Memories: The Belgian navy challenges the pirates with a Daffodil!

[anotherbanana]

The Belgian Navy

Now don't get me wrong, I love the Belgians generally and have loved a good few specifically and long ago appreciated that making war is not their thing, as opposed to the subtle arts of compromise and political and economic corruption, into which cess-pools they dive with glorious unabashed gusto, from their Royals downwards, undivided by language barriers.

So, when the Belgians decide to go on the military offensive, I get twitchy, not because I doubt their courage (there are plenty of incidents of that in the 2WW), but because they just don't belong there.

For they sent a frigate, a glorious gunboat, against the pirates of the Indian Ocean. Now, you would think that these rapscallions who have been kidnapping ships for dosh might quake in their little boats and return to pot farming if they heard that HMS Vicious or Avenger or Warrior were arriving, but surely they will pipi their little pants with laughter when confronted by........ the good ship Louise Marie.

Imagine the loss of face if said pirates are forced to retreat or are captured by the Louise Marie. They will give up banditry in shame and rush to Calais to escape the ignominy heaped on them by the countrymen.

Which ship's name is not the only one to show just how unwarlike the Belgians really are; Other ships in the Belgian navy are called Aster, Crocus, Narcis, Primula and Lobelia. And there is even one that goes under the even more unlikely name of Barbara.

The LM will patrol in the Indian ocean, but will then hastily return to be back by 23rd December and Xmas. Ennit nice, so the lads and lasses don't miss out?

There in another problem too, that of the crew which is MIXED for Bobo's sake. This is not a racist statement as we might understand it, or a sexist one (18 percent sailorettes), but one of linguistics, for she carried 35-40% Francophones! This matters in Belgium where guns have been used to defend the linguistic border.

Whoa there Captain De Beurme, there is a slight irregularity there; how many Francophones, surely you have a better idea than 35-40%, or are some of them awol or being shy about admitting their linguistic affinity, or even better, by lying about it, they get additional pay for speaking the other language well.

But even more serious, what language will they speak on board ship? Most Flemish will not speak French and most Walloon can't speak Flemish. Will there be multilingual orders on this now polyglot frigate, starting with French one week and Flemish the next. Woe and behold if the single German speaker insists on his or her rights too.

Or perhaps, as in many mixed administrations, a translator or two for every sailor. The possibilities are endless.

How do you say in Flemish "There is a boatload of pirates with bloody great bazookas about to open fire from point blank range"? Which is then translated, the order retranslated, then action taken........ a bit late, for the pirate is by then on board and you are lying flat on the deck while he rifles your pockets, steals you shoes and then slings you in the clink (notably, a word from Middle Dutch klinken) or the brig.

Frankly, I am fearful that this wonder of the waves may turn out to be the first warship captured by the pirates - "Captain Abdelsalaam Blackbeard Terrorizes Indian Ocean in Louise Marie". No, even he would have had to change the name to المطرقة الله

[Ken]

Another banana wrote: slings you in the clink (notably, a word from Middle Dutch klinken.

I think the word actually originates from a street in Southwark, London where a prison was located. Clink st. I was stationed just around the corner from it.

[anotherbanana]

You are not quite right, ken. I used to go round that way at one time and on to the market late at night with groups of tourists. That was before it all got gentrified.

The Middle Dutch origins of the word are much older than the Southwark Stews however.

[Ken]

We are going to have to agree to differ! I believe the Dutch origins refer more to the noise chain makes particularly regarding chain in ships. As you can imagine, after reading your post I hurriedly did a bit of research!!!!

I will stick to clynk as in the prison in Clink st, being the origin of the word. As for it being 'gentrified'!! Good grief, are we talking about the same Southwark (I'm sure we are of course!) I played on the streets in Southwark as a kid around 1958-60 and worked there around 1965-6 before being posted to a more salubrious part of London, Kensington. Southwark, gentrified, I hope not but it is a 'few' years since I was there. Ah, memories!!!

[anotherbanana]

clink (v.)

"to ring, jingle, give forth a sharp, metallic sound," early 14c., echoic (compare Dutch klinken, Old High German klingan, German klingen); perhaps a weakened form of clank. Transitive sense, "cause to produce a sharp metallic sound" is from late 14c. Related: Clinked; clinking.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/klinken

[Judith-aka-Judith]

I'm with Banana on this. Yes, the history of the "other" side of the river was not unknown to me, but the Dutch origin would supercede the later arrival.

[Ken]

https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwihw_Sh2unvAhXAShUIHbQBAo4QFjAUegQIKRAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abandonedspaces.com%2Fpublic%2Fthrown-in-the-clink.html&usg=AOvVaw2XaQgzILtO3vRaXex6R09R

I win, I win!!!!!! 10th century definitely beats 14th!

[Gardian]

Returning the thread to the original subject (!), the Belgian Navy also has a Coastal patrol vessel called the ‘Pollux’.

I’ll bet that has caused a few grins if ever it has put in to Pompey !!!

[nomoss]

[quote user="Gardian"]Returning the thread to the original subject (!), the Belgian Navy also has a Coastal patrol vessel called the ‘Pollux’.

I’ll bet that has caused a few grins if ever it has put in to Pompey !!![/quote]

Nothing wrong with that name, it's the name of a star in Gemini, and was also the name of a Royal Navy hired tug, which I saw many years ago in Portsmouth harbour, and several other tugs around the world.

It was the name of our last boat, which we bought from a Canadian from Montreal, who, however, named it after the character in "Le Manège Enchanté", known as Dougal in the English version "The Magic Roundabout".

By our apartment in Le Barcarès. Apartment and boat now sold [:(]

[url=https://postimg.cc/SnsrhJQj][img]https://i.postimg.cc/SnsrhJQj/View-from-aft.jpg[/img][/url]

[anotherbanana]

Fine make for a small boat or even a tug but not a warship.