The Association has learned of the sudden death of Lt Cdr Nicholas Graham Talbot Harris RN on 14 October 2017.
Extracts from the Eulogy Part 1 by Cdr Graham Edmonds at the memorial service in Sherborne Abbey on 2 November
Nick was my friend. We have been friends for 50 years.
At the Naval College in the Gunroom Bar one September lunch time Nick tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘I understand you have a house in Dartmouth with a spare room? How do you fancy having a paying guest for a couple of weeks?’
The paying guest was, of course, Jenny, who arrived not long afterwards in her green Ford Escort Van in the back of which was some very fine wine from her father’s cellar.
Thereafter our friendship grew and through the 70s and early 80s we spent much family time together at weekends, at naval social events, balls, dinners and the like, and of course weekends in each other’s homes in either the South Hams, Chetnole or Milborne Port.
Nick’s life in the Royal Navy was very different to mine; his ambition had always been to join the Fleet Air Arm for which he had to have an operation on a lazy eye so as to medically qualify. After graduating from the College our naval careers took us in separate directions but I grew to realise what a talented and charming man he was.
Nick was fun to be with and always welcomed friends to his and Jenny’s home. His talents were legion; a fine carpenter and skilled wood turner; stonemason; landscape gardener; general builder, roofer, tiler, plumber; decorator, IT expert and mechanic who would use his skills to help out friends and neighbours. As the son of a Royal Marine he adopted their unofficial motto – ‘nothing impossible’.
He was an occasional Chef who demonstrated much skill in Naples in barbecuing an enormous Christmas turkey, which required his monster Weber to be refuelled half way through.
He was a musician. At the Naval College he used to play the guitar with a chum at the Castle Hotel for the benefit of Hawke Division ‘sing-songs’, they were so successful that the manageress occasionally paid them as their music brought in the tourists.
I remember him playing the ‘Entertainer’ on the piano at the Granary and always stumble on the same particular set of chords – which would be played over and over again.
He knew a lot about wine, beer, spirits and even cider. He taught me to drink whisky; he was an expert home brewer and eventually concocted a brew he named Amnesia – and for very good reason. The recipe was that it was brewed in a 5 gallon beer container from rice, sugar, yeast, orange slices and sultanas, placed in a hot cupboard and stirred daily with a strong long stick as it gets angry. Bottle before it gets too strong. Ultimately he planted a vineyard at Bredy and won medals for his first year’s vintage.
But above all he could fly.
This greatly impressed me – flying naval helicopters in all weathers and off ships is not for the faint-hearted; but not so for young Twinks, Boo and Charlie who took it all for granted – but what really impressed them was to see him clamber into a tractor at Bredy and drive it away.
The youngsters bought Nick and Jenny a special anniversary present – a microwave which would lift the Granary into 20th century culinary equipment. The sales assistant on learning that this was the household’s first such appliance was concerned that operating the appliance might be a bit of a challenge for the oldies. Francesca told him that “Dad can fly a helicopter, so I think he will be able to work out how to program a microwave”.
Nick qualified on course HSP158 in 1972 and other than one appointment as the Flt Cdr in HMS Nubian flying a Wasp, he was a ‘jungly’ that is a pilot who flew Royal Marines into action. He flew both the Wessex V and Sea King IV and he took me up once from Yeovilton in his Wessex in 1976. Another day for me to remember.
He told me that one of his favourite and most challenging appointments was as the Senior Naval Officer Bardufoss or SNOB for short, commanding and managing the junglies’ for the Royal Marine winter training in Northern Norway. He loved the challenge of flying in the extreme conditions which he showed off to Jenny when she visited him there and he took her on a romantic walk when the temperature was minus 17 deg centigrade
He was described to me by a Test Pilot as one of the most decisive, calm and professional pilots he knew. I know he was a good naval officer, a leader and manager of men and women and I suspect that he sacrificed promotion to the more senior rank he deserved in order to pursue his flying career.
As he came towards the end of his time in the Navy he served in two overseas desk appointments in the NATO HQs in Naples and Lisbon. And It was in Naples that we served together for the first and only time since naval college and on my arrival he acted as my sponsor – his support was faultless, finding us a home, showing us the region and his favourite haunts.
