Memories 1964 – 1966 Commission
27th Escort Squadron
Mech Jan Hibbard
Mech1 Jan Hibbard wrote that he remembers the MEO Lieut David Oddie who left the ship in Mombasa mid ’66. Other members of the ME Department were the Chief Tiff Norman Wright, ERA’s Charley Thistleton, Ben Williams, Bill Shirtliffe, Mech Fred West ? Jones, POMEs Frank Malone DSM, Frank Johnson, Mac McGillvary, Tommo Thompson, Ginger Scott, Dusty Millar. There were of course others but after 40 odd years my memory is a little dim! Cox’n Blood Reid, larger than life, the stories of him are legion.
Jimmy was Nigel Kennedy and of course Cdr Martin Sands relieved Cdr George Brewer about halfway through. Times change, but ships like Carysfort gave us a damn good grounding for life! It’s good to have this site, really no more than the old girl deserves, she was special.
Dave (Swifty) Swinford
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.
Seychelles Incident
The following article is displayed as received from ex AB Joe (Basher) Bates in July 2011 and the author Commander Martin Sands who wrote it 30 years earlier in 1981 has kindly given his permission for it to be included in the website.
I served as a Surgeon Lieutenant in Carysfort during the epidemic in the Seychelles. I flew in from Gurkha and immediately got to work sorting out the infection that had affected about 35 sailors. When all were better we went to Aden for clearance of secondary carriers and then when all were identified and treated we sailed for Mombasa encountering heavy weather on the way. One sailor developed an acute abdomen which was operated on in Mombasa with success. Off to the Beira patrol where sadly I left to transfer to Leopard. I will never forget the send off under an arch of SH*T sample pots and the present of a string of onions!
I served in many ships and sorted out a few problems but I will always have a special place in my heart for Carysfort, its great ships company and Commander Martin Sands who was a great leader.
Laurence Measey ( sometimes known as ‘Harry’.) – 2 August 2011
Copy of the signal and a local newspaper clipping reporting the enteritis epidemic in June 1966 provided by Lieutenant P C D Norman RN who was Supply Officer in HMS Carysfort at that time. (Many thanks for this.)
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ROUTINE 260526Z
FROM CARYSFORT
TO M.O.D. (NAVY)
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UNCLASSIFIED. RTT FOR DPR.
OF 35 PERSONNEL FROM CARYSFORT CONFINED ISOLATION WARDS IN VICTORIA GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL SEYCHELLES WITH ACUTE ENTERITIS INFECTION WHICH HAS QUARANTINED THE SHIP ABOUT HALF ARE ALLOWED UP AND OCCUPIED IN IMPROVEMENTS TO HOSPITAL.
PATIENTS HAVE RADIO LINK WITH SHIP USED MAINLY FOR ARRANGING DAILY SUPPLIES OF SHIPS FOOD TO SUIT MATRONS DIET SHEET.
LATEST STORES DEMAND FROM PATIENTS INCLUDED ONE TOOTHBRUSH, ONE WATCH LEFT IN OVERALLS, 5 GALLONS OF PAINT, WHITE SPIRIT, 50 YARDS ELECTRIC CABLE, AVOMETER, SANDPAPER, SCREWS AND TIMBER.
INTEREST SPREADING TO HOSPITAL GARDEN AND REPAIR OF EQUIPMENT FROM TB SANITORIUM NEARBY.
NUMBER OF FRESH CASES INDICATED EPIDEMIC SLOWLY DIMINISHING. ONBOARD SHIP ANCHORED CLOSE BUT ISOLATED FROM SHORES: MANY PASTIMES ORGANISED INCLUDING FISHING COMPETITION. BIGGEST SO FAR 7 LBS BUT MONSTERS ESCAPE DAILY.
DESPITE EPIDEMIC SHIP REMAINS READY TO LAND ARMED PLATOON IF SECURITY SITUATION IN SEYCHELLES DETERIORATED.
PRECAUTIONS ONBOARD INCLUDE STRINGENT HYGIENE MEASURES TO PREVENT CROSS- INFECTION AMONGST THE 160 PERSONNEL REMAINING WELL.
50 DISAPPOINTED RATINGS DUE TO FLY HOME FOR LEAVE ON 28 JUNE AFTER 2 ½ YEARS ONBOARD MUST WAIT UNTIL INFECTION FINALLY ELIMINATED.
CAUSE UNDER URGENT INVESTIGATION AND SOME POINTERS EMERGING.
DTG …260526Z/JUNE 66
The following was taken from a magazine article:
The year 1966 saw, for the first time in the history of Seychelles, a May Day procession. The protests against poor working and living conditions were gaining momentum. At the beginning of the year the workers who were employed by the W&C French construction company and who were members of the Transport and General Workers Union went on an unofficial strike. The Union officials had to ask them to call off the strike though the officials wrote to government to ask for an increase in wages of labourers working for government. However, in June the colony was on the verge of a national strike. Thousands of workers belonging to the Transport and General Workers Union and the newly-formed Building and Construction Workers Union joined the strike which had been sparked by a government’s offer of a wage increase of only 11%. The unions had been asking for a 40% increase as the cost of living was said to have risen by almost 100% over the recent years. As the strike extended to the other main islands, Praslin and La Digue, the country was virtually paralysed with only the essential services running. It was then that the colonial authorities called for the British troops to intervene and a contingent armed with rifles and bayonets were landed from the warship, HMS Carysfort, which arrived from Mombasa. Police had already been given orders to arrest people assembling in any public places. An agreement was finally reached as the workers returned to work and none were dismissed. They were awarded a 28% pay rise though there was much delay in awarding it. Meanwhile, at the United Nations there was a strong protest against the British ‘gun-boat policy’.
A/CPO Coxswain Blood Reid BEM
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