The Second
HMS Manchester Association
For New Joiners please see Latest News
This page is undergoing a period of Re-construction
Aficionados of this website will be aware that all new joiners to the 2nd HMS Manchester Association benefit (!) from a "Personality paragraph" on the Latest News page of this site by way of introduction to our motley crew.  This is obviously detrimental to the wellbeing of our "old hands" and in the months ahead we will be redressing the balance and be highlighting the personal attributes of all our members.  So if the space below your name is blank, standby for a phone call, and remember...we never let the truth come between us and a good story!!
Click here for Page 14
Association Members
Bob "Knocker" WHITE
Joined 25th June 2008
87 - 89

Bob White was a First Class WE Tiff who arrived onboard the Mighty Manch via Kent, Exeter and Bristol and he immediately justified the "First" in his rate - he was always first in for scran, first to watch the latest movie, first in his scratcher (ensuring the cabin he shared with five hard working clankies was darker than the dark side of the moon!) and definitely, definitely first ashore when large handbags full of golf clubs was the essential fashion accessory!  During the brief periods Bob was onboard - his was the duff 909 - he remembers Wobbly Wagg's surfing skills with the Chief's Mess hoover, and talking of blow jobs, the young shipmate who paid for the same in Ostend with his credit card!!  Wrong move!!  The Os Proz blew Jack for 2K! (What a sucker punch!).  Leaving the Mighty Manch in 89 with his reputation still intact, Knocker went SD and metamorphasized as "Sir Bob", as he is now known at home and down the golf club.  Still working for Pusser UK Ltd as a three ringer and an eight handicapper he has four years to go before retirement.  He heard about the Association from Dean Deakins. 

Peter "Knocker with the Big Phalanx" WHITE
(Janet)

Ian WHITEHEAD
Joined 8th April 2009 (200)
86 - 88

Ian Whitehead joined Pusser UK Ltd as a sprog in 1985, and after an extensive course in sleep Kinetics at Collingrad, our hero awoke to the fact he was now a fully qualified WEM!  In an effort to further boost his morale, drafty immediately consigned him to the Mighty Manch...and Global 86!!  In his repertoire of global dits he particularly recalls a duty trip in Tonga at the High Commissioners pad to fix his weather station!  (As if a weather station was needed 'cos it was always hot and sunny!).  As it happens, on completion of said task, our hero was rewarded for his efforts with a few beers served by a local maiden with desirable facilities!!  Furthermore, she was somewhat smitten by this rootin, tootin, shootin matelot off the Mighty Manch!...So much so that it is reported that our mender of meteorology equipment even got his leg (censored!!).  To help Ian over his global hangover, drafty also let him test the mattresses on Nottingham and Gloucester before he hit Civvy Street in 94.  Now head of IT support at a famous college in Portsmouth - you bend 'em we mend 'em - Ian still has a yearning for the sea and spends his recreational time scuba diving - not in the murky waters around the UK, but in the warmer waters off Cyprus, Egypt and Mauritius...a sort of underwater global!  However he still hasn't sussed how to descend the depths AND keep his fags dry!!  Ian heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from Andy Rafferty...and all about shemates in Singapore!! 

Mark "Bungy" WILLIAMS
84 - 86

Served onboard 84 - 86.  Yet another Global 86 veteran, Bungy joined the "Mighty Manch" as a Mech3, who, in the time it takes to sail around the world was a Mech1!!  Bungy has specifically asked us not to mention the time the engine of his prize BMW (obviously BMW was for Bungy Mark Williams!!) blew at 127mph, resulting in our hero being 8 hours adrift getting back onboard!!  Evidently the Jimmy wanted to troop him...no doubt for speeding!!  Bungy says he heard about the Association from Whisky Haigh...whilst Whisky says he heard about it from Bungy!!

