Times of Malta: "Royal Navy Frigate in Harbour"

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100512/local/royal-navy-frigate-in-harbour

 

Nice how times have changed. Remember the then P.M. of Malta. Don Mintoff, ordering our group out to sea in 1966, when one of the lads had a "little" :wink: altercation with his son. :lol:

 

Yep, brings back happy memories

 

Spent a fair time in Malta during 2 med deployments in '75. Many happy memories.

Edited to add just remembered the Helix bar in HMS St. Angelo Ace start to a run ashore.

 

I love the place, and loved it when I was there at St Angelo, it has a very special character of its own.
We treated them like sh*t when we left and caned them into us taking the bases back at a knock down rate, yet they still like us which shows what a wonderful lot they are.
The place has come on a long way since and good luck to it.

 

Yeah, just don't try and live there... :-(

 

Dom doesn't have a son - just two daughters, both of whom went to the RN primary school in the 60s.

 

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100512/local/second-rn-ship-in-harbour

 

Oh yes, Happy days, but the prices soon shot up when the Yanks came to the Grand Harbour. :x

 

Bolx, missed it by two days, we flew home on Monday evening.

 

Don't remember that one Scouse, and my family were living in Birzebuggia in 66/67. P'raps, being canteen boat, we were already at sea. :lol:

 

Hms Victorious, and escorts, outward bound, to the Far East!!!! 20 th July 66. Stopped their an extra 3 weeks 24th May till 13 th June on the return leg, Caught up in the Arab /Israeli Six day war, and was the last RN Warship to transit the suez canal, for many a year. :roll: :roll:

 

I remember in 72/73 the local constabulary getting all cocky when the lead up to Independence was in the air.
Gave a few lads from a couple of ships a good kicking for little or no reason. When they reported facts on-board no one wanted to know.

BUT...After operation Deep Furrow we went back in with the Norfolk and Hampshire, and the ward room stepped ashore to celebrate the birthday's of a few pig's and three of them got the shite kicked out of them.
The CID arrived from Scotland Yard along with the SIB and there was one mother of an enquiry with Maltese filth being arrested and cautioned.
But there was never any class distinction in the Navy. Oh look the tooth fairy....... .

EDIT..Spidiver if you read this ask your brother and his oppo about this, they will remember it as one of his mates had his front teeth kicked into his gums and lived on scrambled egg for weeks. Jan Peters I think his name was, an RP.

 

We found the natives to be rather corruptible.
The "Omerta" system is in full effect (keeping family things quiet - like priests fiddling with kiddies etc)
They complain about the poor state of the roads, but wont pay taxes so that they can be repaired. And on and on.

It really isn't rocket science.

I do welcome the efforts being made by the MFSA (Maltese Financial Services Agency), but when you have to change the mindset of a whole country, well put it this way, I don't think many mountain climbers would wish to hike up a slope that steep.

 

Spent a lovely 6 months there amp after patrolling Cyprus in 74/5.Remember they made us paint ship before we were allowed into harbour.All hands on deck ship painted in approx 6 hours!! Nothing like motivation!!