HMS Ark Royal R-09
Message Board
Messages 75 to 99

99.
Apr. 29, 2018

I arrived on your site searching for the whereabouts of the bell from HMS ARK ROYAL. I see the question has been asked many times, but can find no answer. There is one (working) bell in the FAA Museum at Yeovilton, but this is not the 'Ceremonial' bell used for Christenings, which is the one with the names engraved in it. Could you let me know where the bell is currently located? 

Best wishes,
David Goodall, Captain Royal Navy (now long retired)


98.
Feb. 4, 2018

I'm just wondering if anybody remembers my Grandad his name is Robert Hart (Bob) from Hull, He was a stoker on the HMS Ark royal from 1955 I think till 1961. It would be great if I could hear from any old friends.

Sara Howard


97.
Nov. 12, 2017

My father, Alistair Cassie, served in the RN from the early 1950's till 1968. When he and my mum married he was stationed at RNAS Lossiemouth. I know he served on HMS Ark Royal during his service working on the aircraft. I do know he was a member of the ship's band and played the bagpipes and have photos of him with his pipes. I don't know much about his service life as I was so young but would love to hear from anyone who remembers him. It was great to find your website today.

Anne Norton


96.
Aug. 7, 2017

I served on Ark Royal twice once while at Ganges sea training did a jackstay transfer to hms keppel then left Ganges and joined the ark after training at vernon worked as po / Chiefs messman Best job ever 16 year old with a station card nicked and stamped without the corners cut off this gave you overnight leave did I make use of it in Fort Lauderdale the button club And down the med The motels next door with swimming pools holiday inn thumbing it back to the ship next morning.

The girls could drive at 16 thought I'd died and gone to heaven played water polo at Johnny Weissmuller pool for navy did hq 1 watch keeping did quarter master live on the isle of skye know LT Evans lives close by he used to be bosun had a place capstan flat mess 4g2 and jungle down X-ray any body remember the gofferman Stan and mr Cathcart fleet chief Get in touch I have Neil Sowerby contact Aj.

Andy Sheedy


95.
July 19, 2017

I served on Ark Royal for two years 1971/1972. after leaving school in 69 and joined HMS Ganges, then after a few months at HMS Collingwood. I them joined Ark Royal as a JREM. I'm trying to find the friends I had over those two years. Any help would be much appreciated.

Maurice Cassidy


94.
May 26, 2017

I've been given, which I'm told are off the Ark Royal. It's what I was told, but I've no idea whether it's true! Obviously it would be amazing if so. Photos showing below. Any advice/leads would be greatly appreciated.

Best wishes,
Nick Griffiths


93.
Jan. 14, 2017

Just trying to locate a Robert Stanwick - Pilot Flight Lieutenant I think. Robert was part of the ArK Royal Officer Crew who visited Fremantle in 1962. The Naval Chaplain contacted our Training Hospital - St John of God Subiaco, and a number of us were introduced to some of the officer crew. A number of us attended a wonderful Ball on board the aircraft carrier, and shared some great social times together apart from the Ball, whilst the Arc Royal was in port. Robert's private address from memory was Cromwell Street, London and for a time we wrote to each other. I would be interested in making contact with Robert again and appreciate he would be long retired from the British Royal Navy.

Pauline Iles
Western Australia

Mar. 16, 2017
In looking at your website again today, I came across the name Rob Stroud - this person  responded to a query from a Patrick Mounteney  about the decommissioning of the Ark Royal in the 70's. It was Reply 1 dated the 23 May 2007, Message #1. I have always been hesitant with being accurate with Rob's surname and maybe I am incorrect. The name Stroud triggered something!

Pauline

Mar. 16, 2017:

in looking at your website again today, I came across the name Rob Stroud - this person  responded to a query from a Patrick Mounteney  about the decommissioning of the Ark Royal in the 70's. It was Reply 1 dated the 23 May 2007.

I have always been hesitant with being accurate with Rob's surname and maybe  I am incorrect. The name Stroud triggered  something!


92.
Oct. 18, 2016

Great site here that I have stumbled across, as I look into my Dads xmas pressie. As there is a message board here I would like to know if anyone was aboard 1965-75 on the Eagle and the Arc Royal with a RAYMOND STOCKER, he was aircraft mechanic side of things. He went to Singapore as I have pics of him there and i know he was at Yeovil as I spent my first two years there. He was also up in Scotland as I hear many stories about his NAVY adventures !! He even has a tattoo on the sole of his foot and had a preying mantas on the foot of his bed! Does anyone remember him, he is now 67 and living in UK. Would be nice to feed back if anyone remembers those days. He served 11 years in all.

Regards,
Shani Stocker


91.
Oct. 13, 2016

For those of you who are looking for the ship's bell, who is looking for the bell, you can find it at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yovilton. I served on the Ark R-09 and used to polish it on my part of ship quarter deck. I saw it when I went to the museum.

Richard Williams
South Wales


90.
Sept. 7, 2016

I WOULD LIKE TO FIND MY OLD FRIEND CHRISTOPHER HORSEPOOL WHO SERVED ABOARD THE ARK ROYAL AIRCRAFT CARRIER IN THE MID 1970'S. I MET HIM IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA, USA WHEN THE SHIP PUT INTO PORT AND I SAW HIM AGAIN IN NEW YORK WHEN HE CAME TO VISIT ME AT MY APARTMENT IN YONKERS, NEW YORK. WE LOST TOUCH AFTER THAT.

IN PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP,
SANDY MARKS


89.
Apr. 1, 2016

I'm not sure if anyone is interested, but I am now the owner of the Ark Royal's Nelson 34 senior officers launch, FML 6814. She was on the Ark from 1971 to 1978. Her name is MonArk. I have two names who it may be of interest to, Steve Mathis (a.k.a. Johnny Mathis), and Nick Clegg, not sure if he owned her. It would be nice to speak to them if possible.

Regards,
Gary Jackson
Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales


88.
Mar. 2, 2016

My husband, Richard Carré, served on HMS Ark Royal from 1965/66 and was aboard when it visited Australia Christmas 1965. He was given a book about the voyage and he lent it to a young man who was interested in joining the navy. This young man lost the book. Can anyone please let me know if I can obtain a copy of this book as I would like to give it to him as a birthday present later this month. If anyone remembers "Jan Carré" please get in touch.

Ann Carré

Reply 1
Mar. 16, 2016

You can download that book here.
Ark Royal R-09 Related Material

Michael W. Pocock
Webmaster


87.
Feb. 26, 2016

My late father, Robert James Patterson - Petty Officer, served on the Ark Royal during the 1950's. My sister and I were christened on board in a ceremony, I am told, that used the ships bell. That was in 1957 and she was berthed in Belfast. My father left the Navy after being posted to Gosport a year or so later, I'm not sure on the exact dates. Can you tell me where the ships bell is now?

Thanks you,
Roy Anthony Patterson

Reply 1
Mar. 7, 2016

I joined the Ark before commissioning in Cammell Lairds yard in 1955 and left her in 1958 for demob. During that time she never visited Belfast or anywhere else in Ireland. I assume the bell would have been passed on to the next Ark. When the previous Ark sank off Gibraltar the surviving crew met on the dockside at Gib and voted to purchase a bell for the next ship named Ark Royal with the welfare funds. It was a silver bell and was too big to hang from the quarter deck bulkhead. It had a carved four posted plinth and sat in he middle of the middle of the quarterdeck. Can anyone confirm that the bell is still in existence.

Jack Finegan
A/POME. D/skx 898878


86.
Jan. 30, 2016

I served on HMS Leander in the mid sixties. As I had done some wrestling, before I joined up, I was interested to hear from an oppo about Sharky Ward (a PO Fleet Air Arm photographer) who had run wrestling shows on Ark Royal. I finally met up with Sharky in Singapore when he was serving on HMS Triumph. I then wrestled with him at  Leow Kwong Seng's gym in Singapore. This was in 1966 and I think that soon after this Sharky finished his time and then emigrated straight to New Zealand (he was RA in JB with his family). His first name was Phil and he wrestled under the name of Gaston LaFarge. Does anybody have any memories of Sharky or any of the other guys he trained up, on either the Ark of Triumph? 

Kind regards,
Keith Gray


85.
Dec. 25, 2015

I was on the Ark 64-67 worked in the goffa bar (3d2) mess, anyone remenber me?

Regards,
John Leavesley


84.
Dec. 6, 2015

(Apr. 19, 2018: Message removed at the request of the sender.)


83.
Dec. 5, 2015

I am looking to contact Martin Hopkins born 1950 in Southend on Sea, Essex.

