|
Colin Paton
19XX -
Colin is Calum's and Jamie's crazy grandfather!
|
|
| Colin and his sister Sheila in Belfast, approx 1950 |
Colin was born during the reign of the British queen
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth I of Scotland) at 42 Whitewell Crescent, Greencastle, Belfast, just after the war ended. The informant
to the Belfast registrar was Evelyn Morris, a neighbour from Whitewell Crescent, who was present at
the birth.
At around the age of 5, Colin's
mother and father separated, with his mother leaving the house at Whitewell Crescent. After a short time, his father
swapped the house he was living in at Whitewell Crescent with that of a Mrs Lorrimer, their housekeeper, who lived just off
the Sandy Row, and with whom he had developed a relationship. At one point Colin remembers his dad having a full blown row
with Mrs Lorrimer, and that he and his sister Sheila ran to fetch a policeman to stop the row. Shortly after,
their mother returned and took Sheila away with her back to Scotland, where she had a job at the Gleneagles Hotel in
Auchterarder, whilst Colin, Robert and Charlie remained with their father in Belfast. Colin
remembers that his mother came in to say good night, told him that his mummy would always love him, and then never saw her
or his sister again for another two years.
After two years, his mum returned with Sheila to Northern
Ireland, and picked up her three sons from her husband Charlie. She then moved with all of her children to Carrickfergus,
nine miles from Belfast on the northern shore of Belfast Lough, where she initially took up residence in a cottage called
The Drift, in the town's suburb of Eden, a place of which Colin has many fond memories.
Whilst living in Eden, Colin remembers often
trawling the beach to look for driftwood for the fire with his brothers, Robert and Charlie (better known as "Chuck"),
and sister Sheila. The four of them would also go looking for chicken eggs laid by wandering wild chickens in a
nearby field, which they would take back to the house and fry up for a sandwich. He also remembers that as a child,
one of his favourite books was "Mr. Punch in Scotland" and remembers that one of his mother's books was "The
Story of John G. Paton", a missionary in Africa. Whilst living in Eden, Colin, like his siblings, all attended
Eden Primary School.
A short while later, the family moved to
2 Robinson's Row in Joymount, about a mile away from Eden, and about 15 metres from the beach, the new Marine Highway route
not having yet been constructed on the recalimed land that now marks this area of the town. Colin remembers going swimming
in the beach, which was literally just outside his front door (see photo). Whilst in Joymount, Colin attended Carrickfergus
Technical College (now the town's main library), and then as a teenager, he worked in Dobbins' Inn Hotel,
peeling potatoes for the restaurant with his sister Sheila.
As a child Colin also remembers being a member of a Boys Brigade company in Glengormley, though
cannot recall why he should be there, despite thinking that he actually lived the for a brief period. His BB tenure was not
long however. That particular honour belonged to his membership of the Air Training Corps in Carrickfergus, in which he learned
the basics of flight and all things aeroplane. On one occasion, he remembers going up with an instructor and being allowed
to fly over his house. He further recalls training requiring him to shoot a gun, as well as many camps etc.
Later in his teens, Colin worked at
the Coast Road Hotel as a waiter. On one occasion he got into trouble because he asked Cliff Richards for
an autograph, and Richards was not impressed and complained to the manager! A third job was as a waiter somewhere in Whitehead,
about six miles from Carrick.
|
|
| Joymount - the chimney right of the tree on the left of frame is Colin's house at Robinson's Row |
In 1961, Colin joined the Merchant Navy, continuing his career in catering,
with a desire to get out and see the world. Whilst in the MN, he picked up some basic seamanship qualifications, and on March
5th 1963, decided to take this further by volunteering to join the Royal Navy, following in the footsteps of his
eldest brother, Robert, who had joined the navy's Fleet Air Arm.
From March 5th to July 19th, Colin did his basic seamanship training at HMS
Raleigh in Devonport, and was then transferred to the maritime warfare school of HMS Dryad in Hampshire,
where he received further basic instruction.
