JENNY Farwell’s article about her father Alec Palmer and the Whiteheads torpedo factory (Looking Back, April 24) brought back a lot of memories for reader Colin Dawe.

Colin started work at the factory in 1960, when he was 15 and Whiteheads was then part of the Vickers-Armstrongs (Engineers) Ltd group.

He said: “I was employed with other lads de-burring components. We were on piecework and under the supervision of Buff Loveless.

“At 16 years of age I started a fitting and turning apprenticeship and moved to the Millwrights Department mentioned in Jenny’s article.

“I worked with many skilled men there including Mickey Biddlecombe (lathe work) and Reg Hunt (machine tool maintenance).”

He added: “I recognised the last of Jenny’s photographs as one of six taken in 1963 for an article in the factory’s magazine. One I have supplied shows Derek Sargent, the former lifeboat mechanic, and I repairing one of the factory’s two boilers.”

In the 1960s the factory’s maintenance department was managed by Fred Allen and consisted of four sections.

The Millwrights Section was the largest, employing about 30 men, and was headed by Brian Prowse.

The millwrights maintained everything mechanical, from door locks to large machine tools.

They also repaired the boats and engines used for testing the manufactured goods that included torpedoes and hydraulic pumps.

Colin said: “I thoroughly enjoyed working in the department and the skills I gained there enabled me to win the best apprentice fitter in the Vickers national competition. The prize was a visit to all Vickers Ltd factories in England!

“They were fantastic days at Vickers. I remember the banter and the fun we had – although it probably wouldn’t be like that in a factory today because of all the health and safety. We had a great time and I really enjoyed it.”