In October 2001, Steve McAllister started emailing me about his grandfather, Alan 'Striker' Goodwin who served on HMS Gambia from December 30, 1949 to September 29, 1952 as an electrician. Steve has kept in contact for for over 20 years and I have used photographs he has sent throughout the site. It's time to bring all the information together and give both Alan and Steve their due.
Alan served in the Royal Navy from 1937 to 1953:
HMS Caledonia - Training establishment - 1st June 1937 to 7th April 1938
HMS Drake - Shore establishment - 8th April 1938 to 29th April 1938
HMS Cornwall - Boys training Cruiser, part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron - 30th April 1938 to 17th August 1938
HMS Newcastle - Southampton subclass of Town-class light cruiser - 18th August 1938 to 19th January 1943
HMS Defiance - Training ship - 20th January 1943 to 17th April 1943
HMS Forth - Maidstone-class Submarine Depot Ship - 18th April 1943 to 17th October 1944
HMS Drake - Shore establishment - 18th October 1944 to 11th December 1944, prior to his assignment to HMS Nile.
HMS Nile (Shiel) - Shore establishment, Ras el-Tin Point, Alexandria, Egypt - 12th December 1944 to 28th February 1945
HMS Lanka (Shiel) - Shore establishment, Columbo, Sri Lanka - 1st March 1945 to 30th November 1945
HMS Drake IV (Shiel) - 1st December 1945 to 9th February 1946
HMS Drake - Shore establishment - 10th February 1946 to 13th April 1946
HMS Excellent (Onslaught) - Gunnery School - 14th May 1946 to 31st July 1946
HMS Forth (Onslaught) - Maidstone-class Submarine Depot Ship - 1st August 1946 to 20th May 1947
HMS Montclare (Onslaught) - Reserve ship - 21st May 1947 to 18th June 1948
HMS Hartland Point (Mull of Galloway) - Beachy Head- class maintenance and repair ship - 19th July 1948 to 25th November 1948
HMS Drake - Shore establishment - 26th November 1949 to 29th December 1949, prior to his assignment to HMS Gambia.
HMS Gambia - Crown Colony-class light cruiser - 30th December 1949 to 29th September 1952
HMS Drake - Shore establishment - 21st February 1953 to 13th April 1953, prior to leaving service and being released to the Royal Navy Reserve.
More of Alan Goodwin's Life at Sea (PDF, 14.4Mb)