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- HMS Leopard 1st Commission
HMS Leopard 1st Commission
- By Robby G
- Published 05/6/2008
- HMS Leopard
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Rating:
Part 3
SOUTH AFRICA
Simonstown
21st August . The unseasonably warm winter made our first days in South Africa a joy and it was not before long to make friends ashore and find a roof- if only that of Daryls nightclub in Capetown or The Lord Nelson pub here at Simonstown- to shelter us from the less pleasant weather which later set in when the winter reverted to normal.
(Simon's Town is a Naval village named after Governor Simon van de Stel who recommended that the town be used as a winter anchorage due to it being more sheltered than Table Bay.)
Under the direction of Baron van Imhoff the port was officially established in 1743. In 1814 the Royal Navy took over Simon's Town as its South Atlantic Station until the Base was handed over to the SA Navy in 1957.
Simonstown is located on the NW side of False Bay, some 15 miles North of the Cape of Good Hope
The first fortnight at the Cape was spent on a much need self maintenance, all this done and bits and pieces put back together, hopefully, in the right order, it was time for a bit of sea time.
PHOTO HM S/M Acheron
4th September, once again in company with LYNX we sailed for exercise Capex 1960. We made our rendezvous with the South African Frigates VRYSTAAT and GOOD HOPE and sailed northward to meet HM Submarine ACHERON, which was on her way out from the UK to give us all some Anti Submarine practice.
It was on the Saturday morning, that a memorable dialogue, took place, between the Officer of the Watch and the Starboard lookout, it went something like this:
Look-out: Ship bearing green three-oh, sir
O.O.W: Very good. Which way is she going?
Look-out: (after agonising pause, to solve this complicated problem): Forward, sir.
Now more than forty years later I will now divulge that this was the reply of the one and only "Jonah" Maltby, whom I might add, has been an oppo of mine for nearly fifty years ( Sadly Ken died in 2004, RIP, mate)
. .
The first week of Capex consisted of mainly A/S manouvering exercises and after eight days of this we re-entered Simonstown on Saturday 12 th. And spent the following week in harbour.
21st August, we are off again for more exercises. After only a few days our part of the exercise was tragically cut short by the sudden illness of the late OA Kelly, who was rushed to the City Fever Hospital in Capetown with Poliomyelitis.
Bernard, aged only 23, was flown home to the UK by the specially dispatched, Royal Air Force Comet, Pegasus,of 218 Squadron. Saddly, Bernard died just a few days prior to the ships return to the UK. This was a blow to all of us, as we felt sure he was going to pull through. A sad epilogue to what had been a wonderful trip.
In order to prevent undue strain weakening the physical resistance of the ships company to this dreadful disease it was decided that we should be withdrawn from Capex for the time being. Instead we began an open –air campaign to keep health at it’s peak. Bathing parties to Fishoek and Seaforth beaches, sailing and fishing was the order of the day. All played their part in the prevention of further cases of Polio from breaking out.
During this period LEOPARD was tucked away in the corner of Simonstown dockyard, flying the Quarantine Flag. All the same after ten days of this enforced "rest", some of the weaker spirits reckoned it high time we went back to sea- to recuperate!
When was the last time a warship flew the Quarantine Flag and has one been flown since?
8th October we sailed to join the rest of the fleet, which now included the Portuguese frigates NUNO TRISTAO and DIEGO GOMEZ, for the final serials of Capex. It was during this part of the exercise that we encountered, what was to prove, the most violent weather of the commission. With intense wind and waves we just battled it out. Although
fitted with stabilizers these were unable to help control the ships movement completely. On this day I wished I was a submariner, no doubt the boys on ACHERON were having a little snigger.
Next break from the exercise resulted in a visit to East London. I think this was wholly the Captains choice as a port of call as his parents were there. His parents were on the jetty to welcome him "home".
I must point out at this point that the Captain, unless it was absolutely necessary, would refuse the assistance of tugs, when berthing. This was mainly because he did not want these dirty, filthy, push and shovvers to mess up our usually gleaming paint-work, also he was a bloody good at this type of seamanship. Always smooth dockings and departures. Except, here at East London, where the mostly wooden (thankfully) jetty, received Leopard alongside with a little more than the usual "kiss". No damage to either, only I think to the Captains pride. Mum and Dad probably saying, "Bob can’t be driving today!"
On our first afternoon there, the bright blue skies vanished behind great blackening skies. Seconds later the hail came. We had never seen hailstones like it, the size of golf balls, and as they hit the corrugated roofs of some of the houses, it sounded like the chatter of a machine gun. A most impressive storm, luckily short lived.
