Harbour Routine

Working Parties- the Stoker

After a few days things began to settle down, with regular patrols up the rivers. When not detailed for patrol work, the ships companies were employed on various duties in addition to carrying out shipboard routine. The stokers for example were employed in stripping down and maintaining the engines of the craft which had been requisitioned. 

The Chief Engine Room Artificer, Ginger Walpole, had set up a workshop on the jetty to overhaul the craft, which the seamen were requisitioning for patrol work. In addition to the Z-lighters and some plush launches, there were many long narrow craft, like canoes, with a large horsepower outboard engine. These proved ideal for river patrols at high speed, especially when armed with a Bren gun in the bows.

Film Show - the Stoker

Although living under “warlike” conditions, I don’t think a day passed without something to laugh about.

One night we had organised a film show for the Royal Marines in the port offices opposite our berth. I was one of the projectionists in Fiskerton, the other being the Electrical Mechanic. Between us we rigged up a screen and chairs. The room was full of Marines, all with their rifles and ammunition in readiness. We started the film and, as usual in any naval cinema, the fun and wisecracks began as soon as the film titles rolled across the screen. But it this case the Marines fell off their chairs laughing - the film we were showing featured Victor Mature in a war movie. By the time the first reel was coming to the end the EM and I noticed the silence in the room and we thought that maybe it had not been such a good idea to show such a film. The reel ended and we shouted for “lights”. No one turned the lights on. We made our way in the darkness to the light switch and to our surprise we found that we were the only people in the room ! We later found out that it was not that the Marines did not like the film, but they had evacuated the room because rebels had been reported in the town and they went to “action stations”. It was unbelievable that Danny, the EM and I never heard them leave.

But I must record the fact that I have never seen such discipline and courage shown by the Marines of 42 Commando. They were unbelievable !

Footie - the Stoker

A young Welsh C of E navy padre named Noel Jones, (Joanah to the lads), joined us in Brunei. His “parish” was the Inshore Flotilla and the 10th Submarine Squadron, so he got in a lot of sea time visiting his parishoners.

Jonah was a rugby fanatic and had played for some renowned Welsh teams. He was a great boost to morale, with his typical lower deck sense of humour. As we neared Christmas he organised various events to keep our spirits up. 

His first idea was to arrange for a game of football between Fiskerton  and Chawton.

The match was played on the padang, a large grass area in the middle of the town. That was the day the heavy monsoon rain started, but Jonah insisted that we play, so play we did. The pitch, needless to say, soon became a swamp. For the first half hour both teams attempted to play serious football but the game had to be stopped to allow a helicopter to land. It was during this time that someone threw a lump of mud at Jonah. He retaliated and that was that. A mass mud fight developed ! This spectacle soon drew a crowd and in the end it was not just the players throwing mud at each other but everyone present joined in, Everyone was soon covered in mud - including the helicopter.