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- HMS Leopard 1st Commission
HMS Leopard 1st Commission
- By Robby G
- Published 05/6/2008
- HMS Leopard
-
Rating:
HMS LEOPARD
Part 2
We head for the South Atlantic.
May 28th was a perfect day, it was quite warm, the sun was shining on a sparkling new ship about to depart on her first trip to foreign waters.
At 1430hrs precisely we slipped our berth at Portsmouth Dockyard and sailed down harbour. Past Kings Stairs, South Railway Jetty, the Harbour Station then HMS VERNON with it’s flotilla of minesweepers and Fort Blockhouse (HMS DOLPHIN) with it’s fair share of Submarines, past Sally Port, the War Memorial and Southsea Front, and so down to Spithead, encountering our old friend the MARJAN off the Isle of Wight, we are to be away for 365 days. We wondered what will we discover during this year away!
June 2nd and the Rock of Gibraltar (PHOTO) was seen. This was a first for us younger ones but a familiar friend for the "old sea dogs" aboard.
Gib was to be but a short call, two days only. Just enough time to introduce ourselves to all the bars and meet old "oppo’s"(friends) from other visiting ships. As usual as soon as the gangway was down, the first visitor is always the "naval jailers"( Naval Tailors)"Bernards, Flemmings and Blairs", with their bulging suitcases of goods costing an arm and a leg. But the usual purchases were made, payment being made by the monthly allotment that had previously been set up. Now days we call it a Standing Order. The more you allotted the more merchandise you could purchase. £5 month allowed a spend of £60, a considerable sum then. But with the 12 month away, by the time you arrived home the debt was clear, and the availability of another sixty quids worth of the "jailers" wear. I recall a good trick that many a sailor exercised if he was a little short of the "readies" (money). He would purchase, usually a pair of officers black-leather shoes, from the asaid "jailer", with the usual credit, then take the shoes to "Ma’s"- a little old lady who bought and sold second hand goods- in Queen Street, Portsmouth, who would buy them for half their value. She was happy, the naval tailor was happy and "jack" was happy now that he had some "run ashore " monies
So, after the brief stopover, we resumed our passage south.
Ken Maltby & Robby G
outside the old NAAFI Club Gibraltar
4th June we watched as the "Rock" faded away at the stern and our bows headed into the Atlantic .
(PHOTO
5 Mess lads as we depart Gib.)
Ten days at sea lay ahead of us. This was filled in with the occasional exercise- just to keep us on our toes-the normal chores about the ship, paint this, scrub that. On one occasssion whilst scraping the old varnish off the beading that surrounded the upperdeck, Petty Officer "Joe" Mercer loaned Junior Seaman "Ken" Maltby his Seamans knife. I must point out here that PO Mercer had survived a couple of sinkings during the Second World War and on each occasion had lost all his personal effects, except his precious pussers knife, this was always held securely around his waist by a landyard. Yes, you got it! Within a couple of minutes of Matlby borrowing the knife he dropped it over the side. Have you ever seen an old sailor cry? Another party piece of this young sailor was to put a full paint-pot of ships-grey paint on top of a locker and then opening the locker.The locker opened upwards, of course! From that day to this, his nickname was Jonah!
The days are now becoming hotter and when a rain storm does appear the upperdeck is just one shower room for most of the ships company. No air conditioning on ships in 1959!
WEST AFRICA.
June 15th, a Monday we arrived at our first foreign port, ABIDJAN, the then, Capital of the French Ivory Coast. In 1959 this was a new city, only 10 or 12 years old, not many of us had even heard of the place. The local dignitaries made us welcome, ok for the wardroom and it’s cocktail parties, but for a run ashore it was very expensive.
Three days later, with a parting gift of a Pineapple apiece from the acting Prime Minister, Mr M. Mockey, we sailed for the short passage to Lagos.
June 20th, Saturday we arrive at LAGOS (Nigeria). After the modern Abidjan this specimen of a British colonial capital seemed a shade shabby. Nothing like todays more modern city. During our stay here a childrens party was put on for the locals and the normal cocktail party by the Officers was held. This party had the presence of the Oba (or King) of Lagos and his four attendant chieftains. The Oba held court in a corner of the flag deck and assured us he would mention his visit to LEOPARD in the letter he was about to write to Her Majesty the Queen.
(PHOTO A Lagos High Class Bar!)
