Milsurp After Hours

Been doing some work for another site http://www.photoship.co.uk/ sending some images for them to publish.

I served briefly ( 2 years ) in the Royal Naval Reserve as an RO2(T), (Radio Operator 2nd Class Tactical - Bridge comms / flashing light / bunting tosser) based in Birmingham Comms Training Centre. Although Birmingham is about as far from the sea as you can get in England, I did get some sea time in. This is one of the Coastal Mine Sweepers or Wooden War Canoes as they were known, that I crewed. She was HMS Crofton and was one of the 'Ton' class of CMS vessels. Prince Charles was CO of a similar ship,HMS Bronington. Thought you might be interested.
http://www.oldships.org.uk/SHIPS/TYPE_L ... _Class.htm

Pressure of business at the time meant that I could not commit to the minimum training required so I resigned. It was this service however that qualified me for the HSF ( Home Service Force) from 1985-1994. I don't think that many served both in the RN and British Army at that time.

Although Birmingham is about as far from the sea as you can get in England,

Just out of curiousity how far from the sea can you get in England ?

From memory, I think it is something like 72 miles as the crow flies.

Regards
Peter.

Just outside the quaint village of Coton in the Elms is a small farm.

It is like most other farms in Derbyshire, beautifully nestled among verdant fields and grand trees.

However Church Flatts farm is special.

The Ordnance Survey has calculated it is the furthest point from the sea in all the UK.

To be precise, the identified point is one mile south-east of the farm house occupied by Henry and Joyce Blackwell.

Latitude: 52º 43.6'N
Longitude: 1º 37.2'W

The nearest section of coast to Church Flatts farm is the mean low water line at Fosdyke Wash, on the edge of The Wash, south of Boston, in Lincolnshire.

This is some 70 miles (113 kilometres) away.

My grandfather, Revenue Cutter Service 1912-1915 & US Coast Guard 1915-1918, always said that,
"Any ship could be a minesweeper......................once."

Vern.

Duncan,

Got any Prince Charles stories from his Naval Career?
I worked with an ex-RN bloke once and he'd been on a ship in which Charles had been one of the Officers.
Said that they'd have cleaned their section of deck and would be waiting for inspection and Officers would often walk across the deck but that Charles would always ask if they'd been inspected and if not he'd say that he could find another way to go.

This is some 70 miles (113 kilometres) away.

Over here it's just northwest of Alice Springs at 570 miles from the coast.

In the US it's near Kyle, South Dakota, 1024 miles from any ocean, including Hudson Bay.

Vern.

Just wondering, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Marines....................
Why Not Royal Army, it's always British Army.

Vern.

Good question Vern, I don't know the answer. Perhaps it is because the Army as it is today is not the senior of HM forces, the Navy. The Army was originally formed from individual regiments who 'were hired' out to the crown when needed I suppose. Most originated with their Colonel in chief being the person who raised the force, maybe at the Sovereigns request.

These taken from the 1881 list which in itself was part of the Cardwell reforms http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Br ... %281881%29 which is probably where the Army became what it is today.
17th (The Duke of Cambridge's Own) Lancers
The Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry
33rd (The Duke of Wellington's) Regiment of Foot
49th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's)(Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot
72nd (Duke of Albany's Own Highlanders) Regiment of Foot
91st (Princess Louise's Argyllshire) Regiment of Foot

As will be seen from the full list, Royalty is by now well established as part of the Regimental Titles.

The seniority of the regiments is designated by their formation dates.

For instance, The Yorkshire Regiment is an amalgamation of 3 Regiments of the line and is now made up of 3 Battalions -

* 1st Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own) (previously: 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire) - 14th/15th
* 2nd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) (previously: 1st Battalion, Green Howards) - 19th
* 3rd Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (Duke of Wellington's) (previously: 1st Battalion, The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding)) - 33rd & 76th

* 4th Battalion, The Yorkshire Regiment (previously: Prince of Wales's Own company of The East and West Riding Regiment, Green Howards company from the Tyne-Tees Regiment and two companies of The Duke of Wellington's Regiment from The East and West Riding Regiment), all formerly titled and known as The Yorkshire Volunteers.