Naval memories - Aziz
Our cadet training at Dartmouth included a day's boxing, closely watched by our supervisors for signs of character weakness.
I hate boxing, and was lucky to be pitted against Aziz (not his real name), one of several Egyptian cadets who were doing their training with us. Poor Aziz had not had the benefit (?) of a British boarding school education, and was even more reluctant than me. Our three minutes in the ring consisted of him running backwards round the ring with me running after him.
I saw Aziz again four years later. HMS Cygnet was the guardship anchored in the Gulf of Suez for four weeks in August 1953. It was boring and very hot, and the ship had no air conditioning. We were not (yet) at war, but relations with Egypt were tense.
One morning we were surprised to see a small Egyptian minesweeper anchored about a mile away, with its gun trained in our direction. Our response was to send me across to present my captain's complements and offer any help they may need. At the same time one of our 4" gun turrets would be trained on them. So I dressed in my bestl white uniform, complete with sword, and set off in the captain's skimmer. At the top of the gangway when I arrived, there was Aziz. He was trembling like a leaf!
But his captain received me courteously as I delivered the message, and next morning the minesweeper was gone.
Intimidating Mike, well, - who would have thought that possible?
Poor Aziz, - he probably never got over it.
Posted by: Tone | August 25, 2007 at 02:59 PM