[airman]

Anybody about who served on this ship during this period

[R58484956]

Greetings Airman and welcome to SN. Bon voyage.

[Keltic Star]

Welcome aboard Airman, I am sure you will enjoy SN, a mine of nautical information, a great crew and more than tolerant owners and moderators.

As for your questions, I didn't sail on the "Benlarig" during your time but was a Deck Cadet on her in 59/60 when she was the "Javanese Prince". She had just come off the Prince Line round the world service and changed to a full British crew which was a shock as all of a sudden everyone had to do their own dhobi etc. We also lost the Indian and Chinese galley's and had to adjust to standard Merchant Navy fare.

We did one run to eastern Canada and the States and then went on MoD charter on the supply run to Christmas Island for the H bomb tests. No one asked us to volunteer, no one warned us of the potential hazards and no one gave a toss about us when the experiments were over.

We were there after the main bomb tests, but the whole area was still heavily radioactive. Marine life observed in the lagoon and overboard with clusters at night looked more like bubble headed space invaders than sharks, tarpon and rays. The trucks and heavy equipment we took back to the UK kept the geiger counters happily clicking away 24/7 on the return trip.

I am one of the fortunate ones, apparently there are less than 1,000 army, navy, airforce and MN personnel still alive from the Christmas Island dog and pony show.

The plight of some of the veterans is evidenced at:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/01/21-5

If it wasn't for the Australians admitting they were there with the Brit's, the whole event would still be denied by those bastar*s in Whitehall whose only contrition was to award us the British Nuclear War Test Medal for service in Radioactive Areas.

[airman]

we faired better than you as I was first officer with a chinese crew running as far as Hong Kong for the said period..at least we saw the good days of shipping

[forthbridge]

Originally Posted by airman

Anybody about who served on this ship during this period

I sailed on her from April 62 to January 63. Left her on the trip where she had a problem with cracked cranshaft coupling bolts on the way in to Hamburg.

[jrennie]

Originally Posted by airman

Anybody about who served on this ship during this period

Iwas 4eng fromdec 63 to april 64 Pryde was captain and cigar murchie was chief eng