Santona

[anthony poutch]

thank you for the warm welcome lads ,I have been in drydock for awhile but back to full health now .

[Iain Gibson]

Just a quick post for all Headline Folk.You tube has 3 great videos of Headline ships sailing up the great Lakes. Information courtesy of Suzanne's headline page on facebook.
Carrigan Head1967 / MV Santona / the torr head.
Great viewing, and a Nostalgic trip down memory lane.
Hope this information is of interest to you all.

[Jim Holmes]

Greetings Brian, I'm doing a little research for a friend, her father, Alan Gray, was the Radio Officer on the Santona from October 1968 until February 1973. Alan is suffering from Dementia and is quite frail and poorly, we are trying to see if he is eligible for a MN Veterans badge which would give him a boost, your comment about NAAFI stores looked interesting as it may meet the criteria required. Did you support the British Forces in any other way, for example during the Irish troubles?
Regards,
Jim Holmes MNA Glasgow

[Ivan Cloherty]

The Irish situation will not be eligible for a Veterans Badge, nor will taking NAAFI stores out to Cyprus in the 70's

Veterans Badges would be issued for WWII, Korea 1950's, Suez 1956, Falklands. Although British MN ships were involved in Vietnam they also would not be eligible, The Vets badge is issued to those serving on MN vessels in support of British Troops expeditionary operations. As far as I am aware those vessels carrying Forces 'materiele' for Afghanistan are not eligible as those cargoes transitted via Pakistan which was not in the conflict.

[j.sabourn]

#14 I never had a MN badge, and a couple of years ago the MNI were giving them away free so I applied . came back by return of post with an accompanying receipt from the MOD it was a veterans badge , so the mod will keep records . However I worked in a Naval Party from 79 - 83 Also took 1 Armed Naval vessel out on 3 days sea trials among a few other jobs that the navy does unbeknown to most shore people. I have my name engraved on the back of it as proof of ownership don’t want any ragamuffin wearing and fooling people do we. Cheers JS
Des with the badge came as per copy..

Ministry of Defense.

With the Compliments of the Minister for Defense Personnel, Welfare and Veterans.

This UK Merchant Seafarers Veterans Badge is presented to you in recognition of your contribution to HM Armed Forces military operations .

Ministry Of Defense, Whitehall. LondonSW 1A 2 HB

Never did get the ordinary MN badge still waiting
JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I got mine for serving on the R.F.A. Wave Baron.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Des in one of my out of sight jobs was one of two masters doing 12 hour shifts on a converted supply vessel to a vessel running around the Falklands against infiltrations to the Islands . She was armed with two bofors one each Side of the wheelhouse just Naval seamen on board , the naval officers waiting for the ship to be accepted .During the course of the acceptance the bofors were tested on a drone being towed by an aircraft , the two assault boats. Which had Royal marine crews , were tested , the portable machine guns around the wheelhouse were tested , the body heat machine to show up insurgents at 3 miles was tested , numerous tests on ER speeds , in charge of the E.R. at the time was a navy Chief stoker plus the shipyard manager. The Red battle accomodation lights were tested in the middle of the night . When testing the bofors guns one of the shells got caught in the breech and fell on the deck , the ships cooks who manned the gun scattered I came out of the wheelhouse to see what the other noise was all about and saw this object rolling in the scupper marking all of the new paint work so picked it up and threw it over the side . That was a live round said one of the cooks you shouldn’t have touched it . Today he would probably say you are destroying our heritage by dirtying the ocean and would probably be fined for littering. Anyhow when the ship was accepted. And the RAF plane had flown over and taken the official pictures of the vessel , I phoned down to her new official Commander to tell him the vessel was now all his. OK John he said just hand over to the chief Coxn and pop in for a noggin on your way down. One of the better parts of a seagoing life. Cheers JS
Just for interest the Sergeant major of marines was the same bloke who was just about the first casualty in the war when he had to surrender the small detachment of Marines stationed at the whaling Island by Argentinos in superior force who landed incognito in force before the war officially was declared , he couldn’t wait to get back down amongst it .JS

[j.sabourn]

Error #15 for MNI read MNA JS

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Error #15 for MNI read MNA JS....

[cappy]

I was in the local vindi association and was asked to give a record of ships and dates ......got a letter from the government and a veterans badge .....dont think i ever new for what that was offered but can recall carrying ammunitions to both aden..... and cyprus when makarious was carrying on....wasnt at suez or vietnam .....R683532