HMS Danae

After an uneventful visit to Capetown, Danæ headed north up the Indian Ocean, pausing briefly off Durban to allow a crew member to be flown off for compassionate leave. We were then met by the tail-end effect of a typhoon while starting a relief duty as Beira Patrol. Tidespring's 184 feet high masts were disappearing behind the massive waves, one of which broke over Danæ's bridge, scattering the duty watch and throwing yours truly across the bridge.

The visit to Mombasa was a great success, with the manager of a local beach-side hotel throwing open his premises for the use of the crew. His bar takings for the week must have trebled -- at least.

Forever northwards, we entered the Red Sea and sailed into Masawa, with the captain performing one of his 'fast approaches' to the dockside and managing to park in the limited space between two other warships. As the first line touched shore the ship was dressed overall, much to the annoyance of other ships from all over the world who had gathered there for Ethiopean Navy Days but had failed to read their Standing Orders. Danæ's Bunting Tossers were then entertained as their American and Russian counterparts raced to Dress Ship. The American crew were ordered not to socialise with the Russians, so Danæ's crew black-balled the Yanks until they backed down, thus avoiding an international incident. During a firing exercise ships in line took turns to blast a palm tree off a sandbank, but without success, until Danæ fired. The palm tree disappeared, and a litttle man ran out of a nearby wooden hut, frantically waving and obviously shouting obscentities at Danæ and her crew.

Danæ at anchor in Mombasa, Kenya

Ethiopean Navy Days: Captain Tudor-Craig performed his famous 'fast approach' when berthing between two warships. When Danæ's bows towered above the Russian Soviet Federal Soclialist Republic Ship October Revolution, he ordered full astern to let the Danæ's flight deck slide under the bows of USS Blue Ridge.

USS Blue Ridge

Russian Soviet Federal Soclialist Republic Ship October Revolution

A quiet visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, followed before we left the Red Sea and headed eastward to RAF Masira for an afternoon of sport. Then, round the corner to Bandar Abbas and Mutrah before entering the Persian Gulf for a few days in Dubai, UAE. After many days at sea we finally arrived at Singapore, which became our base port for about six months as we visited ports in south east Asia and Australasia.

Kuching, Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, was our first visit after negotiating a winding and muddy river for 20 miles or so. Danæ was swamped by visitors during the three-day visit, braking all records for the numbr of people being shown round an RN warship. Back to Singapore. The delights of Bangkok was next on the agenda, and the less said about that the better. Back to Singapore.

Danæ and HMS Londonderry, Sembawang Dockyard, Singapore: Dressed overall for HM The Queen Mother's birthday

HMNZS Waikato, HMS Scylla, HMAS Vendetta, HMS Argonaut, Danæ and Londonderry

RY Britannia and RFA Tidespring at Sembawang

At anchor off a deserted Thai island: Preparing to go ashore for a banyan

HMS Danæ berthed at Kuching, Sarawak: During her three-day visit Danæ clocked up more visitors than any other British warship in history. The crowds queued overnight for a 30-minute stroll around her upper decks and bridge.

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