TROUBLE ASHORE

[happy daze john in oz]

The new thread by Tony on scary momenst at sea got me to thinking about scary moments ashore.
In Cape Town about 1963, I ahd like a number of the lads made friends with a local taxi driver by the name of Lakas. He was good, very good. If he took you to the abode of a 'lady' at the end of the evening, you could be sure he would be there at 0600 hours to make sure you got back to the ship on time. It was not unusual to find yourself sahring the taxi with other guys from your ship.
This day I had been in town as it was my day off and i had spent 'lunch' with a lady I knew well.
I had arranged for Lakas to pick me up about 1500 hours as it was Ships dance night and I wanted to go back to the ship to get ready.
We were going down Adderly Street and coming to a traffic light that was turning red. Lakas pulled up, however the car on his outside went through the red light.
That was not the scary bit but what followed was. The car slowed as it got over the lights and came to a brief halt. a hand stuck out of a passenger window, a shot fired and a body went down as the car sped off.
There was silence for a few seconds, then it hit the fan.
Lakas pulled the car around the corner and told me get out and vanish, if anyone asks you saw nothing.
Taking his advice I legged it away from there and into the nearest bar. I was not sure how I felt, my knees were knocking and I had a desperate need to change my underwear.
The barman looked at me, you OK man he asked?
A large brandy was what I needed and he obliged.
Just downed it when in walked a guy, built like a brick dunny, and also looking a bit shaken.
He revealed to the barman about the shooting, he had been close as well.
Time to get out and make my way back to the ship as best I could. Police everywhere, but why had Lakas told me to run?
I got back to the ship and got ready for the evening. Later i heard all about the shooting, just about everyone had heard something about it.
Interesting thing though, I was to see Lakas numerous times later but he always refused to talk about that day.

[Tony Morcom]

I was lucky I think as I only ever had one scary moment ashore. It was when the first shell went overhead when we were in Basrah. The agent had told us to get out fast. The locals were no where to be seen for slipping the moorings so as 3rd mate I was given the dubious privilage. I have never run so fast as I did from the bow to stern on the dock. Thankfully the capt kept her alongside the quay long enough for this quivering wreck to stumble back on board and find the nearest heads. By the time I emerged we were steaming full pelt down the Shat al Arab for open water. We never did get our war bonus

[alf corbyn]

B.A. walking past perons palace when his dog came out barking at us. my mate went to kick it when two soldiers who were on duty at the gate pulled thier guns on us and made us go across the other side of the road.

[Gulliver]

..... this quivering wreck to stumble back on board and find the nearest heads. By the time I emerged we were
steaming full pelt down the Shat al Arab for open water. We never did get our war bonus

Shat -al-Arab..how very appropriate,Tony...and it certainly sounded like you did!
Loo 2.gif

[Captain Kong]

There was a young Engineer in ESSO , Derek Spanner, he left ESSO to go with an Arab Tanker Company and during the Iraq/Iran war was hit by an exocet missile and he was killed.
Brian

[Neville Roberts]

we were in a bar in callao peru and just getting ready to make a deal with one of the local hostesses,when in came a bunch of soldiers withe automatic rifles and told us to get back to our ship, we asked them why ,they got very agitated . so we left in a hurry .spoiled our night .found out later that thier ws a coupe in the works . another time in cyprus during the turks and greeks war some faction tossed a bomb over the dock wall and spoiled our night at the pictures on the dock that was planned for the sqaudies that were in charge of keeping the peace there .

[John Arton]

Tampico, ashore with mr. steady eddy, (sparkie). One last drink before meeting our pre-arranged taxi back to the ship. Bar we were in demanded huge price for two beers and 2 tequila's. Argued with the owner who said they would call the police (in broken English). Fine we say, police will sort this out. Police arrive, push gun in our backs..push us into paddy wagon and throw us into a cell with around 50 other mexican crimminals, drug users, homo's etc....very scary.
Kharg island loading crude when the Iraqis air force found they could actually navigate as far as Kharg so decided to bomb it during the Iraqi/Iran war. Very quick disconnection and pizz off from berth by a 250000 tonner followed by smoke and flames from shore tanks going up...scary
rgds
JA

[John Pruden]

most of the far east ports 60s early 70s american army forces r and r now that was a time the wild west fights? glasgow 67 another time with gangs when i came home my mam would wait up till i got home safe. what a woman she was god rest her.jp

[leratty]

Myself & a mate from a site we were working on in Illo in Peru went up to Bolivia, La Paz for a few days sailing on lake Titicaca (another story there apropos Germans & yacht club) & doing other things. Anyway we got back to our hotel late one afternoon & there was a message to call the British Consul which we did, he suggested we decamp ASAP across the lake back into Peru. He would not elaborate, we decided bugger it we will stay to see what gives... Well what gave was, yes, a coup with old British army WW2 amoured cars & Butch Cassidy & Sundance Kid style soldiers running everywhere yelling & firing their rifles with no one on the streets. What to do we thought..ah just sit tight with some booze it will be over shortly & it was by midday the next day. We called the British Consul to report all was well , he was not best pleased. An experience worth having though in hindsight foolish possibly?

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi, Shipmates, Had a few The one I remember most was in London derry or Derry Ireland The power station in the docks on a small tanker Esso going back to the ship with brown paper bags full of carry out for the lads, Stopped on a road block by guns point at me by two british soldiers' who demand to know what was in the bags? I told them soon as they hear me talk, guns put away from me. I was going back to ship for my watch they had me patroling the ship looking for bombs with a rubber torch. I still dont understand what I could have done if I found anything? Maybe tell the Mate or Captain and run like hell.