I recieved the following sad news in my inbox this afternoon...
It is with great sadness we announce the passing
of
Bill Ford
Hon Life Rear Commodore of RANSA
on
19th June 2011,
just two days short of his 95th birthday.
The Funeral will be held at
9am on Thursday 23rd June 2011
at
The Eastern Suburbs Crematorium
South Chapel
Everyone is welcome back at RANSA
following the ceremony
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
RN Chippy Bill Ford on the left, with 1st MOBI Intake Chippy Max Kean,
RAN LCDR (Ret.) at the dedication of the HMAS Rushcutter Memorial...
Bill was a resident icon at RANSA, a former Rear Commodore of the club
and an active participant in most of RANSA's activities. On most race days,
Bill could be found on RANSA's Start Vessel, RANSA II and afterwards in the
Whaler's Bar.
I was introduced to Bill when I first joined RANSA and always found him to be
an affable bloke, genuinely interested in whoever he was talking to.
Bill's service history was remarkable too... Bill was a Chippy, one of the original
old HMS Fisgard Boys, no, not of the Apprenticeships Base, the floating captured
French hulk that served as both the training school and accommodation for the early
Boy Apprentices of the Royal Navy.
Royal Naval training ship HMS Fisgard. HMS Fisgard was the site for Artificer Training
in the Royal Navy. Artificers of the Royal Navy trained in various hulks under the name
of HMS Fisgard from 1905 until the establishment came ashore in 1939. (RNM)
Bill told me he'd served throughout WWII in the RN and at the end of the war,
when his ship was visiting Sydney, Bill met a local girl, decided he liked it here
and effectively jumped ship to stay in Australia.
He's left his mark at RANSA too, with the recent addition of 'The Bill Ford Library'
where Members could freely swap or borrow a book from Bill's collection of novels
and paperbacks.
Bill was known to all of us regulars and whenever the opportunity presented itself,
I'd introduce Bill to visitors of The MOBI Yacht 'Nirimba' we'd bring to RANSA as well...
VALE Bill, a true gentleman, as part of the fitings and fixtures of RANSA for longer
than most of us have been alive, you will be missed...
