| Description | Tape 1 Side A: IVAN (MITCH) MITCHELL (IM) born 24 November 1927 Thorsby Park, Nottinghamshire. FRANK DARLINGTON (FD) born 3 December 1924 Macclesfield, Cheshire. (IM) Lived in Thorsby Park till age 14, then worked as grease monkey in garage, Worksop. Cycled 10 miles to work. Next job in Portland Motor Company, Mansfield. Got job as rigman at Eakring oilfields when 16, 1943. Interviewed by Miss Dukes. Reference direct labour. Father a carpenter. Maternal grandfather a farmer. Paternal grandfather estate manager, Thorsby Estates. Second of five children. Details re siblings. Recalls childhood home, schooling. Strictly brought up. Recalls childhood chores. (FD) Father a labourer, later worked in water drilling. Paternal grandfather worked in Northwich factory producing munitions for England, Germany. Reference to ICI. Recalls childhood home. Mother worked in Macclesfield silk industry. Went to local schools. Started apprenticeship in foundry, sent to pits as Bevin Boy in Mansfield area. Details re wife. Has one sister. Easy-going upbringing but not easy time. Recalls issue of free clogs to poor children. Mother's reaction. Father laboured in building trade etc. Describes Macclesfield then and now. Parents conservative. Explains own political inclinations. Background to job at Eakring, early 1950s. Details re coalmining experience. (IM) Recalls doing work-overs on rigs. Reference to D'Arcy Exploration. Feelings about Americans, their way of working, use of 'jack-knife' drilling rigs etc. Secrecy of operation. Reference to Jimmy Parker, wages. Recalls close calls with bombing, procedures followed. Recalls Herman Douthit's death, and another accident. No safety rules. Mentions Kelham Fox pub. Oilwells not common knowledge locally at first. Departure of Americans. Called up for Army. Later returned to oil industry.
Tape 1 Side B: (FD) Recalls start of job at Eakring through family connection. First job at Eakring labouring, rolling pipe. Little time spent there apart from when preparing Sea Gem. Recalls Audrey Ross, Personnel Officer. Details re exploration work around England. Was lucky mascot - never a dry well when on crew. Worked as rigman, pumpman. Recalls drilling well in Dorset abandoned in 1939 which could have fed Navy through war. Went abroad 1960. Worked on Sea Gem 1965. Details re construction of Sea Gem, former Wimpy barge. (BOTH) Comments on poor quality, provenance of equipment. Reason for BP's rush to prepare rig. Describes inefficient aspects of Sea Gem. Doomed from start. Recalls prediction of a docker. Reference to photographs. Other problems with Sea Gem. Disaster waiting to happen. Reason for not drawing attention to faults. Details re Sam Coull who went down with rig, his fears, rocking movement of rig. (KEVIN TOPHAM also present). Details re secrecy when first gas discovered, tests for gas, excitement. Reference to stock market, celebrities. Technical procedures followed. (FD) Recalls own experience of sinking of Sea Gem, rescue after being knocked unconscious, being taken aboard Baltrover. Recalls dead friend. Reference to photographs. (IM) Further details re disaster, own experience, escape in dinghy. (ALL) One survivor later killed on road. Account of ship Baltrover witness that resulted in rescue. Weather at time. Time between first crack and getting off. Death of wireless operator. Some went to chopper deck, died. Details. No standard survival, safety procedures until after Piper Alpha. (FD) Off work for 6 months, in hospital. Details. Mentions subsequent work (on Sea Quest).
Tape 2 Side A: (FD) Sea Gem experience in retrospect. BP rush to get established on North Sea a triumph which turned to tragedy. Lost a lot of mates. Never any compensation paid. Details. Mentions positive feelings for BP. Effect of experience on wife, daughter. Recalls waking up in hospital after disaster, realisation of people lost. Details re daughter's school essay. Nobody bothered with life jackets on Sea Gem. Details re pipes that caused own injuries. Recalls after effects of disaster for American rescuer. Own reaction - dreams, thoughts about lost mates. Worked on Sea Quest for 2 years. Explains. Recalls Sea Quest breaking moorings in storm, running adrift. Details. Left BP, got job as Under-Manager for swimming pool. Explains. Later became caretaker for 12 years. Had heart attacks, retired 1982. No thought of safety or unions offshore before Piper Alpha. Details re shifts on Sea Quest, tiring work and travel routine. Recalls wife's situation - a lot to put up with, e.g. when husband arrived home. Reaction of daughter. Has been married 56 years. Relationship with children. Describes holiday routine with family. No home life. Recalls being posted to different parts of country, world. Recalls Audrey Ross, Personnel Officer. Worked as pumpman on Sea Quest.
Tape 2 Side B: Blank
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