The Vung Tao Ferry
 

Nice news reel vid of HMAS Sydney enroute to Vung Tao in Vietnam in 1969. During this period Sydney was used for troop transport and officer training.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8u_aIWYqrA

Really enjoyed watching this.

Nice one...I've worked on the RFA Tidepool :cool:

I've been to Vung Tau. Had a fun exchange with the Riverines there. :sunny:

Cool. What job did you do? Did it have anything to do with peeling spuds?

Cmon Steve you're leaving us hanging...

What? It wasn't anything special. When our destroyer dropped anchor the PBRs swarmed around us like bees around a hive. That was my observation then. The skippers of each boat came aboard. It seems that they had little mini-fridges on the boats, but nothing more than that. On the other hand, unlike the "real" navy they were allowed a beer ration. So they came aboard offering a six-pack in exchange for a glass of water with ice in it. Our officers of course said the beer was a no-no, but all the riverines were invited to come take some ice from our big ice machine. The thing looked something like this, and that was the only time I ever saw it empty. Those guys hadn't seen any ice in months, and according to them it was what they missed the most. :sunny:

I imagine ice was in short supply on the rivers of Vietnam. :up: It's amazing the stuff you miss when you can't get it.

She was on the River Tyne mid 70's for repairs and I was serving my apprenticeship in the local shiprepair yard as a Marine Fitter.

So you really were peeling spuds.

You know why they call cooks in the navy fitters and turners?

Because the take food fit it in a pot and turn it into Something Highly Inedible To humans.:O: