERMES in 82. Apart from the skipper - who must have been Sharkey's Dad, and hated the RAF even more than Sharkey - the light and dark blue folk onboard got on extremely well - at every rank level.
When Atlantic Conveyor was sunk, BN which was on an airtest, landed onboard HERMES. We were told that if it was not off the deck in the morning, the Captain had declared that he would have it pushed overboard. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that he would order such, and that his orders would be carried out without question - as were all his orders. As a result, that Chinook went ashore unsupported, and its subsequent contribution - thanks to some amazing efforts by its groundcrew and aircrew - is well documented.
I think that on HERMES, we were mostly unaware of the hatred being developed onboard INVINCIBLE. Some of them did a great job - including Sharkey. But so too did many onboard HERMES. Light and dark blue. Perhaps, even, some of the GR3s. I think Moggie did quite well on the kills ladder, even though he was, at that stage, light blue, flying the SHAR. I seem to recall that some 25% of SHAR pilots during that conflict were light blue.
It is a great shame that we cannot accept that each Service brings different attributes to the fight, so that we can join together to fight the real enemy - the politicians and bean-counters - rather than fight each other.
If we could, then perhaps we could avoid some of the detrimental inter-Service fighting that serves only to satisfy the Treasury in its quest for the Holy Grail.
One of the reasons I pvr'd.
Sorry - thread drift. But, Sharkey - if you read these - broaden your thought process and think of what is best for us all, not just your parochial single-Service crusade - which is now well past its sell-by date.
I respect Sharkey for having flown some highly demanding war missions in carrierborne single seat fighters whilst coping with filthy weather during the South Atlantic conflict. BZ..
Regrettably, such respect can only be eroded by the rants he insists on posting. . . .
Regrettably, such respect can only be eroded by the rants he insists on posting. . . .
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Get over yourself guys...
As some one posted...he's had his war, good job, here's yer gong and yer pension now foxtrot oscar.
So he's doing his Uncle Albert routine...if it gets to you that much just post on his blog or whatever.
(You may cut and paste)
Oi Nelson. Just coz you got hairs round yer mouth, no need to talk like a c**t.
Or just let it go.
As some one posted...he's had his war, good job, here's yer gong and yer pension now foxtrot oscar.
So he's doing his Uncle Albert routine...if it gets to you that much just post on his blog or whatever.
(You may cut and paste)
Oi Nelson. Just coz you got hairs round yer mouth, no need to talk like a c**t.
Or just let it go.
When Atlantic Conveyor was sunk, BN which was on an airtest, landed onboard HERMES. We were told that if it was not off the deck in the morning, the Captain had declared that he would have it pushed overboard. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that he would order such, and that his orders would be carried out without question - as were all his orders. As a result, that Chinook went ashore unsupported, and its subsequent contribution - thanks to some amazing efforts by its groundcrew and aircrew - is well documented.
You were there, clearly I wasn't, so I may be barking up the wrong tree. But a non-folding cab on an extremely busy (small) deck could quite possibly have jeopardised the SHAR CAP from 800. With far more serious consequences than a ditched airframe. I was there when Hermes came home in July 82 and watched the SHAR/SK/Wessies fly off the next morning and the deck was fairly full then. AIUI that was just over half what she was actually operating down south.
Just a thought, not a red rag.
Last edited by Not_a_boffin; 24th Jan 2013 at 05:13.
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Harrier Harrier, Blah Blah.
Carriers Carriers, Blah Blah.
Navy Navy Blah Blah
Beards Beards, Blah Blah.
Rum Rum Blah Blah.
Sailing Sailing Blah Blah.
Maybe Mr Ward should be a bit more original in his blogs and harp on about Pirates, Plank Walking and Cutlasses - all of which are as confined to history as his beloved aircraft and carriers.
Carriers Carriers, Blah Blah.
Navy Navy Blah Blah
Beards Beards, Blah Blah.
Rum Rum Blah Blah.
Sailing Sailing Blah Blah.
Maybe Mr Ward should be a bit more original in his blogs and harp on about Pirates, Plank Walking and Cutlasses - all of which are as confined to history as his beloved aircraft and carriers.
Every time Sharkey risks fading into obscurity, some aggrieved PPRuNer (invariably light blue) flashes up the outrage bus and starts another ad hominem thread drawing attention to him. How many does this make?
I love it.
I love it.
Re the original post, I have a friend who is a former RN photographer. He has shown me some very interesting photographs of the last days in Aden, including one of troops from an OP on high ground being picked up by a Navy Wessex for recovery to a carrier (can't remember which one - Bulwark?). He reckons this is a picture of the very last armed troops leaving Aden, - whether or not this is precisely true I dont know, but it was certainly taken on the last day.
Last edited by Tankertrashnav; 24th Jan 2013 at 08:59.
