RECOLLECTIONS – Lt Cdr COLIN QUINCEY
A letter from Colin Quincey who served in MONOWAI and who was despatched to visit a Chinese frigate in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Christchurch
4 February 1998
Dear Larry,
Herewith my re-collections of the ‘Chinese Incident’. It has tested the memory somewhat! Happy to contribute – feel free to edit as required, I felt more rather then less detail was preferable. I re-call the first trip in some detail but the second more vaguely. Perhaps the possibility of incarceration in mainland China made the brain cells more alert on the first trip! Leading Diver! Richard BLUNDELL may be able to clarify further.
“Following receipt of an invitation for Commander JAQUES to visit DDG 108, discussion took place on the bridge about who should go. A factor was that a missile landing was expected at about this time. It was also felt there was a degree of diplomatic risk involved in the exercise. Thus being selected as the ‘volunteer’ was a somewhat dubious honour. A quick shift into whites and clutching some cap badges, a crest and PR material I was soon underway in the inflatable which was driven by Leading Diver Richard BLUNDELL. I was piped aboard but dignity in the boarding process was severally inhibited by a large swell and the absence of a boarding ladder. BLUNDELL asked what he should do. I advised him to wait halfway between MONOWAI and the destroyer (I did not want him tied to a ship when we had no way of predicting its movements – neither did I want him too far away!)
I was escorted directly to the wardroom and remained there throughout. I had asked ‘to have a look round’ and this caused considerable consternation and argument – I guess the security officer won the debate. In the sparsely fitted and furnished Wardroom I was in due course introduced to the Commanding Officer and, I think, Political Officer. We each went through the process, very politely, of stating the rights of our respective navies to do what we were doing and that over, had afternoon tea and discussed everything but politics. I presented my gifts which again caused consternation and a vigorous exchange of views.
After some twenty minutes a great clamour arose on the bridge and the ship got underway very quickly. The missile had landed ‘locally’ and the OOW was off at ‘full ahead’ to the landing position. BLUNDELL, displaying great loyalty, took off in hot pursuit of the destroyer in the inflatable. MONOWAI flashed the message ‘please can we have our officer back’ (or words to that effect) and also set off in pursuit. Meanwhile the CO of DDG 108, standing at the bottom of the bridge ladder, clearly admonished the OOW who had evidently forgotten I was on board – he was one very angry CO and his voice was clearly heard even though at this time the ship was going to Action Stations. (JAQUES would have been proud of him!) Chaos ensued for several minutes until the ship eventually stopped. With much apology and bowing of heads I was escorted to the midships rail to await the arrival of BLUNDELL – “ we’d love you to stay for dinner but we have this ICBM to pick up.” You could almost taste the urgency in the air as we waited. I disembarked, this time with more dignity, and advised BLUNDELL to get clear as fast as possible which was just as well as DDG 108 tucked her stern down almost immediately and headed off at ‘warp’ speed.
The next day I was again despatched to DDG 108 as a result of a further invitation for JAQUES to call on the CO of DDG 108 Given the previous days activities I was not at all surprised the CO chose to send a representative! This was a briefer visit, enthusiastically cordial and I departed with two cases of beer and a rather large picture which had been removed from the wall of the Wardroom! Honour in the business of gift-giving was thus recovered – a most important matter in the Chinese culture which no doubt would have caused the CO of DDG 108 some anxiety. I returned to MONOWAI in the somewhat overloaded inflatable at a more sedate pace than the previous day and relieved that I hadn’t been high-jacked – having my fingernails torn out because I wouldn’t tell the Chinese MONOWAI’s secrets was not a pretty thought! “
I hope that’s the sort of thing you want. Well done for taking on the MONOWAI history writing task – or were you detailed off! It will no doubt be a story to be savoured in the future and will certainly be appreciated by those who served on her.