'Grateful' Second World War veterans treated to spectacular 404th birthday celebrations at HMS Excellent base
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Fantastic gifts were presented to the Second World War veterans as part of the special occasion
Delighted veterans were treated to a very special 404th birthday celebration at a Royal Navy base.
Four people who served during the Second World War were treated to a spectacular feast at HMS Excellent on Whale Island yesterday (July 15). Dorothy Walsh, Ken Arkell, Len Chivers, and Robin Boodle represent an extraordinary combined age, all showcasing a remarkable legacy of service.
They were joined by fellow veterans to celebrate the occasion, Henry Rice, 100, and Sybil Parker, 101 - bringing the combined age of 605 years between the six of them.
Mr Arkell, 100, told The News: “It’s been very good indeed. Beyond expectations. I feel well fed and watered. It’s great to see everyone. We do meet up occasionally. We usually meet up every month for high tea in different locations. It’s all done by volunteers and long may that exist.”
Serving Royal Navy personnel met the veterans in the wardroom for refreshments. After enjoying their birthday lunch of fish and chips and other dishes, they were taken to the bar for a special presentation.
They were given commemorative letters from First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins as thanks for their service. A delicious birthday cake with bright candles was then was then brought into room.
Mr Boodle was presented with an Arctic Convoy Beret, the hat which he should have received after retiring. Running from 1941 to 1945, the convoys delivered vital supplies from Britain, North America, and Iceland, towards northern ports in the Soviet Union.
Roughly 1,400 merchant ships were shepherded by Royal Navy and allied warships. During the treacherous journeys, 85 merchant ships and 16 British warships were lost, including two cruisers, six destroyers, and eight other escort vessels.
Receiving the beret left Mr Boodle visibly emotional and he cherished the gift alongside his family members. He joined the navy when he was 14 in 1939, later serving during the Battle of the Atlantic and in the Far East campaign.
Mr Arkell was a radio operator and deployed on several vessels, including HMS Orwell. He remembers testing experimental WT equipment and practicing landed it on beaches. The sailor was then deployed to Singapore after the war.
At HMS Excellent, he was in charge of ceremonially cutting the cake. The veteran said he’s extremely proud of his service. “That says it all really,” he added. “I just wish it was extended more. I was born by the sea and grew up with salt water in my bones. It was inevitable that I would join the Royal Navy.
“Before that, I was in the Home Guard anti-aircraft battery in Alexandra Park. I was on duty the night HMS Collingwood was hit and saw it all happening. After joining the navy, it was in the lap of the gods.”
Each of the veterans had their own stories to tell. Mr Chivers, 102, served on the HMS Queen Elizabeth battleship and survived the bombing of HMS Kipling. The K-class destroyer was sunk by German bombers on May 11, 1942, in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack killed 29 sailors, but 221 men were rescued.
“The meal was very nice and they did it very well for us,” Mr Chivers said. “I’m very grateful. It’s always to pleasant to meet up with the friends you’ve known over the last 10 years. I’ll probably spend the rest of the day recuperating, with a rum and coke before I have supper.”
Mr Chivers said his step-father, a submariner, wanted him off his hands. He served for 34 years after joining in 1940, aged 15. “I had very very good training on the Isle of Man,” he added. “When the Italians blew the bottom out of the QE, I got drafted to Kipling. We were sunk, and after a long spell in hospital with a fractured spine and multiple burns, I joined the Dauntless light-cruiser.
”When I was on the QE, we were lookouts and just boys. It was frightening at first. The chaplain had to come and consul us, until we got used to it. We had to fire the 15ins guns, and had to report what you saw in the air and in the water.”
Ms Walsh, 100, served in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) and operated the Bombe Machine at the Stanmore outstation of Bletchley Park, supporting Britain’s wartime codebreaking efforts. She said it was strange not being able to tell her family members about her work, but was extremely proud to have signed up.
The Portsmouth resident added that she didn’t think much of signing up, but felt like it she had a duty to serve. “I’ve had such a lovely day seeing everyone, but I usually don’t like a lot of fuss,” she said. “I never thought I’d be 100.”
Mr Rice, 100, was a former signalman and arrived off Juno beach five days after the D-Day landings. He served aboard HMS Eastway, which transported men and equipment to Normandy, and was later awarded the Legion d'honneur, France's highest order of merit.
Ms Parker, 101, reached the rank of third officer in the WRNS. She was stationed in the Southwick Tunnels, a key operational centre for Allied naval activities.
Shannon Cooper, head of marketing operations at the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC), said hosting the six veterans was “an extremely special moment”, and the staff treasure all the time they share with them.
She added: “It’s a unique opportunity to bring them together, and being on a naval base is really special for them as it’s a chase to connect with people in uniform and share stories. Some haven’t met before, but some have and loved seeing each other.
“It’s been great to hear their stories and catch up with them. We hear from their children who are getting older, and for them, it’s a special opportunity to do those things with their parents. Sometimes if the charity isn’t there, the opportunity isn’t there for them to get together. And keep that connection with the naval community. It’s really special.”