# RAF Marine Craft (tell me ALL that you Know)



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

Please tell me all of your experiences concerning My Favourite subject The ROYAL AIR FORCE Marine Branch….I have most of the available reference books access to a great many Photos some of my own which I am happy to share……I am Hungry for all info or memories and if you can share any pics or knowledge that I may share with my friends on the ASR/MCS Club site or RAF Forum or RAF Mountbatten marine craft unit Facebook page…..I will be happy as Larry…..Markham Jones MBC


----------



## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

*Welcome*

Markham,

On behalf of the SN Moderators, thanks for your introduction and a warm welcome aboard from the Isle of Anglesey.
You will thoroughly enjoy your time on SN and get many happy hours entertainment from your membership. (Thumb)


----------



## Pompeyfan (Aug 9, 2005)

Also on behalf of the 'SN Moderating Team', welcome aboard Markham.


----------



## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

A warm welcome aboard from the Philippines. Please enjoy all this great site has to offer.
As an ATC cadet years ago at Newhaven I was fortunate enough to get a few trips on the ASR launches and pinaces. Even managed to get down to Mountbatten on them a couple of times too! I found the engine room to be too noisy with three Napier sea lions at full throttle. Still got tinitus today.


----------



## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

A very warm welcome from Holyhead where an RAF Marine base was once stationed.


----------



## backsplice (May 23, 2005)

I vividly remember 2 ASR launches based at Tayport opposite Dundee ...... I was a schoolboy then and a member of the ATC so was interested .....As RAF Leuchars was very close my guess that was the reason for them being there ....there were Gloster meteors and DH Vampires there and other propeller driven aircraft (Ansons Varsitys) to name a few ....later on there were Hunters /Swifts/Javelins ...anyway I allways admired the sleek lines of the launchesThe "Sea Shall not Have Them " welcome to SN


----------



## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings *Markham* and welcome to *SN,* Bon voyage.


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Betty Boothroyd ( the former HOC speaker) often use to swim off the Stern of a 63ft Pinnace, one of two sold out locally in Cyprus, the other is in use as a office block at Larnaca, it was cheaper to buy a boat and put it on a rented hard standing at the Marina than to rent office space in the Town.


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

Coastie said:


> A very warm welcome from Holyhead where an RAF Marine base was once stationed.


Hello Dorothy.
I have a friend in Holyhead, Her Name Cynthia Johnston, she was the wife of one of my Cox'ns Sammy Johnston now deceased …but he was one of the very first men posted to Holyhead unit " Porth Y Felin House". I also attended the Memorial Plaque laying ceremony at holyhead sea front at the Maritime museum there and have very many photos of that event….if you are not fully aware of it I can get you a substantial history of the unit….my friend David Greasley provided the plaque for the museum and also served at holyhead…..I will include a couple of photos of this event in this message I am the tall guy stood behind the RAF Valley station Commander I am with my mate Budge..he is wearing a a string of medals with his walking stick….the plaque unveiling…….The Cake cutting ….


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

chadburn said:


> Betty Boothroyd ( the former HOC speaker) often use to swim off the Stern of a 63ft Pinnace, one of two sold out locally in Cyprus, the other is in use as a office block at Larnaca, it was cheaper to buy a boat and put it on a rented hard standing at the Marina than to rent office space in the Town.


Workers Play time…my sister and brother were once on that radio Programme ….Give em the money Mable…it was held in the Hotpoint washing machine Factory in Llandudno Junction North Wales


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

Markham said:


> Workers Play time…my sister and brother were once on that radio Programme ….Give em the money Mable…it was held in the Hotpoint washing machine Factory in Llandudno Junction North Wales


It is a reminder of when life was "Oh so simple then" and "Memories" out of the corner of my mind(Jester). It is also a reminder of when I went "Foreign" and the vast increase in Salary I was offered.


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

backsplice said:


> I vividly remember 2 ASR launches based at Tayport opposite Dundee ...... I was a schoolboy then and a member of the ATC so was interested .....As RAF Leuchars was very close my guess that was the reason for them being there ....there were Gloster meteors and DH Vampires there and other propeller driven aircraft (Ansons Varsitys) to name a few ....later on there were Hunters /Swifts/Javelins ...anyway I allways admired the sleek lines of the launchesThe "Sea Shall not Have Them " welcome to SN


The unit in the 60's 70's 80's was at Alness,,,I was up there this summer…lovely place


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

chadburn said:


> Betty Boothroyd ( the former HOC speaker) often use to swim off the Stern of a 63ft Pinnace, one of two sold out locally in Cyprus, the other is in use as a office block at Larnaca, it was cheaper to buy a boat and put it on a rented hard standing at the Marina than to rent office space in the Town.


