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- HMS Leopard 1st Commission
HMS Leopard 1st Commission
- By Robby G
- Published 05/6/2008
- HMS Leopard
-
Rating:
HMS LEOPARD
Odds and Sods
This was taken from ADM 1/30950 (Public Records Office Kew,London)
"Proposal to award Silver Medal of the Greek Mercantile Marine to officers and men of HMS LEOPARD and 719 Squadron FAA for rescuing the crew of the Greek SS ARGO DELOS off Northern Ireland October 22nd 1960".
I contacted our ex Captain Cdr (Bob) Gaunt as to what was the outcome of this citation, below is his reply:
Rob
Thank you for your message.
The CO of the Helicopter Squadron and I were both awarded the Greek Gong as stated. I received it with all the normal formality by mail from Her Majesty congratulating me and informing me that I had to wear it after all other decorations or campaign medals awarded while serving in HM Forces. The ribbon of the medal looks the same as the DSC ribbon .
The only reason we could get Leopard so close to the rocky shore of the Irish coast was due to Leopards very efficient sonar operators and the most accurate plotting by Nick and his excellent team not to mention their controlling the helicopters.
.I was also awarded the Greek Mercantile Life Saving Certificate.. It was all really quite unnecessary as we were only doing a normal job by Leopards standards. Still it did mark my last night at sea in my career .The award is listed..
What was most odd was we helped rescue the Marjan on Leopards full first night at sea and the Argo Dellos on our last .
At the time of the award I was Commander of HMS Ganges . When it was received by my Captain from the Admiralty for a formal presentation he just put the gong and the letter from HM in an envelope and then had it placed in my in tray on my desk and nothing more was said. So that is what the award meant to him.
The following refers to our 1000 mile plus trip up the River Amazon.......
When the Leopard sailed up the River Amazon in 1960 we were using maps that were at least 100 years old and out of date. Although we had Brazilian pilots aboard to help us in our navigation they were more accustomed to smaller flat bottomed craft and could not read maps. Many a time our boats were sent away to get a sounding by “swinging the lead”. Lookouts being posted in the “eyes” of the ship scanning for the occasional “floating Islands”.
Bob Gaunt has aso related the following to me;
"When I told
you that the hydrographer never appeared to have our records and overlay charts that were so well done by James Hargate. I forgot to mention something very important and that is that the original river charts/maps on which we tracked the ships course and I made remarks such as." passing over village showing on echo sounder-- river here--small village, no village--mountain peaks --new river--river bank now five cables further in land--dense Jungle--and many other interesting comments including wild life mammals and fauna-all written up in pencil is now in the Royal Geographic Map Room. The RGS asked me for them when I was at London University they insisted they wanted it in its original condition, with the many tea and coffee stains not to mention my awful hand writing. Incidentally I was made a Fellow of The Royal Geographic Society. Little did they know that our pilot could not read an Admiralty Chart and I relied very much on sonar, echo sounder and our really amazing ships company lookouts standing in the bows. Many years ago I saw the "charts" in the RGS Map Room together with so many famous records of Amazon Expeditions.. The Society is having a new map room built .It will not be completed before 2006 .All the maps are now in safe custody".
If you wish to pass this information on to Nick and John please do so. They may just be interested
Best Wishes
Bob Gaunt
up-date of the above....
Have been reading your latest addition of odds and ends on the Leopard Web. The mind really plays havoc in old age. I now recall that the Brazilian pilot had been in their Navy as a navigator and ran the school for river pilots. So he was fully aware of reading our hopelessly out dated Admiralty Charts. However he did not remove the our ultimate responsibility of for the Navigation and safety of our ship .Must have got confused with another incident in another ship in India during the war.-I ran aground on that occasion. .
Leopard actually went 1,444 miles up the river. makng a total of 2888 miles of river navigation. Much credit should go to our very young navigating officer Bob Gerken (now Admiral) and to Ted Wildy our engineer officer and his splendid engine room control team who had to cope with so many orders from the bridge including a number of “full asterns"
One of the most outstanding parts of the Argo Delos incident was the rapid and efficient way Ian, Petty Officer Ian McRae and his Communications Department opened up and maintained about a dozen different communication channels without a single hitch as soon as they received the Mayday call. Quite some achievement.
With all good wishes
Bob Gaunt
Odds and Sods
This was taken from ADM 1/30950 (Public Records Office Kew,London)
"Proposal to award Silver Medal of the Greek Mercantile Marine to officers and men of HMS LEOPARD and 719 Squadron FAA for rescuing the crew of the Greek SS ARGO DELOS off Northern Ireland October 22nd 1960".
I contacted our ex Captain Cdr (Bob) Gaunt as to what was the outcome of this citation, below is his reply:
Rob
Thank you for your message.
The CO of the Helicopter Squadron and I were both awarded the Greek Gong as stated. I received it with all the normal formality by mail from Her Majesty congratulating me and informing me that I had to wear it after all other decorations or campaign medals awarded while serving in HM Forces. The ribbon of the medal looks the same as the DSC ribbon .
The only reason we could get Leopard so close to the rocky shore of the Irish coast was due to Leopards very efficient sonar operators and the most accurate plotting by Nick and his excellent team not to mention their controlling the helicopters.
.I was also awarded the Greek Mercantile Life Saving Certificate.. It was all really quite unnecessary as we were only doing a normal job by Leopards standards. Still it did mark my last night at sea in my career .The award is listed..
What was most odd was we helped rescue the Marjan on Leopards full first night at sea and the Argo Dellos on our last .
At the time of the award I was Commander of HMS Ganges . When it was received by my Captain from the Admiralty for a formal presentation he just put the gong and the letter from HM in an envelope and then had it placed in my in tray on my desk and nothing more was said. So that is what the award meant to him.
The following refers to our 1000 mile plus trip up the River Amazon.......
When the Leopard sailed up the River Amazon in 1960 we were using maps that were at least 100 years old and out of date. Although we had Brazilian pilots aboard to help us in our navigation they were more accustomed to smaller flat bottomed craft and could not read maps. Many a time our boats were sent away to get a sounding by “swinging the lead”. Lookouts being posted in the “eyes” of the ship scanning for the occasional “floating Islands”.
Bob Gaunt has aso related the following to me;
"When I told
If you wish to pass this information on to Nick and John please do so. They may just be interested
Best Wishes
Bob Gaunt
up-date of the above....
Have been reading your latest addition of odds and ends on the Leopard Web. The mind really plays havoc in old age. I now recall that the Brazilian pilot had been in their Navy as a navigator and ran the school for river pilots. So he was fully aware of reading our hopelessly out dated Admiralty Charts. However he did not remove the our ultimate responsibility of for the Navigation and safety of our ship .Must have got confused with another incident in another ship in India during the war.-I ran aground on that occasion. .
Leopard actually went 1,444 miles up the river. makng a total of 2888 miles of river navigation. Much credit should go to our very young navigating officer Bob Gerken (now Admiral) and to Ted Wildy our engineer officer and his splendid engine room control team who had to cope with so many orders from the bridge including a number of “full asterns"
One of the most outstanding parts of the Argo Delos incident was the rapid and efficient way Ian, Petty Officer Ian McRae and his Communications Department opened up and maintained about a dozen different communication channels without a single hitch as soon as they received the Mayday call. Quite some achievement.
With all good wishes
Bob Gaunt