And the pre-commissioning lecture would pause, while the Instructor demonstrated his really expert knowledge. Anyway it wouldn't be long before we found out for ourselves.
No description of a Far East Commission can ignore the flight out. For three days we were described and dressed as civilians, though anyone who had made a close study of the species 'matelot' would have soon realised that it was only the outward appearance that had changed …. the Air Hostesses were experienced students.
St. Brides Bay recommissioned on January 30, 1959, and with due ceremony the Captain was piped over the side to take up his command. We worked-up in the Singapore area, pausing for a weekend at Pulau Tioman, where the natives revived us with open coconuts. It was our first excursion away from Singapore, but no one had had time to appreciate Singapore properly, so we were quite glad to return alongside.
We returned however to a scene that was anything but peaceful. Prince Philip was about to visit Hong Kong in the Royal Yacht, and the Third Frigate Squadron were required to welcome him. After a certain amount of practising, we eventually departed in company with Cardigan Bay. The voyage up was no picnic. Those who were new to small ships, or had recently been deprived of RA luxury, soon learnt to lean to leeward. However Captain F did his best to make us forget the inward and outward heaving by putting us into a mental turmoil as well. Just before entering Hong Kong the Royal Yacht loomed out of the mist to receive our cheers. Unluckily the Prince was deprived of our company when he left the Colony due to a strange reluctance on the part of the ship to leave her spiritual home.
It didn't take long for the Ship's Company to learn to appreciate Hong Kong, finding out that the Colony was well worth guarding. Even the periods away on patrol around the New Territories were considered rest periods, before plunging once more into the rigours of making friends with the local population.
We left on March 23 to rendezvous with Cardigan Bay. She had just had an exhausting visit to Saigon, so this time we did nothing more strenuous than play inter-ship 'uckers'.
Before the main refit we had three days of exercises with the Fleet, including another weekend at Pulau Tioman. By the time we'd finished, everyone was looking forward to the refit. However one of our ratings got appendicitis and forced us to leave early.
A three month refit, and for most of the time we worked 'tropical routine', allowing those who were interested to see a bit of Singapore and Malaya in the afternoons. Most however, preferred to use their afternoons to dream about Singapore instead, and then doing their best to make their dreams come true in the evening. Everyone had station leave, the most popular place for it being Sandycroft Leave Centre in Penang, The only stories the officers heard about it were of the magnificent fishing, but quite a few ratings seemed to be meeting old acquaintances when we visited the island later in the commission. We took over the responsibility of helping the Bulit Panjang Community Centre from HMS Mounts Bay, where a group of the Ship's Company helped teach some of the less fiendish British sports. Meanwhile on the football field of HMS Terror the ashes of Crane's hopes were ceremoniously interred in the Anderson Trophy. A big unofficial part was taken in the Singapore elections, though our platform condemning the proposed ban on juke boxes was not universally popular.
After a mad rush to get a month's work done in a week, we managed after a few false starts to get our post refit work-up over, before going round to spend a couple of days with the Malayan reserve at HMS Laburnum.
Hong Kong again, and the groundwork put in on our first visit was not to be wasted. This time we had almost a month as guardship. If possible we went out on non-pay weeks on patrol, and carried out some useful exercises with the Hong Kong Flotilla.
The weeks passed all too quickly. We were expecting a cruise round North Borneo after our return to Singapore but instead a signal arrived saying that we were to stand-by for service in the Indian Ocean. All sorts of 'buzzes' circulated, but one or two who had read their newspapers guessed that it would be the Maldive Islands.
Sure enough we left for Addu Atoll on September 12 and the long leg across the Indian Ocean. We had to call in at Colombo to land another appendicitis case but only stayed there long enough to refuel. Neptune's visit had been delayed, but he and his retinue took their revenge between Colombo and Gan, and many initiates bore souvenirs of his visit for many days afterwards. Caprice, who we were relieving, had arranged a welcome for us, but we foiled them by arriving during the night. The atolls were veiled in rain clouds the next morning, and Caprice added to the depressing effect by making an almost indecently hasty departure, leaving us on our own to face the might of the Maldives.
When the sun eventually shone spirits rose considerably, all the atolls were crowned with coconut palms and fringed with white sands, and the general feeling was that a month's recuperation there would not be a bad thing at all. Spirits rose even more when we went once more into English currency and the news started filtering back about the drinking possibilities ashore.
The fishermen had never been discouraged and throughout our stay their labours were unceasing though some of the results were rather unappetising. The natives were very friendly and very soon a quite profitable trade was built up with them. Our unofficial Chinese had been better informed than the rest and very soon most of the population knew the benefit of flip-flops.
