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I joined HMS Rhyl undergoing a refit in Portsmouth.
A "Rothsay" class Anti Submarine frigate she was the first ship I served on
with trickle drafting system. That meant instead of the whole crew
joining en mass and staying together for the entire commission, ratings and
officers joined individually and left at different periods. This saw
many changes in the 3 years I served on her. Two different Captains
and many changes to crew and officers.
After completing the refit, Harbour
Acceptance & Sea Acceptance Trials [HATS & SATS] we departed for Portland
for our workup. Here we were put through our paces by the Flag Officer
Sea Training staff, until they were satisfied that we were fully worked up
and ready for what ever action or problem came our way.
We then sailed for our base in Malta
via the Bay of Biscay and Gibraltar. Many ports were visited in the
Mediterranean, including Alexandria in Egypt, Tripoli in Libya, Athens in
Greece and several Greek Islands. Our final port of call before our
Christmas break in Malta was Haifa in Israel. On the return crossing to
Malta we encountered some of the roughest weather I have ever experienced at
sea, with only essential watchkeepers being allowed out of their
hammocks and bunks, it was so rough and dangerous.
Some mechanical
defects kept us alongside in Malta close to St Angelo for several months and
quite a number of the crew took the opportunity of bringing their wives out
to the island and renting local accommodation.
This worked out
quite well , until we received notice to leave Malta at short notice and
proceed out of the Mediterranean via Suez Canal and take up station on the
west coast of Africa on the Beira Patrol. There was a mad scramble to
get wives off the island by what ever means possible. I managed to get
an RAF indulgence for mine, and she had the pleasure of a long haul by
Hastings bomber to UK.
After transiting
the Suez, we steamed south and took up our station on east coast of Africa,
blockading any ships attempting to deliver items destined for Ian Smith's
unilaterally declared independent Rhodesia [now Zimbabwe]. Days
dragged by as we steamed slowly up and down, however weather was extremely
good and we managed to get a lot of sunbathing in.
It was sometime during this patrol
that my divisional officer had sent for me and informed me he was not going
to recommend me for Petty Officer, despite the fact I had not asked nor at
the time even thought about studying for it. I was angry because this
officer had decided from the first day that I did not fit his idea of a
leading hand. Since arriving on the ship I had done more than a good job
always performing my duties with competence and often outstanding results. I
remember going back to my mess thinking to myself just who does he think he
is? After drinking my tot and washing it down with a can of beer I decided
to hell with him I will challenge the board [It
was possible if not recommended to bypass the divisional officers recommend
or lack of it and attempt the board with no help.]
Putting my request in to see the Captain I was summoned to his table and
asked to explain why I was putting in a challenge. I told him my divisional
officer would not recommend me for promotion and I felt I deserved the same
chance as any one else. He asked the D.O. for a reason why he would not
recommend me for Petty Officer. He replied that he did not think I was a
suitable candidate. The captain would not accept this as a reason and
forwarded my request to sit the first board available.
Running low on
fuel, we were dispatched north to rendezvous with a Royal Fleet Auxillary
tanker, however as we proceeded north the once good weather rapidly
deteriorated. The tanker was a long haul type and not normally
utilized to refuel at sea, therefore only way for us to obtain much needed
fuel, was we had to refuel with astern method. This required the
tanker to trail the hose astern in the water, and for us to recover it and
attach to our fuelling lines. In the heavy seas it was a difficult and
dangerous maneuver and as soon as we had enough fuel, we quickly broke away.
Unfortunately as we did, a large wave crashed over the bow and lifted the
Chief Shipwright -
part of cable party - up in the air, over the 4.5" gun turret
and slammed him into the fore screen
where he lay crumpled and unconscious.
The medical assistant was summoned (the
squadron doctor being embarked on another ship) and arranged - after an
quick examination - to get him down to the sickbay. After a more detailed
check he reported to the captain that Chippy needed immediate surgery or he
would die. He had ribs puncturing his lungs and other serious internal
injuries. As we were still many hundreds of miles from a hospital and any
doctors; the medical assistant requested permission to attempt some surgery.