June 23rd, Tuesday, and once again we are at sea, for an overnight passage to Port Harcourt, 40 miles up the Bonny River in Eastern Nigeria. This was to be our first attempt at river navigation. Almost the entire British community, at this small but rapidly growing town, is employed by Shell-BP or Taylor Woodrow. Both groups entertained the ships company magnificently. Dances were put on and free booze flowed endlessly! Trips were organised to view the oil wells being drilled and a hunting party for big game. The latter yielded no results. Jack the big game hunter, I think not! The Governor of Eastern Nigeria, Sir Robert de Stapleton, came to Calabar especially for our visit and took the Captain on a tour of part of the immense province under his rule. Not much of a run ashore here as leave expired at 6 pm, a curfew being enforced on the ships company. If you had a "Grippo" (local host) then maybe you could get to stay with them until midnight.
July 1st We bid farewell to all our new found friends at Calabar and head back to Lagos for a ten day period of self maintenance.
July 2nd Leopard berthed alongside, at our old berth, at the Marina Dolphins in a cloudburst at noon. We have the misfortune to be in West Africa during the rainy season. This did not help when trying to apply coats of fresh paint, for as soon as we had done so the heavens would open up. The good runs ashore made up for all this misery. Also some good swimming was had at Tarkwa Beach, just across the Lagoon.
The ships Rugby team ventured as far as Abadan a 84 mile drive, for a game, only to get thrashed, all returned with hangovers! Another group from the ship had an invite to spend a shooting weekend at an Army camp some 60 miles distant at the small garrison town of Abeokuta. On one of the shoots 14 birds were bagged. It is believed that when these unlucky fowl saw a group of hairy arsed sailors in the middle of the jungle, it was time to put up wings and surrender, or they died of a heart attack!
So our weeks in Africa came to an end, and on Monday, 13 July, we left the lowering skies of Lagos for the clearer air of the South Atlantic.
SOUTH ATLANTIC
July 15th, during the dog watches we crossed the Equator. Crossing- the- Line ceremony took place, the chief Electrician made a jovial if arbitrary monarch. With all proceedings hatched and despatched and the Equator behind us, we were henceforth going down hill; but the Engineer Officer insisted it made no difference to fuel consumption. Indeed it increased, for a few days after we left Lagos the Commander-in-Chief ordered us to accelerate, turning our 15 day passage to Rio-de-Janeiro into a 10 day one.
July 23rd we made our rendezvous with aircraft carrier HMS ALBION south of Rio and after a busy time doing plane guard as she flew aircraft off and on, we entered Rio together at 1400hrs the next day.
July 23rd Leopard gets an excellent berth in Rio, berthing at Praca Maua, right beside the Avenida Rio Branco, with ready access to everything a sailor wants. One thing he seemed to want was butterfly trays, which poured on board in profusion. This was a strictly informal visit and we had to find our own entertainment, no problems reported on this score!
July 27th The Leo sailed with ALBION and after rendezvousing with LYNX and CHICHESTER, rehearsed for the following day’s "Shopwindow" demonstration to officers of the Brazilian and Argentinian Services. Both days blessed us with perfect weather and besides LEOPARD’s own part in the demonstration, we enjoyed watching the flying from ALBION. When the demonstrations were over we re-entered Rio on Tuesday afternoon and the official part of the visit began.
This time there was no lack of entertainment provided and every day, besides a comprehensive programme of sport, there were sightseeing trips to the Sugar Loaf or Corcovado or even far afield as Petropolis, the old imperial city up in the mountains. But what really stands out in most people’s memory is the evening run ashore- after all, one doesn’t go to Rio just to play cricket!
3rd August and we say au revoir to all and that and, with half the Commander-in- Chief’s Royal Marine Band embarked, sail with the rest of the squadron, which broke up next day, ALBION (PHOTO) and CHICHESTER heading for Recife on their homeward way, while LYNX and LEOPARD made for Ascension Island, who’s summit we had sighted afar off on our way across from Lagos. But before we got to Ascension we had to face the ordeal of a walk-round by the C-in-C, who had now shifted his flag from ALBION to LYNX. We pressed on quietly in LYNX’s wake and on the Sunday morning anchored with her off Ascension.
