Celebrate the work of the Merchant Navy:

[Administrator]

Celebrate the work of the Merchant Navy:

Commencing with the venue:

HISTORY

HMS Wellington, a Grimsby Class Sloop of 1256 tons, was built for the Royal Navy at Devonport Dockyard in 1934. One of 13 such warships built for service in the Commonwealth and Dependencies. She patrolled the Pacific region around New Zealand (hence her name) from 1936 until recalled to home waters in 1939.

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On the 1st of July 2005 ownership of the Wellington was transferred from the Honourable Company to the Wellington Trust - a charitable trust established to ensure the preservation of this historic ship.

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A visit years ago to my local Post Office for stamps saw the then Armed Forces uniforms issue and enquired as to if ever the MN would be featured: She had no knowledge of what the Merchant Navy was, but helped much with contact details within the Royal Mail. Hence my determination and request for all help. I asked Captain Joe Earl to pen: A Merchant Navy Stamp of Approval:

A MERCHANT NAVY STAMP OF APPROVAL:

Defeat was mighty close in the second greatest war,
Five thousand ships with cargos sent to the ocean floor,
Merchant men were slaughtered sustaining our lifeline,
The Country issued ration books so desperate was the time.

A crisis at the home front, foodstuff very short,
Rations and provisions scarcely making port,
Convoys steaming steadfast under Red Ensigns,
Faced demise from U-boats, the bombers and the mines.

There were many heroes on land and sea and air,
And thirty thousand Seamen gave their lives out there,
Transporting reinforcements, resources and supplies,
And fuel to fly the spitfires fighting in the skies.

Perhaps we should commend them by illustrating stamps,
The freighters and the liners, the tankers and the tramps,
It would be a special tribute, rather overdue,
To mariners who manned them and a way to say thank you.

J.S.Earl Nov. 2009

Captain Joe Earl penned the above in tribute and commemoration and in hope for a stamp of approval. Any reproduction in remembrance / tribute and commemoration is welcomed:

Joe, a great friend is our MN poet, he has helped me much over the years and I am positive his words convince many and help much to turn the tide in our favour.

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At the time, I had also discovered the grave of Captain C P T Foster in my home town.

Cecil Foster was the master of the SS.Trevessa:

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Stanley Gibbons:


Stanley Gibbons Ltd is the market leader in the stamp collecting market and the Gibbons name is synonymous with the hobby. Our catalogues are considered the standard reference guide for the stamp collecting world.

Hence, contacted Stanley Gibbons Ltd.

They printed an article for me in the Stanley Gibbons Magazine:

A Merchant Navy Stamp of Approval:

HOPEFULLY ATTACHED:



I received an unexpected cheque for £50 pounds from Stanley Gibbons for the article.

This was vowed to be put towards an MN good cause and kick started the Foster / Trevessa grave refurbishment / renovation.

A near thousand pounds was raised after the Stanley Gibbons kick start.

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Persistence paid off and though I knew much before many, handed over all to the Merchant Navy Association as it was never about me and was for them. I really did not want to be involved with design etc and the fall back if the wrong ships were shown etc. left the rest to the experts.

Though in my circles, I had much help and support, there were a fair few that were negative and thought the forgotten Service would remain forgot.

I seek nothing more than tribute and commemoration for them.

There may well have been others attempting the Stamp of Approval: I am just unaware to any extent, but thank all that were in my team, again not for us but for them.

Merchant Navy Postage Stamps:

Don Staddon's campaign to get the Post Office to authorise the creation of a set of Merchant Navy Stamps has paid off. The provisional launch date is to be September 2013. He's hoping that the Battle of the Atlantic will be commemorated. LINK

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I know my part and regret know little of others, just pleased it happened.

I can only tell my bit, until I know more. But thank you to everyone involved.

It was not to long ago that the MN could not march on 11/11 at the cenotaph, this year, the year of the convoy 2013: We have seen the Arctic Star, Ushakov, a new MN Medal in the honours list. BOAC70: London, Derry and Liverpool. Loch Ewe and much regionally. Merchant Navy Day: September 3rd Every Year and a stamp of Approval.

There is still more to come. All they asked was that we remembered them, this year we try to do just that.

K.

[Administrator]

The stamps herald a Nations MN Approval:

I was asked to attend the event in thanks for my part, but took a bit of a back seat, none of it was ever for me and am just pleased during the Year of the Convoy much has happened in tribute for them

The campaign assisted much in also remembering CPT Foster and Trevessa:

In attending did view the Master Mariners Silver Ware bought at auction and displayed on board HQS:

For me a near Coupe de Grace:

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[Administrator]

Could have had no better company for the evening than Captain Joe Earl. LINK

Bristol branch insisted Joe got a pic of him and John Prescott, Mission completed:





The reception on board HQS Wellington was well worth attending and met many contacts for the future; prior to the speech a video was shown of the actual Stamps launch on September 19. 2013 aboard the Cutty Sark: The video is now on youtube LINK:

My first class honours

This week I had the honour on board HMS Wellington of helping to launch the new Royal Mail stamps ­commemorating 200 years of British shipping.

