Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms The 11th Hour of the 11th Day

Hi Duffs, Commander Jeff Tall OBE RN retired from the Museum a couple of years ago and I had the opportunity to meet him and his wife when we both traveled on the QE2's last cruise to Spitzbergen & the Norwegian Fjords, when Jeff gave a fantastic series of four Slide & Video based lectures on the history of the Submarine from its inception through Warfare to modern times. A Lovely and very knowledgeable man.

It was meeting Jeff that prompted me to get in touch with the museum to establish my fathers war record and to send them copies my photos.

In the picture, my father is the one on the extreme right standing in the Cable Hatch on HMS Sleuth. He survived the war having been sunk twice apparently when based in the Med.

He received two Distinguished Service, Mentions in Dispatches, One on HMS Sub Unseen in 1943, for good service in submarines in the Med., and one when on HMS Sub Sleuth in 1945 when in the Pacific for Far East War Patrols. The Submarine Museum at HMS Dolphin, Gosport, wrote and told me that for much of the period he spent in the Med at HMS St. Angelo / HMS Talbot on Malta he was classed as 'Spare Crew'.

Other Subs he served on were P32, Unbeaten, Seadog, Una and Urge (lost 1942) as well as the Land bases at HMS's Raliegh, Drake, Dolphin, Maidstone, Ambrose and Forth.

Coming from Fareham myself (War Baby) it is years since I have been to Gosport and to that museum. A great idea for a day out.

I'd certainly be interested in a museum visit as a 'day out / gathering'

Cheers,

Hi Frank, i love hearing about family war stories, a shame my grandparents had none to tell (one was a steam train driver and the other was a Petty Officer chef in Portsmouth dockyard!!!!) although my wife's father served in Burma when he was a soldier with the Sea-forth Highlanders, unfortunately he passed away before i had chance to meet him.

Did your father continue in the Navy after the war or was he demobbed?

My brother left the Navy 3 years ago and also now works in the Merchant Navy, he spent all his 9 years on destroyers based in Portsmouth and still lives in Fareham today.

Graham, a weekend outing to the south coast would definitely be a good idea, maybe a visit to the submarine museum on a Saturday, a nice evening meal somewhere and then a drive to Lyndhurst in the New Forest for a cream tea on Sunday???

Sounds good to me, but I might have to include a visit to the hovercraft museum as well...

Cheers,

I think that is at the old Naval engineering college (now shut down) at HMS Daedalus?? I also have an unhealthy interest in hovercrafts too!!!

Duffs

Sounds like a good weekend with dinner and cream teas added