I too have swum off the stern of a 63 ft pinnace as well…once with a basking shark off Falmouth while we were waiting at a weapons range that took up a lot of our time in the 60's and 70's


----------



## Coastie (Aug 24, 2005)

Markham said:


> Hello Dorothy.
> I have a friend in Holyhead, Her Name Cynthia Johnston, she was the wife of one of my Cox'ns Sammy Johnston now deceased …but he was one of the very first men posted to Holyhead unit " Porth Y Felin House". I also attended the Memorial Plaque laying ceremony at holyhead sea front at the Maritime museum there and have very many photos of that event….if you are not fully aware of it I can get you a substantial history of the unit….my friend David Greasley provided the plaque for the museum and also served at holyhead…..I will include a couple of photos of this event in this message I am the tall guy stood behind the RAF Valley station Commander I am with my mate Budge..he is wearing a a string of medals with his walking stick….the plaque unveiling…….The Cake cutting ….


I only two people in that piccy with the Station Commander. John Guinness who is stood next to the green Vauxhall Zafira and I vaguely know the Gent with the stick who is standing next to the Lady with the yellow cardigan.

Apart from that, my name isn't Dorothy!(Jester)


----------



## E.Martin (Sep 6, 2008)

I was a 13 year boy summer of 1944 the south beach here in Lowestoft had
recently cleared of barbed wire and myself and friend were swimming.
On the horizon we saw a large plane crash land into the sea.
Next we heard the roar of the engines of the Air Sea Rescue craft as it cleared the the pier heads of Lowestoft harbour heading for the crashed Liberator 
Bomber.
I believe all the crew of the bomber was rescued.


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

Coastie said:


> I only two people in that piccy with the Station Commander. John Guinness who is stood next to the green Vauxhall Zafira and I vaguely know the Gent with the stick who is standing next to the Lady with the yellow cardigan.
> 
> Apart from that, my name isn't Dorothy!(Jester)


LOL so Dorothy Willows was the person that you accredited at the bottom of your post to be the person that you pinched the quotation off….I see…..lol…..Well Coastie . My name really is Markham and I really am standing behind in Real terms the Group Captain from valley but in the picture terms there are two of us with Balding heads mine is well above the others as I am six foot tall and the rest are not…so my head seems to be in the clouds as opposed to the day which had not a cloud in the sky and lovely sunshine….the person on the extreme right of the picture is married to the guy with a stick next to her …he was the Chef at Porth y Felin….I think they are local and might have a chip shop….not sure…..Oh on this picture I am the one in the MIDDLE…..lol


----------



## narra (Nov 23, 2013)

I was on RFA Robert Dundas, we were tied up alongside to load store's, tied up to us were two ASR .Six o;clock in the morning they started up,I fell out of my pit wonderd what the hell was happening .That was my intro: to ASR.. Narra


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

narra said:


> I was on RFA Robert Dundas, we were tied up alongside to load store's, tied up to us were two ASR .Six o;clock in the morning they started up,I fell out of my pit wonderd what the hell was happening .That was my intro: to ASR.. Narra


Our RTTL'S Rescue Target Towing Launches the MK11 's were started by firing explosive cartridges so were a very loud explosion followed by the Roar of engines ...usually impressive but on occasion the blooming engines would play up and refuse to start then officers would shout and egg would appear on engine fitters faces...lol


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

It would have been better if the Engine Fitters had been given the correct cartridges, it is my understanding that the wrong cartridges managed to get into the system and the problem was not found out for a long time. Nice photo of these superb vessels at speed. I have the throttle box off 2772E.


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

100% Correct though the cartridges did not always fire correctly they were used to start HUNTER Fighters as well I believe or maybe they were the duff ones.....lol


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The chap who owned 2772 had 6 Sea Griffons, they were sold to a Tractor Pulling exponent whom I had put him in contact with.


----------



## Markham (Dec 8, 2013)

chadburn said:


> It would have been better if the Engine Fitters had been given the correct cartridges, it is my understanding that the wrong cartridges managed to get into the system and the problem was not found out for a long time. Nice photo of these superb vessels at speed. I have the throttle box off 2772E.


On one occasion while in the Persian Gulf we were approaching Dubai ....now Dubai has a creek/canal that runs through it's centre and we were pointed directly at it at full speed with the throttle lock pins firmly in place....I was along side a Cpl Cox'n on the wheel the engine fitter behind me drinking a mug of tea...lovely sunny day not a care in the world...skipper Shouted down to reduce speed to enter the Creek...Cox'n attempted to throttle back.....Nothing we were still top speed 40 Knots.......Fitter had a fit tea went up in the air he flew out of the wheel house head first into the engine room and managed to live to pull out the pins.....we went from 40 Knots at the head of the creek to practically nothing in the space of what seemed minutes but was in fact seconds a huge wake washed up the creek and all of the close Water Taxis were given a coat of rough water ...but we as usual lined the deck at attention and just went up the creek at low speed as if nothing had happened.....lol....could have been a bit of a mess 40 Knots all the way up the CREEK ...EH.....LOL


----------



## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

The throttle box I have has the top section of the levers that fold in over so that they can be pushed and pulled together with one hand, the levers are locked off by means of two hand-wheels. I also had the ships Vosper style wheel that ended up with the Trust at Marchwood, what happened to it I have no idea after the Trust folded.


----------

