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This site is an edited version of a 25th Commemorative Booklet
of HMS Wildfire Chatham Royal Naval Reserve from 1964 - 1989. The
original booklet was written in 1989 at the time of the 25th Anniversary
Celebrations. Although originally promised by a Senior Officer at
Portsmouth that it would be published and "I am sure that if
you take it to the Dockyard Printers in Portsmouth it would be printed
- I think we have some funds" this never happened, it certainly
did get to Portsmouth, I took it myself, even had a pint or two
with the head printer - but alas as things go, eventually I was
copied a letter to Commander in Chief, Naval Home Command to the
effect that the printing could not be justified in terms of the
existing budgets. Sad - but that is life in a blue suit as they
say.
Anyway I managed to retrieve the box with the draft inside it from
Portsmouth, and that is as far as it got. I moved on from "Wildfire"
and the whole thing got forgotten. That is until 2001 when, after
I had retired I received a letter from a son of the Late Lieutenant
Commander "Sandy" Sanderson, regrettably informing me
that "Sandy" had passed away and the son had heard at
Chatham Navy Days, or some such opening day, that I had put together
this book - and could he have a copy. Regrettably, I had to inform
him, that the book was never published. But stimulated by his interest
in his father's connection with "Wildfire" and his own
memories of Saturday swimming session in the dockyard pool with
other "Wildfire" children. I decided that I would endeavour
to locate and find out what happened to the original draft. After
a time I found the original box, untouched for nearly 15 years at
the Strood Study Centre, in Strood now part of The Medway Towns.
Through the good offices of Mrs. Crowe, the Manager, I was able
to borrow the document with a view to restarting the book. Technology
has moved on since 1989 - I felt I could make a pretty good hash
at it with today's DTP methods we all have on our PCs. So I brought
it to France and put the book together - copies should be available
some time after the end of May 2002. If you are interested in a
copy please let me know.
At about the same time I realised that it was the 100th
Anniversary of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the
year 2003. So after some searching I was put in touch with the Project
Team and I am sending to them a copy of the Book when it is finished
as my personal contribution to that celebration. It was suggested
to me by the Project Team that I might like to put the details on-line.
This is what has resulted.
Please bear in mind that the details on-line do differ slightly
from the details of the book, and the book has been kept as it was
written - "as a moment in time" so the details are as
was in 1989. The only addition that was not included at the time
is the contribution from Alastair Miller, the first rating to serve
at HMS Wildfire, which I deemed would add to the retype.
Please enjoy the site. I would like to receive your
comments via e-mail.
Bill Hagger
France.
February 2002
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