Buenos Aires

[j.sabourn]

How many managed to keep out of the clutches of the Vigilantes (Police) after a night of whooping it up down 25 De Mayo. B.A. was always a clean looking city courtesy of the various seafarers who landed up in clink after being picked up by the authoritys. It must have been worked out by the city fathers that it was a very efficient and cheap way of doing so. Many were picked up not for any misdeamours but just for being around the clubs in the early hours of the morning. However it might in some cases have been a good thing to keep them away from that South Dock. I remember a Norwegian seaman was mugged by some of the locals, he thought he would have a go and lost his arm by a machete. Maybe it was better doing a couple of hours street cleaning instead. The marineros or dock police were always searching you for cigarettes when going ashore as seem to remember you were restricted on how many you had, the excuse being that you were selling ashore, so took off you any excess they said you had. I suppose all these countrys that werent very honest to our way of thinking, maybe now have changed due to the large amount of tourism these days, as in the days I am talking about tourists were a very rare sight. This applies to other countries and ports in our nowadays very small world. Regards John Sabourn

[Captain Kong]

B.A. was always place kept clean by the Seafarer.
Two of us were picked by the Vigies, very painful, and spent a night in the cells in the Calabozo, One night Charlie Williams and I were in the Lighthouse Bar at 3 in the morning, the only customers left. He thought it was a good idea to take some of the ash trays back to the ship, so we put a few down the inside of our shirts The bar staff were watching as these two stupid plonkies then started to collect table cloths and stuffing them down into their shirts.
I saw the Bar Tender shouting for the Vigilantes through the door, I shouted to Charlie, put them back the Vigies are coming. Charlie opened the top of a piano and we stuffed the table cloths and ash trays in the top.
The Vigies charged in and started to search us and they found one ash tray left in Charlie`s shirt. That is when the fun started.
We were dragged outside and flung to the deck and then they started to batter us with their rifle butts. I can say it was extremely painful. Then a paddy wagon arrived and we were flung into it covered in blood from cut heads and noses.
We were taken down to the Calabozo and searched, all our money, watches, cigarettes and lighters were taken off us, never to be seen again.
At six am we were pulled out of the cell and taken to the stables and told to clean out all the horse manure and scrub it out and then wash the arses of the horses and brush them down. Very difficult when you have a massive hang over exacerbated with a battered and swollen head covered in dried blood. At nine o`clock they let us out and we staggered back to the ship and turned in.
Some of the other lads who were picked up off the Calle Viente Cinco, after a night in the Calabozo were given a Yellow smock to wear and a cart with brush and shovel and made to sweep the Avenida to the amusement of all the passers by.
I went back to B.A. in 2009 on my way to the Antarctic and we stayed there for three days, I went all the way down the Calle Viente Cinco de Mayo, Not one bar, all gone, just shops hotels and Offices, very respectable. So I dont know who cleans the streets today. There were no bars in the City, only in La Boca, which had not changed too much. If you want a drink in the City now you have to go to a Hotel, very respectable.
The only Vigilantes I saw was in the Square outside the Pink Palace, every Thursday hundreds of relatives of the disapeared Deschemisadoes, the shirtless ones, 15,000 disapeared, all the relatives assemble in a silent protest with large photos of the loved ones and the square is lined shoulder to shoulder all the way round by the Vigies, still armed to the teeth to contain them, they have been doing that for years.
Here is a young lady I met in La Boca, in 2009, SHE was not amused, I got a hard time after.
Cheers Brian

[Jim Brady]

I was galley boy on the "Millais" the pantry boy and myself ended up in the Anchor Bar,how we ended up in there I dont know as all you BA guys know that bar is for old firemen and sailors.Two of us sitting at the bar I ordered dos cerveza,barman refused my money,pantryboy orderd took his money,I orderd refused my money.Whats going on here we thought,OK I'l just order,sat there all night did'nt pay a peso,I even orderd a round for the crowd about 12 in total still no passa platta. I fell asleep it must've been like a power nap I woke up sober as a judge.Time to go a big German (resident in BA) standing at the end of the bar grabbed my arm and said your coming with me who do you think has been paying for the beer all night back to my hotel you are going.If you dont let go of my arm i said I will call the men from over there,he released me and said dont you come in here again an d do that.I think that incident led upto what happened later.Maybe this guy was high up in the police.When we got back to Dock Sud the Vigi's came behind us and attacked me only,smacking me across the ears and giving me the odd smack with the baton.I walked away from the pantry boy and they all followed me,one gave me a kick where it hurts he did'nt connect I pretended he did and dropped to the floor.He then drew his gun and he was pointing it at me whilst they all laughed,imagine that when your a kid,I put my hands above my head and was pleading mucho amigo I thought I was a gonner!!!!Anyway I stood up and walked away with my hands above my head whilst they all stood there laughing.I wonder if the big German ass bandit had anything to do with it.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[corrientes]

