[BITList] ab's

[HUGH]

Colin,

So I shall reveal all regarding the awkward buggers, not necessarily in
order of awkwardness.

Of the first, Don Richardson, I wrote in my diary, "I didn't get on with the
2nd, and he didn't get on with me." I recall no out and out warfare, just
not the kind of relationship I thought should exist.  I react badly to
officiousness.  As contrast, Ernie Elrick, 2nd on Chakdara when I was fiver,
could be narky at times, but it never clouded relationships.  Had I been 2nd
with the same 3 brand new fivers to cope with, I might have been worse than
Ernie.  I had Ernie to thank for going 4th on Chilka, so the grapevine said
at the time.

Arthur Brakes was Chief on Chinkoa when I joined her as 3rd on getting my
2nd's ticket. Taffy Trott was the other 3rd, technically junior to me,
though much senior in years of BI service - I got my ticket before him. He
had been 3rd on Chilka when I was 4th - I left her on study leave. While I
was working away at being 3rd, others aboard her were worrying about The
Problem - what the hell to do with me.  "Wee Willie" Harris was 2nd, a very
nice chap with a very nice wife - she used to get worried about our
welfare - she sailed round the continent with us. Taffy Trott was heir
apparent to the 2nd's job on Chinkoa, and I was the spare prick at the
wedding.  I assume Head Office knew what they were doing, and it had bugger
all to do with me.  From my diary, "Talk of me going 2nd, but Brakes is
dictatorial and overbearing. Trott is mooted for 2nd, so I let it go."
There had to be a solution and, as far as I was concerned, the solution was
NOT me sailing 2nd on Chinkoa under Brakes and over Trott.  They could have
shifted either of us, and they chose to shift me, after going through the
charade of summoning me up town to ask my blessing on Trott getting the job.
The rest of the staff were A1, indeed I didn't ever sail with a nicer bunch.
I landed on Nowshera double quick.  I recall I was more pissed off at
missing the camaraderie aboard Chinkoa (with exceptions) than with anything
else, but later on I reflected and got bolshie, which led in time to my exit
from BI.


Nowshera, no harm to steam turbines, wasn't a happy episode.  I couldn't
relax, every drawer was full of some else's stuff, and I lived out of a
suitcase. If I am honest, I can't say Don Richardson had the same attitude
towards me as when I was on Chilka, but I remembered only too well how it
had been, and that was enough.  I hated hanging around the UK coast, I
wanted away on a long voyage, and the ins and outs of Ginger's pursuit of a
married lady in Shirley's store in Eastham, fascinating as they were to
Ginger, did nothing to assuage my boredom.  Ginger was a long serving fiver,
enamoured of someone else's wife, and he asked me along for moral support
when chatting her up.  Something happened - I can't recall what - but I
offered the powers-that-be a choice : get me a proper posting, or I'm off.
And so it came to pass I did journey to Southampton and did join Dilwara.

End.

Hugh.