NSPIRED 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 28
OVER the best part of the next two years, I would travel all over Britain and Ireland and the continent checking the machinery on oil rigs and other vessels (mainly oil and chemical tankers)
Some of the cargoes were very dangerous, such as aviation fuel and chemicals, and so the coastal tankers were painted bright red to alert other vessels to the danger and to stay well clear.
During this time I received a call I was due a medal for my service so I dashed off to Plymouth Novotel, receiving the Pingat Jasa Metal for service during the ‘Secret War’ against Indonesia.
Seeing families happily enjoying the day out together made realise how much I missed my own family and that the job I was doing was probably more suitable for a single man.
I stepped off the boat and walked through the nearby woods and pondered my future.
After joining the Royal Navy as a boy of 15 years old and now 41 years old, life as a civilian took some getting used to.
Working for Iain had given me time to take stock. It was an interesting varied and exciting job, but it dawned on me that it was not an occupation to pursue long term as it took me away from home so often and was spending as much time at sea as when I was in the Navy.
Admittedly I now had quite a lot of time at home since I did not have to spend time in the office on paperwork but there was no certainty.
It was impossible to make any plans as I was always at moment’s notice to travel anywhere.
I had a family and my future to consider so I gave Iain three months’ notice.
While I continued working for Iain I considered where my future lay. My background was of a technical nature and I was generally able to get on with people in all works of life and it crossed my mind that I might be good at teaching.
To be accepted by college however I needed O levels and A levels.
I had left school with no qualifications but had managed to gain five O levels whilst at sea or in Royal Navy barracks through self-study, but this was not enough. I needed A levels which I did not have.
I wrote to the Admiralty and they provided information that the academic content of my five years training as an artificer with the Royal Navy was at least equivalent to Ordinary National Certificate.
Armed with information, I applied to the College of St Mark and St John in Plymouth, an outpost of Exeter
University, and was accepted for a teachers training course with the aim of becoming a Design and Technology teacher.
I received my letter of acceptance on July 9.
The College of St Mark and St John is situated only a few miles from home within about half-an-hour’s walking distance which was very convenient for me.
My main subject studied was Design and Technology, my second area of study being art and design.
My fellow students were mostly very young. Most straight from sixth-form though I did have one other mature student to chum with.
I enjoyed working alongside these young people and was quite accepted.
I treated my time at college as a day’s work. When the young students had time off for sport or free periods, I worked at my studies.
