Archive for December, 2009

Steve Humphries Presentation Speech:

“Lord Lieutenant, distinguished guests, ladies, gentlemen and young cadets.

Before we move onto the most important part of the evening, the actual presentation, I would like to take a few minutes to outline to you the history of the Indefatigable, affectionately known by its members as the ‘Inde’, and the Indefatigable Old Boys Association.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the British merchant fleet was larger than the rest of the world’s merchant navies combined. This was perhaps the pinnacle of hundreds of years of British maritime tradition, when Britain really did ‘Rule the Waves’. This created a huge and constant need for young men, trained for the challenge of a rigorous life at sea. A life that was hard and required the highest standards of training, performance, leadership and personal example. This demand accelerated during the two World Wars, and the Inde like many other Training Ships existed to answer this demand, and was something special in Britain’s maritime tradition.

The Founding Fathers of the Inde were the Bibby family, owners of the Merchant Shipping Company Bibby Line. They asked the question “What is to be done about the many orphans whose only crime was that they were sons of seamen?” So in 1864 the Indefatigable was set up for “the training of orphans and boys in poor circumstances”. With much change from ship to shore, the School continued until 1995 with its self-appointed task of ‘turning boys into men’.

Founded in 1864 HMS Indefatigable was fitted out by the Bibby family. In 1914 she was replaced by HMS Phaeton, which became the second Indefatigable. She was moored close to HMS Conway off Rock Ferry Pier on the River Mersey.

The end for the ships came in 1941 when due to war time bombing, both the ‘Conway’ and the ‘Indefatigable’ were ordered to evacuate. The ship itself was renamed Carrick II and moved to here in Glasgow. The Inde boys were moved away from the Mersey and to a shore based accommodation in Plas Menai below the Britannia Bridge on the Menai Straits, Anglesey. She survived in this building, the former Marquis of Anglesey’s stately home, until 1995 when financial pressures forced her closure.

The word Indefatigable, meaning ‘never tiring’, ‘unremitting’, ‘that which cannot be wearied’, sums up very strongly the ‘Indefatigable’ efforts of our committee and membership, some that are here this evening. Currently the Old Boys membership stands at around 300, and is growing daily.

The Indefatigable Old Boys Association was founded in 1983 and we have just had our 26th AGM & Reunion on Saturday June 6th. It should be noted, that the MD of the Bibby Line Group – Sir Michael Bibby Bt, is indeed our President of the Association.

It was at a previous reunion, that our Chairman Colonel Bill O’Leary, put a proposal to the assembled members. Because of his position in the Territorial Army, he was very aware that the Sea Cadet Corps did not receive the same financial support from the Ministry of Defence that the Army and Air Force Cadets received. This of course, was due to the decision by the Navy, to allow the Sea Cadet Corps to become a registered charity some years back. Colonel Bill felt very strongly that the Cadets of the Sea Cadet Corps were in need of some financial support, and that it was incumbent upon us in the Association to give back something to the youth of today. Now, I won’t bore you with all the finer details, but suffice to say that a proposal was passed with a 100% majority, to present on an annual basis a sum of money to assist the Sea Cadet Corp, and in particular an individual unit.

After some discussion with Commodore Laurie Brokenshire at the Marine Society and Sea Cadet Corps Headquarters in London, we agreed that the monetary award would be made to the Sea Cadet Unit deemed by the Headquarters to have made the most significant improvement over the preceding 12 months.

Additionally, we agreed to present to the unit, this fine Cup, The TS Indefatigable Cup, Formally known to the Old Boys Association, as the ‘Navy League Challenge Swimming Trophy’.

So now to the highlight of the evening.

The Sea Cadet Unit, deemed by the Marine Society and Sea Cadet Corps Headquarters, to have made the most significant improvement over the preceding 12 months, is TS Enterprise, and it gives me great pleasure to present the TS Indefatigable Cup and a monetary award of £700 to TS Enterprise, for this outstanding achievement.

This is only the third time that the Cup has been awarded to the Sea Cadet Corps. The Cup now has been engraved with the Units name T.S. Enterprise 2008, alongside the other two winning Units (TS Rye 2006 & TS Pytchley 2007). As well as the Cup presentation and monetary award, we would like you to receive an inscribed IOBA Shield to keep and a few IOBA memorabilia items to remember us by, for the Unit and Cadets.

Colonel Bill O’Leary (IOBA Chairman) and Owen Sutton (IOBA Vice Chairman) regret very much that they are unable to attend tonight due to unforeseen commitments, but both pass on their regards.

Thank you and well done again.

Steve Humphries – IOBA Secretary.

On behalf of Colonel W J O’Leary TD.

Deputy Commander 145 (South) Brigade /

Chairman of the Indefatigable Old Boys Association (IOBA).”

The IOBA can help members so that they are able to attend future IOBA AGM & Reunions.  Would you like to be considered for the following, so that you can attend the next year IOBA Reunion?  Guide on the parameters and criteria to be applied are set below, but we must stress at this point, ‘applications will be decided by the serving IOBA committee’.

Criteria’s proposed: Maximum Award to be £300. All nominees will be asked to submit an approximate overall costing.  To include; UK Travel expenses / Accommodation / Reunion Dinner & Bar.

Guidelines set are;

1) Up to £300.00 max.
2) Must be a fully paid up member of the IOBA.
3) Not previously been to an AGM under the terms of this proposal.
4) Committee to decide on the IOBA Member to attend.
5) Vice Chairman to coordinate.

Please don’t be offended by the offer, it’s there for the taking.  If you would like to take up the offer, please write to Steve Paris 76/78 who’s managing this initiative on behalf of the committee.

Steve Paris 76/78
2, Dolphin Close,
Winnersh, Reading,
Berkshire.
RG41 5XP

Dear all,

It is with the greatest sadness that I have to announce the tragic death of Captain Harry Traynor, past IOBA Chairman who died at 05:45 on Saturday 27th June 2009.

I have personally known Captain Harry since 1986. Harry was one of the founder members of the IOBA and if I stand corrected our first Chairman until he stood down in 2000 (after some 17 years in the Chair!). I need not remind you of all that Captain Harry did for our Association (it’s all in the book – ‘The Inde’ by Rev. Canon (Bob) Evans).

Joyce (Harry’s Wife) rung last night to say that Harry had died. He was transferred to a hospice last week when they found that the cancer had returned with a vengeance. He requested to go home to die, where Joyce wanted him too so he went home on Thursday. He rapidly declined, they had a nurse to stay with them and he died peacefully on Saturday morning at 0545 hrs. Joyce confirmed that she was okay and had everyone there including her grand daughter. She was very tearful initially and could hardly speak but as there conversation went on she became stronger at the end. She was told that we would keep in touch and that we would write soon.

Colonel Bill O’Leary (IOB Chairman) and I will be sending our sincere condolences to Joyce and Captain Harry’s family on behalf of you all, and the ‘Indefatigable Old Boys Association’ but, if you would like to send your own condolences please let me know and I will forward a postal address.

Pat Moran has left a message on my answer phone saying, “Joyce doesn’t want much fuss regarding the funeral, preferring a quite ceremony at the local crematorium. Details to follow together with an invite.”

‘Friendships and memories of ‘the Inde’ will remain to the end’.

Steve Humphries: 75/76.
Indefatigable Old Boys Association: Secretary

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