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HMS YARMOUTH
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Mike 'Bald Eagle' Eaton
Got a few minutes
so here goes a short story of daring do in the life of OLD Jack.
(and that
nickname arrived on the Yarmouth, which again is another story, to
be told later, should keep me busy for sometime!)
Another First for the Rubber Duck How I came by the Nickname 'Bald Eagle'
Reference the
Bald Eagle nickname: simple story really. At a very early age I've
suffered from a receding hairline (bald bug***, slaphead, etc.).
There was a chap known as "Mad Dog" from the comment at the captains
table (RN style not MN style) sometime in his past when the worthy
chappie said to him 'Idon't know what to do with you' this
following some misdemeanor or other and the Master at Arms was
supposed to have said "we could shoot him like the Mad Dog he
is!". Well, this nickname stuck, on the "Y" it was talked about
one dark and stormy night and a few other Indian nicknames were
bandied around and guess who became "Bald Eagle". It was after
all the time for strange nicknames etc. (see Peter Sharps comments
on the origins of the name 'Rubber Duck'). To add to this during
the Portland work-up of that commision it became standard practice
for me to stand at the door to the mess (after sailors mess) with my
head bowed on the action stations alarm. As everybody ran through
the door they slapped me on the head for luck! Must have worked
[along with the unquackable rubber duck] but the 'old man' never
could figure out why I was always last to action stations with a
blinding headache and a red head - I had difficulty too! Good for
moral but in this day and age it would probably be classed as
assault! Looking at Peter Sharps photo's reminds me of another exciting moment in the continuing story of the Crazy 'Y'. During Portland work-up early '72 (just after I'd decided to 'jack') the vessel was engaged in an exercise to recover a dummy torpedo, the thing had been dropped some distance from the ship (by one of those egg beater things) and the whaler had been piped away to recover. Being the boat party killick the 'Jimmy' thought I knew something about boats, he was right of course (trouble was what I knew and what he thought I knew were slightly different - OK then a lot!) so I got to drive this boat and recover the bloody 'fish' all was going well until I decided that to reach the boat falls we would have to back up a few fathoms (yeah, shows how old I am we still had them in those days). After the Chief in charge of the evolution informed us that if that happened the bloody torpedo would start up again and drag us around the ocean "Sod that for a game of soldiers" or some such was the reply we'll have to take a bloody big circle to reach the falls. this would take forever and we'd be out there all day - there was rum in the fanny and beer in the fridge back onboard! And the Skipper would not have been to happy about hanging around for ages anyway! So I sez to the baby bunting tosser (sparky?) "call the ship up and ask them to come three to four cables ahead or we'll be here all day"........Ever seen a baby bunt's crap his pants? So I calls up the ship myself to save any hassle cos the bunts wouldn't asks the question "can you come a couple of cables ahead cos if you don't it will take us for ever to get back to you etc etc". So Dave Cowling - being a sensible sort of Naval Officer and Commander and trusting his staff does just that! Evolution completed in record time without a hitch and a big Bravo Zulu from everybody for a good exercise completed don't know what the baby bunts thought of it but he didn't look too happy. Can't remember the bunt's name either. Over to you Peter Sharp do you remember the incident? was it you? Mike Eaton (the Bald Eagle) Splash Target Back in the early 70's there was a desperate need for manpower, so their lordships decided to reduce the required ability and time to a three year stint. All well and good and seemed feasible. The 'duck' received it's fair share of these individuals who to be fair did the job they were required to do - can't ask more than that. One such character had the name of Webster long remembered and a fine lad, friendly, worked hard and did his bit. Only trouble was he was not quite the brightest card in the pack. 'When they said brains, he thought they said drains, and asked for an empty one!' So have been introduced to the vagaries of the fleet someone suggested there was a 'blue card' job available for young Webster (as they invariably do - initiation rites and the like). he could become the "Cox'n of the Splash Target!" Yes, that old one, but young 'Splash' swollowed it hook, line and sinker. Never been seen to that extent before (or since). So he went the rounds whilst heading up the North Sea to a 'Newcastle Visit'. Alongside in Newcastle it came to head - 'let's see how far we can go' one wag said So he went the rounds again, wet suit, bag meal from the galley, signal flags, chart from the Navigator (large bit of paper with a cross and you are here written on it) the works (T'was a rumour that Commander Cowling [Master and Commander at the time] was most upset because he [Webster] had not been up to 'the table' with his request for the job!). The young lad was introduced to the target, sat on it and was hoisted up into the air and carried around the flight deck to get the hang of how it operated - by this time the collected ship's co. had lost it! he was lowered gently to the deck and the game explained, which he took in good heart but never went near the damn splash target again. However he retained the name 'SPLASH WEBSTER' for the remainder of his time onboard Wonder what happened to him - became an M.P. or an Admiral no doubt! Back in early '71 (awld bugger) when I joined the 'duck' she was still a Pompey ship and called HMS Yarmouth - how boring. Whilst lying alongside one day someone mentioned that the old Belfast was in the dock astern of us having been brought out of reserve to go up to London as a display ship. Leading Sailor Smith I believe of the quarterdeck pirates department went on a scout - he returned with tales of booty in store rooms awaiting the taking. So over a few tinnies at lunch time (dinner to non RP's) a dastardly plot was hatched to make some of this stuff ours! 'Turn to' in the afternoon and after both watches and all that the Part of Ship Po departed back to his mess after a few suggestions about making himself scarce and then a couple of 'work parties' under varii leading hands mustered on the jetty and smartly marched (well wot we called smart!) over to the Belfast, and up the gangway. Chief at the top queried why were there? 'Working Party Chief' 'OK carry on Hooky', well couldn't be anything naughty there were Killicks in charge and they are NEVER bad [ho ho ho].. So round the ship we wanders picking up interesting bit and pieces - falls back in on the jetty carrying the booty and marches back to said 'Yarmouth' carefully stowing it in the tiller flat! Some made several trips! Many days later as they say in all good fairy stories the by this time mighty 'duck' was part of the Scottish Navy and at Portland. Engaged in some strange exercises, as is FOST's wont. 'Mark that spot', sez the 'staff', over goes a dahn buoy; 'well mark that spot', sez the staff, over goes a second dahn buoy (got em now they've only got two, standard issue). 'OK YOU LOT MARK THAT SPOT', over goes a third dahn buoy, and a fourth. Christ there were some funny faces that day, I can tell 'ee. Including some of ours with rings on their sleeves! Same with a few other exercises in that work up - but that can come later! Anybody else got any memories then?
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