9th August. The first thing we noticed was the persistent roll which kept us wallowing uncomfortably throughout our visit., and the second was the extraordinary bareness of the island. But once ashore and if you made your way to the summit of Green Mountain, Ascension took on a very different aspect. To ramble among the lush greenery of the mountain-top was almost like being in the heart of Devon. Lower down too, Ascension had it’s compensations. The 80- odd inhabitants, all employees of Cable and Wireless, were outstandingly friendly, and the Americans at the USAF Base (yer, we know, they get everywhere) were very generous hosts. The run ashore here was minimum, just a stretch of the ol’ sea legs was ample.
At the time of our visit the island was used by the USAF as part of their tracking system for their space programme, well so they say. During our visit LYNX and LEOPARD put to sea to track an unidentified underwater object in the area. Contact was made by both ships but soon lost due to it’s speed. The mystery contact was either a Russian sub or a whale with two or more great Evenrude outboards up it’s fantail! No further contact was made.
15th August, two days sailing from Ascension we arrived at St Helena, this presented a very different picture. Though rich and fertile, it’s cocoa-coloured cliffs lowering through the murk were forbidding in the extreme and we learnt that the mist and cloud in which the island was wrapped throughout our stay were nothing unusual; a marked contrast to the sunny skies and cooling breezes of Ascension. Once ashore you were presented with the quaint, old fashioned little settlement of Jamestown full of atmosphere and, of course reminiscences of Napoleon, not to mention two pubs. A dance was given each night we were there for the ships company, and we gave another enjoyable childrens party. A concert party was given ashore, performed by the combined ships company’s of LEOPARD and LYNX and of course the Royal Marine Band. Broadway had come to St Helena!
PHOTO Robby G is entertained by the locals at Ascension Island!
Sunday 17th August we sailed, in company with Lynx, straight into a south easterly gale which endured for four days before slowly subsiding on the fifth. It was an uncomfortable time and the ship was strangely quiet except for the constant calls for the doctor to identity a suspected albatross.
Early on Friday 21st August we at last rounded the Cape of Good Hope and eagerly scanned the mountainous slopes of the Cape Peninsular as we sailed in sparkling winter weather over the placid waters of False Bay to enter the harbour at Simonstown at 0900, this was to be our operating base, under the flag of CinC SASA, Vice Admiral Sir R. Dymock Watson.
(PHOTO Simonstown Naval Base)
We are now officially," On Station."
Part 2
We head for the South Atlantic.
May 28th was a perfect day, it was quite warm, the sun was shining on a sparkling new ship about to depart on her first trip to foreign waters.
At 1430hrs precisely we slipped our berth at Portsmouth Dockyard and sailed down harbour. Past Kings Stairs, South Railway Jetty, the Harbour Station then HMS VERNON with it’s flotilla of minesweepers and Fort Blockhouse (HMS DOLPHIN) with it’s fair share of Submarines, past Sally Port, the War Memorial and Southsea Front, and so down to Spithead, encountering our old friend the MARJAN off the Isle of Wight, we are to be away for 365 days. We wondered what will we discover during this year away!
June 2nd and the Rock of Gibraltar (PHOTO) was seen. This was a first for us younger ones but a familiar friend for the "old sea dogs" aboard. Gib was to be but a short call, two days only. Just enough time to introduce ourselves to all the bars and meet old "oppo’s"(friends) from other visiting ships. As usual as soon as the gangway was down, the first visitor is always the "naval jailers"( Naval Tailors)"Bernards, Flemmings and Blairs", with their bulging suitcases of goods costing an arm and a leg. But the usual purchases were made, payment being made by the monthly allotment that had previously been set up. Now days we call it a Standing Order. The more you allotted the more merchandise you could purchase. £5 month allowed a spend of £60, a considerable sum then. But with the 12 month away, by the time you arrived home the debt was clear, and the availability of another sixty quids worth of the "jailers" wear. I recall a good trick that many a sailor exercised if he was a little short of the "readies" (money). He would purchase, usually a pair of officers black-leather shoes, from the asaid "jailer", with the usual credit, then take the shoes to "Ma’s"- a little old lady who bought and sold second hand goods- in Queen Street, Portsmouth, who would buy them for half their value. She was happy, the naval tailor was happy and "jack" was happy now that he had some "run ashore " monies
So, after the brief stopover, we resumed our passage south.
Ken Maltby & Robby G
outside the old NAAFI Club Gibraltar
4th June we watched as the "Rock" faded away at the stern and our bows headed into the Atlantic .