Admirals, masters, servants and even waiters like me and my colleagues from the old Cunard liner the Britannic swapped yarns about the Merchant Navy.

In my speech I congratulated Royal Mail on a fine selection of sailing ships.

I pointed out that less than 10 years ago the British merchant fleet was less than 2million tons and is now more than 17million, thanks to the tonnage tax I ­introduced to encourage shipping companies to register back in the UK.

We introduced an annual Merchant Navy Day and involved ‘Merch’ personnel in Remembrance Day.

However I failed to convince my government and its officer class that men who served on the Arctic convoys should be given a special medal for their ­contribution.

So – whisper this – the Coalition should be thanked for doing what Labour couldn’t

John Prescott.

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[Administrator]

I would hope in the future at similar events to be in Captain Joe Earls company:

[Administrator]

Further pics from the evening, took most on Joe's camera of and for Joe, left mine at home,

[Administrator]

C P T FOSTER:

The world promised to remember him, then forgot:

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I KNOW AS I WAS THERE:

[Lorraine]

Wonderful to read Keith. All the hard work and persistence paid dividends!

[Administrator]

Thanks Lorraine. K.


Albert Owen MP ‏Twittered: 9 Oct

Attended Royal Mail stamp launch to celebrate the valuable work of the Merchant Navy on HQS Wellington. Proud of my association with MN

I met and chatted with Albert aboard HQS Wellington: Albert has been a Member of Parliament for Anglesey since 2001. He was born to William and Doreen on 10 August 1959 and attended Holyhead County Comprehensive School before joining the Merchant Navy in 1976.

Glad to have met up with John Sail and Tim Brant: MNA National.

Conversed much with Stephen Taylor, Chairman: The Wellington Trust.

Finally met up with Russell Warren-Fisher: We had communicated much on a Joe Earl contribution:

"I have had word from the Royal Mail that they very much appreciated my proposal to include your poem. This is great news, not only because it is a beautiful piece of prose, but that it occupies such prominence in the Merchant Navy Prestige Stamp Book. To give you an idea of how I have featured it, the stamp book comprises 20 pages, each telling a chronological story of the History of the Merchant Navy. On four of these pages the commemorative Merchant Navy stamps (due for release later this year) will be featured as part of the overall story. The final section of the booklet discusses Merchant Navy day and on the very last page your poem features on its own as a final and particularly potent sign off, made all the more relevant because it comes from a Merchant Seaman!.

So well done Joe and thanks again, I am truly delighted that your thoughtful and sensitive work will be read and appreciated by an wide audience both here in the UK and overseas.

best wishes Russell

PS. thank you too to Michael and Pauline for their immediate response to my request to contact you, and to Keith who's passion for the cause is commendable!

"I have just received my file copies of the Merchant Navy stamp book issue, and I would very much like to send you a copy. I hope you will be pleased with it... the pages that feature your poem do exactly what I wanted them to and are particularly potent I believe! I had originally wanted to arrange to meet you on Merchant Navy Day in London to thank you in person, but unfortunately I found out that the stamps were not issued until after this event. I hope you like it".

I would love to catch up with you before the HQS, but in reality I will struggle to make it. So I will definitely see you at the event... Russell

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MORE TO COME:

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Captain Cecil P T Foster was the master of the SS Trevessa and though the ship foundered between World Wars: He was a hero of WW1. His experiences in the Great war helped save many of his crew then and so many lives after and up to now and after.

The world promised to remember him, but forgot.

Part of the story:


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[Administrator]

The Cutty Sark FIRST DAY COVER:

During the year of the convoy, please spare a thought for the Cutty Sark:

In the wall at the southern end of the ship’s dry dock is a large sculptural piece. This is the memorial to the Merchant Navy. When it was decided that the ship would find a permanent new home here in Greenwich as a museum, it was felt that Cutty Sark would also be a fitting place to commemorate the men of the Merchant Navy.

The memorial was designed by the sculptor Maurice Lambert. Born in Paris in 1901, Lambert began his art training through his apprenticeship to the sculptor Francis Derwent Wood. He was a sculptor in bronze, stone, wood, concrete and glass of figurative and abstract subjects.

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[Administrator]

Grant boost for convoy ship HQS Wellington:


FROM: 5 February 2013:

Convoy ships which escorted vital supply vessels across the Atlantic and fought off German U-boats were crucial in helping Britain win WWII.

Now, there is only one left afloat - HQS Wellington (formerly HMS Wellington) - and it has been on the River Thames next to Temple Tube station since 1948.

With the help of a heritage grant, members of the public will have the chance to climb aboard and explore what is frequently described as one of London's ''hidden gems''

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