Iveston

From John Roberts book SAFEGUARDING THE NATION.

In July 1970 an embarrassing incident occurred on board the minesweeper Iveston in Ullapool, which attracted a lot of unfavourable media attention. Five ratings conducted a sit-down protest and had to be arrested. They were eventually dismissed from the Service but the incident acted as a reminder in the fleet of the need to preserve good order and discipline.

Hi Tim!..........any idea wot their gripe was ?

Hey Admin can I do this? Found this on the web

(Court Martial - HMS Cochrane, Rosyth, Scotland – August 18th 1970)

A court martial here today was told of “hilarious” happenings on board the minehunter HMS Iveston at Ullapool, Wester Ross, on July 6. Five naval ratings charged with talking part in a mutiny were said to have acted out a pirate scene with the name of characters from Mutiny on the Bounty being mentioned and Irish rebel songs sung outside the officers’ wardroom.

The court martial is the first of its kind in the Navy since 1954.

Witnesses stated that the alleged mutiny ended after four hours with four of the men being led peacefully from the ship by three Ross-shire policemen.

Charged with taking part in a mutiny on board HMS Iveston at Ullapool are Edward Griffiths etc etc

Able Seamen Griffiths is also charged with assaulting Chief Petty Officer Stanley Templeton, and with the four others is accused of disobeying orders. All five have pleaded Not Guilty.

In a cir***stantial letter read to the court it was stated that AB Griffiths complained about the condition of the bacon! on the ship and was told that the galley was locked.

He was told by CPO Templeton, the coxswain that any request would have to be put through proper channels He was ordered to go below.

AB Griffiths, it was alleged, then grabbed the coxswain with one hand and struck him with the other.

At midnight Petty Officer Quinn went to the mess deck with orders from the first lieutenant that the men should turn in.

Griffiths, Kirkbride, Smith, O’Malley and Bowers were talking together in groups” , the cir***stantial letter continued “Suddenly one of them said: “Let’s have a mutiny”
The name Fletcher Christian and Captain Bligh were mentioned in a hilarious way, and the five men then acted humorous mutinous pirate scene for almost two minutes.

According to the letter, the five men organised a sit-in protest. After some time police arrived at the request of the ship’s officers.

When a Petty Officer went in the pantry to make coffee for the police and himself, Griffiths said: - “You’ll find the milk in the hat”. The petty officer then noticed that milk have been poured into an officer’s cap which was sitting in the sink!

Sounds like a very weak "Senior Management" issue.

Came across the same report on the following site which makes interesting reading on the subject

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-3697.html

Notes on the entry have been amended , she is a minehunter in the photo having been converted from a minesweeper in 1963