Awesome article. In Kilmun the 19th century church stands on a site where earlier ones are believed to date to the 6th or 7th Century. Holy Loch Lodge offers accommodation in Hunters Quay, 7.5 miles from Blairmore and Strone Golf Glub. Our members include veterans, spouses, partners, widows and family members and number around 40. At this time, my friend Richard and myself decided to form an association so we established the Holy Loch American Veterans Association (HLAVA). Served on the USS George Washington SSBN 598 made 6 patrols out of the Loch.Memories of Dunn and Argyle will remember always.We went in to the dry dock on one up keep. And I'm doing a cruise around Great Britain in May with a stop in Greenock. Yeah, I'd like to go back as well Paul. Between 1961 and 1982, the Naval Support Activity ashore was administered by US Naval Activities London. Dot. Alim Shabazz (USCG, Active Duty) Email: alim@amvets-hawaii.org Phone: 808-222-2205. I also enjoyed visiting the Scottish pubs. In 2005, refurbishment works were carried out at a cost believed to be approaching 40,000. Stephen,Yes, Scotland was, and remains, I'm sure. No automated processing by advertising systems is permitted. I was at Holy Loch aboard the Will Rogers and the George Marshall. Dear Paul, I visited Dunoon Scotland in the summer of 1977. I was born Greennock ,Scotland 1962. Copyright 1999 ~ All Rights Reserved. Wished I could have stayed much longer. VA Benefits Help Medical Transportation Employment & Entrepreneurship Transition Services Find A DAV Location: WAYS TO GIVE Between 1961 and 1992, Holy Loch was the site of the United States Navy's FBM Refit Site One (FBM: Fleet Ballistic Missile). Am wanting to return and live there again. Thanks for your service and thanks for checking in here.Paul, Hello Paul, your article was "spot on" about our daily military duties, as well as with the wonderful people of the Dunoon, and Glasgow areas. The Russians knew we were their and feared our Submarine Force and those who supported it. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy when he was 17 in 1970. var _prum = [['id', '58565476aa69598b85884117'], I will never forget the kindness that he and his family showed me in my time of need. Although there do not appear to be any other instances of Lazaretto being used in the UK, the name can be found on a number of similar locations around the world. I served on the USS Hunley AS-31 in 1985 and 1986. Nice hearing all these replies. We all should be proud of our duty there. (My late father was also a CPO).Thanks for writing.Paul. I recall he was PA farm boy and previously worked on the floating dry dock. It is a subsidy. 05-11-06, 10:32 PM #2 mzook Great memories! My brotherinlaw John Patrick Shannon worked in the engine room on the USS Holyloch. Dated young girl there back in the late sixties. Support Activity. In the 23 years I did in the Navy, the 5 years I did in Holy Loch were the best. was completed by USS Mariano G. Vallejo (SSBN 658). Thank you all for your service, Dot, wife of Leroy T Van Dyne, promoted to CPO in Holy Loch, 1966. The helping hand that AMVETS extends takes many forms: The families and supporters that stand behind our AMVETS members play a vital role in the growth and preservation of our organization. Commenting has been disabled thanks to the attention of scum known as spam commenters, Page last modified on Wednesday, 08 March 2017, at 12:20. I served with some really good folks. I was there from 83-85 on the Hunley and yes great times at 18. It was the home base of Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) 14, part of Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. I was a engineman and lived on shore with my wife. The Association wants to remember one of the most loyal members and his wife. She has since married from someone on the tender but I stayed friends with her parents all the way into the early 90's. google_ad_format = '120x600_as'; Thanks for mentioning some of the roles the old tugboats performed.I remember serving as a moving target when you guys in the subs shot torpedoes at us. Stopped in Holy Loch for resupply on USS Thomas J Gary DER-326 summer of 1970. I was there when Proteus came in to the Loch. Donna,I too would like to return to Dunoon and Holy Loch one day in the future.Thanks for writing.Paul, Great article Paul,I grew up outside Glasgow, I moved to Dunoon and married an "m.r." Finally, in June '87 the Hunley was relieved by the Simon Lake [for her 2nd I WAS ON THE HOLLAND AND THE HUNTLEY, 1980-82. The MoD is also rethinking its plan to build a new all-weather sports facility at Ardenconnel in Rhu, and is instead looking at other sites in the wider area. I wouldn't have any problem living there after my retirement. submarines being supported by the Squadron varied over the years, and the measure After a stint with the Mobile Riverine Force in Vietnam, I was transferred to the Simon Lake in 69, as the Simon Lake rotated out I transferred to the Canopus. Approximately one mile across, the loch extends inland for between two and three miles the west, depending on the tide. A large war memorial in the form of a round tower is sited on Lazaretto Point. Nice article Paul, I was on the USS Natick 