HMS NEMO (bit of a long shot)

[karenessa]

Hi sheena thanks for the reply.Can I see the photo?

[Ungy]

It was interesting to come upon this thread while browsing the internet. I can confirm most of what Jerry Lawes mentioned. As a child we used to holiday at Clacton where my granparents lived and both my father and mother had met and married. My interest in all things boats found me hanging around the beach and the crew of the Nemo II took a liking to me and let me help them with ropes and anchors, etc. As I grew up I would spend all my six weeks school holidays on the beach helping out the Nemo II for which I got paid the princely sum of ten shillings a day, remember this was the late 50's. I think that I would have known Jerry or maybe it was his brother. I used to go to Reg Lawes house and pick up his lunch every day. I have a number of photos of the Nemo II on my wall at home and when I came across pictures of her as a wreck in Wales I felt very upset. I remember the sinking in the late 50's and think that it was on a Friday because we arrived at Clacton that night to get the bad news and I can remember Newt King nervously pacing the pier while the salvage operation went ahead some weeks after the sinking. When I left school and went to work I didn't visit Clacton very often but remember when Newt retired and sold his share to a chap called Sonny who was a motor mechanic. When Reg sold out Dick Harman who owned the Viking Saga bought in and after that I lost contact except I did see Dick at his boatyard in St Osyth in about 1997. Dick was the person who put the updated bow on and enclosed wheelhouse, I never cared for the alterations. Something of interest is that the Nemo II had a set of oars which were stowed under the seating and I remember Reg telling me that one evening they had rowed her out to the mooring.

[sheena58]

Sorry for the delay but I have only just got round to scanning the photo. Here it is.

[Bilge]

Have you all seen this article?

http://content.yudu.com/A1n8xu/navynewsapr10/resources/28.htm

Victims of MTB Honoured.

[sheena58]

I certainly hadn't seen it. Very interesting.
Thanks

[j foynes]

Dear Sheena

No 6 Regent Road (grey house near the bottom below Recreation Ground) was the Officers' Mess for B'sea Naval Base (HMS NEM0) from mid-1940 to late 1943. The officers in your photo are likely to include such as Captain Henniker-Heaton, Cdr Campbell, Cdr Collis-Bird, Lt-Cdr Eldridge, Lts Wolfe-Murray, Laine, Martin, Martino, Paymaster-Cap Nelson.
Are any named, in fact?
I wrote a 106-page history of the base about 19 years ago and would be most interested to see a copy of your photo.

Julian Foynes

[sheena58]

Hello Julian,

There are no names on the photo, which I have recently posted here (see previous page). I believe I'm right in thinking they are wearing volunteer reserve uniforms, but otherwise know nothing about the men at all. I would be very interested to know more about the base and, if you are able to identify any of the men that would be wonderful.

Sheena

[j foynes]

Dear Sheena

I'm probably being stupid but can't see your photo on the website. I may, as you say, be able to work out who the RNVR officers are from cross-checking.

Julian

[sheena58]

Hello Julian,

The photo is on this thread. If you scroll to the top or bottom where it says pages and click on 4 it should take you to the page where it appears. I've just checked and I can the image, not a link or attachment so hopefully you can too.

Sheena