I had spent the day hanging up painting a couple of goalposts and decided to wander ashore for a Beefy Completo. I had not had any drink. I was nowhere near a bar. I was stopped and asked for my Ficha. One look at it and they threw me in the van and took me to the calaboose. I spent the next two days in a filthy crowded cell with a bunch of raving hooligans. It was not until the third morning that the agent accompanied by my very stern Captain in full uniform (that was his way!) ushered me out, paid the equiv., of about £100 and took me silently back on board. I had quite a time trying to assure the old boy that what I was saying was the truth. I don't believe he ever fully believed me but the C/O & 1/O did. Never forget it. Never got the damned beefy either come to think on it. I still have that rather tattered ficha.

[Chris Allman]

Loved BA. Had a girlfriend there she was a nurse in the British Hospital. Marineros were a right pain and quite scary, had one or two run ins with them pinching all my fags.

[Glyn Jones]

Had no run ins with the local Viggies, but got rolled by a knife wielding nut case in La Boca, took my watch, lighter, fags and money, got back to the ship OK. But still love BA, it was certainly a vibrant city in the late 50s early 60s, the place was always in industrial turmoil, on more than one occasion the dockers where on strike and the army had to load the ship.

[leratty]

Heading back to the ship (Brasil Star) after a serious night of over indulgence in that wonderful city the three of us came across a Marinero'' (spelling) or did he come across us? Remember them, sailors uniform with cocked hats, sub machine guns over their shoulder? Asks for our B.A. passports, whilst we are considering this request this 'Richard Cranium' here decides he wants a cocked hat so nicks it off his head & makes a dash for it. The others scattered to the four winds. Then as I am haring down the road at warp speed with said Marinero in hot pursuit, it hits me, what the .... have I done? He is yelling at me I suggest "halt", I keep running thank the man above he did not fire. Anyway somehow I out distanced him or he gave up as fear gives one serious speed even if inebriated. When I could not hear or see him I stopped caught my breath & grabbed a taxi got back to the ship ex three cornered cap, do not know what I did with it. The others were back on board somewhat unimpressed with my idiocy justifiably! Often thought of that Marinero & wondered if I got him in deep dodo by nicking his hat? I believe he was a decent guy who could have shot me but chose not to. Ah the idiocy of youth mixed with hooch.

[Stan Hackett]

A shipmate of mine on the king henry went missing for a few days up in Cristobel,the Vigilantes plucked him out of one of the bars think it was ma kelly,s?

[Keith Tindell]

I have fond memories from SA, BA for the beef sarnies etc , also good runs ashore in Rosario, montevideo, bahia etc. 7 months on that coast on the st merriel in the early 60`s, good times KT

[John Albert Evans]

I was on tankers and went regulary to BA. and La PLatta. It was late 1950s and I must say I really enjoyed the place. The Vigis and the Marinerios were all over the place armed with guns, rifles etc. at 16 years of age I'd never seen anything like it. They never caused me personally any trouble except on one time when a few of us went by taxi into BA and we had to cross a Bridge, we were stopped and had to give them our ciggies, but that was the only time. I remember the Corrienties, Cinqo De Mayo and a resturant called the Copper Kettle, they served huge steaks. The bar I remember most and best was Tanker Joes in La Platta I am sure every Eagle Oil Man who went to La Platta went there. Ive got a couple of pics of a few of us in Tanker Joes all wearing the new leather boots (£1.00 per pair) and Leather Jackets (£!.00p again) that we had jusr bought. I've still got my two paper Visas/Passports that allowed us ashore, but I cann't work out how to put them onto my computer and when I can I will post them, there may be someone on here who might recognise themselves after 54 years, you never know. The was also a meat factory nearby and a few of us went and were given a guided tour of the place and when we left we were each given a box containing tinned meat, Fray Bentos was the name if my memory serves me right. I have had a look via Google Earth at the place as it is now and I couldnt recognise a sigle thing except that the docks are still there.
Happy Days.

John Albert Evans.