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10.00 hrs. From the operations room of The Thames Navigation Service I spoke to the Master of
each ship in turn:
1. "Clan Mactaggart". A lascar cleaning the ship's whistle had fallen some twenty feet on
to the after end of the bridge. He had apparently been struck by the rotating Radar
Scanner. His fall had been broken by a tubular rail (awning support). The Master reported
than the man had a "mark" on the back of his neck and complained of severe pain
in back and chest on the right side. The man could move all limbs and, apart from some
bleeding from the gums, there was no haemorrhage. The Master requested that the case
be landed off Gravesend as the ship was bound for the Royal Docks. The Master would
have the derrick rigged.
2. "Deseado". A female passenger, aged 55 of Austrian nationality, had been ill most of
the voyage. She had been living in La Paz (12,000 ft.) and the doctor in Las Palmas had
attributed the condition to the change in altitude. The patient complained of weakness
and cramp, first in the left leg and now in the right. The Master, who had heard my conversation
with the "Clan Mactaggart", thought that the case could remain on board and
go to hospital when the ship reached the Victoria Dock. The local agents were instructed
to ask the Royal Mail Lines to make provisional arrangements for this.
10.30 hrs. From the Hulk "Hygeia" I made requests to Tilbury Hospital and Thurrock Ambulance
for their assistance with the accident case and this was, as usual, immediately agreed.
10.45 hrs. The Launch proceeded to Tilbury Stage to collect Mr. Traynier and some Students who
were at Gravesend that particular day.
11.05 hrs. Message from North Foreland Radio. The Norwegian ship "Sunland" anchored in
Northfleet Hope requested immediate medical aid for a serious accident.
11.10 hrs. Launch recalled from Tilbury, Mr. Traynier and the Students having to forgo their
river trip. I then proceeded in the launch to Northfleet Hope.
11.35 hrs. Boarded m.v. "Sunland". During a boat drill, a motorman had received a severe blow
on the head from a "crank handle" used to operate the davits. After the handle had
been left in position, it had suddenly "slipped" and swung round, hitting the man,
who was standing nearby, on top of the head. The man had a very big irregular "split"
of the scalp from which there had been extensive bleeding. As this had now stopped
I made no attempt to confirm the fracture of the skull which I suspected, but after
renewing the dressing, removed the patient without delay. A derrick was already
rigged. The radio telephone was used, through the "Hygeia", to call the ambulance
and notify Tilbury Hospital. The patient vomited after transfer to the launch, and
this may confirm the skull damage or have been due to Morphia administered before I
arrived. Despite this, his general condition was satisfactory when the man was
landed into the ambulance which arrived "on the dot" at noon.
12.40 hrs. The "Deseado" was boarded. Although the patient had complete paralysis of the
left leg, I agreed that there was no need to remove her off Gravesend.
13.00 hrs. The "Clan Mactaggart" was boarded. The sailor was lying quietly in the ship's
hospital when I saw him and made a great fuss when examined. He appeared to have
escaped major injury but had probably fractured a rib and possibly his right shoulder
blade. He was also landed without delay, the radio telephone again producing the
ambulance with perfect timing.
Mr. Simons and his crew are becoming the accident "specialists" and the removal of both
cases was perfectly executed. It was also a great help to have Mr. Steen as "radio operator" in
the "Hygeia". The Thames Navigation Service gave every assistance, not only giving me the
"freedom of the air" to talk to ships' Captains but afterwards providing information about the
movements and timings.
Helping with these accidents gives your Gravesend staff a great deal of satisfaction, especially
when there is a probable "happy ending", and the co-operation we receive from all our
neighbours and especially Tilbury Hospital and Thurrock Ambulance greatly contributes to this.
s.s. "CARTHAGE"
A message was received at 1600 hrs. on 20th November, 1960 from the P. & O. Steam Navigation
Co., stating that a Bell Boy in s.s. "Carthage" was suffering from acute appendicitis and
required immediate admission to hospital on arrival off Gravesend. Accordingly Dr. H. Willoughby
booked a surgical bed at the Gravesend and North Kent Hospital, warned the Surgical Registrar
there, and arranged for an ambulance to be at the Royal Terrace Pier.
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