Rossian wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 6:49 pm
I almost hesitate to bring up the subject of Majunga (nowadays known as Mahajanga). During the best detachment in the history of the RAF I met one or two ancient French "colons" who were youngsters during this period of the invasion and had memories of it. A tangible reminder of the event is in an ancient landing craft used as a regular ferry from the town of Majunga across the wide river to a small community called Katsepy(sp?). It is called "Avottra" which is the Malagasy version of "A votre (sante)". It was still operating during a BBC nature documentary in the late '90s as it appeared on camera with Gerald Durrel's widow. How about that for a collection of triv? and all true!
The Ancient Mariner
Rossian, were you based in Majunga during the period of the support of the Beira Patrol and UN embargo on Rhodesia?
I knew an older Rhodesian, in the Tower in Salisbury, who used to have many an enjoyable chat on HF with the RAF crews, passing on the weather and even taking messages to be telegrammed to family back home in the UK. We Saffers, of course, were only too pleased to be able to provide the Rhodesians with fuel, spares, food, ammo, men and air support in the bush war that was ramping up then!
Dick Lord was one of South Africa's best known SAAF senior officers and pilots during the latter stages of the war in Angola and brought great credit to the SAAF with the helicopter rescue of the passengers of the Oceanos liner! He flew with the Fleet Air Arm, enforcing the blockade during the 60's and had a very impressive career in the Royal Navy. Politicians, of whatever nation, are often such idiots and service men and women, of whatever nationality, do their duty...
In 1966 Dick Lord found himself in the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm flying from Ark Royal off Beira, Mozambique, to enforce the oil blockade of Rhodesia following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence. After one mission to intercept a suspected blockade-runner, he returned to find that the carrier had been overtaken by a tropical storm and that her flight deck was pitching through 65ft: his aircraft caught the third arrester wire and damaged its undercarriage – reckoned a near perfect landing in the conditions.
https://samilhistory.com/2017/04/01/dic ... -the-saaf/