Lisburn Exiles Forum

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Living it up Ashore

One of the best nights out I ever had in my Navy days was in Hong Kong, I was on the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney and we had just finished a tour of operations off the Korean coast. We had relieved the Royal navy carrier HMS Glory which went to Sydney Australia for a much needed refit as it had been operating off the Korean coast for six months.

I had arranged with a lisburn guy who was stationed in Hong Kong with the Royal Navy to meet him and another Lisburn guy who was on HMS Glory and which was on its way back from Australia to Korea but also stopping in Hong Kong for a couple of days.

Well the three of us met up and remember we were all 21years old so off on the town we went, first to the Fleet Club in Hong Kong then across by ferry to Kowloon where we hired two rickshaws,first to a couple of cheap bars then we decided to hit the Peninsular Hotel"s cocktail bar and thats where we finished the night, one guy passed out and we had to load him on to the rickshaw for the trip to the ferry and back to mainland Hong Kong.

Would you belive I never did see those guys again untill years later one in Jakie Corken's pub in Lisburn and the other in Canada where he had immigrated too after his Navy service. I have not mentioned any names but am sure if either one of them reads this they know who I am talking about. Mauri

Re: Living it up Ashore

Mauri, the craic must have been brilliant that night ,21 years old single and in Hong Kong ,what memories to relive ,some adventure, Regards Ted

Re: Living it up Ashore

Yes it was some night Ted??, also in Hong Kong visiting ships were swarmed with local tailors selling their wares including made to measure suits,some good some bad.? I was measured up for a civilian suit the first day there, he came back the second day for me to finalize the measurements and brought me back the new suit the third day all for less than ten pounds.

Well we arrived back in Australia and I went on leave to Adelaide and was walking down Rundle street which is the main shopping street there, when a lady tapped me on my shoulder and said Son your pants are coming apart at the back, and sure enough my suit was coming apart so had to hail a taxi and back to my Uncle's house to change.

I should add that the next time I was in Hong Kong on another ship, we had a tailor live on board the whole ten months we were in the Far East and Japan and Korea and I had some excellant tailor made clothes made on board. Mauri