Cold War Royal Navy Diesel Submarine officer during the 1960s and 70s (167)

Mar 13, 2021

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Commander Rob Forsyth joined submarines in1961. By March 1962 as a young officer, he joined HMS Auriga a 1945 vintage diesel submarine. Within 7 months the 22-year-old was loading live torpedoes and preparing for a war mission during the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Robs tell of many fascinating incidents in his career including under-ice operations and an incident where Rob's captain made an error that almost resulted in the total loss of submarine and crew.

He also details what it was like to take the Submarine Commanding Officers’ Qualifying Course aka “The Perisher”. This six-month course is a prerequisite for the command of a submarine. Failure means your submarine career “perishes”.

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I am delighted to welcome Rob Forsyth to our Cold War conversation…

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0:00 Introduction

1:15 Guest Introduction: Rob Forsyth, Royal Navy Veteran

7:15 Submarine Training and the Cuban Missile Crisis Experience

16:04 Recollection of Near-Miss Submarine Incidents

18:10 Deployment to Canada and Leisure Time in Bermuda

22:17 Lessons from Under Ice Operations and Handling Submarine in Icy Conditions

28:47 Work on Sound Propagation in Water and Anti-Submarine Training

33:47 Trimmed Down Submarine and Operation Differences in War and Peace Mode

37:33 Life in the Far East Fleet and Goodwill Visits

46:23 Experience of Perisher and the Realities of Submarine Command

1:00:41 Maintaining Morale and Teamwork During Crisis

1:05:00 Acknowledgment of the Patrons and Episode Conclusion

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