The British and the Irish
Posted by Gerri on April 27, 2008 · 6 Comments
From a transcript of an actual radio conversation between the British and the Irish off the coast of Kerry, October 1998. Radio conversation released by Chief of Naval Operations 10 Oct 2001and printed in Irelands Issues Mar. 19th 2008.
IRISH: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid collision.
BRITISH: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid collision.
IRISH: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees South to avoid collision.
BRITISH: This is the Captain of a British navy ship. I say again divert YOUR course.
IRISH : Negative. I say again. You will have to divert YOUR course.
BRITISH: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMS BRITANNIA! THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE BRITISH ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
IRISH: We are a lighthouse – your call.
(Note: I’m filing this under jokes because it is one of those things that while funny, is not “absolutely true” )
Would be lovely if this story was true, but the last HMS Britannia was sunk during WW1.
I have seen the similar transcript of an alleged exchange between a US ship and Canadian lighthouse too.
ROFL!!! That’s hilarious!!!:))
Kevin: I was suspicious of that, so I filed it under jokes.
It’s still a good story.
ADG
Thanks for sharing the transcript!