Cyprus 1973
FD2 - if my memory is not totally shot you are correct about the Seaking from 814 landing on the frigate in July/Aug 73.
I seem to recall the reason being slightly different though.
The Turks had one of their ex USN Gearing class destroyers sunk following a bombing attack by a F4. This was to the South East of Akrotiri and we were initially tasked to search for survivors. The politicians then countermanded this instruction and we sailed full speed for Kyrenia to evacuate civilians caught up in the conflict who were offloaded in Akrotiri about 5 days later.
We discovered the destroyer crew were still floating around in very inadequate rafts and floats and in spite of the PC brigade insisting that we would be contravening our neutrality, the Skipper of Hermes decided to intervene regardless.
The survivors remaining were in a pretty dreadful state and were not allowed to be returned to Hermes but were to be dropped off well clear of Cyprus on one of our frigates (Hermione rings a distant bell) the survivors were in no state to be winched due to horrific salt water sores and sunburn and the Pilot elected to attempt a landing after all the antennae and obstructions had been removed from the frigate stern.
The survivors were later transferred by the frigate Wasp to a Turkish ship the next day - took about 30 flights I recall.
We received a plaque from the frigate saying " Hermione - your new Mother"
Sad twist to the tale was that the Air Force F4 who sank the Frigate was also Turkish - can't trust Crabs of any Nation once they get out of sight of land it appears!
Can't remember who the Seaking Crew were but this may jog the odd memory!
Trog