On September 25th 1963, Colin joined his first ship, HMS Bulwark,
as an ordinary seaman, and having just passed his first examination in radar plotting, his chosen field of interest. Ironically,
on the very day he joined, his eldest brother Robert was due to disembark from the vessel, and both met up briefly on shore. Colin
was to spend the next two years on board the Bulwark, receiving a promotion as an acting able seaman on June 5th 1964,
and then formally becoming an able seaman on August 5th, just three months later, having passed another radar plotting examination.
|
|
| The Crew of HMS Bulwark - AB Colin Paton is circled on the right (CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE) |
Aboard the Bulwark, Colin saw service in the Borneo crisis in April 1964,
and spent several months in the Far East on active service, for which he eventually received a general service medal
on June 4th 1966. Whilst in the Far East, other places he visited apart from Borneo included Aden, Singapore (with many
memories of Raffles hotel!) and the Phillippines.
|
|
| Colin's medal for Royal Naval service in the Far East |
In March 1965, HMS Bulwark took part in a joint Naval exercise
with the Royal Australian Naval Service called FOTEX 65, along with three other ships, HMAS Melbourne,
HMS Victorious and HMS Eagle. And
on June 18th 1966, the vessel carried out a sea trial with the "Kestrel", which was to be the forerunner of the Sea Harrier.
When Colin eventually left the Bulwark in October 1965, his time on board
had not impressed one of the ship's officers - Lieutenant Commander A. Whitaker noted he was "a below average RP, untidy
and erratic"!!! Fortunately another officer had a better a valuation of him - he had "the making of a good seaman".
But in 1965, Colin began training for the real passion of his naval career, the submarine
service. Between October 18th 1965 and August 21st 1966 he remained shore based at HMS Dolphin, where he
did his basic submariners training.
Between August 22nd 1966 and September 22nd 1969, Colin did his first tour
at sea on a nuclear submarine, HMS Warspite. During this period, Warspite was based at three separate naval
bases - HMS Dolphin (until 24/3/1967); Maidstone (until 8/10/1967); and HMS Neptune (until 22/9/1969).
|
|
| Colin, and his mother at the Warspite service, April 4th 1967 - the medal is for service in Borneo |
Just after her launch, Warspite was docked at base with a reception being held
to celebrate the achievement of her entering the service. As a part of this, Colin's mother was on board as a guest, along
with many other relatives of the crew, and the wife of Prime Minister Harold Wilson, the Royal Navy's 's guest of honour for
the occasion. At one point during the reception in the submarine's Ward Room (the officer's mess), Colin took his mum
over to introduce her to the Prime Minister's wife, saying "Mum, I'd like you to meet Mrs Wilson". She replied "And
which Mrs Wilson is this son?". "This is the Prime Minister's wife, mum". "Oh, that
Mrs Wilson", and immediately turned round and walked away, refusing to speak with her - not a Labour supporter then!
In October 1968, Colin was involved in a major Cold War incident in the Barents
Sea, the cover story of which, less than truthful, appeared in the London Times as the following front page feature:
Saturday October 19th 1968:
ICE DAMAGES NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
By a Staff Reporter
Ice on the sea has damaged the 3,500-ton Warspite, one of the Navy's five nuclear-powered submarines.
There was no risk of radio-active leakage, the department said. Warspite, which was delivered to the Navy last
year, returned to Faslane, on the Clyde, for repairs.
The Warspite, on exercise in the North Atlantic, cleared the obstruction with slight damage to her conning tower
and other parts of the superstructure.
The Guardian newspaper also picked up on the story on October 23rd 1968
(p.20):
Damage to Nuclear Submarine
With her conning tower and superstructure damaged, the nuclear submarine
Warspite was last night making her way to Barrow for repairs.
The submarine, launched in barrow three years ago, hit an underwater ice
projection in the North Atlantic 10 days ago.
Word of Colin's involvement in the accident soon made its way back to Carrickfergus,
and appeared on the front page of the Carrickfergus Advertiser:
Thursday October 31 1968:
CARRICK SEAMAN ON ICE-CRASH
SUBMARINE
Carrick seaman A.B.Colin Paton, 2 Robinson's Row, was on board the 20,000,000 nuclear submarine Warspite
when it was in collison while cruising under the ice in the North Atlantic just over a week ago.
