Cold War season "The Silent War" (Submarines) BBC2 Thurs 9pm

[T66ORA]

Just a heads up for the first of a 2 part documentary on British/US/Soviet boats during the Cold War.
Having served on "Bombers" in the mid 80s and knowing how much all RN Submariners kept to ourselves, it will be interesting to see what stories will leak out.
My guess is, the Yanks and Boris will gob off, some will be "walter"
And the Brits won`t say a great deal, "the silent service"
I spent 9 months working on AFD60 (a emergency Submarine floating dock) in 83
we had a couple of boats come in looking worst for wear,i wonder if these stories will be leaked? I certainly won`t be telling tales
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...

[Yertis]

T66ORA said:

Just a heads up for the first of a 2 part documentary on British/US/Soviet boats during the Cold War.
Having served on "Bombers" in the mid 80s and knowing how much all RN Submariners kept to ourselves, it will be interesting to see what stories will leak out.
My guess is, the Yanks and Boris will gob off, some will be "walter"
And the Brits won`t say a great deal, "the silent service"
I spent 9 months working on AFD60 (a emergency Submarine floating dock) in 83
we had a couple of boats come in looking worst for wear,i wonder if these stories will be leaked? I certainly won`t be telling tales
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...

What does "walter" mean?

[CrutyRammers]

walter as in "mitty", I believe - i.e. makes stuff up.
Set to record, hopefully should be interesting.

[texaxile]

Wow, thanks for the heads up, looking forward to this.

Has anyone written a book about the role of the Subs during the Cold War? It's something I'd be interested in.

Must have been a stressful time for the Crews on board.

[andy97]

texaxile said:

Wow, thanks for the heads up, looking forward to this.

Has anyone written a book about the role of the Subs during the Cold War? It's something I'd be interested in.

Must have been a stressful time for the Crews on board.

Try the book "Blind man's buff".

An awesome read.

[Tango13]

andy97 said:

texaxile said:

Wow, thanks for the heads up, looking forward to this.

Has anyone written a book about the role of the Subs during the Cold War? It's something I'd be interested in.

Must have been a stressful time for the Crews on board.

Try the book "Blind man's buff".

An awesome read.

An excellent read, also this is well worth a read...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Waters-Insiders-Warsu...

[T66ORA]

Plenty of Aircraft geeks but not to many bubblehead fans it appears

On tonight, will have to record it for another day, the Mrs want`s to watch
"I`m a has been get me out of here"
Can`t complain to much, as i watched the footie last night.

[LordLoveLength]

texaxile said:

Wow, thanks for the heads up, looking forward to this.

Has anyone written a book about the role of the Subs during the Cold War? It's something I'd be interested in.

Must have been a stressful time for the Crews on board.

Also try "Hostile Waters" - awesome true story - some of the crew feature in tonights prog.

[T66ORA]

andy97 said:

texaxile said:

Wow, thanks for the heads up, looking forward to this.

Has anyone written a book about the role of the Subs during the Cold War? It's something I'd be interested in.

Must have been a stressful time for the Crews on board.

Try the book "Blind man's buff".

An awesome read.

Got it on the bookshelf, but never finished it, refer to the Walter comments above,not convinced by some of it, OK the Scorpion story is probably on the money,and we played with a DSRV on DASO off Cape Canaveral in 87.
This wasn`t the first time RN boats had exercised with it.

Maybe i should try completing the book 6 years later?

[T66ORA]

This is a better photo.

[marksx]

Another one for me to record and watch later

[Yertis]

T66ORA said:

Plenty of Aircraft geeks but not to many bubblehead fans it appears

On tonight, will have to record it for another day, the Mrs want`s to watch
"I`m a has been get me out of here"
Can`t complain to much, as i watched the footie last night.

I'll be watching it. Although not a "bubblehead" I've become quite interested in submarines since a close mate became a submariner (and has had a rather eventful career).

[Lurking Lawyer]

Cheers for the heads up - i'd have missed it otherwise and I do enjoy this sort of military stuff.

[andy97]

First half was rubbish - second half a bit better

[mercGLowner]

No great revelations there, most of the British 'hoods' who were interviewed have been doing this sort of thing with the media for a while now. Jim Rings book, 'we come unseen' was written about 12 years ago and features most of the submarine officers featured (Lane-Nott, Macpherson, Elliot......). Blind Man bluff is the one to read though, US focus but a bit of uk stuff In there too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/We-Come-Unseen-Britains-Su...

It's a a little bland if you ask me.

[T66ORA]

andy97 said:

First half was rubbish - second half a bit better

Agreed, rather disappointing, but as predicted no RN Submariners really telling anything that is not in the public domain. Hopefully next weeks might be a bit better?

It was pleasing that the Wife's got a special mention, my Mrs didn`t know how long i was going to be away for, we only gave estimates of normally 6 to 12 weeks on average, the only contact we had was a family gram once a week, subject to operational commitments, of around 40 words.She would be contacted to tell her the Boat will be back within the next 5 days. It was a hard life for the women as well in those days, no mobiles,Skype, or E-Mail.
Still happy memories mind

[mercGLowner]

T66ORA said:

andy97 said:

First half was rubbish - second half a bit better

Agreed, rather disappointing, but as predicted no RN Submariners really telling anything that is not in the public domain. Hopefully next weeks might be a bit better?

It was pleasing that the Wife's got a special mention, my Mrs didn`t know how long i was going to be away for, we only gave estimates of normally 6 to 12 weeks on average, the only contact we had was a family gram once a week, subject to operational commitments, of around 40 words.She would be contacted to tell her the Boat will be back within the next 5 days. It was a hard life for the women as well in those days, no mobiles,Skype, or E-Mail.
Still happy memories mind

It's no different now, except the patrols are longer and I might be correct in saying that there are two familygrams a week allowed. I still have a few old faded family grams up in the loft in an old brief case from my R boat and V boat days. My wife used to struggle to write 40 words!!

Edited by mercGLowner on Friday 6th December 17:19

[T66ORA]

mercGLowner said:

My wife used to struggle to write 40 words!!

Edited by mercGLowner on Friday 6th December 17:19

Very true!
I was pulled before the Coxswain, and asked about "Sam" who the Mrs was telling me had died!! It was next doors pet Rabbit killed by our Border Collie

The family Gram was censored and only part of it given to me.

[Mr_B]

For the non Naval types like myself, how did the Russians not detect and bloody great sub approaching and then 12 feet under them ?

[mercGLowner]

I was in a position where I had to vet the familygrams, I can tell you there were some 'fruity' ones..... Some wives clearly felt no shame that they would be read before hubby/boyfriend actually got to read them!