He was, however, first and foremost a family man who loved his wife, his children and grand-children, to all of whom he was intensely loyal. He had infinite patience, gave them thoughtful guidance and was an exemplary father and I was flattered and honoured to become Antonia’s godfather.
To me he was my friend; a kind, caring and considerate man for whom I had the very greatest affection and whom I held in the very greatest esteem.
Extracts from the Eulogy Part 2 by John Scarth at the memorial service in Sherborne Abbey on 2 November
In 1980 a Solicitor called me in as a local Surveyor on behalf of a Client who had just exchanged contracts on a property called The Granary and an adjacent collapsed car port. The husband was abroad playing with helicopters or something so I delivered my report to the Clients’ cottage in Chetnole and that was how I met the lovely Jenny. Unfortunately sometime later I had to meet her husband.
Then a little later my Jenny & I met the Harris’s through some fellow Milborne Port RN colleagues in the form of John & Jan Rooke, and a friendship developed not only between us adults but as families as our daughters were at school together. I am delighted to say that they are still close friends, as their parents have remained, to mutual life long pleasure.
We recall many happy times propped against the convivial Harris bar at The Granary whilst our girls amused themselves elsewhere in that lovely rambling old house, the car port long since restored and now supporting a roof terrace where I well remember us being highly amused on more than one occasion watching Nick unsuccessfully lighting his home made barbecue. Gas came rather later !
A good few larger parties took place at The Granary, including some memorable New Years Eves which included Nick’s infamous frozen vodka and so-called Black Russian concoctions which gave those events some momentum.
Nick was nothing if not a practical man who could turn his hand to most tasks. Back in 1984 he helped me build my first garden shed which eventually became my workshop, clad in waney edge elm planks, from the Bredy saw mill, I believe. Nick and his good friend Waggers (David Waghorn) were also responsible for kindling my interest in wood turning a few years ago.
Nick had an abiding interest in music of most kinds and indeed was a musician himself. As someone who always wanted to play but never managed it I was always very envious that he had mastered Scott Joplin’s “The Entertainer”. He was a great compiler of tapes, and later CDs, of varied music and I still have some in my car and study to this day.
I should also make some reference to Nick’s sporting prowess, or at least enthusiasm. I believe that he has played badminton for as long as I have known him. My Jenny was part of a ladies badminton group who on occasions challenged the chaps. I hesitate to guess who won the overall honours but Jenny reminds me of how the girls were impressed by the speed of the RN guys’ reactions – flying experience no doubt. Nick was also a keen golfer and I gather from some of his regular golfing companions that his interest in farming continued on to the golf course where many a fairway was ploughed diligently. Moreover his ability to find water was renowned throughout the County! His fellow golfers also tell me that they observed in Nick a doggedness in his game, a determination, a bravery and a courage far exceeding that which he demonstrated when serving as a Jungly in Burma or during his time in Naples, which was to defeat the biggest foe of his life, Ben Woolley, if not over 18 holes then at least to be ahead over the first 9 as they broke off for tea, which they did on occasions. Whatever the result he always accepted it with grace and humour.
It may also be news to some present that in recent years Nick extended his talents still further by entering the world of viniculture, pioneeringly introducing vines to Bredy Farm, thus continuing a tradition in the valley dating back to Roman times. With Charlie’s assistance, and Jenny’s support, the River Bride Vineyard produced some commendable results, though with somewhat understated labels such as “Jurassic Plonk”. Given present circumstances I regret not accepting Nick’s invitation to help with the grape harvest only a month ago.
We have happy memories of holidays with Nick and the family down in S Britanny and later in Naples when Nick was stationed there. At that time they introduced us to lovely Ravello which was a favourite of theirs, and equally as memorable was Nick’s demonstration of his driving prowess behind the wheel of “Muffin”, an enormous American 4×4, taking on the challenging Italian drivers on Naples’ tangentiale, the equivalent of the M25, in the rush hour!
Nick was a multi-faceted fellow, a true gentleman but also, importantly, a gentle man and a good friend. I am sure that all our hearts go out to his Jenny, Antonia, Francesca, Charlie and their families.
“Those whom the Gods love die young”
A fond goodbye to you, “aitch” – it has been a pleasure to know you.