Following the success of our ARNO 100 Words Centenary Publication, we are now collecting members’ Run Ashore stories, with the aim of spanning the globe. You can read a selection from members below.
Send your story, with a relevant photo if you have one, to enquiries@arno.org.uk
Marseille – Commander Ken Aitken
Many years ago Fearless was visiting Marseille and a shuttle service was arranged for the ships company to and from the city centre. The Senior Engineer and myself, along with a number of others from the Wardroom, decided to go ashore for a few beers with a view to finding a nice restaurant to have the local speciality of Bouillabaisse.
The evening went as planned early on with a few beers in a number of bars followed by some Bouillabaisse and wine in a lovely restaurant overlooking the fabulous harbour. On completion of the meal a number of our group decided they wanted to go find a club. The Senior Engineer and myself, two crusty old SD’s, decided that a nightclub was not for us so we decided to get the transport back to the ship.
As we arrived at the shuttle pick up point by the harbour, we were horrified to see the bus leaving the stance knowing it would be at least a half hour wait. No problem, Senior Engineer spotted a very small café bar across the road from the pick up point and the intrepid duo set off for a quick drink before the next shuttle. Unfortunately, we ordered pastis for our short break, however, as many will know, it is not a large drink. To cut a long story short, we ended up in a round with the bar owner and anyone else who wandered in to the bar and very nearly missed the last shuttle. Once an OD always an OD!!
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Malta – Commander Chris Pelley
Newly promoted Acting Sub Lieut (E) in first ship after Dartmouth (HMS Victorious) visiting Malta. Discovering that it was easy to get a Maltese Driving Licence for 5 shillings and also easy to hire a car. Chatting up a naval nurse and, after a pleasant evening out on the town, driving her home to Bighi hospital. Kissing her goodnight and then returning alone to the ship. Getting lost in the dark streets of Senglea. Reaching a crossroads and choosing the road straight ahead. Discovering that this road was a flight of stone steps down to Senglea Creek. Managing to clatter to a stop on the first landing about 50 steps down. Finding way to Police Station. Contacting hire car company. Getting towed out. Paying for resultant damage. Not going ashore nor seeing the nurse again due to lack of funds. Learning a useful lesson (not to show off). Revisiting Malta a couple of decades later. Finding that the offending steps now had bollards across the top!
Run Ashore – Charleston, South Carolina
I’ve enjoyed many runs ashore in various parts of the world. Often the best has been in a remote location such as small Scottish or Caribbean island with limited choice of entertainment. Unfortunately, memories of most ‘runs’ are somewhat hazy, potentially incriminating or inappropriate for recounting in a respectable publication. I do, however, recall a visit to Charleston in HMS Londonderry when part of the DTS, at the time formed by four ships of the 6th Frigate Squadron. Having ‘nuked’ the wardroom of our host USN destroyer at an RPC with an evil concoction called ‘fog cutter’, our hosts decided to take us ashore and get their own back. As we had already proved more than their match at any drinking contest, they decided on a Mexican restaurant with the obvious intention of plying us with the fieriest dishes and sauces the proprietor could muster. Our USN hosts had clearly failed to appreciate that Londonderry’s wardroom (as with most others in the Fleet) had been weaned on late night forays to the Indian restaurants of Pompey and Guzz. At the time, Pompey boasted the greatest concentration of Indian restaurants outside the sub-continent and, since the 18th century, it had been a tradition for young Brits to challenge their oppos to eat the hottest Indian dishes without flinching. The relatively mild Mexican fayre offered by our American hosts was therefore no contest. Result: RN – 2, USN – 0!
Fog Cutter (large tumbler)
45 ml Bacardi or other rum
15 ml Brandy
15 ml Sweet Sherry
15 ml Dry gin
45 ml Orange Juice
15 ml Lemon juice
15 ml Orgeat syrup (whatever that is – or use extra orange/lemon juice!)
Serve over crushed ice with a slice of orange.
