The ‘Ford Files

When is the next boat back?

Scribe: Robin Ford (Former ASM)

One of the frequent duties of the Landing Craft Tank (LCT) Mk 8 was to visit and supply various establishments in and on the Hebridean Islands (Operation HARDROCK) including St Kilda Island. Stationed on St Kilda was a radar tracking station policing the North Atlantic.

Providing power for the establishment were diesel generators and it was the task of REME to supply a Mechanic to provide maintenance and daily running of the generators. Earlier in the year another LCT had dropped off a REME ‘VM’ Corporal as a routine swap over. We beached at St Kilda in September and as I was the only REME guy on board I sought him out and said ‘ready for the off tomorrow then’, he replied in a very happy go lucky way ‘No, it’s great here, wish it was permanent I will be going back on the next scheduled boat that comes’, suit yourself ‘I said’.

I did not have the heart, nor was it my business to tell him that there was no next boat as the Squadron does not risk the serious North Atlantic weather after September. The following Spring on a fine sunny day with a gentle breeze blowing on shore we beached in Kilda bay.

Six months later, waiting there, pacing up and down, with kit assembled was a very agitated and stir-crazy Corporal p_ _ _ _ d off to the eyeballs and desperate to get his boots on a metal deck.

Lesson No 1, be careful what you wish for, you may be unlucky to get it. After forty-eight hours on St. Kilda you know you are not in Blackpool – it’s called ISOLATION.

The MOD Radar Station sits at approx. 400m above sea level and is still there to this present day. It can be viewed on Google maps, North of Hirta, surrounded by buildings.

The ‘steaming metropolis’ of St. Kilda Unorthodox uniform of a REME Sgt at the church location

Landing Craft Tank was used to transport supplies and spares, where needed