I THINK it’s a pretty safe bet to say that many Hereford Times readers would have served in the Royal Navy at some time or other.

The older ones seeing service in the Second World War and would no doubt recently have been casting their thoughts back to the end of the war, either Europe or later Japan with all of the commemorations around the country.

Those a little younger being called up for National Service, the younger still serving in our much reduced Royal Navy.

One thing is certain, they will all think back and remember the camaraderie and friendships formed at the time, only to be broken when moved to a different ship or shore base. There will be the occasional thoughts being cast back to “I wonder what happened to old Chalky White on HMS Rustybucket?”

Well, a lot have found out what happened to their ‘Old Chalky White’ because lots of the ships have associations, full of their old shipmates and a new monthly service has recently started to help find all of the other ‘Old Chalkies’ or whoever is being looked for.

“Those in the Buffer’s party at HMSCollingwood in the mid 1950s” or “That Chef off HMS Tupperware in 1988” because many of the ship’s association secretaries are sending details of their reunions to RN shipmates for the monthly listings of reunions and other notices.

This monthly service is totally free because it is all done by email. No printing. No photocopying. No paper. No envelopes. No stamps.

I write to ask ship’s association secretaries,  are you on my monthly mailing list? Nearly 400 are.

Looking for someone? This is a good start point in meeting up at a reunion and ‘swinging that lamp’. Get in next month’s emailing out. Get the latest news. Did you serve in the Electrical Branch in the Royal Navy? Exciting news coming up soon if you did!!

And for those who just want to live the camaraderie again, RN shipmates are having another reunion next April.

Interested? Set your memory going again? Send brief details to me at the email address below.

 Look forward to receiving your email.

MIKE CROWE, mike.crowe1@btinternet.com