Mick 'Nobby' Clarke

HMS YARMOUTH

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Mick 'Nobby' Clarke

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Nobby Clarke AB (R) HMS Yarmouth, 1971-1973

I REMEMBER

Shirley Eaton's (bald eagle) account of splash Webster but I’m sure we actually got him in a wet suit and he was on his way down the boat ladder to the splash target which was floating along side.

Before the O.O.W stopped proceedings otherwise I’m sure we would of let him carry on to be towed behind the ship, fodder for the next incoming phantom f4

Talking of Shirley (bald eagle) LS(R) I remember when entering cape town harbour, due to the dockies on strike we sent Shirley and 2 AB's away in the Gemini ahead of us, to tie us up.

Well that was the plan. Shirley decided to release the Gemini gear when he was about 15 foot above the oggin. Him and his crew hit the water like Apollo 13 landing , all ended up in the drink and the Yarmouth was still steaming ahead, we saw some dolphins on the port beam which we pointed out to

Shirley in the water and shouted Sharks. He nearly broke all his finger nails trying to hang on to the ship, when we pulled him up he had to report to the skipper on the bridge where I was told he collapsed in a gibbering heap. Shirley's a born and bred Rock Ape by the way ........enough said.

I remember the Icelandic gun boats Thor and Odin trying to ram us and us seaman throwing spuds and cabbage at them, from the upper deck vegetable locker. The chief cook went bananas.

My 18 year old brain could not understand why the skipper didn’t blow them out of the water with our hardware. I had no concept of political correctness.

WE had the best fishing gear in the world - Sonar and a three barrelled mortar on the quarter deck - Just off Mauritius the shipper decided to have a flight deck Barbie;

Step one - find the fish

Step two - bomb them

Step three - away sea boat and pick them up

We had enough barracuda to feed the whole fleet .........I’d have love to see the Captains log as to the reason for the live firing.

Please feel free to correct my memories at any time

mick_clarke(at)tiscali(dot)co(dot)uk