At first the captain was against this; but after frantic signals between
ship and admiralty it was decided to go ahead. The man was going to die
without immediate attention and it was felt there was nothing to lose.
The sickbay was scrubbed and sterilised
and volunteers were called to assist; any one who had any medical knowledge
at all that could be of some use. The man was operated on, opened up,
patched up and injuries repaired. After the operation the man was stable but
in a very serious condition so we were instructed to proceed with all haste
to Mombassa in Kenya; the nearest port with full medical facilities.
Ambulance and doctors were awaiting the ship and
the man was quickly transferred from the ship to the local hospital for
further examination and treatment. The following day two surgeons from the
hospital came aboard and asked to speak with the ships doctor. I informed
them we were not carrying a doctor at present, which seemed to surprise them
somewhat. They enquired if we did not carry a doctor who had operated on the
patient. I explained that we only carried a medical assistant and he had
carried out the operation. The two surgeons were so impressed with the
surgery and how the man had been treated they had wanted to meet with the
doctor responsible. They were taken by the first lieutenant down to the
sickbay to meet with the Leading Medical Assistant and offer their
congratulations. We were lucky that we were carrying a highly qualified and
conscientious man [He later
left RN and qualified as a doctor]
that had the basic knowledge to carry out this complicated procedure,
without wishing to injure (excuse pun) the medical branch, the majority
could not have carried out the operation and the man would almost certainly
have died.
HMS Cambrian had been sent to relieve
us on Beira Patrol so after a thoroughly well deserved rest in Mombassa we
proceeded on a cruise of the Far East. Our first port of call was Colombo in
Ceylon. After a few days there; we sailed on to Singapore where us old
'East" hands renewed acquaintance with our old haunts and friends.
Just twenty four hours before arriving
in Singapore we were informed by signal that a Petty Officers board had been
convened for us and was to be conducted on HMS Lowestoft, Triumph and our
own ship. The signal specified that two practical tasks had to be
manufactured and presented to the board. They were a rope salvagee strop and
a 4" Steel Wire Bollard Strop with hard eye. The wire was a particularly
hard task to set us and extremely unusual. Other candidates had been
receiving coaching and formal instructions, but as I had challenged the
board I was not entitled to any of these. I had to study myself as and when
I could between my formal duties.
We berthed alongside the 'Lowestoft' which in turn was
outboard of the 'Triumph', a converted aircraft carrier and now a Heavy
Repair Ship. As there was little facility for manufacturing wire strops
onboard, I made a bee-line for the riggers shop on the 'Triumph'. I asked
the old Chief BT
if I might use the vices and facilities in the shop to complete my
seamanship task for the board. He enquired what I had to manufacture and
raised his eyebrows when I told him. He watched me struggle for a couple of
hours ripping my hands open with the sharp steel strands and only managing
to produce a real mess. He pushed me aside, ripping my wire down , he
selected a new bit and within 30 minutes had produced a first class strop.
To express my gratitude I crossed his palm with some duty frees.
On the day of the board; which was
conducted as a six or seven section oral and practical examination; we were
issued with a rote delineating where and when to report for each section.
The practical seamanship which including the rigging task was conducted on
the 'Lowestoft' by a commissioned bosun. All the candidates tasks had been
handed in for the bosun to examine and compare to each other to award a
mark. When it was my turn to go in front of him he lifted my wire strop and
said this is the best one I have ever seen - well done. He asked if I had
received any help with it and deciding to be honest I said I had a lot of
help! One of the questions he asked was to explain a "Dutchmans Purchase"
with which I had no problem having read about it several days before. The
rest of the candidates could not answer the question as it had not been
covered in their training.
