Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2023
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    6
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    7
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    23

    Default Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Dear Forum Members,

    I know it's late here in Blighty, but I wanted to make a brief introduction before the match sticks give way. I have just found, and registered for membership of this wonderful forum, whilst undertaking early research on 'the life and times' of Captain Sir Benjamin Chave, K.B.E.

    Firstly, I found Brian's welcome message so informally friendly, helpful and, yes, welcoming. I hope you will be kind to me as a landlubber aka retired army officer with shaky sea legs, although I am quite able to take a bit of 'joshing'.

    I do have something of a merchant navy pedigree as my GG Grandfather was Captain John SYKES, Master Mariner (1824 - 1868), from Kirby Ireleth, Lancs. And, my Grandfather, Paul Edward Sykes, was awarded a Silver Life Saving medal by Finland for his part in the rescue of the crew of the Finnish steamer 'Esbo', at Bootle Cumbria in October 1935.

    As said, I retired from the army in 2001 and then worked for HMG overseas, ending my proper working life as Chief of Staff of an EU Policing and Justice Mission in Palestine in 2015. We now live a life of rural idyll in the Quantock Hills, Somerset .... we can see the sea at Watchett from the top of the hill opposite the house!

    I mentioned that I am interested in Sir Benjamin Chave (no relation) - in short, I found a post relating to him on this forum i.e., that of Penny Alexander, on 17 September 2017, titled “Capt Sir Benjamin Chave KBE”. That led me to cruise around your forum and I was really taken with how helpful and friendly you all are (sorry if I sound like I am blowing smoke up your chuffs, but it is true).

    What my time here also made me realise is that I know nothing apart from what I have said about my GG grandfather Captain John Sykes. My mother is now 92, living with us, but has mixed altzheimers and vascular dementia and can no longer remember our family history (nor indeed happened 5 minutes ago) - why do we leave things too late to talk about.

    So, I guess, it will be Chave and Sykes that occupy my beginnings here.

    Kind regards,

    Owen

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    W.A.
    Posts
    23,641
    Thanks (Given)
    12850
    Thanks (Received)
    13719
    Likes (Given)
    19100
    Likes (Received)
    76762

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Of course the Sykes mentioned has nothing to do with Bill Sykes of Oliver Twist fame. With names like those mentioned no doubt the ones so good at it will be half way there by now. Welcome to the site at least you don’t come in camouflage . Cheers JS
    R575129

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Blue Mountains NSW
    Posts
    24,237
    Thanks (Given)
    45047
    Thanks (Received)
    13126
    Likes (Given)
    52440
    Likes (Received)
    39395

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Hello Owen
    Welcome here and thank you for your Posing.
    Always good to have new Blood here no matter if not Merchant Navy, its a site for one and all.
    I hope you will keep on Enjoying the various Threads and that your Searching for whoever will be fruitful.

    If at any time you may need some help, just holler and if we can we will assist where possible!
    Happy readings!
    Cheers

    This is the Link you talk of on our site!

    Capt Sir Benjamin Chave KBE (merchant-navy.net)
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

    R697530

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    liverpool
    Posts
    2,180
    Thanks (Given)
    649
    Thanks (Received)
    625
    Likes (Given)
    4349
    Likes (Received)
    5601

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    #3 Hope ‘Posing’ was a typo Doc.
    R635733

  5. Thanks Doc Vernon thanked for this post
  6. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Torquay
    Posts
    11,467
    Thanks (Given)
    3440
    Thanks (Received)
    7758
    Likes (Given)
    11953
    Likes (Received)
    34924

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Welcome aboard, someone from another Service always welcome and we look forward to hearing about your exploits, those you can and cannot tell your children, or grandchildren! If you've perused a few posts you'll have realised a lot of us are long in the tooth, although many have teeth much younger than themselves, we all used to be taller, we all wear rose tinted spectacles, our stories are quite wild but 99.9% true, we are invariably not politically correct, we can give and received insults (those without malice) and as long as you spell bastard as barsteward we know you like us.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    W.A.
    Posts
    23,641
    Thanks (Given)
    12850
    Thanks (Received)
    13719
    Likes (Given)
    19100
    Likes (Received)
    76762

