happy valley in curacao

[Robert George Young]

Dad was as hard as nails in his day
Toughened him up being 18-24 in the war
First three years in Med

After that he drank, went with women, fought and swore and was in trouble with the police
He knew what sea life was like.
Enjoyed life to maximum when ashore

[cappy]

Any body remember tanker joes bar in BA out of BA a mile or so but one long bar ......at least 3 tankers on the quay..brits krauts dutch ....all pissed out there minds a set of rooms in the back for your jollies bright eyed beutiful senoritas that was the STS hemiplecta 1959.....and an atmosphere mind blowing ......bodies strewn along the jetty.....some helping each other ...i guess as near the devils house as you could get...jeez didnt we see it all......R683532

[Ivan Cloherty]

...i guess as near the devils house as you could get...jeez didnt we see it all......R683532

Yep! but at least we left an allotment!! and wished for a long passage home to accumulate some money for pay-off

[Robert George Young]

Cappy

Where was that ?

[Robert George Young]

Dad visited all them places

No wonder he was always skint when he came home
And gave mum a box of black magic

[cappy]

cappy

where was that ?

ba is buenos areas

[cappy]

dad visited all them places

no wonder he was always skint when he came home
and gave mum a box of black magic

he was sending your mam an allotment or how else could you pay rent and eat .....your old man seems to be an average merchant seaman perhaps liked the alcohol .....just a wee bit too much ....but that went with the job ....if you got the chance you snatched it it would be interesting to know how you make your livelyhood ......you know how many of us made ours..... Some for a few years some for a lifetime... To me it appears your father was a more or less typiical merchant seaman regards r683532

[nick sivertsen]

I was a Petty Officer on HMS Bulwark and visited Curacao in 1973.We were carrying a company of Dutch Marines for them to carry out exercises on the island.The voyage took almost 2 weeks because of really rough weather.Most people spent most of the time turned in because of being ill with sea sickness. However during our visit I was detailed of to be in charge of a shore patrol with 3 other ratings.We were transported ashore and ended up doing our tour at Camp Alegre or camp a leg over as it was affectionately called.Hut number 69 was our base and spent our 8 hour watch trying to get sailors out of trouble.Some had paid for it and not had it and others had had it and wouldn’t pay for it.Seeing some of the women who were plying their trade I wouldn’t have gone with a hundred yards of them.Just one of the amusing run ashore in the RN(Fleet Air Arm).

[j.sabourn]

when did you come out of the Navy Nick ? were you still in when the fleet was grouping for passage to the Falklands ? I remember picking up a matelot in my taxi at the gate in Portsmouth at 0900 hrs he was chortling that he was on a survey ship the Patricia and wouldn't be going. Drawing up alongside her , the painters were out putting a big Red Cross on her side . You should of heard the bad language that came out of his mouth. JS

[Rob Cumbes]

El Rancho in Punta Cardon , Venezuela. A rival to Campo Allegro, Curacao. Lots of entertainment - rock band in one building, marriachi band in another, even saw a girl do an act on a low stage with a goose. Lots of very attractive South American girls.