A three piece article in the Saturday Toronto Star about Antartica brought back memories for me having been down there way back in 1948 on the cruiser HMS Nigeria. We were based in Simonstown South Africa when we we were ordered to sail for the Faulkland Islands and then down to several British Scientific bases in the Antartic where Chiliean and Argentina ships and personnel had been spotted. After a very stormy trip we arrived in Port Stanley and met up with two other Royal navy ships which had arrived from the West Indies.
The three ships then headed south into the Antartic to see what was going on. Our first stop was Deception Island which is a small hilly island with a small entrance into the bay. The other two ships went in while we lay outside to watch and sure enough two Argentina ships started to come out but seeing us turned round and went back in, we then proceeded in and as a courtesy to the Argentians fired a gun salute which started an avalance on the surrounding slopes.
It was interesting to read in the Star article that Deception Island is now under Argentian control and that China, Russia and several other countries now have bases down there
We also went to Melchor Bay and one other place whose name I can't remember.
One memory that stands out was the extreme cold and the thick ice that we had problems with keeping our propellars free
On the return trip to South Africa we called in the Volcanic Island of Tristan Da Chuna where I always remember they had a newspaper that sold for 2 halfpennys or two potatoes.and of course in the early 60s I think it was Tristan Da Chuna was evacuated because the Volcano erupted. That's All folks. Mauri

Mauri,

A very interesting article, you certaintly had a life of great adventure at sea. I remember the eruption of Tristan de Cuna (as we called it) & thought it was a lovely name, conjuring up a South Sea Island in the sun.

Shows how a name can mislead. Pat

Mauri You never fail to impress me with your wanderings and the amount of the globe you have covered ,Thanks for sharing them with us it feels like a bonus when they appear .Kind Regards Ted

Pat,Ted, At the start of my story I should have said Three Page Article not three piece.

A couple of other interesting incidents happened on that trip, we were anchored in Port Stanley harbour when one of the ship's small boats crew slipped climbing the Jacob's ladder up to the small boats boom and fell into the water,he managed to cling to a line but because of the heavy oilskins he was wearing couldn't swim and was in danger of being washed away when a Chief Petty Officer dived in from the ship and despite the heavy seas grabbed hold of him and swam with him to the ships gangway which reached down to the water. For this he was awarded the Albert Medal later changed to the George Cross which is now on view in the War Museam in London.
Also on the outward trip from South Africa myself and another guy both of us terribly sea sick went out on deck for some fresh air,but just as I stepped outside a giant wave hit the ship and washed me across to the other side and but for the guard rails I wouldn't be here today. Strangely enough I was never sea sick again, the shock of that ice cold wave hitting me knocked it right out of me. Mauri

Brilliant, Maurie!

Mauri, I will have to read your latest nautical adventure later. No doubt it will be every bit as interesting as the others. Very shortly I will be taking my computer up to PC World to have it examined. It has become very slow and is driving me mad. SO, will let you have my comments later.

Liz,Ann.Pat,Ted, Thank you all for your kind comments and Liz I did enjoy your descriptive walk. Mauri

Mauri

Glad to hear that you and some other people enjoyed the walk with me. I will be walking that walk in my mind for the rest of my life, but hope I may one day walk it again, and see what has happened to the mill. As far as I could see there are new houses being built near the site, I wonder will it be a new estate if the mill is demolished.

Liz, Talking about mills, is the Island Mill still there you would have passed that on your walk, we used to practice with the CLB drum and bugle band there during the war,sometimes in the dining room other times marching round the grounds,for a time a unit of the American Army was living in the old Millbrook Mill and they used to cheer us as we passed by. Just wondering?? Mauri

Mauri

If it is I didn't recognise it as such, perhaps a Countydowner would be able to tell us more.

Mauri and Liz, the Lisburn Civic Centre is now on the site of the Island Mill.

Thanks Ann, Time marches on, I had an idea that the Island Mill was long gone especially with the odd picture I have seen of the Civic Centre etc. Mauri

Mauri, I read your article and enjoyed it very much indeed. By the way, I didn't mekan to put in that "ha ha" caption to my previous post. A slip of the finger.