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Re the original post, I have a friend who is a former RN photographer. He has
shown me some very interesting photographs of the last days in Aden, including
one of troops from an OP on high ground being picked up by a Navy Wessex for
recovery to a carrier (can't remember which one - Bulwark?). He reckons this is
a picture of the very last armed troops leaving Aden, - whether or not this is
precisely true I dont know, but it was certainly taken on the last day.
shown me some very interesting photographs of the last days in Aden, including
one of troops from an OP on high ground being picked up by a Navy Wessex for
recovery to a carrier (can't remember which one - Bulwark?). He reckons this is
a picture of the very last armed troops leaving Aden, - whether or not this is
precisely true I dont know, but it was certainly taken on the last day.
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A possible solution 
Let's have a whip round and send a case of this to the guy as he clearly wasn't taught to play nicely at bath time when he was a youngster
Let's have a whip round and send a case of this to the guy as he clearly wasn't taught to play nicely at bath time when he was a youngster
"Mildly" Eccentric Stardriver
At the risk of thread drift again, the last day of Aden was 30th Nov '67. I was a guest aboard Intrepid at the time, as part of 78 Sqn. My logbook shows that we packed in at Khormaksar and flew to Intrepid on 25th, and carried out various security and airlifting tasks from there. As I recall, we sailed such that the last British warship left territorial waters at 23:59, Southern Yemen becoming independent at midnight 30 Nov/1 Dec. All ground troops would have been withdrawn prior to that deadline.
Herod - That would fit in with HMS Eagle's aircraft providing top cover until the last moment:
Originally Posted by Sea Vixen. Royal Navy. Carrier Jet.
23rd Oct 1967; HMS Eagle departs Singapore for Aden; continuously at sea until 22nd December 1967. Cover for Aden withdrawal.
23rd Dec 1967; HMS Eagle berthed in Singapore dockyard with defective propeller; 899 Squadron disembarked at RAF Changi.
23rd Dec 1967; HMS Eagle berthed in Singapore dockyard with defective propeller; 899 Squadron disembarked at RAF Changi.
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The troops were able to pour quick setting cement down the toilets and fill those globe lamp shades with water, having smashed the bulbs first. allegedly
His boss had partaken in the Hippocratic Oath, so could only watch . . .
Below the Glidepath - not correcting
Letting people write on their own blogs is just the same as letting them put bumper stickers or other such paraphenalia on their vehicles - it tells you everything you need to know about them and allows you to give them a correspondingly wide berth.
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Sea Harrier Blokes
An RAF chum of mine from the 60s, Al Curtis, left the mob and ended up with the Navy via elsewher. I think he was one of the Harrier pair that departed and then dissapeared for unknown reasons
Does anyone have any knowledge of his contribution prior to the dissapearing act or the circumstances of it
From my memory of the time the thoughts were nav error leading to being unable to find the carrier, collision or even attcking each other but of course the Argies claimed them which seems improbable
Does anyone have any knowledge of his contribution prior to the dissapearing act or the circumstances of it
From my memory of the time the thoughts were nav error leading to being unable to find the carrier, collision or even attcking each other but of course the Argies claimed them which seems improbable
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An RAF chum of mine from the 60s, Al Curtis, left the mob and ended up with the Navy via elsewhere
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
801 Sqn - 6 May
Falklands Air War: .......During the morning, a brief, fast moving, low level contact was detected near Sheffield* by the Observer in a Sea King to the south of the fleet. Two 801 Sqn CAP aircraft, operating some 20 miles apart, were vectored towards the area. XZ452 being flown by John Eyton-Jones and XZ453 by Al Curtis. In order to investigate the report, both had to descend through very low cloud and fog, virtually to sea-level. Nothing more was seen or heard of them; it had to be presumed that they had either flown into the sea or (more likely) collided at, or near, position 53'00"S 57'00.7"W......
*Official History: ......It had originally been intended to sink Sheffield's hull but this was rescinded. Woodward's view the next day was that he should let Sheffield burn itself out, whilst using it as 'a tethered goat while she floats'.....
Falklands Air War: .......During the morning, a brief, fast moving, low level contact was detected near Sheffield* by the Observer in a Sea King to the south of the fleet. Two 801 Sqn CAP aircraft, operating some 20 miles apart, were vectored towards the area. XZ452 being flown by John Eyton-Jones and XZ453 by Al Curtis. In order to investigate the report, both had to descend through very low cloud and fog, virtually to sea-level. Nothing more was seen or heard of them; it had to be presumed that they had either flown into the sea or (more likely) collided at, or near, position 53'00"S 57'00.7"W......
*Official History: ......It had originally been intended to sink Sheffield's hull but this was rescinded. Woodward's view the next day was that he should let Sheffield burn itself out, whilst using it as 'a tethered goat while she floats'.....
Last edited by ORAC; 26th Jan 2013 at 06:31.
TTN, Do you have a date for that last day? I left K'sar in (I think) Nov of 67 which IIRC was getting close to the end when only our friendly Booties were left to be picked up off the "beach".