David Perfect Remembered

From Charles Hume

I served with David in Conqueror in mid 1978, when I was the training/augment engineer, and believe it or not I am pretty sure he was the supply officer (in those days a seaman officer fulfilled that role though it was shortly to change!).

We were deployed to the west coast of the States with a large group of surface ships for more than six months, and had a brilliant time (never to be repeated in my career). We were young and the considerable amount of time spent accommodated in hotels, with a surfeit of 20 dollar bills, enabled many high jinks, of which David, as you would expect, took a full part. Memories are a little vague, but one that I thought you might find useful was David’s interest in brass band music. He had borrowed a set of brass band instruments from the RM Band school, and formed a small band and we used to practice in the AMS! Roger Trussel, who was our Captain, loved it and insisted we played on the casing for the many harbour entries in the programme, which seemed to impress the americans. Other band members were David Flinders (Euphonium), MEA Thomspson, Trumpet, Me (2nd Trumpet, John Fuller (Trombone). I can’t actually remember what David played but I think he could turn his hand to fill in almost anywhere. Our party piece was The Floral Dance which had recently been taken to Top of the Pops by The Brighouse and Rastrick Colliery band.

I have attached the only photograph I have of the band (from a slide). I think that is probably David’s back?