We carried out a few patrols around the neighbouring atolls to show them that St. Brides Bay was there, and one day was spent in shelling an old landing craft the RAF no longer required. Unluckily we had an audience from ashore, but eventually just as the TAS party were about to plant scuttling charges in it, thus wiping the eyes of the gunnery branch, the landing craft sank, and gunnery honours were almost maintained.
The beaches were always popular and endless time was spent sunbathing and viewing the surrounding coral of our banyan island, though the late night users of the beach at Gan complained that their rest was rather troubled. In the end we stayed three weeks over the month and crane's arrival to relieve us was very welcome. We turned over to her almost as fast as Caprice had to us, and sailed with few regrets, but with several evidences of our visit decorating the island.
Penang received the full brunt of our return to civilisation, but though by all accounts it reeled a bit it managed to survive the strain.
Once more to Singapore and a three-week refit, which is chiefly memorable as the time when we cleared the harbour of oil, everyone helped, but from then on arguments between seamen and engine-room ratings became definitely one-sided. We left on December 16 for Australia and New Zealand, starting with four memorable days at Fremantle. At least, three of them were memorable, for I don't believe that many were in a fit state to remember Christmas Day. Hospitality was overwhelming, and each watch was given two days leave, many ratings took up invitations to stay on farms, while the rest had only to step into the nearest bar in order to have their drinks for the rest of the evening paid for. This was all the more welcome since on the way down we had encountered the usual appalling St Brides Bay weather. Eventually the ship had some difficulty in leaving due to the osculatory attraction between her and the shore.
More roughers in the Bight and all looked forward to Adelaide even though
it was only a two-day visit. When we arrived 'Bosun' was called upon once
more to satisfy the press. The bar hours still limited complete enjoyment
and the same snag occurred at our next port of call Auckland, although there
we had
long enough to find out ways of getting round them. Again many ratings took
leave and it was good to get out into a countryside that was almost English.
The New Zealanders gave us just as affectionate a welcome as the Australians,
perhaps more so since there was more time for their affections to be aroused.
Once again many ratings stayed on farms outside the city, where they were
introduced to sheep shearing and other farm jobs which made a welcome change
from chipping paint work. Those who took lower deck leave soon found that
their evenings could be pleasurably spent even though the pubs were closed.
Altogether it was a sad day when we left Auckland even though the prospect of Wellington brightened the general gloom.
Wellington was a five-day stop, the high point being our complete day's entertainment given by the people of Masterton a country town, which included sight-seeing, lavish hospitality, and from all accounts ended with a dance which resembled the Ball of Killymoor. From the record of telephone calls it is clear that many close friends were made.
We had five days to recover from New Zealand before facing Australian hospitality again at Hobart. This time we were flagship for their regatta and events were a little more formal than at previous ports. Hobart was beautiful and English even in its closing hours. Perhaps this made things a bit harder for some of the local girls, but on the whole they weren't disappointed. We took an important part in the regatta. The Navigating Officer led a team of performers who almost scooped the pool at the comic events, and the diving team put on a display for the people of the town. Unhappily our pulling suffered a bit from the lack of training in New Zealand. For the wardroom the social programme was very strenuous and they looked forward to the more informal attitude of our next port of call - Sydney.
Sydney made a big impression when almost the first thing we saw was a television set; this made one feel really at home. Two visits to Miller's brewery were laid on while the officers had a try at wine tasting. Many of the ship's company went sightseeing to the bridge, and zoo, while the dubious attractions of the King's Cross area provided a lure for others.
On leaving Sydney we were to go up to Cairns inside the Barrier Reef. Unluckily it rained most of the time so we didn't see much of the coral itself. Cairns looked rather unprepossessing after some of the really beautiful cities we'd been to, but their hospitality was as effusive as elsewhere, and when the ship was open to visitors there was a small invasion. The weather was much warmer than we'd had since leaving Singapore, but the sight of a crocodile in the first few minutes of our arrival effectively discouraged swimmers.
We left on February 25 for the long haul through the Torres Strait and Java Sea back to Singapore. Inspection loomed ahead but for once we had tolerable weather in which to prepare for it, while with drills and exercises we tried to get the feel of a warship again. 'F' and his minions were waiting for us at Singapore when we arrived. However the dreaded day was soon over and we were able to settle down to another short period of refit, with Japan and Hong Kong to look forward to.
Here these notes must end, two months of the commission lie ahead - a period in which the pull of Japan and Hong Kong will be strong, but I have no doubt wives and sweethearts will prevail in the end.