Just been watching a TV show about the US navy setting up a base in the Antartic which brought back memories for me as in January 1948 while stationed in South Africa on the cruiser HMS Nigeria we were ordered to prepare the ship for war and proceed to the Antartic and Faukland islands as Argentina and Chile were trespassing on British base's in the Antartic.

After a very rough crossing across the South Atlantic in which I nearly got washed overboard we arrived in Port Stanley and then proceeded down into the Antartic to Admiralty Bay, Melchoir Bay and Deception Isand and sending a armed landing party to hand out offical British Goverment protests on each base the trespassers were located.

It was not too many years later that Argentina invaded the Faulklands,but that is another story.

On the way back to South Africa we called in Tristan Da Chuna reputed to be the most lonely island in the world,in fact I had for years a copy of the local newspaper I got there, the price was one penny or two potatoes. Mauri

Morning Mauri,The thought of going overboard would fill me like most people with dread ,and it crossed my mind did you ever serve on a vessel and experienced this situation ? It must have a horrible effect on the whole ships company ,I am sure you didn't sleep to well that night heading for Antarctica when you cheated Neptune ! Regards Ted

Hi Ted, Yes getting washed over board was always a concern especially on smaller ships, on my first ship the cruiser "Nigeria" while on our way from South Africa to the Falkland Islands I very nearly was washed overboard, being seasick, myself and another guy went up on the after deck for some fresh air but as we opened the steel door and I stepped out the ship rolled violently and a huge wave hit me and washed me through the torpedo tubes to the other side of the ship where I got tangled up in the guard rails which saved me from going overboard or I would still have been in the South Atlantic now, I was never sea sick again??? Mauri

Mauri Somebody up there likes you ,you scare the hell out of me, Regards Ted

Ted, At the risk of bragging but the "Nigeria" experienc was nothing compared to the two typhoons I went through in the Yellow sea, the first one on the aircraft carrier "HMAS Sydney' in 1951 during the Korean War and the second one on passage from Hong Kong to Korea on the little 1200 ton frigate HMAS Murchison when we nearly turned right over and the first time I heard young sailors screaming in terror.??? Mauri