Steve "Bungy" WILLIAMS
Joined 27th June 2011 (251)















Sam and lifelike matelot statue - Sam on the right!!
Neil "Sharky" WARD
Joined 18th June 2021 (357)

Ted WEAGER

First Commission - CPOMEA(L).  Ted joined the "Mighty Manch" in build in Barrow and was the first tiff the builders let loose with the steering gear and stabilisers...and things have not been the same since!!  Had the privilege of sharing a cabin with Sam Wellens - Sam told me to write that bit - and after such an experience, Ted went outside in 86!!  Now working for some guy called John Lewis, where Ted maintains Lifts and Escalators.  His normal response to civvy "Maccy breaks" is "Have you tried the stairs?"

Richard "Spider" WEBB
Joined 27th May 2017 (325)

Sam WELLENS
81 - 87

Sam Wellens joined Pusser UK Ltd as a young skin and essence (!) Stoker in 1968, and impressed so much he was selected for Muckanician training and subsequent Hull adqual, and after a crash course on how to hold a mallet and chisel and with an additional first aid adqual, he was let loose on an unsuspecting fleet as a genuine ship maintainer. Sam's ocean going soirees included drafts to Grafton - the Type 14 Frigate, Eagle, Amazon and Plymouth, before Drafty selected him to be Ships Crest and Picture Frames Production Officer for the brand spanking new, rootin' tootin' shootin' Mighty Manch - with two hours per week specifically allocated to hull maintainence!

Indeed, rumour control tells us that Sam was the first person to join Warship Wonderful in April 1981, having witnessed her launch in November 1980, and he may well hold the record for the longest consecutive period on board, as he didn't get drafted off until January '87 - having completed Global 86 (the lucky b@stard!).  But that wasn't his only Global - the really lucky, jammy b@stard did another World Cruise on Eagle, which hardly seems very fair!  Now then, what may come as a complete surprise, he names D95 and that flat top as his best ships, and he names Liverpool as his best Manchester ship's visit, whilst also choosing to recall a global dit for the enjoyment of all in 2MA.

"During Global 86 (had to get that in) I went on a cultural run ashore in Fremantle with Ted Davies the Hull POMEM, we decided that since tha America's Cup was being held in the City, we would offer Team GB our hull expertise (modesty abounds!).  On arriving at The Fremantle Yacht Club, we were somewhat dismayed at not being allowed in by the security guards, but not disheartened, and switching on a charm offensive, we apprached a local police car, and with the offer of a lunch time session next day, jumped in the back of the car, and with flashing lights, drove through the gates to the front door of the yacht club, where we were met and handed passes to enter the club and given unrestricted access to the moring areas!  After a few gin and tonics we ventured out to find the Team GB boat, and whilst they did decline our offer of free hull maintenance (a very wise choice), they didn't turn down the lunch time session in the Chiefs Mess the next day! (No wonder they didn't win!).

Outside since 1990, Sam spent 20 years as an estates manager for the NHS.  Now fully retired, he likes to spend his time travelling, fishing..and doing a little DIY! (What else would a retired Chippy want to do?!).

Luckily for us, Sam is a staunch supporter of 2MA, but we do have concerns...his email addy is Shirley Wellens...is there something we should know?
Anthony "Wally" WALTON
Joined 25th March 2009 (195)
88 - 91

Wally Walton, who hails from Blackburn - a small town near Burnley - joined Pusser UK Limited in 1987 as a stoker, and in an 8 year career graced the main machinery spaces of both Manchester (88-91) and the Birmingham, before sailing off into civvy street in 1995.  Much of Wally's time on D95 is shrouded in secrecy although informed sources do tell of a sickening experience that befell our 17 year old hero when being questioned by Raleigh's QM!!  (The QM told Wally to "grow up" - in his confused state Wally thought he said "throw up" - which he promptly did!!).  Wally's best run ashore in the Pusser was the jolly boys outing to Penang - and a week away, from his ovvies and the Joss!!  Now working as an engineer for British Aerospace, Wally lives in his native Blackburn - a small town near Burnley - which is a long long way from Norwich, where Wally had a particularly wet weekend, but for that dit you will have to ask Wally yourselves!!