Leigh Gayman, son of Temporary Surgeon Lieutenant G R Gayman RCNVR, the ship’s doctor, writes from Vancouver, BC:

Both the captain of HMS Wager, Basher Watkin, and Tom Trowbridge, the first lieutenant, at different times visited my father and mother in Canada when on vacation.

Lieutenant-Commander Watkin visited my parents when I was about ten or so. I recall that he was called Basher, though I don’t know why, and that he often fell asleep while sitting down. So, when we subsequently got a new puppy, who did the same thing, we named him Basher!

In their travels, my parents several times visited Basher Watkin in the Isle of Man.

While Flag Officer Royal Yachts (sometime between 1970 and 1975), Rear-Admiral Tom Trowbridge invited my parents for lunch on board HM Yacht Britannia, while she was alongside in Vancouver awaiting the Queen. Sadly, I was not invited!