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JOE FEDER
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In 1970, I joined "L Ecole des Mousses" a French Navy seamanship school of high profile. The
program of the institution was academic as well as maritime and military.
We where taught boat and ship handling, docking small craft as well as warships and commercial
vessels.
Other fields of training were Electrics, Mechanics, Engineering Hydraulics , Hydrodynamics, as well as Aerodynamics.
A strict military discipline was observed and every occasion was used to instill "Esprit de corps" and
team work in the young students
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| A PLATOON OF PUPILS |
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| At the firefighting training center Brest Naval Base |
Fire fighting and CPR were also on the program
On "L enjoue" I was assigned to the Bridge, the nerve center of the ship. My duties included the management of all
communications and signals concerning the ship at sea. When in harbour, I was responsible for maintenance
of sailing documents, correction of charts, and general day to day routine, like passage planning.
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ASSIGNED TO A SHIP
After graduation and 6 months of specialization and certification, I chose my assignment. Ranked 2nd of a class
of 32, I chose a small coastal submarine hunter. The cruising and hunting waters of these ships where varied and
the small size allowed us to go up African rivers and small Mediterranean fishing harbours.
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| Docked somewhere in Africa |
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| the Crew |
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After three years on the Ship I was reasigned as Marine operator, to Djibouti, there I handled voice trafic and ship
to shore comunications for the red sea and Indian ocean
| Radio station Djibouti |
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One day in 1975 a mayday call was received at 02AM , an Ethiopian freighter with cattle on board bound for Djeddah was
listing and taking on water. I was the operator receiving the call. A french navy frigate in the vicinity was dispatched,
and was due on location mid morning. In the meantime, the pilots of the Atlantic SAR plane stationed in Djibouti
where woken up , briefed and readied. The plane took off at daybreak. 32 lives were saved, no fatalities. Ship
and cattle sank however, for the sharks that day, steak on the menu.
| MERCHANT SHIP IN DJIBOUTI HARBOUR |
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