West Indies – Commander Jim Brown
As the Captain’s Secretary HMS MOHAWK on the West Indies Station in 1967 I despatched a standard visit letter from the Commanding Officer to the Governor of the Cayman Islands in advance of an upcoming visit to George Town. The letter asked for arrangements to be made for the Captain’s official calls, invite guests to a Captain’s lunch party and then to an official cocktail party on the first evening of the visit.
The Governor’s response was most helpful, but apparently an official cocktail party would not be possible as a full range of social activities has already been arranged. This was a new situation to both Captain and Wardroom Mess President, but after a quick consideration of speed time distance matters between leaving George Town and our next commitment it was decided to delay our departure until 2359 on the final day of the visit, and have the cocktail party that evening.
Having been on station for about six months we had got the cocktail party routine pretty well weighed off and the party was a great success. Several of us were invited to go ashore and have dinner with some very generous party guests and it was arranged we would be picked up by boat at 2300. My kind hosts got me to the pick up point in good time and, along with fellow messmates, we boarded the ship’s motor cutter – but minus two of our number who had come ashore with us.
On arrival back at the ship the Captain was made aware of the situation and we proceeded to weigh anchor at 2359.
Somehow the missing officers managed to communicate with the ship and the motor cutter was despatched inshore to collect the two culprits. On their return they were invited to join the Captain straight away on the port bridge wing. I never heard a word of what was said but two officers did not go ashore again for several weeks.
Guernsey – Commander Simon de Halpert
I was the PWO on board HMS CHARYBDIS and we were visiting Guernsey for Remembrance Weekend in Nov 1974. The ship was twinned with Guernsey as her predecessor had been sunk nearby during WWII. By coincidence my brother’s wife was staying in Guernsey with her brother and his wife who were residents there. Between them they had 3 babies under 12 months including twins. I invited them (the grown-ups, not the babies) on board for dinner on the Sunday evening. It was a short notice invitation and I said I would provide the babysitter as they couldn’t get one. We were anchored off St Peter’s Port and the L/Sea (babysitter) was met on the jetty and taken to the flat. He was told that my guests would be back by about 2330 which gave him ample time to get back to catch the 2359 (and final) liberty boat. There were 3 other guests on board for dinner. We were having a very convivial evening until about 2200 when the weather got up and ship/shore boat traffic ceased. By a very heath robinson telephone method (this was years before the advent of mobile phones) I was able to inform L/Sea (babysitter) that he was there for the night, that the cleaning lady would be in at 0700 to take over and he was to be back at the jetty by 0800. There were sufficient officers ashore for each of the guests to have a cabin and one married couple had the sick-bay bunk beds. They were shaken with a cuppa at 0700 followed by a ‘Full English’ in the Wardroom. Meanwhile ashore, pubs and the Police Station accommodated the several dozen libertymen overnight. The Police said it was the fullest the ‘Nick’ had ever been. The ship weighed anchor and the Captain put the bow alongside the jetty to exchange the wardroom guests for the libertymen; there were no absentees. The L/Sea (babysitter) was given a very generous payment and told me that he had had a completely undisturbed night. This was unsurprising as the twins’ dad returned home to find 2 empty bottles of his finest ‘red’ in the kitchen sink!
Malta – Lieutenant Commander Douglas Hadler
My ship HMS ALBION being in Grand Harbour I took a day’s leave to visit some civilian friends I had met in London who were renovating a cottage in Gozo. To avoid the hassle of taking a car on the Malta-Gozo ferry I decided to take the bus from Valetta to Marfa, where the ferry departed from, then do the ferry on foot and hire a car on reaching Gozo.
The bus duly turned up and set off. I asked the conductor, a young Maltese lad, what time we would reach the destination and he told me this particular service was scheduled to go only as far as Mellieha, a mile or so short of Marfa, where it was due at 1045. I told him I needed to do better than that because I was aiming to catch the 1045 ferry from Marfa. He had a word with the driver and came back and told me ‘For 10 shillings we take the bus onto Marfa and for 10 shillings more we get there by 1045.’ (Malta was still on British pounds then). I replied ‘Done’ and handed him a pound. We drove like the wind stopping to let people off but not to pick up new passengers and made it to Marfa – with time to spare.
The rest of the day went as planned. My friends were welcoming though slightly surprised to see me.