| Members Memories |
RAF Mountbatten, in 1982
written by Robert (Robbie) Cozens
 This was during one of my months as S A C i/c Duty Watch in the Pier Hut Marine Dock Office at good old R. A. F. Mount Batten with two other M. B. C.’s who were junior to me so good old Robbie was the fall guy if anything went wrong! I must have been in my final year in the RAF as I had requested to come off H.M.A.F.V. Sea Otter and not do Detachments, as I wanted to go to Plymouth Nautical College for Evening classes and begin the first part to becoming a Yachtmaster with luck! W.O. Bill Overall was happy for me to do this and I was put onto R S L 1659 which funnily enough had been my first boat some eleven years earlier at 1113 M C U Holyhead.
The crew at Batten were Cpl Philip Stokes Coxn, Fitter Cpl Don Taylor, MBC SAC Allan (Jock) MacPhail. And me S A C Robbie Cozens.
We had some interesting days on ‘ ‘ 59 often on the Dinghy Drills we would make Toasties over the Smiths stove from bread and what ever we could scrounge from the Mess, then sell them (or should I say request a donation towards the boats tea swindle) to the wet cold survivors who were unceremoniously picked up by a Chopper and dumped on the Well Deck.
The usual routine on the Duty Watch for three of us was to go do a moorings check every couple of hours, shine the light around the boats from the topsides of the Cheverton work boat then go back and keep an eye open around the water etc and sweep with the big search light in front of the office.
This certain night we saw that one of the senior officers a Squadron Leader was Duty Marine Officer, Mmmm this would be interesting! Knowing that at some time and it would be around midnight or later this D.M.O would make an appearance fully booted and spurred! Not ring up to see if all was well and his number if required like most of them did. This one would come down in full best blue! As I was the one in charge of the watch and having some study notes to do for my Y.M. course I volunteered to stay in the front office and the other two could have a kip in the back (this was allowed so long as one was on look out manning the phones etc.) Until the “bewitching” hour of the visit by the D.M.O.! It must have been gone midnight and I was sitting there making notes /homework/ reading etc when a figure slowly went past the window to the left and strolled up to the end of the pier but did nothing to show he was there. I watched him but knowing who it was I stayed where I was and kept an eye on him, he strolled back stood in front of the office and knocked on the window, calling me out to which I stood up and went out, before I could do the Good morning Sir he accused me of sleeping on duty! “ NO Sir”! “But your eyes were closed” “No Sir one was closed one was open I alternate to rest one at a time”. Showing him how I did it I closed one then the other so one was always open! This did not amuse him!
His words then were that he wanted to have the craft in the dock moved round, as they were not tied separately, probably a Pinnace an R S L and a couple of Cheverton work boats, four in all; he wanted them separately tied up. This meant I had to get one of the other two to move the Chevertons from the other two while I stood at the top with the D.M.O. telling what was wanted.
It was dead low water; this did not help as less water to move them around in and just plain awkward. I woke up Jock MacPhail to do the move; he did the job with me telling him from the top, his name was Allan so I used it instead of Jock several times loud and clear. All sorted and craft as the D.M.O. required Allan came up the ladders and asked if ok and was told yes, I doubt if a Thank you came from the
D.M. O! As we moved back to the Pier Office I was called back, he was upset over something! He was not happy that I called my colleague by the name of Allan! “You called him Allan” he said to me that’s MY Name. “Yes Sir that’s his name also Allan MacPhail” But he is called Jock”. “Yes Sir but a Welshman is called Taffy, an Irishman is called Paddy and Scotsmen are called Jock, they are nick names for people from those countries”. He was not amused he was fuming to bursting point having realised I had wound him up and he could do nothing about it; I’d called the M B C by his name, strange it was same as the D.M.O’s or I’d have probably just called him Jock!! We on watch found it very very funny and we had a cuppa and a good laugh to his cost!
I expect by now many of you will have worked out who it was? But if you never knew him the
D M O was Squadron Leader. I believe he of “Sea Otter fame”!! |
click here to email Robert (Robbie) Cozens about this Campaign/Arena
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