1969-1971 and saw both the Simon Lake and Canopus exchange duty stations. I have since lost touch but we'll always have the memories, Mark.Yes, we'll always have good memories of Holy Loch, Scotland.Thanks for writing.Paul. Paul, great article. I was there from zJan 82 to Sept 83 on Hunley. An average of 3,500-4,000 Americans were attached to the Holy Loch at any one time but that did not always mean a lot of money went into the local community. HUNLEY and the SIMON LAKE. I even picked up a heavy brogue! I served aboard the Saugus 1966-67. William (Bill) Karr ETC(SS) November 15, 2010 at . At beginning of the 20th century the Loch was home to some sections of the Reserve Fleet. I cant ask him because its a surprise party! Holy Family Hall, Rm 205. I am trying to get up with any Marines that were attached to the Security Detachment aboard the USS Canopus in Holy Loch from 1973 - 1975. Site One - the Holy Loch was a significant, if somewhat discreet Cold War location. Paul. for the memory's peace and respect to you, Steven,Sadly, I don't recall the name of the third chief I briefly served under in late 1975. My time in the holy loch I returned to Greenock Scotland in 1976 where I have been living for over forty years, Dennis,Thanks for writing and have a pint for all of us.Paul, My name is David Erdman My first command was the USS Hunley it was assume having my 18th birthday in Scotland at the harmony bar and sundowner I was abopted by a local family and stayed there until I transferred to the USS Iowa, Hi nice to read your comments about Holy Loch Site drove buses to and from site many memories of the trips made with ERP workers from all the shipyards also Captain Bump who travelled on the bus from Bairds garage to site. The name of the Holy Loch has a number of stories related to its creation, ranging from pre-Christian tales of Sun or Sun-god worship in the area (which has a number standing stones), through Saint Mungo (also known as St Kentigern, patron saint and founder of Glasgow) in the 6th century and the story of a ship being lost in the loch while carry soil from the holy land to be laid under Glasgow Cathedral (Saint Mungo was buried on the site in AD 612), to Saint Munn in the 10th century, who landed there from Ireland. The 1943 film We Dive at Dawn, starring John Mills, was filmed in the area, including scenes shot at a number of sites including HMS Forth and and Ardnadam Pier. The Navy is the asylum for the perverse, the home of the unfortunate. In April 1907, The Argyllshire Standard reported that the Third Class Battleship HMS Conqueror (the seventh of that name) was sold for scrap to TW Ward of Sheffield for 16,800, and the First Class Cruiser HMS Undaunted was sold to Harris Bros of Bristol for 14,400. Was able to procure the alarm bell out of the Marine Corps Guardshack which we used during security violations. Our association provides emergency assistance referrals. Base would close, and in March 1992 the last US Navy ship sailed out, thus Bought an engagement ring from a shop in Edinburgh. Site One was a US submarine refit facility which was located on the southern shore of the Holy Loch for 31 years. What a bummer. Lazaretto Point lies on the southwest shore of the Holy Loch, and lies between Ardnadam to the west, and Sandbank to the east. In January 2014, declassified state documents opened and placed in the National Archives at Kew, revealed that the MoD had supported proposals which could have seen a royal visit take place at the American base: THE Queen Mother was banned from visiting an American nuclear base in Scotland, newly released files have revealed. She taught in the Dunoon schools for 18 months. Scotland is truly beautiful place and the people are outstanding. American Veterans Care Association achieves this vision by investing donations and revenue to develop sustainable . they were based at the holy loch in 69 and went to America with the girls in 71. Proteus' crew were reputedly hand picked to give the best possible impression of the US. Hey man. Enjoy the area and the people. But this is probably untrue. Glenn was a USSVI National Member (2013), a USSVI Charleston Base Member (2013) and a Holland Club Member. The selected men were trained on HMS Forth and in the surrounding area. SE4-EP141. I went to the primary school in Hillfoot st. We used to dance in the Harmony pub and I would give anything for fish and chips from Elselmos chippy on church street, thanxcathy. Over the years floating docks and support vessels were added. