www.mcdoa.org.uk 11111=1=111111111111•11111•111111111111111111=1111111_ The design is simple and strong, I lin clamping mechanism has been int proved, and the valve is made (ir ti corrosive chrome-plated brass. Safety AIR RESERVE VALVE The sets are fitted with an air reserve valve. in It cannot be left accidentally on `Reserve' when the cylinder is Comfort empty. The valve has no cam action which can wear or jam. HARNESS The new nylon webbing harness is designed without a waist- strap, to make a weight belt more The Essgee 'Mistral' Aqualung by comfortable to wear. The central Siebe, Gorman based on the famous quick-release attachment helps you Cousteau-Cagrian design has all the take off the set before leaving the latest refinements that research has water, or jettison it in emergency. suggested and experiment realised. tWIN CYLINDER CONVERSION DEMAND VALVE The double-lever YOU can coo \ rrl \ uur `Militral . action reduces opening resistance AqUfthilig HI° n I will Hcl., to a minimum, and the single stage * Wide to 10,11 tichi the reduction gives maximum air-flow. 1,:ssfve. .11 1st re The Glebe, Gorman • Mfetrar - The World's most reliable Aqualung SIEBE, GORMAN dr CO. LTD. Neptune Works, Davis Road, Chessington, Surrey. SIEBE Telephone: Elmbrldge 5900 I Manchester Office: 274, Deansgate. Telephone: Deansgate 6000 GORMAN COMO"- a CO LTD. SCUT... Vol. 7 H.M.S. VERNON No. 3 www.mcdoa.org.uk www.mcdoa.org.uk We specialise in H EVERYTHING THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE FOR THE UNDERWATER WORLD WHO MANUFACTURE A FULL SPORTSMAN RANGE OF DIVING EQUIPMENT IN THEIR including the latest designs and all the better makes of OWN FACTORY LUNGS DIVING SUITS SWIMMING GEAR & EQUIPMENT Standard and Harbour- Type Diving Equipment Diving Dresses Diving Hoses Delta Dry Underwater Swimming Suits Wet Suits The Hans Hass range of Fins and Masks May we send you our Heinke Lungs NEW 1960 LIST and Heinke Demand-valve folder of illustrated leaflets? Regulators FREE—of course High-pressure Air Charging Units for Aqua-lung Cylinders Pump Gear of all types Motor Compressors Hand Pumps 126 HANWORTH ROAD Diver Phone Sets HOUNSLOW, MIDDX. Knives, Compasses, Gloves, Weight-belts, etc. Tel. HOUnslow 6722 'PAY-AS-YOU-PLAY' DEFERRED TERMS ARRANGED C. E. HEINKE & CO. LTD. 87 Grange Rd., Bermondsey, S.E.I Tel. Bermondsey 4461 1820-1960 I- —(1)— www.mcdoa.org.uk Contents R.N. Diving Magazine l'aye EDITORIAL STAFF EDITORIAL .. Chief Petty Officer R. L. BENFIELD, Editor. TIII: FIRST 12 MONTHS Lieutenant H. PARKER, Treasurer. Instructor Lieutenant R. M. SMART, B.A., R.N., Secretary. I 'NH SIAI ION CLEARANCE DIVING TEAM 9 Able Seaman A. LYDEN and L/Sea. M. J. BRASSINGTON, Cartoonists. I DANDIND A PROPELLOR 11 Vol 7 Summer 1960 No. 3 At I 1)1 MANI/ DIVING EQUIPMENT (S.D.D.E.) 13 Editor's Notes ( I t ARAN( I DIVIND Ar('EPTANCI TRIAI S TEAM NOTES 17 E hope any doubts you may have had about the I )1VERS' I INDI R WA II It COMMUNICA l'ION SYSTEM 18 excuses we made for the delay of the last issue wwill be erased by the promptness, size and quality this one. 'BUDDY LINI S. 24 The Committee would like to thank those who sent A SON 01. A TEMPLE COX BOLT GUN 25 in articles for this edition, making it I hope one of the best so far, and so paving the way for even better issues. LONDONDERRY DIVING TEAM • • 27 My thanks to Lieutenant Commander Filer, not only for writing articles but for bringing pressure to DIVERS' DAY .19 bear on those beyond the reach of myself. Please note our new features 'Buddy Lines' and MAKING UNDERWATER MOVIES 31 `Bye Pass Cracks' and let us have any interesting and amusing contributions you may think of. This is the ALBERT AND THE DIVER 35 opportunity for those who quickly get writer's cramp as only a few lines are required. NEWS FROM R.N.P.L. 37 THE KHARG ISLAND PROJECT The First 12 Months by LT-CDR H. WARDLE, R.N. (Retd) BY-PASS CRACKS I AVING completed a full year I think is the general reaction, i.e. COMMAND BOMB AND MINE DISPOSAL UNIT—MINES 41 as a civilian employee I feel very 'I'll worry about that when the time Hguilty in going so long without comes'. This, in many ways, is as it should be, for after all, one is doing COX OF SCAPA 44 making a contribution to the Maga- zine. The only excuse I can offer is a job in the Service and you cannot do that job efficiently if you are EXPERIMENTAL CLEARANCE DIVING UNIT that even now I do not