Andrew McGowan

[Ianmac]

This information has been obtained from the "Casualties in Service" section of the Naval History.net

25th June 1978 Andrew McGowan RO1(T) D154775B

230

[Ianmac]

tomburke Posted: August 16, 2011 01:01 pm

What a sad memory this provokes for me. I remember the incident very well. Young McGowan was found hanging inside the mainmast. My big oppo LMA Bob Hale was heavily involved at the time. I was outside machinery part of ship at the time. I remember the large dairy room being emptied by jack dusties and I reset the refrigeration plant to lower the temperature required to hold the young RO until we could get back to Gibraltar. I also remember that when we got back to Gib either the Penelope or Cleopatra was in, someone from whichever of these ships it was said something out of line and it sparked off the biggest melee I had ever seen. stupid in hindsight, but nerves were a bit frayed at the time.
One of my sadder mob-time memories.

[Ianmac]

jacko Posted: August 19, 2011 03:50 pm

I joined the lowie the same day as Mac he was a soft spoken lad , from Oldham came as a real shock when Doc Hale also a good oppo was called to the bridge to try to revive him doc came down sunburned and tired after an hour or so then back in gib someone called the Lowie the death ship and that didnt go down well strange as it seems i was sitting in a bar with the Jimmy of all people the the fun started a sad time

[Taff]

I remember Andy McGowan. I had left the Lowestoft when this happened but I was stationed at Windy Hill, Gibraltar at the time. I remember being woken up after the night shift to be told of his death.

[Dave "Scouse" Chatterton]

This was my worst memory of my time in the Navy. Nothing else came close. I will never forget Mac and that awful day... The kick off in Gib was shocking. Everybody off watch seemed to have ended up in the same bar, and it came from nowhere. Certain Officers were right in the thick of it too. We were a tight ship with a very young ships company and it hit hard. R.I.P. Mac.

[thomash123]

I was in Gib at the time on the Nubian when you came back in.

A sad time indeed although I did not know Mac RIP.

[Wiggy]

I remember young Andy and it was a very sad day, the ship was on its way down towards Madeira for more array trials and quite a few of the comma lads were sunbathing on the flag deck, he must have stepped over us to get to the mast. The lad that found him was called Dave Oldham I think. He had gone into the mast to put a flag back he'd been using to lie on. I was one of the bearer party that took him ashore I'm sure one of the others was LSeaman Dave Lally? We were alongside a few days while they held an enquiry and every one in the mess was called to be questioned and give evidence. He was laid to rest in his home town which I believe is Rochdale and a guard of honour was provided from where I don't know. RIP shipmate