FLAGGED OFF

[John Adamson]

When I was in Hain-Nourse, some of the ex-Nourse ships got their crews from the little island of Minicoy, excellent seaman.

[j.sabourn]

The ones we got were from Bombay or Mumbai as it is now called. As in my time they had to bring their chest X-ray plates with them, it was obvious that most of these did not belong to the bearer, so must have been an ongoing trade in Bombay. I wouldnt know how much bribery went on for some of these poor blokes, but a lot would never have got past a Federation Doctor, and you know what standards some of them had. Cheers John Sabourn.

[Lou Barron]

Dipping the Red Ensign was a regular thing during the war and sometimes it ended up with the bridgeboy doing it .I can remember doing that a couple of times

[Robert T. Bush]

Just like Nourse the Asiatic S.N.C had Minicoy deck crews. They were known as Kyboos. Not only were they good seamen they were boat builders too and sailed their ships as far as Calcutta.

Our ships sometimes stopped off Minicoy and the Master went ashore in a lifeboat to act as a sort of magistrate. The local boats came out with fish and with coconut husks for scouring the decks. They brought a sewing machine on board and made their own clothes. A few of them worked on BI ships and they manned the Bombay Pilot vessel. Our Secunnies came from East Bengal but the Deck Serang and Tindal were from Minicoy.