Joe and his family were invited to a reception on the 27^th of May at Barry Civic Offices, Joe ensured the timing would not interfere with MNA Wales Monthly meeting at Barry that afternoon, so the council brought the reception forward and Joe later attended the MNA meeting.

High Sheriff, Deputy Lord lieutenant, serving RN personnel and HMS Cambria personnel among the attendees. Sadly, invitations were not extended to any Merchant Navy Associations. So no MN representation. Though we made up for it at the Barry Branch Monthly meeting that afternoon.

On Friday 5th June the Bi monthly Mariners’ dinner held at Holiday inn was made a special one to celebrate Joe’s 100th. Great organisation by Anthony Powell.

There is a video of the reception at Civic Offices which I hope to put up a link to soon.

Here are a few pics of our hero and a scan of the article in the Glamorgan Star.

Joe with his Birthday card from HM King Charles

Birthday cake at Mariners’ dinner.

Joe back in the day.

Joe with the Hollywood look back in the day.

Joe at Mariners’ dinner 5th June 2026

Joe and MNA Wales members on the afternoon of his birthday 27th May 2026 at Barry Libs Club.

Mariners’ dinner - Joe making his entrance.

Taken at Cardiff MNA Wales annual remembrance 2023

Article covering the Council Reception for Joe on 27th My 2026.

Father Chris Seaton presiding and Deputy Mayor of Vale of Glamorgan Councillor Belinda Loveluck-Edwards in attendance and reading.

The Merchant Navy Association (Wales) attended the annual Remembrance Service on Saturday 8th November 2025 . The Service was held under the canopy of the Senedd Building, Cardiff Bay.

The Mission to Seafarers

Alexandra Docks,

Newport,

NP20 2NP followed by a BBQ

The service will commence at 11.30 hours and will be led by the chaplain to the branch the Rev Rufus Noy. All standards and members are most welcome

THE CITY OF NEWPORT BRANCH Of THE MERCHANT NAVY ASSOCIATION

Chairman Alan R Speight Telephone 01633 279638; e.mail: alan.speight2@ntlworld.com

All other Correspondence to; 32 Aberthaw Circle Newport South Wales NP19 9QD,

His funeral will take place at Barry Crematorium on Friday 4th July 2025 at 1200.

Family flowers only. Donations may be sent to the RNLI

SATURDAY 24^TH MAY 2025

The Merchant Navy Association (Wales) held their Annual Remembrance Service at the Seafarers Memorial, Cardiff Bay at 1100 on Saturday 24th May 2025. The event was held under the canopy of the Senedd Building. We were honoured to have a contingent from H.M.C.S Montreal, which was visiting Cardiff at the time, join us at the event together with invited dignitaries. Fr Dean Atkins Honorary Chaplain to the Port of Cardiff officiated and music was provided by Symphonic Brass Cardiff. Photographs taken at the event are attached.

Remembrance Service will be held on Saturday 24^th May commencing at 1100

Under the canopy of the Senedd Building.

All are welcome

Lord Elis-Thomas was appointed our Patron in 2006 and was a tremendous supporter of MNA (Wales) through the years. He was instrumental in building a close relationship between MNA (Wales) and the Senedd, which allows us to hold our Services under the canopy of the Senedd Building. He regularly attended these services and in the early days gave readings in Welsh. He also laid a wreath as our Patron up to the time of his passing. It was my privilege to lay his wreath at the November 2024 Service which he was unable to attend due to ill health. He very recently stood down as Patron due to deteriorating health. He will be dearly missed. Our thoughts are with his family.

Captain Edwards joined the Association in 1995 with a Membership Number of 66. He spent 37 years at sea commanding ships trading worldwide. He first went to sea at the age of 17 as a cadet with Clan Line. After the war he served with Palm Line on the West African trade and spent 14 years in command of ships of the United Arab Shipping Company. His knowledge of the sea and ships enabled him to become one of the most popular authors. Sadly photograph not available.

Our next General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 8th January 2025 at 1400 hrs. in the Conservative Club, Bartlett Street, Caerphilly.

It was very well attended with Byron Jones and Standard Bearer Dave Richards, and Barry Branch member Mike Spear and Standard Bearer Andy Lloyd, representing MNA (Wales).  Byron laid a wreath on behalf on MNA (Wales).

The Service was followed by refreshments in TRBL Club.

I was on Guard of Honour, waiting for the King of Saudi Arabia, on Horse Guards.

Right flank: Scots Guard (100 guardsmen), a gap, then H.M. the Queen, mounted in full uniform, alongside Colonel Gerald, a gap, then left flank was the Queens Company Grenadier Guards (100 guardsmen).

We were stood at ease waiting.