Like the other 99
crew members he was unhurt. Some of the crew had slight bruising but no one was seriosuly injured, a Ministry of Defence spokesman
said in London.
A.B.Paton, son of Mrs J.Paton is 23, and followed in his brother's footsteps into the Navy. Mr Robert
Paton is just out of the Fleet Air Arm after 12 years service. The 3500 ton Warspite's superstructure smashed against the
ice during under ice training but was able to return to the Clyde for repairs under its own steam although escorted by the
frigate Duncan.
The Warspite was launched three years ago and named by Mrs Mary Wilson, wife of the British Prime
Minister.
For the word 'ice', try re-reading the above with the words 'Russian Echo 2
submarine'! They were actually shadowing the Russian vessel, and after several days were detected. A collision ensued, and
after a tense few hours trying to avoid the Russian fleet, Warspite barely made it back to the international harbour of Lerwick
in the Shetland Islands, under the escort of an American fighter plane. Warspite suffered serious damage to her central fin,
which the Russian submarine had basically ploughed through the centre of.
In order to deny the Russians a chance to see the damage caused to Warspite's
central fin, a Royal Naval repair team was sent out by helicopter to join the submarine at Lerwick, and overnight it hastily
constructed a wooden scaffold over the damaged central fin, over which a large black tarpaulin was then secured, making it
seem to any passing Russian spotter plane that no damage had actually been caused to one of the few nuclear submarines Britain
possessed at that time. The Warspite then made its way back to Faslane on the Clyde, and after some further repair work was
taken to Barrow-on-Furness. Evidently at Barrow-on-Furness, the repair team at the naval dry dock did not have much belief
in the cover story - when Colin told one of the engineers that the submarine had collided with an iceberg, the engineer looked
him straight in the eye and replied that it was amazing how much gray paint had come off the lump of ice...!!!
|
|
| HMS Warpsite leaving HMS Dolphin RN submarine base in Portsmouth, June 1971 |
In 196X,
Colin married Charlotte Harper Graham, in Joymount Presbyterian Church in Carrickfergus. The engagement had only been a few days, and Charlotte, or "Cherie"
as she was better known, had had to obtain special permission through a sheriff's warrant, being under 21 years old. The witnesses
to the wedding were Cherie's aunt and uncle, Margaret and Tommy Smyth, with the only
other family member in attendance at the wedding being Colin's mum Jean.
For their honeymoon, the couple spent two days in Bangor, County Down. When the honeymoon finished, Colin had
to return to his navy digs in Barrow on Furness for a few weeks, and Cherie left Ireland to join him. Shortly after, she
became pregnant with the couple's first child, and towards the end of her pregnancy, Cherie returned briefly to
Carrickfergus to be looked after by her family.
|
|
| The Joys of Being a Submariner by Harry McGroarty, HMS Churchill, 1969 |
On September 23rd 1969, Colin was transferred
to HMS Churchill, a Resolution Class ballistic missile submarine, and capable of launching polaris nuclear
missiles. Whilst on board, he passed his proficiency examination for Leading Seaman, on July 3rd. During this time, he and
Cherie were living in Barrow on Furness, in naval digs.
(Unknown to Colin, his first cousin Sheena Paton
in fact lived on the exact same housing estate as himself whilst he was there, although at that stage he did not even know
of her existence, never mind the fact that she was there.)
Whilst on board the Churchill, Colin was drawn as a charicature by a shipmate
called Harry McGroarty, as part of a drawing entitled "The Joys of Being a Submariner" (see left), which was later published
in the Churchill's own magazine Thumper. Colin is the rating with the headphones trying to stay awake!
