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27th November 2021, 11:18 AM
#31
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
During that same Cold War Des we were due later the same day into Santiago de Cuba Cheers JS
Did you ever get ashore John, we were anchored off Santiago de Cuba for nearly thirty days loading raw sugar (1957) the old usual method, bags from barges and split open and pour down between the hatchboards, never did get ashore. That trip homeward we went to the aid of the 'Pamir' unfortunately nothing we could do, we were being torn apart ourselves and stove in lifeboat, also sprung a leak in #5 and all the sugar in that hold solidified and had to be broken up with pneumatic drills, a very long job to discharge. 'Pamir' so sad, so many young lives lost, approx 70 plus aged between 16 and 22 years old.
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27th November 2021, 11:50 AM
#32
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
#4. We went alongside the only difference before and during Castro’s period was the shortages and this extended to the beers and spirits. He was supposed to have clamped down on the girlie bars but. They just went underground . Santiago always seemed to have Russian ships alongside and as we were usually loading sugar for Japan were usually interogated by suited Americans in Panama as to what we noticed they were carrying. They always seemed to discharge away from the Quay so we never saw too much in any case. Think it was Krushev who had the sense to back down . But as always there was fault on both sides . NATO was employing missiles in Europe close to Russia’s borders so Russia took the same attitude and attempted with Castro’s help to do the same to the U.S. That’s the way a neutral referee would see it. To go to war for a game of tag is imbecilolic if there is such a word. Most people could see that , except the sitty down warriors in the corridors of power. JS
Last edited by j.sabourn; 27th November 2021 at 11:55 AM.
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29th November 2021, 05:43 AM
#33
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
Most people have no concept of what goes on during such conflicts as Cuba.
WE were half way down the African coast when orders came in to go to the nearest port, drop the bloods off and head back to UK to become a troop carrier.
Thankfully it never happened but only a few crew knew at the time what was going on.
Being up in officers quarters as a steward there we got to hear about it.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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29th November 2021, 06:08 AM
#34
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
#42 very similar to that one John a family friend told me that prior to the Falklands invasion he was junior engineer on a well known British Tanker Company in a South African Port.. A flying visitor from the office boarded the vessel to put all and sundry in the picture. He told them the ship was being taken over and was to join up with the fleet en-route and all those who did not volunteer and sign to the effect , would be the next on the redundancy list. JS
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1st December 2021, 08:15 AM
#35
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
There were a good twenty young men launching that dinghy, bound and determined to get to England. There were two French Police Officers, they had called in for reinforcements. Their rules prohibit them from engaging in such dangerous behaviour as confronting such a crowd. Don’t blame the two French Officers they were helpless to stop those young men. The French have offered to keep the Immigrants but they refuse to stay in France because they don’t get the same benefits. If Britain stopped giving benefits to these people they wouldn’t find it so welcoming. Many of them seemed to be from the Middle East. Iran and Iraq, they have come through a number of border points before they get to France. That is where they should be stopped.
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1st December 2021, 08:20 AM
#36
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
I can see the difficulty the French police face, and there are now reports that the smugglers are carrying guns, but surely if all efforts went in to stopping the supply of rubber boats and outboard engines that would have a huge effect. If having found the source of the boats, destroy them, likewise the outboard engines. It that weird one it would also dry up the money supply, just seems stupid to allow the supply or manufacture of these boats to go unchecked, kt
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2nd December 2021, 05:07 AM
#37
Re: It had to happen { Dinghy sinks in chanel }
It annoys the hell out of me that people such as this get financial aid when they arrive in UK.
There are thousands who have paid into the system and get very little back.
As said stop the payments and see what happens.
Well the first thing will be the human rights lot saying you cannot stop payments, then the civil rights lot saying you mast let them in and give them a home!!
I have no problem with genuine refugees seeking help, but this lot are just bludging on the system.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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