Denis Mitchell


82.
Nov. 3, 2015

In the ship's commissioning book on page 117, a mention is made of master at arms Walker. Is his Christian name Kenneth? If so I knew him at RNAS Eglinton in 1953, we were both navel airmen, I was NA Airframes he was NA ordinance (bombhead) as armourers were known.

EX NA J. Durkin LFX910314


81.
Oct. 20, 2015

I am trying to find the whereabouts of a Naval Airman - Philip Hurley. He served aboard the Ark Royal around 1976. His registration was D112425M - 4J3 Mess - 892 Squadron. He came from Bristol and just wondered where he is today. Very many thanks.

Kind regards,
Cella Bellamy
Discipline Officer
Gloucestershire Football Association


80.
Sept. 16, 2015

My great uncle supposedly ran the Ark Royal aground in 1962 whilst going into Devonport. I've heard the tale many times, but would love to hear from anyone onboard that day. He was a pilot, but not a good one it seems.

Alan Bell


79.
Sept. 8, 2015

I'm just seeing if anyone know the whereabouts of Paul Tomlinson. He was on the Ark Royal when it came to Florida, USA, to Mayport Naval Station in 1978 (it may have been 1977). I believe they went to Fort Lauderdale and then took the amphibian boats up through the St. John's River to Jacksonville. Just was curious how he's doing after all this time. 

Carma Hughes


78.
Aug. 31, 2015

I served in the RAN For 20 years and am very proud of my farther Arther Whitworth who served on the HMS ARK ROYAL IN 1956. I think he was an aircraft frame fitter as he describes being inside air craft wings cleaning fuel tanks etc. Shortly he will have a 60th wedding Anniversary he is now 82 years of age he served and was on the Ark Royal during the Suez Incident and did not receive any award. Are there any awards (medals) that the sailors that served in the RN received that he did not but should have? I thank you for all your help.

Thanks,
Chris Whitworth


77.
Aug. 2, 2015

I'm trying to locate a black man that served on the Ark Royal and was in Plymouth during 1974 and maybe 1975. I have no name but think he may have been from Birmingham area, but served on the Ark Royal. He used to visit a nightclub called Top Rank in Plymouth and another club called 150 Club in Union Street regularly. I believe this man may have known a man called Pete fleet and Malcolm kat. Can you help me to try and find this man. I don't think there were many black men on the Ark Royal during 1974 and 1975 if you can point me in the direction this would be great.

Thank you,
Kelly MacKenzie

Reply 1
Sept. 5, 2018

Ref: Black man on Ark Royal.
I know someone in Birmingham who said a black man knew me on Ark Royal. This man's name was Gordon Hodges. He was workshop foreman at a Volkswagen garage in Birmingham and a Black man ex stoker from Ark Royal had started work there. Hope this helps.

Andrew Sheedy


76.
July 7, 2015

I have recently come into the possession of a rather large and heavy brass navel plaque, it bears  the name of the MacTaggart company. It measures 14 centimeters in diameter. I was told by someone that it belonged to HMS ARK ROYAL (R09), but I find this difficult to believe. It was supposedly mounted on the forward capstan which the company may have supplied. Any information regarding this item would be greatly appreciated as I have hit a complete brick wall with my research.

I am desperate to find out if this plaque really is from Ark Royal R09, I found your web sight very informative, and believe there are ex Arc servicemen posting on there who may  recognise it! Any feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Bryan Nuttall


75.
May 30, 2015

Great site and enjoying looking at the wonderful photos. I had a brief stint in the Navy from 74-78 my last ship being HMS Blake as a chochead. I came across your site whilst looking for information on an old school friend of mine called Mick Rogers who served on the Ark between 74 and 77 I think as a MEM.Mick was from Oxford  moving from Tredegar South Wales when he was around 11 years old.

I'm not sure what happened to Mick who had a few problems and we lost contact when we were in our twenties. I know Mick was onboard when the Ark went to Miami as he sent me a post card and was instrumental in my decision to join up with his tales of visiting places and enjoying everything life in the Navy had to offer.

If you could post this on your site in the hope somebody may have some news of Mick it would be greatly appreciated. I now live in Southsea having lived in the Midlands for some years and funny to see the old haunts plus the changes Pompey has undergone.

Many thanks
James O'Grady




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Messages 75 to 99
Class Overview
Builder's Data
Page published July 13, 2015