Colin
became a father for the first time with the birth of Christopher Mark Paton. Chris was due two
weeks earlier, and Colin, now based in at HMS Neptune Helensburgh was due to go to sea. As Churchill
was minutes away from departing Faslane, he was still on the phone trying to find out if Chris had been born yet. He was virtually
dragged onto the sub at the last minute, still with no news! When news was finally transmitted to the Churchill that Colin's
wife had finally given birth on the 6th, his mate, having received the transmission, refused to tell Colin what sex his child
was, or what size etc. Colin was forced to leave his station and chase him from one end of the submarine to the other, until
he finally cornered his mate and got the news!
|
|
| Colin recovering after having his son Chris christened aboard HMS Churchill - 24/1/1971 |
Twenty days after his father was awarded a general
service clasp, Chris (later to become Calum's father) was baptised on the Churchill, now back at dock at Faslane.
He was the first ever child to be baptised aboard the newly commissioned submarine. In the best naval tradition, Chris was
baptised in the ship's bell, with the Royal Naval chaplain performing the ceremony being the Reverend John Vass.
In
1971, on May 18th, Colin was temporarily upgraded to Acting Leading Seaman until June 9th, when he was temporarily downgraded
again to AB, and transferred to base at HMS Dolphin. Six days later, he regained his acting LS designation, and four
days after that, on July 19th passed his Radar Plotting 2 examination. He then became a father again, with the birth of his
second son, Colin.
Between April 4th 1972 and January 30th 1974, Colin became an instructor in
the Royal Navy's SCTT facility at Faslane (Submarine Command Team Trainer), basically teaching tactics to
emerging submarine crews, and was officially promoted to Leading Seaman on May 18th 1972. He soon started taking his
exams for the rank of Petty Officer, passing the proficiency test for it on
November 10th 1972.
At some stage in 1972, Colin was filmed on board a submarine
as part of a documentary entitled "Four Men Went to Sea", which was narrated by Jonny Morris, and recalls
an amusing incident concerning the director of the film. The director wanted the captain to ask Colin for a chart or some
other such document. On the first take, the captain called over: "Paton, get me the chart". The director called "Cut",
and asked the captain if he would mind doing it one more time, but this time, could he ask "Colin, could you pass me that
chart over please?" instead of the more abrupt command he had just given. The captain looked with confusion at the director,
who then shouted "Action" one more time. The captain cleared his throat, then called over: "Paton, get me that
bloody chart"!
On another occasion, Colin
was on shore leave on the Rock of Gibraltar, staying at a hotel there. He got himself ready to go on a fishing trip,
and carrying the relevant gear, made his way to the hotel lift. He got in and pressed the button for the ground floor.
A couple of levels down, the doors opened and Colin found himself facing three American sailors who were about to get in to
the lift as well. Colin looked at them, gave them a big smile, and fully laden with his rod and tackle, calmly asked if any
of them had seen the hotel swimming pool?! The three Americans sailors looked at each other and decided to wait for the next
lift!
Colin soon became a father again, this time to the first of his
two daughters, Dawn.
|
|
| Petty Officer Colin Paton, 1975 |
Colin remained shore based until 1976. Between January 31st and March 7th 1974,
he did a course at HMS Royal Arthur, after which he returned to Faslane in Scotland for a week, before moving to the submarine
training school at HMS Dolphin at Gosport, near Portsmouth, where he stayed for three months. On July 29th
1974, he was again transferred, to HMS Defiance in Devonport, where on September 23rd he was promoted
to Acting Petty Officer. At this point, his wife, Cherie, and his three children moved to Plymouth, where they initially
took up residency in naval digs at Leefield Drive, before moving to 53 Wycliffe Road in the Laira Green district of the
city, in early 1975, which was to be Colin's first owned house. Not long after moving in, his mother, Jean, arrived from Northern
Ireland to stay with the family for a few weeks, and was there when Colin's son Chris first went to school
in September that year.
On September 18th 1975, Colin attended the presentation at Martini Terrace in London
of the new Sea Lion trophy to the Royal Naval Submarine Service by Kelvin Hughes, the marine division of Smiths Industries
Limited. The pamphlet inviting Colin to the ceremony describes the trophy's aims:
The Sealion Trophy
The Sealion Trophy is being presented to the Royal Navy
Submarine Service by Kelvin Hughes, the marine division of Smiths Industries Limited. It will be officially recognised by
the Navy, and will be used as an award for top performance in modern torpedo marksmanship.
