Martin "Buzz" BEE
Joined 14th September 2008
(Amanda)
82 - 85
"Buzz Bee" joined the Mob as an AB(R) in 1981, and in a brief six year career did time on the Hermes and Lindisfarne either side of his circa three year jolly on the Mighty Manch. However, his career with Pusser UK Ltd was very nearly much shorter than that. Whilst acting as Ships diver in Portland Harbour during work-up, he had a sudden craving to drink the harbour dry and had it hot been for the prompt actions of one Trev Quickfall, "Buzz" would have missed out on joining 2MA completely!! That said, there was a slight bonus - he missed the rest of the work-up - although he was slightly miffed to learn that his messmates were drawing lots for his pit!! Undeterred by this mishap, Buzz was determined to get a civvy job where he could continue his love for wearing BA, and so he joined his local Fire Brigade! Still with the Brigade 20 years later - the masks get better and better, Buzz lives with his family in Leicester and is a season ticket holder with Leicester City FC.(his wife has the other one!) He heard about 2MA from surfing the web. He also thinks it is time to buy Trev Quickfall a beer!!
Philip "Wiggy" BENNETT
Pete BERROW
Roger James BILLINGTON
Joined 24th April 2022 (364)
Lenny BILTON
John "Bodders" BODSWORTH
Joined 3rd July 2008
82 - 86
John "Bodders" Bodsworth joined the Mighty Manch in build as the first gunbuster in 1982, having seen his draft to Sheffield cancelled for obvious reasons. A full career armament artisan, he had previously been responsible for loud noises on Cleopatra, Three times (that's drafts not salvoes!), Yarmouth and Ye Olde Rusty B before being selected for Pussers finest. A keen motorcyclist (Stevie will be pleased!). Bodders many memories include the motorcycle exped he led in the Falklands on the first trip down South, which by all accounts was great fun even if the "Danger-Minefield" signs did tend to get in the way (although a rear tyre blow out did cause an adrenalin rush!!). Bodders favourite runs ashore were West Palm Beach with the family on the way home, and the Seychelles on the following Armilla deployment, where he proved to be an accomplished windsurfer and banyan consultant. Pusser UK Ltd ordered "cease firing" on his career in 1998 following drafts to Dark Royal and Lancaster and he is now an IT installation technician for EDS - work that frequently takes him on warships - what few we have left! Bodders lives with his wife and 12 hardly davidson motorcycles in Pompey. He found out about the Association via the worldwide web.
Martin "Buster" BROWN
Joined 10th January 2010 (214)
82 - 85
Martin "Buster" Brown joined Pusser UK Ltd as an AB(R) in 1978, and in a 12 year crime free career in the Andrew he sailed the seven seas on Hermione, Kent - the old Fountain Lake Guardship, Coventry (1982), the Mighty Manch (82 - 85) and Bristol. Buster's best ship was Coventry, very, very, very closely followed by D95; who provided our hero with his best run ashore - the West Indies and the States - after his second trip to the South Atlantic. Following his TX in 1990, and suddenly realising that he would now have to actually work for a living, Buster found that he was too short to be a copper, too old to be a fireman, but daft enough to become a paramedic! (his words, not mine, honest! Ed) - In a continuing career with the East Midlands Ambulance Service, when not making folk feel better, he likes to watch Northampton Town F.C. Buster heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from a guy in Pittsboro, USA - Carl Williamson.
Robert 'Bob' BROWN
Joined 1st November 2014 (304)
Alan BUCHANAN
Michael "Bully" BULL
Joioned 30th May 2008
(Rebecca)
88 - 91
Mick (Bully) Bull was a young AB (Missleman) onboard the navy's finest from 1988 - 91, and another who was through drafted from the Scummer after she was T-boned by the Torbay. Among his fond memories of life aboard D95 is the time he was chased around the upper scupper by L/S Jack on the day King Neptune came calling - a very short chase by all accounts - and also being a mate of the Bosun on many an occasion. Informed sources also tell us of a little escapade our hero got up to in Singapore - where one of the locals was very keen to get to know our Bully better!! Evidently when it came to the hand up the kilt part of the acquaintance, poor old Mick was confronted by meat and two veg! (Shock horror disaster exclusive!) How true this is we know not - but it is not like us to publish a Cock and Bull story!!
