INSPIRED by ‘a very full life’ Redditch man Roger Henry Lippett has written a book on his life which began living on the Batchley Estate. He went on to serve in the Royal Navy and wants to share his story.
He was born on January 30 1939 on the council estate, with his dad’s name Henry, being given to him as his middle name.
Here he sheds light on his life family and friends as a social record of sorts that may be of interest to his children, grandchildren and the people of Redditch.
Although he said he had never achieved great wealth or fame he felt his life had moments worth recounting.
In his words: “I now live in the beautiful city of Plymouth in Devon but I will always be a Batchley boy.
“Far have I traveled, and much have I seen and this is my story, serialised in the Redditch Standard.”
Chapter 24
WE had managed to fit in Christmas 1969 in at home but now in January of 1970 it was time to put to sea again and the ship re commissioned for two and a half years home and Far East service.
We spent several weeks as usual at the Portland base (HMS Osprey) so it was towards the end of February that we returned to Devonport.
After that we returned to sea carrying out exercises with other ships of the fleet as well as showing the flag visits to various ports around Britain.
Then after returning to our Devonport base for some minor repair work and to take on stores and ammunitions it was time for us to deploy to the Far East station.
Leave was granted and after fond and often tearful farewells to our families we put to sea once again on the
November 9 1970 on the long voyage to our first destination, Yokohama, Japan.
I remember this was to be my longest continuous spell at sea during my naval career as the
Suez Canal was at that time closed to shipping due to recent conflict between Israel and Palestine.
This being the case it was necessary to go the long way round via the Cape of Good Hope, a journey of
15,000 miles.
We cast off from Devonport on a dull and cloudy day on a choppy sea and as the land faded from sight that
it would be at least a year before we would see our loved ones again.
Indeed, not only would we not see them but it would be many weeks before we would even have news of them as the only means of communication was the mail and there was no postal service at sea.
The thrill of getting mail from home is indescribable, just so exciting.
Rose’s letters were always on pink notepaper and often with a whiff of perfume. They were always numbered so that I would open them in the right sequence.
Often too there would be a little note from Susanne and Antony addressed to Dear daddy. I treasured these and still have some of them.
On Christmas Day we were somewhere off the coast of Sri Lanka and steaming steadily.
Life had assumed a regular routine of watch keeping, sleeping, eating and writing letters which we could not
post.
A mate came along and offered to take over from me so that I could go and open my Christmas presents. I went to my locker and opened the things that Rose and the kids had wrapped for me.
I knew at home that Rose would be doing the same. We were thousands of miles apart but my thoughts and my heart was with them.
I remember a similar experience to this on my previous voyage to the Far East. Christmas apart from my
family was always hard to bear.
I returned and took over my watch. Others on board were missing their families too but such is the life of a
sailor.