feel really 51 qualified to write as a civilian though going to spend your service life naturally 1 am better qualified now worrying about your civvy job ! AN OLD MINE FOR A NEW TEAM 53 than in the early days. It might be of interest to pro- spective civilians if I go through the DIVERS' EMPLOYMENT BUREAU 55 mindsThe whilstthought in passesthe Service through 'What all are our phases I experienced since leaving we to do in civilian life" Equally true the service; a typical case of one who —3 www.mcdoa.org.uk www.mcdoa.org.uk then given a rapid 'Cooks Tour' of man stood me in good stead on the decision as to 'what to This means often starting al a low work in progress, three massive dams mechanical side, whilst my diving do' Willi :it tunny letwing the service. wage. You have several assets which for hydro electric schemes which experience helped with the cutting Mkt, manly others, my first are not available in many employees. had been completed recently, and and welding. By the end of four (hough' 1. 'M ne Host', !hiving You have a wider general know- various 'extensions' from these main weeks I suppose I was doing some Tent 411 a 111 1 ippy 110111 in ledge, you are disciplined, you are works. My mind boggled at the useful work, though I was always Hi% , ,iiry physically fit and generally adaptable thought of the organisation needed grateful and conscious of the fact that till mi. 1 ,, Ilia toil I nluu.111'ly and probably, most important, you to complete such enormous projects. I had someone to sort out the mess. II. m.11 can offer an employer loyal service. We have all 'had the ship on our I was taken for a 'run ashore' by It \1 \\11 1 11..m1,1 Ili Olt The foregoing cannot be put on backs' from time to time; looking the foreman. It appeared that after I )101111111 11 1, I I'..1 I m.. 1 1111, paper, hut, if you are any good at all, back I began to wonder whether my 'the treatment' the average Sassenach '.ii1111 1.0 't\ filo moviding you keep your eyes and 'friends' had perhaps been right in fell fiat on his face by about 9 p.m. 1111'41 Ii111 I I 1111, ai r open and initially reserve your accusing me of having had quiet I am glad to say that, thanks to Kay I 11111‘11111. 111 111.1 11 r, hill lilt' opinions, you are bound to start numbers all the time I had been in moving up. diving training, I was still on my feet 11111111111, 1111111 1 111111111 11111 1411 very the Service ! with my tutors in the early hours of 111111 II iti 11111 limn the Nidv, In my case I decided I did not The first move was a three months the morning ! In due course I got ,111\ 111 111I hint y Ihis I rt.contmend want a static job, i.e. either in an basic training course. The theory the word that the buzz had gone you go WWII do at least one month as office or a factory, and I was for- around 'Watch that Naval Type' ! a barman hist, was that during this period I should tunate in being given a start at £500 have a go at every man's job. As this In spite of my time in Scotland I had I next MOW for tie was a look a year during my first three months was the principle I adopted in the some language difficulty. However, al the great wide world of industry. training with a civil engineering school for officers qualifying in I was up to date in some of the more It's a strange feeling, having had contractor. You will see my pay diving, I had no argument with this. vivid language and generally got by. your next job decided for you for so wasn't much but, from my employers' The next move was to spend four long, being a free agent for the first viewpoint I was an unknown quan- The first four weeks were spent in the Plant Depot under a hard, bitter weeks under a General Foreman on little it is incredibly difficult to decide tity and quite obviously would have a site. This site proved to be a Weir what one really wants. Of course, if to be trained before I could be of and tempestuous Aberdonian Plant Foreman. After three days I was which the firm was building at Glen you are settled in a certain area with any real use. I rapidly discovered Beag. This proved to be the pro- a family to bring up the situation is that in many walks of civilian life aching all over having spent most of each day under a Land Rover verbial two days camel journey from different, it's what you can get in the one has to pay to learn, in many Dingwall where I was staying, about area, as opposed to what you want.