AUTEC. American Underwater Test & Evaluation Centre

Off Andros Island in the Bahamas. Spartan was fitted with an extra layer of tiling so that we could be used as a target submarine. We would travel up and down the Range, whilst other Nato Submarines, Surface Warships and Helicopters would fire torpedoes at us. This picture was taken during a break in the exercise, we would surface and a third of the crew would be put ashore on Andros for a 'Ban-yan', a third would be on duty, and on this occasion I was with the third of the crew that got to relax on the casing. The chef's would prepare a barbecue and cook it up on deck, consumed and washed down with a couple of tins of McEwen's. During the hour or so the food was consumed any chicken bones or unwanted burgers would be discarded over the side. Shortly afterwards a 'hands-to-bathe' was given and the crew would be over the side for a swim. Trunk's were optional but nobody seemed to bother, skinny dipping was the order of the day. We were well protected as we had a lookout strategically placed in the bridge with a sub-machine gun, keeping an eye for sharks. In the water about 5 minutes, when Shark! was shouted, 30 people trying to get up one wooden ladder at the same time. It was every man for himself. Everybody out the water, only to find it was a joke!!

Back in the water again, notice shadows moving deep beneath us in the clear water. Can't make out what it is, it is too deep to worry about. By this time the PO Chef has heard there are a load of naked crew members in the water and decides to bring his camera up on deck. Hoping that if he could get a few candid photograph's they could be used as some form of blackmail at a later date. Anyway shark! is shouted again, this time nobody reacts thinking this is a cunning plan by the PO Chef to get his photograph's. It's only when one of the officers said "Everybody out the water, and that's an order", do they realise it's for real. Again an even bigger punch up at the rope ladder scrambling to get out. The last man out was LMEM 'Smudge' Smith, he just managed to get his toe's out the water when a bloody great shark went cruising past. The lookout on the bridge? He must have had a stressful day, fast asleep!! It would appear that we had attracted the shark by lobbing all the grub over the side during the previous couple of miles. In the fishing industry it is called 'Chumming'. In the RN it is called bloody stupidity!

What happened next? George Malone gives an account

I have to remind you that it was me who spotted the shark in the water off Andros and was scared shitless. After getting everyone out the water, I will never forget those evil men (who I thought were mates) that threw me straight back in the oggin. That was the scariest time of my entire life. I don't even think my feet got wet....my legs were moving so fast that I was back in my pit before you could shout man overboard. After that, I called to be shark lookout and was probably that 'tosser' in the photograph who fell asleep on the bridge. After all, I had to get my own back somehow eh?