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Once sailed with another army bloke , however may have been the competition as was the Salvation Army a very reputable group. I would never have known if he hadn’t been outside my house one time at home on a Sunday morning being a member of the band , he knew I lived there and was trying to hide behind a bigger body playing the trumpet, just to embarrass him I opened the bedroom window and shouted down “ Is that you Derrick” , thought he was going to shrivel up and disappear. Would not have believed he was Sally Ann judging by his girlfriends in the States . Was during the time of the Vietnam War when a lot of their troops were overseas and he made the most of it. JS.
    Used to kid him on Vietnam Rose would get him JS
    PS today my driving Licence expired so am having a wake at the moment , however will not bury it until the official notice has been confirmed . JS
    PS if I can’t drive at least I can drink
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 23rd January 2023 at 01:52 PM.
    R575129

  8. Thanks Doc Vernon, Des Taff Jenkins thanked for this post
  9. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2023
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    6
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    7
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    23

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Well, thanks for your welcome. For the record, my teeth are still my own, albeit they owe a lot to the NHS filling service and I can still walk unaided, unless I have been at the single malt. I refuse to wear my prescription glasses, but have been discovered reading the cooking instructions, on Tesco's finest, with a magnifying glass. My hair is clinging on at the sides, so I am usually to be found in my cap. I am still 'under orders', albeit now from my Domestic Chief of Staff. I am No. 5 in the family priority order, after my beloved D/CoS, our two horses and our standard poodle (think of a woolly black sheep, no fancy clipping for him).

    I am finding it hard to think of stories I could share with the grand children, at least with parents present, because, of course, I have always been a fine upstanding man free of any faults, character flaws and vices (ahem). Even that time in the High Commission pool, late one night, with the crew of a BA 747, I kept my trousers on and sipped my Earl Grey very politely.

  10. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Cooma NSW
    Posts
    8,967
    Thanks (Given)
    10195
    Thanks (Received)
    5220
    Likes (Given)
    44136
    Likes (Received)
    26883

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Welcome aboard Owen, Two of my brothers were in the army albeit at the insistence of the Brit Govt, funny story, the army removed one of my brothers kidneys, when he told me I though it a bit much, if they were short of kidneys for breakfast they should have gone to the local butchers, my nephew was a Major in the tank regiment, lt being a vast distance from our usual MN mob, that is my Dad, brother and me.
    Cheers Des
    R510868
    Lest We Forget

  11. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    W.A.
    Posts
    23,641
    Thanks (Given)
    12850
    Thanks (Received)
    13719
    Likes (Given)
    19100
    Likes (Received)
    76762

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    My wife’s cousin went out to Korea with the governments insistance as a 2nd lieutenant being an ex university graduate , he later carried on in the reserves and reached the rank of colonel of the DLI , he also became Mayor of Durham city at one time . The DLI of course no longer exists as a working regiment , mores the pity. His name if
    Anyone lived in the area was John Lightley , both he and his wife died a few years ago with Covid , and if anyone wondered why the flags in the city were at half mast that was the reason. Cheers JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 24th January 2023 at 01:41 AM.
    R575129

  12. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2023
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    6
    Thanks (Given)
    0
    Thanks (Received)
    7
    Likes (Given)
    1
    Likes (Received)
    23

    Default Re: Good evening from a landlocked retired army officer

    Quote Originally Posted by Des Taff Jenkins View Post
    Welcome aboard Owen, Two of my brothers were in the army albeit at the insistence of the Brit Govt, funny story, the army removed one of my brothers kidneys, when he told me I though it a bit much, if they were short of kidneys for breakfast they should have gone to the local butchers, my nephew was a Major in the tank regiment, lt being a vast distance from our usual MN mob, that is my Dad, brother and me.
    Cheers Des
    Goodness Des, the post war rationing measures were harsh indeed where the army was concerned. Good job it wasn't liver on the menu. I suspect that when your nephew was battened down in his tank, it probably felt like being in the engine room of a MN steam ship.

    Thanks for your welcome.

    Owen

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by j.sabourn View Post
    My wife’s cousin went out to Korea with the governments insistance as a 2nd lieutenant being an ex university graduate , he later carried on in the reserves and reached the rank of colonel of the DLI , he also became Mayor of Durham city at one time . The DLI of course no longer exists as a working regiment , mores the pity. His name if
    Anyone lived in the area was John Lightley , both he and his wife died a few years ago with Covid , and if anyone wondered why the flags in the city were at half mast that was the reason. Cheers JS
    Dear me, what a sad and sobering COVID story - no way for a brave old soldier to leave us. Sounds like he 'lived his life' though.

  13. Thanks Des Taff Jenkins thanked for this post

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •