Events you incurred while in another country

[happy daze john in oz]

In NZ in the middle of an earthquake.
Not your everyday situation and one I could have done without.

[Mike R868356]

In the West Indies possibly Jamaica RMS Andes v Army playing cricket. Pitch was in the middle of a grass airstrip, we had to collect the wickets and run to allow an aircraft to land. Experienced distant shell fire (20mls they said but it was very clear) whilst in Angola, and 2 shootings in cinemas on 42nd Street in NYC. Also in Haifa at the beach noticed a very young child aged 3-4 in the sea clearly distressed and struggling, Bill Bailey and myself went and pulled him out, only for his parents to collect him several minutes later without a word of thanks. Every port of call was an adventure.

[Peter Thomson]

We were homeward bound from Fremantle when the old man got the order. 'Deviate to Djakarta. Embark 400 plus Dutch women and children held hostage by Indonesian rebel forces. Expect no formal assistance.....'

The old man, R.D. Birch,had come out of the last war with the DSC on his breast. He was always affable with a smile on his face, but none I recall ever broader than those that split his face after he ahd received that message.

he held a council of war in the wheelhouse and we were to be non-provocative and courteous at all times even if provoked.

First Officer Harrison, spent time on the short passage making a revised Indonesian courtesy ensign. The International Code, 'H" flag, but with the colours reversed to the fly.

One of our Quartermaster's, a big, strong burly fellow ordinarily, collapsed and suffered a breakdown on hearing the news we were going to Djakarta. He had been in the Navy during the war and had worked the ships evacuating Singapore. His destroyer was sunk and he was landed into Japanese hands and spent the remainder of the war in Japan. The news brought back memories of those days of hell he had suffered and witnessed.

There was no assistance. Not even a pilot. Orion followed a small boat to the berth, where RDB put her alongside without tugs. Chief Officer Hays had two pilot ladders rigged ready to drop onto the quay once alongside. Six of us scrambled down these ladders- three forward and there aft to take the lines - all doubled back to the ship for securing and easy slipping for a getaway without having to go ashore again.
Little n bands of band-legged, grinning, unshaven soldiers in baggy pants and jackets paraded themselves with fixed bayonets along the quay. The movie showing in Leicester Square at that time was 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'.It seemed just like that without the bridge or the Brits, but these were Indonesians, not Japanese. An officer dragged a long sword behind him and came to me, picking his teeth through a huge grin. 'Hell-O ...boy.' he said to me. It would be wrong for me to say I was unconcerned, since my fundamental orifice was quietly quivering through a half a crown to sixpence routine, and back again.I was glad to climb back on board, nevertheless.
Then a gangway was placed ont eh ship, the Godown doors slid open and revealed our cargo. Four hundred proud, but dishevelled Dutch women and children, bearing little more of their lives before when Java was a Dutch colony than they could carry, moved in a a disciplined, but slow column towards the gangway, where Indonesian military authorities presided for little discernible purpose than to strut their importance in the faces of all others and were making difficulties, shouting at the women and holding them back from climbing aboard while they asked their useless and impertinent questions.
Women with young children struggled with babes and baggage, and no assistance given them. That was until Deckmen Bill Greig and Davie .....(memory gone) stood there minding the gangway on the ship's side and watching the nonsense going on. They made to come down to help. A local officer screamed at them to go back. Bill had been in the navy during the war, a coxswain on submarines. He took no nonsense from anybody, although barely five feet in height he bellowed back at this character with a roar belonging to a man twice his size. A single word that begins with a capital 'B' and ends in ..ollocks. The Indo backed down, and our boys helped the passengers on board.
The old man wasted no time getting away once the last lady had boarded. We slipped the ropes and he sprung her off the quay on the forward back spring, let go and backed our t into the harbour, from where we picked up speed and with the usual Orient Line departure music blaring from the tannoys, Orion made her way out of the harbour to make course to Colombo, and continue with the ship's planned itinerary, but a few days late.
We went to Rotterdam to disemark the Dutch families before going to our home port- Tilbury.
I hadn't thought on that incident for years until I sw this thread, it's surprising the memories we keep stored in our heads and scarcely know they are there.
Another fond memory comes to mind of that incident. IN the three weeks or more those ladies were on board, they were most grateful to us - especially the teenagers, as was I at that time.
There were

[Stuart Cooper]

I was in the Pacific on Texaco Cardiff when Elvis died

[Cliff Self]

Missed Oropesa whilst in Matarani, it took 2 days to rejoin her in Calloa. What an experience lol!

[happy daze john in oz]

We were away when the mother in law passed some years back.
Then buried on our wedding anniversary!!!!!!

[Alfred Harding]

Spent my 20th birthday (1959) on a Shell tanker MV Tenagodus running between Havana, Cuba, and the Maracaibo Lakes.
It was a 6 trip contract and during the 3rd trip we left with Batista in power in Cuba and by the time we returned Castro and his soldiers were patrolling the streets in Havana.
I remember that he closed all the bars down along with the brothels. It had gone from being a US criminal playground to a sort of normal place in no time.
By the time of our 6th trip normality of a sort was established. I still remember the poverty that the people endured during the Batista presidency as he was a puppet for the US Mafia.
R676193

[Ivan Cloherty]

Spent my 20th birthday (1959) on a Shell tanker MV Tenagodus running between Havana, Cuba, and the Maracaibo Lakes.
It was a 6 trip contract and during the 3rd trip we left with Batista in power in Cuba and by the time we returned Castro and his soldiers were patrolling the streets in Havana.
I remember that he closed all the bars down along with the brothels. It had gone from being a US criminal playground to a sort of normal place in no time.
By the time of our 6th trip normality of a sort was established. I still remember the poverty that the people endured during the Batista presidency as he was a puppet for the US Mafia.
R676193

I was in Cuba 1954/55/56/57/58 all under Batista at the time, I was in Cuba in 2016 and it sure hadn't improved any, apartments/houses falling down, no infrastructure on a daily basis, lack of fuel and food, 2 months waiting list for internal flights, 1 weeks book in advance for a bus between major towns, so much poverty but the people were resigned to it. Travel permits required for residents to travel long distance The workers in the hotels didn't want cash tips as there was nothing to buy, we took a suitcase full of childrens clothes, childrens toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils, pens and colouring books etc. There are two currencies, local and tourist, locals get fined for having tourist currency and vice versa, all foreign has to be declared both on entry and exit any discrepancies which are not covered by Exchange receipts and you are fined and any foreign exchange confiscated, they search you. sure as hell wasn't utopia for locals

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I just remembered, I was on a BTC tanker in Abadan when the elected Pm of Iran was overthrown and the Shah was put back on his throne for a while. We couldn't get tugs to turn us around, I have a picture somewhere of the ship fully loaded with its mooring ropes slack, I was one of two blokes that volunteered to jump ashore and let go, being chased back but a knife wielding Arab who was kept at bay by steam-hoses, The skipper turned her around and we took off.
Des

[tubbs]

I can't for the life of me think what could have delayed you ashore in Matarani. The only thing I found to do there on my 3 visits (1980-81), was a nice wander on top of the cliffs, looking down on the port. It was stunning scenery and thoroughly enjoyed.