SAS Good Hope (Loch Class) (PHOTO)
12th October, a bright Monday morning, we slipped East London for continuance of exercise and passage to Durban. This was to be three and a half day’s of continual convoy screening exercises. For the first serial our task was that of a raiding cruiser and we were detached to make a night attack on the rest of the force, which now included the Royal Fleet Auxillary WAVE KNIGHT,(PHOTO) (who by the end of the commission, was to be an old friend). Given the armament we should have had for this role, we feel we would have inflicted severe damage on the Blue forces, but who knows?
A series of submarine attacks with screening and replenishment exercises followed and we were subjected to conditions very similar to those experienced by convoy escorts in war. We took part in a classic hunter/killer group attack on ACHERON, with NUNO TRISAO as our consort, which resulted in an almost certain "kill", while the South Africans made similar claims.
On completion of the exercise, the senior ship, VRYSTAAT, ordered a free- for –all for Durban harbour. We connected all engines and with "arse end down" headed for Durban. We were no match for the old Type 15 VRYSTAAT, but not far behind as we approached Durban Bluff. Inside after much ado, we were finally given a berth far down the harbour at Maydon Wharf.
15th October. Durban. What a good run ashore this was to be. The Zulu rickshaw, with the driver/puller dressed in all his refinery only to be seen sitting in the back whilst jack tar doing the leg work! Twelve days were spent here and there is little to be said about Durban. The reason is simple; so well did it live up to it’s reputation for entertaining the Navy, and so thoroughly did innumerable families "adopt" officers and ratings, that every man has his own memories of this wonderful place. The only memory that all have in common is the colossal dance given in the City Hall for all the visiting ships. One of my good memories was the free invite by Tessie O’shea, (the singer and comedian) to her show in the Ivy Room at the Edenroc Hotel, she even rang the ship to get me an extension of leave (I was on Cinderella leave at the time).
Another memory shared by a favoured few is that of an expedition to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, flying to the reserve from the Durban Aero Cub.
21st October, (Trafalgar Day) LXNX sailed for home. She had done her stint as the Guardship of the South Atlantic, now we had relieved her, and it was our turn. No sooner had she sailed we appropriated her berth on T Jetty, with ACHERON alongside, and settled down for the remaining week.
The only flaw in Durban had been the damp moist unpleasant weather, but toward the end it did buck up a little. Even so Durban would be high on our list for any future visit.
28th October. Flying the flag of the CinC SA we departed wonderful Durban, forsaking South Africa for the time being in favour of the lonely isles of the romantic-sounding Sea of Zanj.
SOUTH AFRICA
Simonstown
21st August . The unseasonably warm winter made our first days in South Africa a joy and it was not before long to make friends ashore and find a roof- if only that of Daryls nightclub in Capetown or The Lord Nelson pub here at Simonstown- to shelter us from the less pleasant weather which later set in when the winter reverted to normal.
(Simon's Town is a Naval village named after Governor Simon van de Stel who recommended that the town be used as a winter anchorage due to it being more sheltered than Table Bay.)
Under the direction of Baron van Imhoff the port was officially established in 1743. In 1814 the Royal Navy took over Simon's Town as its South Atlantic Station until the Base was handed over to the SA Navy in 1957. Simonstown is located on the NW side of False Bay, some 15 miles North of the Cape of Good Hope
The first fortnight at the Cape was spent on a much need self maintenance, all this done and bits and pieces put back together, hopefully, in the right order, it was time for a bit of sea time.
PHOTO HM S/M Acheron
4th September, once again in company with LYNX we sailed for exercise Capex 1960. We made our rendezvous with the South African Frigates VRYSTAAT and GOOD HOPE and sailed northward to meet HM Submarine ACHERON, which was on her way out from the UK to give us all some Anti Submarine practice.
It was on the Saturday morning, that a memorable dialogue, took place, between the Officer of the Watch and the Starboard lookout, it went something like this:
Look-out: Ship bearing green three-oh, sir
O.O.W: Very good. Which way is she going?
Look-out: (after agonising pause, to solve this complicated problem): Forward, sir.
Now more than forty years later I will now divulge that this was the reply of the one and only "Jonah" Maltby, whom I might add, has been an oppo of mine for nearly fifty years ( Sadly Ken died in 2004, RIP, mate)
. .
The first week of Capex consisted of mainly A/S manouvering exercises and after eight days of this we re-entered Simonstown on Saturday 12 th. And spent the following week in harbour.
21st August, we are off again for more exercises. After only a few days our part of the exercise was tragically cut short by the sudden illness of the late OA Kelly, who was rushed to the City Fever Hospital in Capetown with Poliomyelitis.
