RATTLING THE ENDURANCE'S RIVETSIn 1970 - 1975 I was with 216 Squadron on de Havilland Comet 4Cs
In the 1970s we had a lull in our VIP flying schedule, which our masters filled for us by giving us a load of Marines and Ship's Company for
HMS Endurance who were to become famous in the forthcoming Falklands war.
We flew them down to Punta Arenas the most Southerly point of Chile, night stopping at Sal in the Cape Verdi Islands on the way.
We dropped off the passengers in Punta Arenas, and took off again with an empty aircraft, but instead of flying North, we thought we would go South for a while and fly down the Straights of Magellan, for from Punta Arenas at Latitude 53.9º S. Longitude 70º.55' W to Cape Horn Latitude 57º.48' S. Longitude 67°19´ W are the straights of Magellan and the Drake Passage.
As a scruffy little boy living in the Blue Town, I had dreamt of travelling, through the books that I had read, particularly “He Sailed with Vasgo-de-Gama” and “He Sailed with Magellan”; here then was the chance to lay the ghost and do a real Magellan trip – it was magical. After a while we turned North again.
In the distance through the gin clear air we saw the red dot that was the
Endurance anchored in the lonely waters disturbed only by seabird calls. We thought it would a good wheeze to drop down to below fifty feet and say hello! A sort of surprise hello .....as they wouldn't hear us coming.
And so we screamed low up the Straights – wind screen wipers wiping away the sea spray. As we came on her, at 300mph +we stood her on her tail and with throttles wide open, gave them the benefit of four of Rolls Royce's best as we rattled every rivet in her Hull – heart attack territory for the Jolly Jack! -----GOTCHA!
Years later I saw a photo of the Endurance and realised she wasn't the same ship we had 'beaten-up' ...so I made a few enquiries. Here is the answer I got:
From : HMS ENDURANCE-CS <
279-cs@a.dii.mod.uk>
Sent : 07 December 2005 22:26:22
To : "'HMS Endurance tracking project'" <
enquires@visitandlearn.co.uk>, HMS ENDURANCE-MO <
279-mo@a.dii.mod.uk>, "'johnsimlett'" <johnsimlett@>
CC : HMS ENDURANCE-CO <
279-co@a.dii.mod.uk>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All,
The previous HMS ENDURANCE, of 1982 Falklands Conflict fame, would have been
the vessel to which John Simlett delivered said Ship's Company. Originally
an ice strengthened Danish Vessel named 'Anita Dan', she was commissioned in
1968 and survived through until paying off in November 1991.
The present HMS ENDURANCE was initially chartered as 'Polar Circle' in 1991,
immediately voted an ideal candidate as the replacement Antarctic Patrol
Ship and shortly thereafter purchased outright and renamed HMS ENDURANCE.
Originally built and operated by Rieber Shipping as an Arctic
tourist/research vessel, she is a class 1 Ice Breaker.
Her hull is built to exacting standards with great rigidity and welded
rather than riveted. Regrettably the previous HMS ENDURANCE met her end in
the breakers yard (rivets and all!) shortly after her sale in the early
1990s.
I hope that provides an appropriate answer to John's question - does he
still fly?
GeorgeTabeart
LtCdr,RN
ChargeSurveyor
HMS ENDURANCE