Bristow Photos

[Dave Ed]

Pembroke Dock

Pembroke Dock





........more from Ken Rowe.....


Pembroke Dock, Wales (Jul 73-Sept73)

(A/C Wessex G-AZBY)
Pilots: - Dick Metcalfe (chief pilot), Rudi Meyer.
Engs: - Roger Leale (chief eng), Don McQuaig, Ken Rowe.
Plotter: - Kedge Goode

The hangar was one of two situated either side of a World War 2 slipway used for launching and recovering seaplanes. The hangars were huge and had not been used since the 1950's. They had enormous blast doors which were impossible to open unless you had unlimited manpower pushing them, which of course we didn't have, so we had to resort to the trusty Land Rover strategically placed to open them. The oil company had tidied up one corner of the hangar for us together with a couple of offices whilst the rest of it was still in a state of semi dereliction. Kedge Goode besides being plotter had the duties of dealing with freight and Pax both in and out. We flew on average about three days a week with the rig being situated about 1Hr 20 Mins away. Whilst we were there it all went with mundane normality.

Don McQuaig and myself arrived at Pembroke Dock travelling in Don's ageing Mini from Yarmouth whilst Dick Metcalfe flew in from Yarmouth in the Wessex and Rudi Meyer drove over from Germany in his Mercedes whilst Roger Leale drove up from Southampton in his Lotus Élan. A reasonable selection of transport one might say. We all met in the Pembroke Dock Hotel where we were to be housed which was situated just inside the dockyard walls. The rig, operated by Marathon, was at that time still off southern Ireland and the site that we were to service was to be situated in the Celtic Sea or just off the north Cornish coast to you and me. As we had a few days before the rig was due on site a few "meet & greet" flights for the local dignitaries were made, as there had been some opposition locally to a helicopter operating out of the dock.

As it was high summer in the middle of the South Wales tourist area there was plenty to do in leisure time. Rudi Meyer, a German, although working for the company for 12 years suddenly announced after a week that this was the first time that he had ever been in Britain and could he bring his wife over. Anyone who has ever known Rudi will know that he speaks perfect English with a public school accent and the only trace of his nationality is his name. None of us would believe him. Apparently he had been recruited 12 Yrs earlier by Alan Green when Bristow's had an operation in Germany and subsequently had always flown from any of the operations he had worked on straight back to Germany. It was the first time that I had met him and some of the stories that he regaled us with about his exploits in South America ought to be recorded so Rudi if you're reading this - get writing.

After 6-7 weeks the rig had finished drilling and was about to move to Denmark and wanted to take the helicopter with them. Redhill asked the complete crew to go, but as it was going to take a week for the rig to get there we were to take the aircraft back to Yarmouth. Roger Leale was due leave and during that time his wife talked him out of going to Denmark.