HMS Danae

After leaving Sydney and taking part in the Coral Sea exercise, we made our way to our second home at Singapore. But it was only a short stay, for we were soon on the return leg of our trip back to the United Kingdom.

At steady cruising speed, we eventually reached Victoria, on Mahe Island, in the Seychelles, and everything I had read and heard about the place proved to be true. Walking around the tiny capital was like stepping back in time. The pace was so slow we seemed to be walking backwards, until we crossed the mountain range to Beau Vallon Beach. It was there that time stood completely still. The beach-side hotel made us welcome, and it soon became our 'home-from-home.'

But, all too soon, we got steam up and set sail for our second visit to Simonstown and Capetown before heading north up the South Atlantic Ocean for fun and games as we crossed the equator for the sixth and final time. There was no King Neptune to welcome us, but a sports day and an evening 'sods' opera' were enjoyed by all.

HMS Fife carrying out Man Overboard exercises in the Indian Ocean

South African Naval Ship President Kruger in the South Atlantic Ocean: Her helicopter had just crash-landed on the flight deck and smashed its rotors against the hangar. The white splashes are the result of the flying debris. Needless to say, this photograph was taken using my telephoto lens just before yours truly ducked behind the bridge wing screen.

'Siddy' Sides making a move along the Aintree course during the Equator Grand National

As we neared Gibraltar we were met by the relief ships of Task Force Two, and played silly sailors and musical ships with them for the benefit of a BBC and RN Recruiting film-crew that had been with us off and on for most of the deployment. Yours truly earned a day's 14s for not ensuring the sea ensign was flying when the following wind was at the same speed as the ship and, of course, the ensign just hung limp. And guess who took the complaining signal by flashing light from the Admiral aboard HMS Blake?

Red sky at night, in the Bay of Biscay

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