Such marksmanship is today increasingly judged by highly
technical computer style analysis, and the Navy see an important need for a trophy to act as an incentive to maintain the
high level of perfection required in modern torpedo operations. The trophy will be presented annually to the submarine assessed
as having achieved the highest overall proficiency in its torpedo firings during the preceding year.
Members of the winning attack team will also receive
a tie embroidered with the trophy motif as personal mementoes, and a commemorative bulkhead plaque will be retained
by the submarine. The designs of the trophy and these associated awards were specially commissioned by Kelvin Hughes from
the artist and sculptor, Mr. Jim Corless.
In his own unique style, at the presentation, Colin decided to stake his claim
to the trophy. After a few drinks, he walked up to the stage, bold as brass, and introduced himself to the admiral in charge
of the presentation of the trophy: "Good morning sir, I'm Petty Officer Colin Paton, second submarine squadron, second
to none, and I'll be picking up that trophy next year!". His mates apparently just held their heads in their hands...!
On November 24th 1975, Colin was officially promoted to Petty Officer. With the gauntlet laid down to prove his team's efficiency in torpedo attacks, Colin helped the team
of the conventional submarine, HMS Narwhal, under the command of Captain Dai Evans, to go for the Sealion Trophy. There were
three competing attack groups, the 1st Submarine Squadron (Portsmouth), the Second Submarine Squadron (Plymouth), and the
3rd and 10th Submarine Squadron (Faslane). HMS Narhwhal came tops, winning the trophy. His performance clearly delighted
a Captain RG Heaslip, who sent Colin and nine other submariners (Lt. Com. T. Le Marchand, Lt. Com. C. May, Lt. Perowne, Lt.
Crothers, FCPO Catherall, CPO Reeves, L/Sea Beresford, PO Tedder and PO Sullivan) the following memo, on January 16th
1976:
SEA LION TROPHY
|
|
| Design of the Sealion Trophy |
1. As you know, NARWHAL is the first winner
of the new Sea Lion Trophy for torpedo firing proficiency. I am very pleased at this, not only for NARWHAL, but because it
helps to show that the Second Squadron is second to none.
2. I appreciate that the winning of the Sea Lion Trophy
is in fact a Squadron effort, and that it could not be done at all without all the effort at planning, sea-riding, arranging
suppluing and loading weapons, and analysing attacks.
3. Well done everybody,. The next task is to keep the
Sea Lion Trophy in the Squadron in 1976.
16 January 1976
R. G. HEASLIP, Captain, Second Submarine Squadron
Also at Defiance, Colin was to win the Herbert Lott Award, again for his work in
torpedo effiency. The award took the form of a silver tankard, and still stands proudly on his mantlepiece!
On January 29th 1976, Colin again went to sea, this time aboard Britain's
first built nuclear submarine, HMS Valiant, which was the first in the class of submarine that Warspite eventually
followed.
Colin's son Chris remembers his father coming back from sea at one point
with a huge beard, which was soon removed by sharp words from his mother! He also returned at one point with two toy
trucks for both Chris and Colin, who remember him giving the toys to them in the back garden of the house, and being
told they had been brought back from Hong Kong. Whether this was true or not, is not known - they may have been "made in Hong
Kong"!
|
|
| Colin with sons Colin and Robert - Laira Green, Plymouth, summer 1977 |
In the run up to the Queen's Silver Jubilee celebrations on June 7th 1977, the sovereign made
a trip to Plymouth, and Colin took his children to see her as she drove over the bridge crossing the River Plym. When Chris
asked why she never waved to him from her car, and why she looked so glum, he replied that she must have been tired! (As far
as Chris was to be concerned, she'd had her one chance, and she blew it!).
On May 16th 1977, Colin was transferred to HMS Neptune in Helensburgh, Scotland,
where amongst his many duties, he had to take charge of three Green Goddess fire engines in Helensburgh when the UK Fire Service went on strike.
