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Ulster 1961-63
My Memories of the Commission.
As a junior rating I was only an acting L/SBA ( did not get
my leading rate until near the end of the commission) I had
an air conditioned cabin most of the time (The Sick Bay),
the only other air conditioning on the ship was the
Captain’s Cabin. How well I remember the oppressive
conditions of the aft seamen or was it stokers and the S & S
messes if the hatches had to be closed down.
Fire in the Galley.
No one told me so I slept soundly through the whole event in
the sick bay. Dare not say a word for fear of the
consequence to the leading hand mustering the S & S mess.
The Work up.
I got it wrong when boarding a tanker using a rope ladder
and found out the English Channel can be very cold in
February, however the Captain rewarded me with a free tot so
once again an example of rewarding bad behaviour.
Air Scoops for scuttles.
Am I the only one to receive the full benefit of a salt
water shower scooped up because someone on the bridge
ordered left hand down a bit?
Armed Landings in Bahamian Keys.
Jack with loaded 303 rifles? more dangerous than the Gut at
midnight. We talked and made as much noise as possible
walking along the beach. If my memory serves me true I
believe we anchored off the night before had a film show on
the upper deck just to be sure our arrival was well noticed.
Weekend in Mexico City.
I stood for only one hour as part of the guard of honour for
Lord Mountbatten’s visit, then the rest of the weekend was
our own including free hotel accommodation. A great weekend.
Cuban Crisis
Only years later did I realise the possible significant
implications of our presence during this time. We approached
merchant ships, then sailed on. The R.O. department seemed
very busy but information passed down was very restricted. |
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