Colonel Gerald’s charger erupted with horse farts (full volume) for two minutes.

Colonel Gerald says “ Sorry about that, your Majesty!”

She replies, in a wonderful voice, “That’s alright, Gerald, I thought it was your horse!”

200 guardsmen silently cried with laughter and tapped their rifles butts on the gravel.

From that moment, every man there adored her!

On joining Baron Elgin at Barry Dock, I was a little perturbed to find that sailors and the Arab firemen were berthed under the foc’sle head, sailors to starboard, firemen to port. As my first three ships, two Forts, and one Park Type, were wartime built and only three/four years old, the state of the accommodation was disheartening.

Eight bunks, a long mess table and a Bogie stove (good for making toast), plus a number of lockers for your personal belongings. The bathroom, entered from the foredeck, was just a steel box, no showers or freshwater taps, with a shelf to slot your new galvanised bucket into. The one toilet was similar, and quite dangerous to use on the homeward leg of the voyage, when loaded. Probably a towel was provided, but no bed sheets or pillowcases.

As a three island type vessel, her only redeeming feature was her well formed cruiser stern. In my time onboard there was no accommodation block on the poop. The Chippie bunked there in the still remaining DEMS gunners quarters. In bad weather the lookout was kept on the bridge wings. These were also wartime fittings, being previously built as gun tubs. They were only waist high, therefore very exposed to the wind and rain.

Soogying was only carried out when it was raining, the galley pump being locked up most of the voyage. Another antiquity was the icebox alongside number three hatch. It was fortunate we were only away for five weeks, otherwise some of the edibles would be smelling a little.

Our loading port (just the end of a bay) was Springdale, Hall Bay, Newfoundland and consisted of three log cabins and a motor launch. We dropped anchor, swung, with help from the launch, and four stern lines were secured on tree stumps on the shore.

I believe the name of my fellow SOS was Gordon Wilson of Cadoxton. I sailed with Gordon and one of his brothers again in 1951 aboard Palestinian Prince. One AB from the Valleys had brought his weightlifting equipment, and would be out on number one hatch practicing his lifts at every opportunity.

We loaded wood pulp, with some fifteen feet of deck cargo and proceeded to Rochester, Kent where we tied up to the buoys, paying off the following day, weights as well.

It was a further eight years before I had the misfortune to sail on a vessel that also suffered with similar deficiencies. Another story, another time.

John Filer
Mem. No. 24

On the Houston City watches were doubled up. At about 2300 hours moonlight showing through the fog, sea conditions calmed by ice the lookout on the forecastle head reported iceberg blink ahead. From the bridge through the fog the grey outline of a berg was sighted and there was a noticeable drop in the temperature, the Master, Captain H. Paul ordered hard a starboard and sounding her whistle, on the ship steadying on her new course the lookout reported an object, possibly a vessel close to port, suddenly from ahead in the fog a klaxon screamed, simultaneously there were alarm bells ringing, German voices shouting. On our bridge the Captain, Officer and Apprentice , whilst on the monkey island the DEMS gunner sighted at the same time very close to our port bow a U-boat which passed down our port side within feet so close that on our bridge we were looking down into the U-boat’s conning tower and its Captain and Officer apparently endeavouring to steer clear.

Captain Paul shouted out “give me a shackle to throw and I will brain the B—d”. On the monkey island the port side oerlikon gun could not be depressed far enough to be of any use and there was insufficient time to alert the 4 inch gun on the poop house before the U-boat disappeared from sight into the swirling fog. Visibility at the time estimated at approximately 200 feet.

For whatever reason the U-boat was operating on the surface one can only surmise, she was obviously as surprised as we were on the Houston City.

A very brief encounter.

Eventually the visibility improved and most of the ships from the dispersed convoy proceeded to a predetermined rendezvous and the convoy reformed and proceeded to Halifax N.S. arriving there without incident on the 29th April 1943.

Commodore O.J. Lindsay
Mem. No. 4

“In 2006 I had just come back from a Heroes Return visit to the Adriatic staying 14 days in Dubrovnik. It brought back memories of the day the crew of HMRT Frisky was asked to make up a football team to play the locals. We obliged and saw the opposing team marching down the road towards the football ground with a large brass band at its head all in step and looking very smart.

I will not go into the finer details of the game except to tell you that we lost 64 - 0! The victorious team marched back to town again with the band playing loudly. It only came to light the next day when a shopkeeper told us that the team we had played was a crack Yugoslavian army team, and being a Communist Country it must have been the National team as well. But, what the hell! How many crews of the Rescue Tugs boys do you know that have played international football. I can tell you that the boys of HMRT Frisky dined out on that story for a few years.”

Colston Hicks
Mem. No. 191