24 HOURS AS GUARD COMMANDER
As Remembered By 22523238 Geoff Wiseman
My tour of duty over, I left REME 3 Inf. W/shops, Shandur and travelled to Port Said ready to board a ship for England.
When I boarded the MS Dunera, I was appointed Guard Commander for 24 hours. During the night a pale faced sentry rushed into the Guard Room, reporting that a Naval Officer (who was suffering from a mental disorder and was being returned to the UK so was under constant guard in a cabin) had taken the sentry’s hat and the pick axe handle (which all sentries carried) and was sitting on his bunk holding the handle in a threatening manner. As Guard Commander, I had to resolve the situation! I went to the cabin to assess the situation and decided that this was a job for the permanent staff Naval Police that were on board. Four burly police arrived and the Naval Officer was removed to a more secure location. Situation resolved!!
Later that night, a civilian crew member died. As Guard Commander I had to attend his funeral at sea and watched as his body sank into the Mediterranean Sea. A very sad and unexpected duty to perform.
Guard Commander duties over, the
rest of my journey home was uneventful.