Dave (Swifty)
Swinford wrote:
Jim being a
shift worker I don't have Xmas completely off but will send you a couple
of memories when I can, first one is the Seychelles and the salmonella
outbreak ....................We had deployed from Guzz in early 1966,
had a slight collision with a French submarine during a casex which
necessitated us going back to dry dock in Devonport. Having eventually
sailed again after around a month we were sent East of Suez from Malta
for the 2nd year running although being 27th Escort Squadron on a 9
month deployment in the Med. As I recall England had won the World Cup,
we were on Beira patrol late summer of 1966 and were diverted to the
Seychelles to quell a riot. The landing party marched through the
island's capital and all returned to normal. A headquarters was set up
ashore and as I well remember some of the sparkers and others had a
field day. We the communicators did a 24 hour on, 24 hour system both
ashore and afloat, 4 hours on, 4 hours off. The comms rates and others
who worked ashore had a remarkable time in the local hostelries when not
turned to. They returned onboard for a dhobey etc plus sleep around
breakfast time on their day off. Later well refreshed they then went
ashore to renew acquaintances with the said local bars again. I can't
remember if the salmonella came while we were still anchored off or
whether we had just sailed. I think the latter. Either way it came from
spam served in a salad, those that ate the said spam went down with the
illness. We were despatched to Aden, tied up off HMS Sheba with the
Carysfort being fumigated out. We had to leave a small duty watch
onboard for 48 hours at a time I believe. Ashore time was spent living
in a "Butlin" type Royal Marine barracks. We had to leave a
"sample" in a plastic container with your ships book number
marked on the cap outside the room's door once a day. Mine was 242 (sad
anorak). The duty s..t
collector then came around, gathered them all in and the samples were
sent away for analysis. One day the 1st Lt Nigel Kennedy cleared lower
deck to point out we as generous matleots didn't have to cram the
container, all that was needed was something the size of a pea. Sure
enough the next day an unmarked container was left outside, when it was
opened at the analysis centre there was a pussers pea inside with the
note Kilroy was here. Happy days. I think we then returned for a
further Beira patrol before the 1st phase drafting party arrived in
Mombasa. Believe we
conducted one patrol after that (what a waste of time history has shown
them to be) and then went home via Malta and Gib. On
our return to Guzz in September we had a few days leave, eventually paid
off in the October going on long leave and draft.
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