THE COVENANTER
All at Sea (and under it) with
its name.
The Cameronians
I was getting a bit anxious by now because
it was almost eleven o’clock and I’d been
“Another Tale From The Barrack Room” told to be there at noon so I checked all the
streets around the harbour for any signs
The morning before I was to go on my indicating directions to a Royal Navy office
submarine trip courtesy of the Royal Navy or establishment but I found nothing.
I went down to the Depot Orderly Room to Then I spotted two sailors in uniform over
get my instructions’ which didn’t amount at the narrow entrance to a small part of the
to any more than a return ticket to Rothesay harbour used by pleasure boats and when
on the Isle of Bute and the suggestion that I got nearer they had RN Submarines on
I produce my body to the Captain of HMS their cap ribbons. As I hove to alongside (
Truncheon by noon on the 10 June. On that’s navy speak ) one of them said “Are
the train to Glasgow I wondered again at my you the pongo who is joining us on the
luck in having my name drawn out of the boat?”. I said “Yes” and he said “OK Mate,
hat to go on the trip and it dawned on me just wait here” then they continued their
that the offer to go to sea on the boat had conversation about their home leave and
not exactly seen a great rush of volunteers. ignored me,
Indeed some of those great friends of mine
in the Cpls Mess had offered to look after my Nearly half an hour later a biggish tug/
motorbike if I went missing and a few more trawler kind of thing painted in that awful
were laying claim to some of the better parts muddy yellow and black colour that I now
of my kit as though I was already part of a know is used by the Admiralty on civvy
tragic story. crewed support boats in UK Harbours swept
into this little entry and sort of jammed itself
The ferry to Rothesay was not very busy up against the harbour wall. The sailor says
and was soon away from the pier allowing “ Right Mate “, both of them pick up the
me a good view of the harbour but I could small sports bags at their feet and disappear
only see a few small fishing boats and the rapidly down onto the tug using the iron
odd yacht. Even scanning up and down handrails set into the side of the wall. This
the Clyde there was nothing in sight and was getting interesting because they had
I would have recognised a Navy ship; they just thrown their little bags down onto the
are big grey things with white numbers and deck before climbing down but I had been
letters on the side and they have guns up at told to take No1 dress ,No2 dress and all
the front. sorts of stuff since there would be official
I reckoned that with the cold war and meetings and so on and was lumbered with
everything; the Navy probably kept these my whacking big (and heavy) army suitcase.
thing hidden away up some cove or creek Throwing that down to the boat would see
so the best way to find them would be to the contents spread all over the deck and
ask the local soviet spy but there were no beyond so I couldn’t chance that.
obvious spies about and two old men fishing
off the pier looked at me as though I was I put the case on in its side with the handle
mad when I asked them if they had seen any projecting over the wall and climbed down
submarines. until I could reach up; get a hold of the
handle and pull the case over to hang in my
The Harbourmasters Office were bound to right hand, the sudden weight drag could
know about these things so that was my next have pulled me off the wall but be sure I had
port of call but inside I found only a bored a death grip with my left hand as the guy
looking teenager picking at his spots and a in the wheelhouse was holding the boat in
large woman behind a typewriter reading a position by keeping it angled into the wall
Hollywood film magazine. It didn’t look too against the throttles and this meant there
hopeful so I asked for the Harbourmaster. was an ever widening gap between the front
The teenager sniggered and the fat lady and rear of the boat and the wall, I was not
frostily informed me that the great man was about to fall into that. After that it was a
at a meeting with the “Toon Cooncil” and case of letting go with my left hand and
anyway he only spoke with Shipmasters and catching the next rail down until I could get
Yottie type people so I could address any a foot onto the side of the tug and fall in a
enquiry to her. No! She didn’t know where heap onto the deck. The sailors thought
I might find a submarine even if I did know the whole performance was hilarious and
63
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