DEATH OF ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET MICHAEL CECIL BOYCE, BARON BOYCE, KG, GCB, OBE, KSTJ, DL

7 Nov 2022 - Admiral of the Fleet Lord Boyce crossed the bar yesterday, Sunday 6 November 2022, at the age of 79. He had commanded three submarines and then a frigate before achieving higher command in the Navy and serving as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1998 to 2001 and then as Chief of the Defence Staff from 2001 to 2003.

Lord Boyce was a good friend of Project Vernon and was prepared to unveil the sculpture in March 2020 had the event not been brought forward and severely curtailed owing to the developing Coronavirus pandemic. He would also have been our Guest of Honour at last July's dedication of the Vernon Monument but for the onset of his illness which transpired to be terminal.

In September 2014, Lord Boyce was Guest of Honour at a highly successful Project Vernon fundraising dinner on board HMS VICTORY.

Lord Boyce was one of a kind and he will be sorely missed.

Vernon Monument wins prestigious award

Guess what? We did it! The Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument won this year’s Portsmouth Society Design Award for Best Landscape at a ceremony held on 20 October 2022 in the Royal Maritime Club. Project Manager David Sandiford, Project Vernon trustee John Ravenhall (aka YoYo) and Rob Hoole were there to receive it on behalf of the dozens of others who have been instrumental in its erection, especially Martyn Holloway and sculptor Mark Richards.

The award was presented by Councillor Hugh Mason, the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, accompanied by Marie Costa, his Lady Mayoress.

Unfortunately, Gunwharf Quays Operations Manager Michael Thomas Coulter, also a Project Vernon trustee, had a prior engagement and was unable to attend.

Vernon Monument in line for design award

The Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument has been selected as a finalist in this year's Portsmouth Society Design Awards. The judging took place at Gunwharf Quays this morning in the presence of Project Manager David Sandiford, Project Vernon trustee Mike Coulter (a member of Guwharf Quays management), and Yours Truly. The Portsmouth Society judging panel comprised Carl Dearing, Dr Celia Clark and John Bateman, accompanied by Portsmouth Society Chairman Graham Newcombe.

The award ceremony will take place in the Royal Maritime Club on Thursday 20 October.

Vernon Monument Dedication a Huge Success

The Portsmouth News website contains this article, the Royal Navy website this article and the All At Sea website this article reporting the success of the long-delayed dedication of the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument at Gunwharf Quays (formerly HMS VERNON) in Portsmouth on Friday 15 July. Over 800 official guests and many more fellow travellers enjoyed free food and drink.

Photo by LPhot Rory Arnold

The keynote address was given by Rear Admiral Paddy McAlpine CBE, the Royal Navy’s most senior ever Minewarfare & Clearance Diving officer, and we were graced with the presence of Jan Harvey and Sam Cook, respectively the national standard bearers of the Mine Warfare Association and the Ton Class Association.

The Rev Ralph Barber, fittingly a former mine warfare rating, performed the dedication.

Among the Guests of Honour were Andrew Bailey (left) visiting from Portugal and David Ouvry (right) flanking MCDOA member Allan Rankin visiting from Australia. Andrew's father was Lt William 'Bill' Bailey CBE GM DSC* RNVR who ran the Underwater Working Party at Gibraltar during the attacks on shipping by human torpedo divers of the Italian Decima MAS during the Second World War. David's father was Cdr John Ouvry DSO RN, the first to render safe a German magnetic mine on the mudflats at Shoeburyness in November 1939, alowing the boffins at HMS VERNON to develop effective ship self-protective measures and magnetic minesweeping equipment.

It was a grand day, particularly for reunions old and new.

The August issue of Navy News contained a fabulous full page article, including the stunning photo above, on page 19.

Limited edition prints of Shed Marsden’s painting commemorating the dedication of the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument are available via Divers Gifts and Collectables, as are many other items of merchandise including a fine pewter statuette of the monument, faithful in every detail. A substantial contribution is made to Project Vernon for the upkeep of the Vernon Monument for all items purchased.

Dedication Ceremony Invitations & Newly Installed Lighting

Invitations for Dedication Ceremony

Invitations, pamphlets and guidance notes have now been despatched for the Dedication of the Vernon Mine Warfare & Diving Monument at Gunwharf Quays on 15 July 2022. This was achieved by the ESU (Envelope Stuffing Unit) at Project Manager David Sandiford’s house on 30 May. Thanks go to Geoff Goodwin, Colin Welborn, Martyn and Anne Holloway, George Turnbull, John Ling, Ralph Mavin, Scouse Kidman, Rob Hoole, and Jess Owen. Thanks also to Anne Holloway and Linda Hoole for the baking, Colin Welborn for the doughnuts, and Pauline Sandiford for the drinks and butties. Thank heaven they were all low calorie.  Many of the envelopes were hand-delivered in the Portsmouth area by volunteers.  The rest were posted via Royal Mail.

For those still to plan journeys and book accommodation you should be aware that Gunwharf Quays will be open from 0800.  Some of the coffee houses open at 0800 but we understand that some of the others that don't normally open till later are likely to open earlier on the day of our event just for YOU.  We suggest you aim for 0900 -0930 arrival which will give you time to get parked, validate your discounted parking, find your bearings, have tea, coffee or even breakfast and then find your area for the ceremony.  The invitations will say 1000 arrival but that is when you should be in place meeting up with lots of old friends. 

Please note there will be a maximum of two people on each invitation so couples will just have the one invitation.  If you are a larger party you will get more than one.

Lighting

The pool where the monument resides was emptied at the end of May and this provided the opportunity to touch up the monument’s supporting plinth with camouflage anti-fouling paint and install the initial lighting system. It is necessarily ‘subdued’ in deference to the residents of the overlooking apartments and complies with stringent health & safety requirements. It is not yet perfect but will be tweaked when the pool is next emptied for maintenance in six months time. Photo courtesy of Gareth Hoole.

Visitors Book

A Visitors' Book will be placed into the safe-keeping of the Old Customs House and be available for people to sign after seeing the Vernon Minewarfare & Diving Monument.

Invitations for the Vernon Monument Dedication Ceremony

The Vernon Monument Dedication Ceremony will be held at Gunwharf Quays (formerly HMS VERNON) on Friday 15 July 2022.

It is intended that all those who received invitations to the previous (cancelled) 'Unveiling Ceremony’ will automatically receive an invitation to the Dedication Ceremony.

If you did not receive an invitation to the (cancelled) ‘Unveiling Ceremony’ or if you told us you were unable to attend and would now like to come to the Dedication Ceremony please check with Grenville Johnson (The Invitation Coordinator) using the following email address: grenvillejohnson2@gmail.com

If you received an invitation for the original event but are unable to attend on 15th July 2022 please also advise Grenville accordingly.

When contacting Grenville please state:

1. Your title:
2. First Name:
3. Surname:
4. Any national post nominals, e.g. MBE, etc., not BA or Member of xx Society.
5. Your Address including postcode.
6. Your email address
7. The reason you might be eligible to attend, e.g. ex-CPO(MW), etc.

Thank you.