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| Neil with Mrs Thatcher NJF Dinner Oct 2nd 1995 Century Plaza |
Born: October 13, 1925, Grantham - Died: April 8, 2013, London
In relationship to her I have a story to tell. You may remember that I rammed the Royal Yacht Britannia when a Sea Cadet while on a course in 1962. This is a true story about a boating accident during a Sea Cadet Training Course in Portsmouth. It was August in 1962, all the cadets got their Whaling License but mine was only Second Class, and here is the reason why was because of this accident.
That incident, endeared me to the Sheffield, she was a fine ship. I strongly feel that had I pursued my original intent to apply to Dartmouth for entry as a Sea Cadet, I would have become a Naval officer, and in twenty years by 1982 I sincerely believe I would have succeeded to be master of my own vessel. You can bet a shilling I would have tried for H.M.S. Sheffield.
Now the purist among my readers and those familiar with "Janes" will argue that Sheffield went into reserve in January 1959 and became flagship of the Home Fleet until September 1964, when she was placed on the disposal list. But I did not know all that, and any way, why spoil spoil a good story for the sake of the truth (as my grandfather used to say)
The new Sheffield, Type 42 Guided Missile Destroyer laid down by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering at Barrow-in-Furness on 15 January 1970, launched on 10 June 1971 and commissioned on 16 February 1975, was the actual vessel sunk during the Falklands campaign.
Enough said, here is the tail.
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| HMS Sheffield Struck by and Exocet |
Walking On My Grave
It was Margaret Thatcher’s War
The final blast for glory,
Reflecting on it I might have been in service,
For had a different hand been played
This might have been my story
And thinking of it still can makes me nervous.
The Sheffield’s superstructure
Was of Aluminium
The idea was to make her strong and light,
The Exocet was inbound
Impacted and exploded
So hot it made the Sheffield’s top ignite
H.M.S. Sheffield was struck
And set to furious burning,
She quickly was to sink beneath the sea
I know that but for fortune
Had the influence been different
Her grave would have been my destiny.
When I was a Sea Cadet
I went to Portsmouth Harbor
To do the Southern Area Boatwork Course
My berth was on the Sheffield
The refitted Battle Cruiser
Whose Falkland-sinking caused me some remorse.
For had I joined the Navy
A decision that’s well as may be,
And had I been commissioned with a vote,
On where I might be serving
You could bet a shilling
That I would have tried complement that boat.
H.M.S. Sheffield was struck
And set to furious burning,
She quickly was to sink beneath the sea
I know that but for fortune
Had the influence been different
Her grave would have been my destiny.
I thank God I became a dentist!
You can review this poem on Poetry.com: http://poetry.com/poems/751673-Walking-On-My-Gravehttp://poetry.com/poems/751673-Walking-On-My-Grave
