The Merchant Navy goes to war

摘要

In April 1982, after leaving the container ship ACT 2 in Tilbury following a five-month trip to Australia, New Zealand and Northern Europe, I was enjoying life at home with my wife when Mr Pitter from Cunard-Brocklebank's personnel office phoned. This could only mean that my leave was about to be cut short and I would have to return to sea. The situation turned out to be far more serious as Pitter explained that due to an escalation in the Falklands crises, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had enquired about the possibility of requisitioning the 14,946gt, ro-ro container vessel Atlantic Conveyor, presently laid up in Liverpool. Would I be prepared to go on 48-hour notice to join her and assist preparing her for sea? This would not be the first time a leave periods had been cut short during my long career at sea. I had started my marine engineering career in 1959, sailing with Houlder Brothers, Guinea Gulf Line and T. & J. Brocklebank. In the late 1970s and early 1980s I sailed on various container ships of the ACT consortium and had undertaken one trip in the 1970-built Atlantic Conveyor just prior to her lay up.