I was the last candidate to complete
the practical seamanship and power of command evolution section of the
board. After some simple word of command parade drills, I was invited to rig
Shearlegs and lift a heavy weight off the deck and move it. I examined the
equipment laid out and refused to carry out the evolution much to the
surprise of the examining officer; who was also the President of the board;
a senior Captain. He asked why not. I explained the equipment was not
suitable and I was liable to hurt someone by rigging 'shears' with it. He
explained that all the other candidates had done it with out question. I
said I am not endangering my men by doing so. He smiled; said very good and
told me to carry on.
An hour or so later all the candidates
were mustered outside the Captains cabin to be informed of the results. The
first two came back out looking a bit glum; they had obviously failed
completely. The next two came back out having only partially failed; after a
successful rescrub they would receive a pass. I was the last in and was
informed that I was top qualifier of the board and had not only passed but
passed well. I think my performance at the practical had certainly helped in
this regard.
We spent Christmas in Singapore and
apart from all the normal festivities the Captain insisted on flying his
personnel flag in place of the White Ensign on Christmas Day. The Flag
Officer Far East touring the dockyard spotted this, the tyres of his car
losing thousands of miles as he screamed at his driver to stop. He was most
definitely 'not amused' The offending bunting being quickly replaced by a
white ensign.
The Captain loved to talk to the ships
company; about anything, at any time, when ever the mood took him. He often
broadcast late into the evening; especially at sea; lifting the tannoy
"Do
you hear there - Captain speaking",
then go into some diatribe which went on an on and was normally of no
interest to the sailors who would have preferred to watch the movie or
sleep.
On one such occasion the 'old man' had been on and off
the tannoy all day and it being a Sunday at sea it was make & mend
routine and the sailors were not amused. Eventually the ships comedian fed
up to the teeth ran up to the quarterdeck, changed over tannoy control to
the local harbour gangway position and mimicking the Captain perfectly said:
"Do you hear there; Captain laughing Har Har Har Har!"
Quickly switching the control back over
he fled to the mess. The captain went completely berserk demanding to know
who had done it, threatening to stop everybody's leave and a variety of
other threats. The offender did not come forward nor did anybody shop him.
He repeated the gag several times sometimes changing it to Captain
flatulating (with appropriate sound effects). The captains broadcasts were
dramatically reduced after this with only essential announcements being
made, he obviously got the message.
He once said (as all captains do) I am
always available to listen to your problems, feel free to come to my cabin
at any time. Of course they do not really mean it. Its the standard 'what
the sailors want to hear' talk. However one man who was experiencing serious
family problems and was definitely on the verge of a nervous breakdown
decided at about 0200 to take the captain at his word and go for a little
chat! He was quickly escorted to the sickbay for observation.
Several days later the man was in the
mess at lunch time. He drew and drank his tot; shouting to the mess members:
"Cheerio lads I'm off on
leave". Then promptly disappeared from the
mess. It got a laugh as we at sea at the time hundreds of miles from land.
Up on the quarterdeck he said the same to the life buoy sentry
and then dived over the side. The life buoy sentry immediately hit the man
overboard alarm, which should have initiated the ship turning hard one way
or the other away from person in water. However the Officer of Watch took no
action; instructing the bridge messenger to inform the life buoy sentry
alarm had been tested for the watch! The sentry kept depressing the alarm.
It was only then that the OOW woke up and took correct action. Ship turned
hard; other ships in company also came to assist and the whaler was lowered
to recover our 'leave breaker' They managed to get him into the boat
although not without a struggle and brought him back to the ship. As the
boat was being hoisted he jumped out of the boat and was away swimming
again. Once again the boat was lowered and another ships boat detailed to
head the man off. After quite a struggle they got him back into the boat,
where he was tied down this time. He was flown off the ship shortly after to
undergo psychiatric treatment.
I could go on, in my book "Pings &
Things" written only for my family, I wrote over 18 pages on HMS Rhyl
alone. |
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