John BULLOCK
(Sharon)
Joined 24th February 2011 (239)
Pete BURNETT
85 - 88
Pete Burnett joined Pusser UK Ltd in 1978 as a radar specialist, and in a pensionable career he cracked no less than seven Type 42 drafts! (Coventry, Glasgow, Southampton, Exeter, Gloucester - twice...and the Mighty Manch!). When invited to name his favourite ship he responded "need you ask?!!", which we take as another chuck-up for D95! Which is quite understandable really, cos Pete was onboard from 85 - 88 which makes him another of our global gathering! Regular readers of these dits will therefore not be surprised that Sydney again tops the best run ashore recollections of our hero, as evidently there is more to do in Sydney than gaze at a giant coathanger!
Hats off to Pete, though, he actually provided a global dit that we hadn't heard before! How amazing is that?!...and it goes something like this - Twas in Singapore that our hero and his chums were on a bus back to the ship having enjoyed a most sociable visit to the Tiger Brewery. In an effort to add to his shipmates extreme enjoyment our hero took it upon himself to Zulu Warrior at the front of the bus. As each item of clothing was removed to rapturous applause, it was promptly passed down the bus where a thoughtful shipmate equally promptly heaved it out the window! Having bared all, the next task was to get the bus to turn round so Pete could grab his gear. Unfortunately, and this is the sad part of the tale, the locals were quicker than Pete, and the only item recovered was one shoe! Locating a T-shirt with which to cover some of his embarrassment, legs through armholes and his credentials dangling through the neck hole, our hero and chums sought refreshment in the Terror Club before finally making their way back to the ship. Unfortunately, and this is another sad part of the tale, their arrival back onboard just happened to coincide with the Skipper and Jimmy going ashore with their wives! More formal discussions on Pete's attempt to dress like Mahatma Ghandi took place a few days later!
Outside since 2001, Pete is now a Warehouse Coordinator for an Asset Management Company, and in his spare time follows the fortunes of Manchester City F.C.
Damien "Butch" BUTCHER
Joined April 2009 (199)
88 - 91
"Butch" Butcher, Damien to his Mum and Dad joined Pusser UK Ltd in 1987 as a 16 year old chef, and after an extensive course in the art of maritime culinary skills - he got an A plus for trainsmash - he was off to join the Mighty Manch for a Gulf Patrol or two. In a 17 year career with the Andrew, Butch was an accomplished Hobart driver on Herald, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Invincibubble, Newcastle and Exeter before he retired to open his own Chips and Fried Eggs dispensing establishment or Cafe for short. Butch's best run ashore on warship wonderful was the Jolly Boys outing to Penang where he started out "overdrawn" and finished very very very "overdrawn"!! Butch also recalls a weekend in the equally exotic port of Rosyth where he managed to get lifted by the Reggies not once, but twice and on consecutive nights - through absolutely no fault of his own, honest - and where only the duty roster prevented his unique bid for a hat trick!! Since his TX in 2003, and having become emotionally exhausted cooking chips, Butch armed himself with a hammer and crowbar and set out to be a legalised burglar - or as his trade organisation prefers - a licenced locksmith. (Yep, Butch went from grub to chubb in one easy move!) Now residing on the Costa del Essex with wife Deborah, he heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from Mini Cooper.
Martin CALTON
Joined 11th February 2009 (188)
(Sarah)
85 - 87 & 93 - 95
Martin Calton was a killick gunner, field gunner and obviously a muscle bosun on the Mighty Manch during the years 85 - 87 which makes him another of our number who shot around the planet in 1986 on the now infamous Global Social Extravaganza! Our hero's most memorable run ashore was literally just that - in San Francisco - and the "Bay 2 Breakers" 7 mile fun run which he participated in whilst somewhat socially confused! However Martin does recall that there were so many competitors that it took longer to get across the start line than to actually run the race and that did not include the additional un-enforced stops for light refreshment! A full career matelot, Martin played with the main armament on Tiger, Ye Olde Rusty B - at a time when the CPOSA was an extremely fine fellow - and Newcastle as well as another stint on warship wonderful 93 - 95 before picking up his pensh tin 2000. Continuing his passion for muscular manoeuvres Martin is now a self-employed sports therapxssed (yep, spelt right first time!) and masseur and lives with his partner Sarah near Pompey. Martin heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from Shady Lane.
