HMS Lowestoft 1st Commission write up by Ian Mackenzie
HMS Lowestoft 1st Commission Sep 61 – Mar 63 (advertised as Home &Med),
my apologies if all events are not in quite the correct order – after
all it was nearly 50 years ago!!
The main party of the ships company travelled from London to Glasgow by
a chartered sleeper train and on arrival in Glasgow were bussed to RNAS
Abbotsinch (HMS Sanderling) which is now Glasgow Airport, where a meal was
supplied and then on to Alex Stephens shipyard to join the ship. Every thing
went like clockwork and everyone was soon settled onboard.
I was in 5 mess (J/Sea), below the gunbay with the comms mess on the port
side. The ship was immaculate,
a great tribute to the organization of the advance party and the dockyard
staff.
Lowestoft shortly after commissioning in 1961
After a couple of days familiarisation we were on our way
down south and our base port of Chatham and for the remainder of the year
were doing the usual trials and shakedown prior to workup. A visit to Amsterdam
introduced some of us to the delights of window shopping in the RLD, another
highlight was an educational visit to the local Heineken brewery which was
obviously a roaring success.
After Xmas leave and early ’62 it was off to Portland for workup,
it all seemed to go pretty well and wasn’t that much hassle (I suppose
having recently come from Ganges anything seemed better than that).
I do remember one Saturday night the lads painted “LOWESTOFT”
in 2ft high letters on the orange windsock on the end of Q pier. On Sunday
morning the FOST duty officer was not impressed and the ship was signalled
to replace it immediately. The GO mustered a party dressed in No. 1’s
and white webbing and ceremoniously lowered, replaced it and then slow marched
it up the jetty slung on an oar from the whaler. When we left Portland after
workup we flew it exiting the breakwater as an ‘Up Yours’ were
off to join the fleet.
Our next main event was to join the 5th FS who were already in the Med, so after a stop at Gib on to Malta to meet up with them, Captain F in Berwick was Capt. Dunbar-Nasmith, nicknamed “Crowbar-Nuswift”, the remainder of the squadron were Ursa (2i/c) and Scarborough (canteen boat). We remained in the Med until August with a few exercises and lots of port visits including Civitavecchia (Rome), Piraeus (Athens), Phaleron Bay, Leros, Milos, Taranto, Palma and Barcelona and a few maint periods in Malta. I remember the older locals in Taranto weren’t too friendly as the RN(FAA) had sunk half their fleet there in WW2.
5th FS off Malta 1962 Berwick(Capt F), Lowestoft, Ursa & Scarborough
When we got back to Gib the rest of the 5th FS headed home whilst we were despatched at short notice to the West Indies (its tough) as some local yokels were causing some agro in Grenada.
Lowestoft alongside in Gib with HMS Forth (1962)
We headed south and refuelled at the Cape Verde islands (lots
of bum boats) before crossing the pond. By the time we arrived in Grenada
things had calmed down (they obviously got the buzz that the ‘Fighting’
103 was on the way). As it was a good run ashore we stayed for a few months
visiting St Vincent, Grenadine islands, Trinidad, Bermuda and a call at
Norfolk VA. and then headed back to Chatham to dry out and for some well
deserved leave!!
The remainder of the year was spent around the UK , mainly ASW exercises
visiting Plymouth, Londonderry, Bangor, Liverpool and Waterford (Eire),
an interesting visit as we had to do a stern board up the river Suir to
park alongside. Not too many ports you enter backwards (felt a bit like
being in the Italian navy). We then did some plane guard duties for a carrier
in the Moray Firth and visited Lossiemouth and Harwich on the way back to
Chatham for Xmas leave, we also made the ships first visit to Lowestoft
the slightly down side being having to anchor off.
1963 saw us heading back across the pond for exercises on the eastern seaboard
of the USA/Canada (it was f..king cold), more port visits to New York, Philadelphia,
Bridgeport (Connecticut) and Newport (Rhode Island) and then back home to
Chatham completing the first commission in March ’63.
New York background (1963)
In summary a great 18 months visiting some 33 ports in 15
countries, what more could you want out of your first ship!
The Officers and ships company were great, guiding and teaching us young
salts all the ropes, that I’m sure put us in good stead for the rest
of our naval careers. I’ve listed below some of the principal members
that I can remember:-
Commanding Officer: Cdr Ray Lygo (ex FAA fast jet pilot) later CO of Juno
and Ark Royal,
retired as a full Admiral – Chief of the Naval Staff. aged 87)
1st Lt: Lt Cdr A G MacIver (later Commander and CO of Veralum)
Enginering Officer. Lt Cdr P J Woods.
Navigating Officer: Lt John Webster – later CO of Cleopatra then Vice
Admiral (FO Plymouth)
Gunnery Officer: Lt (SD) Benny Goodman (later Lt Cdr)
TASO: Lt Mike Powys-Maurice (later Commodore and CO of Lowestoft 1971-1973)
Supply Officer - Lt Cdr S B Olsen
Electrical Officer – Lt. John Snow
Comms Officer S/Lt Philip Stembridge
Correspondence Officer S/Lt Thompson
Coxswain (no MAA): CPO Cox’n Arthur Fisk (ex 50’s navy boxer
– a big lad)
Chief bosuns mate: CPO Bellchamber (an excellent Buffer)
Gunnery Instructor: POGI Ian Marlow (later I think an SD Officer)
Comms Yeoman: CY Picken (later I think an SD Officer)
Radio Supervisor – RS Jim Goode
Senior RP & Postie: L/Sea(RP1) Jacko Jackson
Killick Jnr’s mess: L/Sea(FC) Brad Bradley (firm & fair with a
great sense of humour)
All in all, a superb commission with a superb crew.