Colin had returned to Helensburgh to take up submarine
tactical training again at SCTT, but this time wanted to do so on the notoriously difficult Perishers course. The Perishers
course is designed to teach naval lieutenant commanders the skill of commanding a submarine for themselves. For those who
pass, a job ensues as captain or first lieutenant of a subamrine; for those who fail, a long career in submarines usually
comes to an end with a transfer to a shore job or ship command.
When Colin made his intention known that he wanted
to do the Perishers training, an officer told him that he was not up to it. A furious Colin challenged him
to a contest to prove his worth against the officer. There were two attack trainers at SCTT at that time, and Colin suggested
that he could get the results of an attack sorted faster than the officer, and more importantly, would do so with 100% accuracy.
The officer agreed to the test, and Colin won the challenge! He was immediately given the task of running the attack trainer
for the Perishers course.
A Royal Naval memo from the time gives a summary
of his performance:
RESTRICTED
SUBMARINE TEMPORARY MEMORANDA
8 December 1977
40/77 (cont'd)
PATON PO (R) STAFF OF CAPTAIN (SM) SECOND SUBMARINE
SQUADRON
PATON served on the Staff for eighteen months. Throughout
this period he maintained a high standard as an Instructor in the Attack Teacher and as a Staff Sea-Rider. His most important
contribution, however, was in Torpedo Analysis where he demonstrated an extensive knowledge of this subject and consistent
enthusiasm, working long hours to ensure that analysis results were published to the submarine promptly. His high standards
and personal drive encouraged the Squadron to produce good records, and helped to generate interest in Torpedo Firings.
However, with Colin being based in Scotland, and
his family in England, strains began to emerge in his relationship with his wife Cherie. Things became
worse when on February 2nd 1978, his mother died at her home in Carrickfergus.
On July 27th 1978, Colin finally left the Royal Navy, after 15 years of service,
and returned to Plymouth. Not long after, the strain between Colin and Cherie had become too much, and the couple separated,
with Cherie taking the two youngest children with her back to Carrickfergus in Ireland, and Colin remaining in Plymouth with
the two eldest. In summer 1979, Colin himself moved back to Carrickfergus.
Back in Carrick, and now on civvy street,
Colin worked for a while at Kilroot Power Station, where he was also a shop steward. Shortly after this, he joined the
local Carrickfergus branch of the single parents charity, Gingerbread, which he was to chair for most of the Eighties. Spending
most of his time in voluntary work, he spent a long period in unemployment. He helped to create the Rathcoole Self Help
Group in 1983, and became a member of the national co-ordinating group for Gingerbread in Northern Ireland, working as its
treasurer. In the late Eighties, Colin joined the Forum for Community
Work Education, and himself sat some GCE exams through the Open University.
In the mid 1980s, Colin started a three year relationship
with a woman from Belfast called Paula, after meeting her through the Gingerbread charity. Paula moved into Colin's
house in Castlemara with her two sons, where they lived for the next two to three years. In June 2005, the following
poem was discovered by Colin's son when visiting him in Crete, written by Paula, which totally describes life in the Paton
household at that time:
The Head of
the House
The head of the house, or so we are
told
Is ‘Big Colin’ Paton, so brave and so bold.
He’s tall and dark, and not bad
looking,
And tries his best at cleaning and cooking.
He’s mostly quiet, pleasant and
is usually good fun.
But when it comes to giving orders,
he knows how that’s done.
It’s time for the tea, the chips
must be cut,
So it’s “go
tell Christopher to get off his butt,
XXX dry the dishes, do it right, don’t
go wrong,
And you set the table, Colin, and don’t
be too long.”
Now everything’s ready, it’s
nearly time to eat,
So this is where Paula gets on her feet.
His intrusions begin with – ‘Aren’t
you going to heat that fat?’
And the infamous one – ‘Why
not put some tomatoes in that?’
However when all’s said and done,
At the dinner table it can be a lot
of fun.
But everyone in this house certainly
knows,
Its ‘stretch or starve’
as the saying goes,
Drinking coffee to Colin is a full time
job
|