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0] How can we assist you? to base a refit facility and it was decided in July 1960 that Holy Loch should Yeah, Mike. Paul, Thanks for jogging some great memories. I am very glad I made my way back because it is just a fantastic little piece of heaven on earth that I never saw during my earlier times there. google_alternate_color = 'FFFFFF'; American Years Revisited will arrive soon! I also enjoyed Dunoon, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Sterling, etc. If you served in Submarine Refit Site One Holy Loch, Scotland, Join TWS for free to reconnect with service friends. Thanks so much. Agreement for the use of Holy Loch was reached near the end of 1960 and the arrival of the first tender, USS Proteus (AS-19) scheduled for December. Clark was one of the astronauts who perished in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on 1 February 2003. Thank you. I had so many friends who were American would love to know where they are now, Lester Reed, Courtnay taylor, Julie Ewbanks, Sharlene Flanders, so many. I do recognize your picture. Dennis Shepard shepardchief49@gmail.com. Site Private bathroom. I usually traveled to Glasgow or Edinburgh, or if I had three days or more, to new places in Scotland, England Ireland and Wales, as well as Continental Europe. WHAT A SURPRISE. Great days other than the cold winters. The forthcoming expansion in the number of people based at Faslane and Coulport, as HM Naval Base Clyde becomes home to the Navy's entire submarine fleet, is expected to see millions of pounds of investment in Helensburgh and its surrounding communities. and the Firth of Clyde was one of the Royal Navys major submarine areas. Enjoyed reading all of these articles,Im a local to Dunoon,I moved here two months after the USNavy left.All i here are these great stories about,how it was back then.Sounds amazing! I just got back from a 2 week UK tour and part of the trip included a journey back to Dunoon/Holy Loch and after 30+ years, it has not changed much, but my perspective about the place certainly has. Scotland. Is your father still alive? He served aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. A trained VA counselor will offer information about VA homeless programs, health care, and other services in your area. They were married on the USS Holyloch on 12/3/76. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. [CDATA[ Now live in Newark, De. I believe it would have been about 1970. love the pictures and the article. The Holy Loch (Scottish Gaelic An Loch SiantaSeunta) is a Sea Loch, a part of the Cowal peninsula coast of the Firth of Clyde, in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. google_ad_width = 120; - Helensburgh set to swell under wave of 1.3bn Navy expansion - Helensburgh Advertiser. Flemming, Glenn Francis. Its 2,000 soldiers, with 150 american civilians and 2,000 dependents, have become a fixture in. The gardens are on the west side of the A815 road from Dunoon, between the Holy Loch and Loch Eck, and include footbridges across the River Eachaig. Thanks for maintaining this not so distant memory of Holy Loch. Natick 760 as a cook from 1975 to 1977 Loved all my time there. google_ad_width = 120; He enlisted in the Navy in 1959 and retired in 1985. The holiday home has 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, bed linen, towels, a flat-screen TV, a dining . The object of "HLAVA", a non-profit military veterans organization, is to serve as a local association to support and assist its members; to provide a focal point for information; to cultivate and. I traveled all over Scotland, the United Kingdom and Europe during those years. Actually spent a Christmas with them and her parents were wonderful and took me all over Scotland. Submarine Squadron 14, headquartered aboard the serving submarine tender, arrived in the Holy Loch on 3 March 1961, However, the UKs most senior diplomat cancelled the proposed tour amid fears that it could lead to the Queen Mother being targeted by anti-Vietnam war protesters. Following an approach to the British government, requesting permission to establish a refit site in the United Kingdom for Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarines, an agreement was negotiated which permitted the US to use the Holy Loch, on the Firth of Clyde, for the anchorage of a submarine tender, a large dry dock, and other supporting craft. She was joined by HMS Alrhada, then by HMS Wolfe, both of which were old passenger ships used to provide additional accommodation. and can not be used without permission from AboutSubs. I have beenn able to find their Scottish minister and miraculously have arranged for him to come to America this September for the celebration. All contents including images are copyright by AboutSubs.com From Plank Owners (1963) to the Decommissioning Crew. Holy Loch: The Scottish American Connection Frank L. Gosselin 3.67 3 ratings1 review This book reveals the history of the U.S. Navy's presence for 31 years, from 1961 to 1992, at a location in the Scottish Highlands during the Cold War, and the resulting interaction between the Scottish and American men and women. You can read his full bio by clicking on the above photo. YEAH, THAT WAS THE BEST FISH & CHIPS, WRAPPED IN NEWS PRINT. From this the word 'quarantine' was derived.". The memorial sits on a relatively exposed point of land, which is subject to sea erosion, meaning that the monument is in danger of being lost if the site is note maintained. American children received their education in primary schools in Dunoon, Kirn, Sandbank and St Munns, then in Dunoon Grammar School when they were older. Scotland-England gave us an appreciation for (1)its national health care system, (2)their sport of soccer - I became a ref for 10 years starting in 1995, (3)the Britsh TV program, "till death do us part," that became "all in the family" for the USA,(4)their foods = fish & chips wrapped in a newspaper, lamb, and bananna fritters. (function() { In May 1962, the US Navy arranged for the old Ardnadam Hotel to be converted into an enlisted mens' club, commissary and exchange. Negotiations with the British Government began as early as March 1959 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower mentioned the need to British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan at a meeting at Camp David. Charlie Witherow, OMC USN(Ret), Chairman H.L.A.V.A. Your photos are great and thanks again for your post.D. The Holy Loch (Scottish Gaelic "An Loch Sianta/Seunta") is a sea loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. Thrift Store Donations: (800) 810-7148. Also spent several days ported at Greenock. He wrote back, stating: The present time, with the Vietnam controversy heightened by the current Vietcong offensive and a consequent increase in criticism in Britain of American policies, hardly seems propitious for advising the Queen Mother to make a gesture of this kind. assembled in six months. I remember two Navymen, one was Dale Leazer and the other one was Roger Pearson. My sister and I went to the "old grammar school" and we lived in a cottage on the corner of Clyde Street and the Alexandra Parade, on the grounds of the Dunmore Hotel. We watched the "fish" cut through the water, just like they did in the movies. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, Queen Mother kept from US nuclear base in Scotland - The Scotsman, Helensburgh set to swell under wave of 1.3bn Navy expansion - Helensburgh Advertiser), The British government and the American Polaris base in the Clyde, Journal for Maritime Reserch, 2001, Department of Defence Legacy Cold War Project, USS Daniel Boone SSBN-629 Refit 39, Holy Loch, Scotland, December 1978- January 1979, January 1963, the Proteus was relieved by the, August 1966, the Hunley was relieved by the, May 1970, the Simon Lake was relieved the. We worked hard, got to meet a lot of great people. Loved being there. My wife and I loved Dunoon. It's a very special place, and I'm grateful for having had the opportunity Box 2865, Ewa Beach, Hawaii 96706 You can read Paul Davis' crime columns, crime fiction, book reviews and news and feature articles on this website. And in education, a 'service pupil adviser' has started work with Argyll and Bute Council, funded by the MoD's education support fund, to provide advice for children of forces personnel in the area. I continue to watch the 2 webcam sites of Dunoon. Maybe in the near futureThanks for writing.Paul. The floating dock could handle up to five submarines, with four being moored alongside while one was raised within the dock itself. The 1945 film Perfect Strangers, starring Robert Donat, Deborah Kerr and Glynis Jones, also filmed around the area of the loch. Auriette,Thanks for visiting the web site and thanks for writing. (1996) I thought I would never eat seafood again. In January '82 the Holland was relieved by Hunley, returning for a 2nd tour. Paul, thanks for sharing and this story sure has legs!!! Over a 30 year span, Los Alamos completed over Holy Loch, near Dunoon, Argyll, Scotland A Brief History of Site One: In the autumn of 1959 the US Government presented the problem of providing forward servicing facilities for the first SSBN Squadron in the U.K. Studies were made of all the suitable places to base a refit facility and it was decided in July 1960 that Holy Loch should be the site. The American Legion a U.S. Veterans Association. Oh my. They stayed for 31 years. Also tony and marc. RM E139G0 - Feb. 29, 2012 - POLARIS SUBMARINE ARRIVES IN HOLY LOCH The 6700-ton American Polaris submarine ''PATRICK HENRY'' arrived in the RM BE3YDY - Looking north up towards Holy Loch from Kirn, Argyl and Bute, Scotland. try{window.CloudFlare||function(){var a=window.document,b=a.createElement('script'),a=a.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];window.CloudFlare=[];b.type='text/javascript';b.async=!0;b.src='//ajax.cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/nexp/cloudflare.js';a.parentNode.insertBefore(b,a)}(),CloudFlare.push(function(a){a(['cloudflare/badge'])})}catch(e$$5){try{console.error('CloudFlare badge code could not be loaded. Life insurance. He went on to do security work as a Defense Department civilian while working part-time as a freelance writer. The area offered deep, sheltered access, and had already seen service during World War II, as a Royal Navy submarine base. Hi there,Im a local to Dunoon,I live in Kirn,Just across the road from Dunoon Academy secondarily school,Your not missing much.The place has never recovered from the US Navy leaving,slowly declining each year.Woolworths closed about 5 years ago,& the tobacco shop across the road from Woolworths closed about 2 years ago,well the tobacco side of it,isnt there anymore,but the shop still sells the cool little trinkets etc(ie candy jars)The Calmac ferry service has even stopped to Dunoon. We had our little spook shack on the back of the ship. Scotland is scenic. Paul. Port stops in Scotland X2, Norway, Denmark, Germany, EnglandX2, Portugal, Spain X4, Azores X2 Key West was home. Did four refits on boats out of Comsubron 14. //-->,