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I am as I said on the old web site putting together a site dedicated to old flt bottom (in my spare time that is), so if anyone out there wants to contribute pic's stories etc. I would be most greatful.
If anyone want's help with sites or want's a site building that's what I now do. A big change from VM and fitness freak.
So please help me out if you can.. Perhaps we can have a reunion before old No 10 goes to pasture as well.

Look forward to seeing the site. There is a piece on Fearless in the 'Your Story' section of 'Once a Marine'. As has been pointed out by several since I wrote it, the date should read 1966. There are several good tales that might be worth telling from the time I joined on her commissioning in Belfast in 1965 to when I left from Bahrain in 1967;let me know what info. you want. My address is in the directory. Tom Kendal

I can provide photoes of the MV Gerhardt and the Fearless during there collison off Portland during the war games part of the beat up in 83 (i think - dates on photos) shows the damage before and after for Fearless and the damaged sustained by the German tanker Gehardt...

I was always glad I'd left before that one, were you on for the fast approach to Breast, I think old Larkin was trying to get into the old submarine pens.
I hope he got desk bound after Fearless he was hopeless above water.
I am greatful for early responce and you anything you have can be sent to me at colin@reactivestudio.com.
THANKS

Well it could be all over for Fearless sooner rather than later her replacement is well ahead of schedule. So we could see her off to warmer waters and flying a new flag sooner than we think.
I for one had many a good time with old flat bottom, I bet there are thousands of like minds out there.

I was on the old girl 76 - 78, as part of Sigs Troop, have some picks during that time also one of her doing a ras on the way down south with the Elk

will send copy if interested

Well if they are good then can you scan them for me to use?
I have quite a lot of the trip down and back but its not just my view Im looking for If you can write a bit on what you got up to Id be greatful.

I have over this weekend put together a demo for the Fearless site you can see it at
http://www.webworkuk.co.uk
this is just a test site, if you click on fearless in the top menu a second menu dropdown appears then again with the second dropdown click on either Fearless or Specification to see some of the pages.
I need lots of ideas for the sections and content so any help apreciated.
A lot of work to do yet.

It was all done by mirrors in the Falkland I think.
You can see a difference on the masts and both were built in different yards.
I can say I have seen both together so there is definatly two ships.

Had a quick look at the Web Site, it could well turn out to be very interesting. will send some pics over the next week, Off for the weekend marineing.

I am hoping to get a lot more work done on the site over the next two weeks and will post it on this test site until she gets her launch for real.
I hope that a few more people can contribute over the months to come.

Thanks
Ratso

looks like a good site ratso i was ships detatchment for down south and throughout that year. i had some great runs and banyans in the windies and the med etc, it all made great change from yomping around the arctic wastes of norway on pussers planks! (who remembers The black angus in puerto rico?)

Wasn't the Black Angus in the old city and a little rough?
Remember the Hawaiian Hut I had to take a ride in a police car to get a battery after our hire car had it's stollen whilst we were inside watching the clever yank who could get six dollar bills on each ni**le. Those girls made a fortune 600 dollars pay a week and about 1000 tips as I was told whilst rubbing ice cubes into the Puerto Rican with huge T...........
Good runs were never so good and banyans, we always had the chefs on ours as our mess was below theirs. True planning and preperation, funny how we always had plenty of beer something to do with driving the beavers on RAS days.
Yep miss those days.

Mixiblobs were you on for Yugoslavia when we were the first British war ship since WW2 and we stirred a storm doing our BFT they thought we were invading.
Who was it that got arrested for urinating against Tito's poster?
The best trip I thought was Aruba, the exercise with the cloggies, the band came ashoe playing then stepped off the LCU over their heads in the sea. When the four tonner got stuck in the dry river bed the BARV blew a fuse and we had to sit ashore and repair her. Such fun and plenty of sun.
Nothing like being told " Royal stop sunning and put your trunks on, your turning my officer on up here".

I want lots more of this type of story for the web site so put on your thinking caps lads....

I remember Yougoslavia well it was the port of Split and we were doing BFT in boots and denims Which upset the locals, I also remember the local beer costing about 3p per bottle, it was a young stoker who got arrested there. There was also a Bootie who got arrested in Venice on the same trip for goffering the local Chief of Police, after being told not to hold swimming races in the canals ! aaarggh its all coming back now. As for the Aruba run we played 5-a-side against the Cloggies who thought it was a non contact sport, WRONG !
Ratso were you the VM constantly bronzying on the tank decks of the LCU's whilst everone else was painting and chipping?