大象传媒

Dedicated to the memory of Tel. Leo Fitzpatrick R.N. (JX 580093) of Sandymount, Dublin, Ireland.

Leo鈥檚 record papers show he signed on at 18 years of age as an Ordinary Telegraphist -Until the end of the period of the present emergency (Volunteer)-
Leo served his training in HMS Royal Arthur, aka Butlins Holiday Camp at Skegness in Lincolnshire, then served in Drake, Hannibal, St Angelo (HMS Providence, Algerine Class Minesweeper J 325 Former name HMCS Forrest Hill), Pembroke and finally Drake. Most of Leo鈥檚 service was spent in Algerine Class Minesweepers in the Mediterranean and later in the Far East in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Leo past on in 2001 but more recently a copy of the poem below was discovered amongst his papers. It maybe of interest, particularly to those who served as telegraphists;

The Telegraphist鈥檚 If-

If you can keep your nerves when all about you
Are stations jamming hard and blaming you,
If you can 鈥淗old the Air鈥� though others flout you,
Until you get your longest message through;
If you can send and not grow weary sending,
Nor overtire the man who has to read;
If your mistakes are rare but prompt their mending,
If you believe that haste is never speed.

If you can calmly contemplate the chatter
Of greenhorn operators fresh from school;
If you can sit with messages that matter
And wait until they鈥檝e finished 鈥� and keep cool.
If you can read through half a dozen stations
The weaker signals that are meant for you
And pick 鈥榚m out with few interrogations
Yet never feel ashamed to ask those few.

If you鈥檙e a Jack of all Trades, tinker, tailor,
If there is scarce a thing you cannot do,
If you鈥檙e an electrician and a sailor
Telegrapher, accountant, lawyer too:
If you鈥檙e propelled by energy that鈥檚 tireless,
If you don鈥檛 fear a job that鈥檚 never done,
Then, take my word, you鈥檙e fit to work at wireless
And anything you get, you鈥檒l EARN, my son.

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