The Second
HMS Manchester Association
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 10
Association Members
For New Joiners please see Latest News
This page is undergoing a period of Re-construction
Steve MacMILLAN
Joined 23rd June 2007

Mac packed a great deal into the 6 month period he spent on the "Mighty Manch" - swimming trunks, sunbins, click click bed and bronzy cream to name but a few!  A trainee member of "helo's R us" under the wing (?) of the urbane (!) Mick Mortimore, Mac successfully eluded King Neptune's police at the crossing the line ceremony en-route to Mombers only to be subsequently arrested by those with good memories and a hatred of Tiffs in Portland Harbour, 3 months later, where he received the necessary gunking and dunking, and where our hero was quick to notice the 'oggin was close to nought degrees even if he wasn't!!  Now shortly to deploy to Auckland to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force - another group of aero enthusiasts - and one that is even smaller than Buster's Fleet Air Arm!!!  Good luck Mac!!...but remember you'll still be a Wafoo!! 

Darren "Daz" MAJOR

Graham "Pincher" MARTIN

Andy "Dan" MASKILL
(Andrea)
87 - 90

Dan was yet another bunting tosser who enjoyed a three year stint onboard between 87-90.  Among his claims to fame is that he was in the party of matelots who got a call round to the Vatican from Pope John Paul II, and he was one of the "lucky" ones who got a "call the hands" from the Prime Minister when Maggie Thatcher visited us in the Gulf.  Andy, who lives in Leeds, is a big Leeds United fan, so please, no taking the pxss when they get relegated again this year!!!  Heard about the Association via Google.

Steve "Stan" MATTHEWS
Joined 6th September 2008
82 - 85

Steve Matthews joined Pusser UK Ltd as an OD Gunner in 1981, and in the time it takes to spot a 4.5 turret, he was on the Mighty Manch presenting Fire Extinguishers for Evening Rounds and popping down to Kellett's Kave - the Main Naval Store - for such items as long waits, spirit level bubbles and fallopian tubing!!!  His most memorable run ashore on D95 was West Palm Beach, Florida, on the way home from "Down South" where he experienced the American phenomena of being grippoed.  This caused our hero to be well fed, well watered and well loved too!!  A full career Gunner, Steve served 24 years before the breech and also made things go bang on Gloucester and Broadsword.  More surprisingly, throughout his career, he never ever once went in the S H one T!  On retirement, Gunner Goody Two Shoes got himself a cushy number with Flagship at Collingrad assisting in the training of the sailor of tomorrow - whose name just happens to be...Jack!  Steve learned about the Association via Friends Re-united. 

Stewart "Booker" MAYBERY
Joined 6th April 2013 (283)

John McGUIRE
Joined 20th April 2018 (330)

Alan McKENDRICK
Joined 4th July 2007
(Carmel)
Aug 85 - Jan 88

Alan was the flight SMR and another Global 86 vet! (Yawn!).  A real sea going wafoo - he claims to have bronzied on the flight decks of Brazen, Andromeda, Monmouth and Broadsword - and one who nearly didn't make the run ashore in San Francisco on account of Amazon's pxss poor attempt to berth outboard of the Mighty Manch.  More akin to a ramming than a berthing, the impact caused the folded tail of Manchester's Lynx to swing round and would have caught our aeronautical artisan a right unfortunate one had it not been for the swift intervention of one Connie Francis, who saved the day, and the wafoo with a timely shove!!  This was much to the chagrin of the entire PO's Mess as Alan was responsible for moving aircraft lashing chains across the flight deck and frequently disturbing the sleep of those below.  Now fully recovered and saving hard to buy Connie a beer, Alan lives in Lancashire with his wife Cara - who was a nurse at a certain Manchester Children's Hospital.  Heard about the Association from Dave Childs, his predecessor onboard. 

Sam McKEOWN
(Maura)

Andy McMAIN
Joined 18th February 2015 (307)

James McOUAT
Joined 02 September 2014 (302)

Dave MERRICK
(Liz)

Paul "Dusty" MILLER
Joined 3rd March 2021 (351)

Stephen MOFFATT
Joined 13th April 2012 (265)

Alan "Rattler" MORGAN
Joined 24th December 2014 (306)

Bill MORGAN

Michael "Mick" MORTIMORE
Re-Joined 26th July 2022 (365)

John "Larry" MOTTON
Joined 18th May 2014 (300)


Barry LUCAS
89 - 91

January 10th 1966 was a very cold and blustery day, but across the UK, morale was reaching fever pitch.  The FIFA World cup was just six months away, and a young Barry Lucas was just embarking on his naval career!  What added to the untold excitement was the fact that he was joining the Fleet's elite, the cream of the White Mafia, he would be a Jack Dusty!  (Who writes this wonderful rubbish?!).

After a brief interlude learning how to march and salute etc., he was off to the College of Knowledge aka the RN Supply School to learn the rudiments of his trade - the pattern number of Teepol and torch batteries, and how to stack blankets!  And so, 12 months later, and looking smart in a sailors suit, he was off to join the converted W class destroyer Wakeful - a ship surprisingly devoid of WE's!  This was followed by Blake - his best ship, on account he met the future Mrs Lucas on a ship's visit to Adelaide (long before that G word became the vogue!) - and subsequently Diomede and Tartar as he speedily rose through the ranks.



May 81 saw our hero as a CPOSA standing by Liverpool in build, and through the first Commish; whilst his last sea draft was to none other than Warship Wonderful from 89-91.  Barry left the mob in '93 via voluntary redundancy.

Since leaving Pusser UK, Barry has been a professional stocktaker in duty free shops (it's a Jack Dusty passion!) before taking charge of his three grandchildren, who he has sensibly put in two watches and given the other a blue card!

Barry has been a staunch supporter of 2MA from day one!
Gary "Luke" LUCAS
Joined 28th April 2010 (219)
82 - 85






















Gary "Luke" Lucas joined Pusser UK Ltd in 1976 as an AB Missleman, and in a ship littered 14 year career got to play with the main armament on some of the oldest ships in the Fleet! - Tiger 77-78, Bulwark 78-80, Rothesay 86-87 and Fearless 87-88 - and in the middle he won a draft to the brand spanking new Mighty Manch (82-85)!  Luke rates Tiger and Manchester as his best ships, and his best Manchester ship's visits were undoubtedly South Georgia and Florida, on account that both places were crawling with birds that were easy to pick up!  However, Sydney, Oztralia gets his vote for most memorable run ashore in the days when he was a spotty faced OD on Tiger.  Twas at the local zoo early in the day when misfortune first grimaced upon our hero, who chose the wrong moment and wrong place to open his wallet only to see the contents ravenously consumed by a passing Emu!  (Yes Sir, Honest, Sir, my ID card isn't actually lost, I know where it is, it's inside that fxcking Emu!)  Undeterred, our gullible gunner was then enticed across Sydney Harbour to Manly and the delights of the infamous Blow Wave (!) night club, for an evening of alcohol induced social confusement!  Getting back though, proved much more hazardous for our gunnery guru, who chose to ignore the tides, the known sharks and set out to swim the seven miles back to Sydney!  He didn't get far before being  fished out the oggin by a passing cross harbour ferry!  That's some run ashore when you loose your ID card and your dosh, and nearly lose your virginity and your life!  Now domiciled in Woolloomooloo - trying saying that after a few scoops - near Sydney.  Luke is just about to crack a 20 stretch with the RAN and says it's great living in Australia, especially when you support a winning cricket team...England!  He heard about the 2nd HMS Manchester Association from another Aussie matelot.