Torrey Canyon

[Keith Tindell]

I think with the Torrey Canyon John, it was a big learning curve, we were going in to small bays in Cornwall, spraying dispersant , then moving on to the next bay etc, pretty much a waste of time. The distressing part was having to leave the birds covered in oil, as there was nothing we could do. we were all working 10 hrs a day, and all pretty much a waste, the bill for that operation must have been horrendous. Later when we came back, and it was decided to bomb it, and set it alight, we were surprise the RAF jets would run in on a stationary target, and missed on many occasions. Today with laser guided bombs etc would have been a doddle.

[Mike Alexander]

I was 2/O on mv Ballygally Head the morning of the disaster. Captain Eric Seaton had me inform Ilfracombe Radio of our position (about 50 miles north) making for Antwerp from Dublin. Owing to the amount of radio traffic the focus moved to Niton Radio when about an hour later our offer to stand-by was declined owing to the arrival of warships and the general pollution. Eric Seaton was a character, his personal 'Court of Inquiry' held and adjudicated within 10 minutes had sought out and found the likely causes of the disaster amazingly close to the official findings much later. There's a full account of this gent in the book, Once upon a time I met.
Mike Alexander

[Roger Haddock]

Paul Berriff also did a series for iTV called RESCUE about Air Sea Rescue. A brilliant film maker and a really nice guy. I think Humber Lifeboat was also one of his docu-series as well.
When not producing films he was an Auxiliary Coastguard in Hessle Humberside i used to know his boss very well i am not sure if Paul is still around.

[j.sabourn]

As Marian said in a post on this subject Paul got a well deserved OBE at a recent ceremony at Buck House and was within the past 12 months as can remember reading it I think in the International Express. So is still around and well I hope. He still was a user of the old type of camera equipment when I met him lens and all the rest of the paraphamalia . The series rescue I have in book form. Think it was whilst on this sequence when he got caught up with the piper alpha which is also in the book form with the others . Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

Thanks Marion , have sent him a belated congratulatory note via one of the email addresses , hope he gets ok. JS

[William Bramhill]

A memoir? Yes please, Harry. The thought of Valantina Tereshkova going into space but then being stuck in a life at ITN had me chuckling all day.

[George Bis]

You arr not the only one thinking this!