(PHOTO
5 Mess lads as we depart Gib.)Ten days at sea lay ahead of us. This was filled in with the occasional exercise- just to keep us on our toes-the normal chores about the ship, paint this, scrub that. On one occasssion whilst scraping the old varnish off the beading that surrounded the upperdeck, Petty Officer "Joe" Mercer loaned Junior Seaman "Ken" Maltby his Seamans knife. I must point out here that PO Mercer had survived a couple of sinkings during the Second World War and on each occasion had lost all his personal effects, except his precious pussers knife, this was always held securely around his waist by a landyard. Yes, you got it! Within a couple of minutes of Matlby borrowing the knife he dropped it over the side. Have you ever seen an old sailor cry? Another party piece of this young sailor was to put a full paint-pot of ships-grey paint on top of a locker and then opening the locker.The locker opened upwards, of course! From that day to this, his nickname was Jonah!
The days are now becoming hotter and when a rain storm does appear the upperdeck is just one shower room for most of the ships company. No air conditioning on ships in 1959!
WEST AFRICA.
June 15th, a Monday we arrived at our first foreign port, ABIDJAN, the then, Capital of the French Ivory Coast. In 1959 this was a new city, only 10 or 12 years old, not many of us had even heard of the place. The local dignitaries made us welcome, ok for the wardroom and it’s cocktail parties, but for a run ashore it was very expensive.
Three days later, with a parting gift of a Pineapple apiece from the acting Prime Minister, Mr M. Mockey, we sailed for the short passage to Lagos.
June 20th, Saturday we arrive at LAGOS (Nigeria). After the modern Abidjan this specimen of a British colonial capital seemed a shade shabby. Nothing like todays more modern city. During our stay here a childrens party was put on for the locals and the normal cocktail party by the Officers was held. This party had the presence of the Oba (or King) of Lagos and his four attendant chieftains. The Oba held court in a corner of the flag deck and assured us he would mention his visit to LEOPARD in the letter he was about to write to Her Majesty the Queen. (PHOTO A Lagos High Class Bar!)
June 23rd, Tuesday, and once again we are at sea, for an overnight passage to Port Harcourt, 40 miles up the Bonny River in Eastern Nigeria. This was to be our first attempt at river navigation. Almost the entire British community, at this small but rapidly growing town, is employed by Shell-BP or Taylor Woodrow. Both groups entertained the ships company magnificently. Dances were put on and free booze flowed endlessly! Trips were organised to view the oil wells being drilled and a hunting party for big game. The latter yielded no results. Jack the big game hunter, I think not! The Governor of Eastern Nigeria, Sir Robert de Stapleton, came to Calabar especially for our visit and took the Captain on a tour of part of the immense province under his rule. Not much of a run ashore here as leave expired at 6 pm, a curfew being enforced on the ships company. If you had a "Grippo" (local host) then maybe you could get to stay with them until midnight.
July 1st We bid farewell to all our new found friends at Calabar and head back to Lagos for a ten day period of self maintenance.
July 2nd Leopard berthed alongside, at our old berth, at the Marina Dolphins in a cloudburst at noon. We have the misfortune to be in West Africa during the rainy season. This did not help when trying to apply coats of fresh paint, for as soon as we had done so the heavens would open up. The good runs ashore made up for all this misery. Also some good swimming was had at Tarkwa Beach, just across the Lagoon.
The ships Rugby team ventured as far as Abadan a 84 mile drive, for a game, only to get thrashed, all returned with hangovers! Another group from the ship had an invite to spend a shooting weekend at an Army camp some 60 miles distant at the small garrison town of Abeokuta. On one of the shoots 14 birds were bagged. It is believed that when these unlucky fowl saw a group of hairy arsed sailors in the middle of the jungle, it was time to put up wings and surrender, or they died of a heart attack!
So our weeks in Africa came to an end, and on Monday, 13 July, we left the lowering skies of Lagos for the clearer air of the South Atlantic.
SOUTH ATLANTIC
July 15th, during the dog watches we crossed the Equator. Crossing- the- Line ceremony took place, the chief Electrician made a jovial if arbitrary monarch. With all proceedings hatched and despatched and the Equator behind us, we were henceforth going down hill; but the Engineer Officer insisted it made no difference to fuel consumption. Indeed it increased, for a few days after we left Lagos the Commander-in-Chief ordered us to accelerate, turning our 15 day passage to Rio-de-Janeiro into a 10 day one. July 23rd we made our rendezvous with aircraft carrier HMS ALBION south of Rio and after a busy time doing plane guard as she flew aircraft off and on, we entered Rio together at 1400hrs the next day.