Bernard, aged only 23, was flown home to the UK by the specially dispatched, Royal Air Force Comet, Pegasus,of 218 Squadron. Saddly, Bernard died just a few days prior to the ships return to the UK. This was a blow to all of us, as we felt sure he was going to pull through. A sad epilogue to what had been a wonderful trip.
In order to prevent undue strain weakening the physical resistance of the ships company to this dreadful disease it was decided that we should be withdrawn from Capex for the time being. Instead we began an open –air campaign to keep health at it’s peak. Bathing parties to Fishoek and Seaforth beaches, sailing and fishing was the order of the day. All played their part in the prevention of further cases of Polio from breaking out.During this period LEOPARD was tucked away in the corner of Simonstown dockyard, flying the Quarantine Flag. All the same after ten days of this enforced "rest", some of the weaker spirits reckoned it high time we went back to sea- to recuperate!
When was the last time a warship flew the Quarantine Flag and has one been flown since?
8th October we sailed to join the rest of the fleet, which now included the Portuguese frigates NUNO TRISTAO and DIEGO GOMEZ, for the final serials of Capex. It was during this part of the exercise that we encountered, what was to prove, the most violent weather of the commission. With intense wind and waves we just battled it out. Although
Next break from the exercise resulted in a visit to East London. I think this was wholly the Captains choice as a port of call as his parents were there. His parents were on the jetty to welcome him "home".
I must point out at this point that the Captain, unless it was absolutely necessary, would refuse the assistance of tugs, when berthing. This was mainly because he did not want these dirty, filthy, push and shovvers to mess up our usually gleaming paint-work, also he was a bloody good at this type of seamanship. Always smooth dockings and departures. Except, here at East London, where the mostly wooden (thankfully) jetty, received Leopard alongside with a little more than the usual "kiss". No damage to either, only I think to the Captains pride. Mum and Dad probably saying, "Bob can’t be driving today!"
On our first afternoon there, the bright blue skies vanished behind great blackening skies. Seconds later the hail came. We had never seen hailstones like it, the size of golf balls, and as they hit the corrugated roofs of some of the houses, it sounded like the chatter of a machine gun. A most impressive storm, luckily short lived. SAS Good Hope (Loch Class) (PHOTO)
12th October, a bright Monday morning, we slipped East London for continuance of exercise and passage to Durban. This was to be three and a half day’s of continual convoy screening exercises. For the first serial our task was that of a raiding cruiser and we were detached to make a night attack on the rest of the force, which now included the Royal Fleet Auxillary WAVE KNIGHT,(PHOTO) (who by the end of the commission, was to be an old friend). Given the armament we should have had for this role, we feel we would have inflicted severe damage on the Blue forces, but who knows?
A series of submarine attacks with screening and replenishment exercises followed and we were subjected to conditions very similar to those experienced by convoy escorts in war. We took part in a classic hunter/killer group attack on ACHERON, with NUNO TRISAO as our consort, which resulted in an almost certain "kill", while the South Africans made similar claims.
On completion of the exercise, the senior ship, VRYSTAAT, ordered a free- for –all for Durban harbour. We connected all engines and with "arse end down" headed for Durban. We were no match for the old Type 15 VRYSTAAT, but not far behind as we approached Durban Bluff. Inside after much ado, we were finally given a berth far down the harbour at Maydon Wharf.
15th October. Durban. What a good run ashore this was to be. The Zulu rickshaw, with the driver/puller dressed in all his refinery only to be seen sitting in the back whilst jack tar doing the leg work! Twelve days were spent here and there is little to be said about Durban. The reason is simple; so well did it live up to it’s reputation for entertaining the Navy, and so thoroughly did innumerable families "adopt" officers and ratings, that every man has his own memories of this wonderful place. The only memory that all have in common is the colossal dance given in the City Hall for all the visiting ships. One of my good memories was the free invite by Tessie O’shea, (the singer and comedian) to her show in the Ivy Room at the Edenroc Hotel, she even rang the ship to get me an extension of leave (I was on Cinderella leave at the time). Another memory shared by a favoured few is that of an expedition to the Hluhluwe Game Reserve, flying to the reserve from the Durban Aero Cub.
21st October, (Trafalgar Day) LXNX sailed for home. She had done her stint as the Guardship of the South Atlantic, now we had relieved her, and it was our turn. No sooner had she sailed we appropriated her berth on T Jetty, with ACHERON alongside, and settled down for the remaining week.
The only flaw in Durban had been the damp moist unpleasant weather, but toward the end it did buck up a little. Even so Durban would be high on our list for any future visit.
28th October. Flying the flag of the CinC SA we departed wonderful Durban, forsaking South Africa for the time being in favour of the lonely isles of the romantic-sounding Sea of Zanj.