July 23rd Leopard gets an excellent berth in Rio, berthing at Praca Maua, right beside the Avenida Rio Branco, with ready access to everything a sailor wants. One thing he seemed to want was butterfly trays, which poured on board in profusion. This was a strictly informal visit and we had to find our own entertainment, no problems reported on this score!
July 27th The Leo sailed with ALBION and after rendezvousing with LYNX and CHICHESTER, rehearsed for the following day’s "Shopwindow" demonstration to officers of the Brazilian and Argentinian Services. Both days blessed us with perfect weather and besides LEOPARD’s own part in the demonstration, we enjoyed watching the flying from ALBION. When the demonstrations were over we re-entered Rio on Tuesday afternoon and the official part of the visit began.
This time there was no lack of entertainment provided and every day, besides a comprehensive programme of sport, there were sightseeing trips to the Sugar Loaf or Corcovado or even far afield as Petropolis, the old imperial city up in the mountains. But what really stands out in most people’s memory is the evening run ashore- after all, one doesn’t go to Rio just to play cricket!
3rd August and we say au revoir to all and that and, with half the Commander-in- Chief’s Royal Marine Band embarked, sail with the rest of the squadron, which broke up next day, ALBION (PHOTO) and CHICHESTER heading for Recife on their homeward way, while LYNX and LEOPARD made for Ascension Island, who’s summit we had sighted afar off on our way across from Lagos. But before we got to Ascension we had to face the ordeal of a walk-round by the C-in-C, who had now shifted his flag from ALBION to LYNX. We pressed on quietly in LYNX’s wake and on the Sunday morning anchored with her off Ascension. 9th August. The first thing we noticed was the persistent roll which kept us wallowing uncomfortably throughout our visit., and the second was the extraordinary bareness of the island. But once ashore and if you made your way to the summit of Green Mountain, Ascension took on a very different aspect. To ramble among the lush greenery of the mountain-top was almost like being in the heart of Devon. Lower down too, Ascension had it’s compensations. The 80- odd inhabitants, all employees of Cable and Wireless, were outstandingly friendly, and the Americans at the USAF Base (yer, we know, they get everywhere) were very generous hosts. The run ashore here was minimum, just a stretch of the ol’ sea legs was ample.
At the time of our visit the island was used by the USAF as part of their tracking system for their space programme, well so they say. During our visit LYNX and LEOPARD put to sea to track an unidentified underwater object in the area. Contact was made by both ships but soon lost due to it’s speed. The mystery contact was either a Russian sub or a whale with two or more great Evenrude outboards up it’s fantail! No further contact was made.
15th August, two days sailing from Ascension we arrived at St Helena, this presented a very different picture. Though rich and fertile, it’s cocoa-coloured cliffs lowering through the murk were forbidding in the extreme and we learnt that the mist and cloud in which the island was wrapped throughout our stay were nothing unusual; a marked contrast to the sunny skies and cooling breezes of Ascension. Once ashore you were presented with the quaint, old fashioned little settlement of Jamestown full of atmosphere and, of course reminiscences of Napoleon, not to mention two pubs. A dance was given each night we were there for the ships company, and we gave another enjoyable childrens party. A concert party was given ashore, performed by the combined ships company’s of LEOPARD and LYNX and of course the Royal Marine Band. Broadway had come to St Helena!
PHOTO Robby G is entertained by the locals at Ascension Island!
Sunday 17th August we sailed, in company with Lynx, straight into a south easterly gale which endured for four days before slowly subsiding on the fifth. It was an uncomfortable time and the ship was strangely quiet except for the constant calls for the doctor to identity a suspected albatross.
Early on Friday 21st August we at last rounded the Cape of Good Hope and eagerly scanned the mountainous slopes of the Cape Peninsular as we sailed in sparkling winter weather over the placid waters of False Bay to enter the harbour at Simonstown at 0900, this was to be our operating base, under the flag of CinC SASA, Vice Admiral Sir R. Dymock Watson. (PHOTO Simonstown Naval Base)
We are now officially," On Station."