| Description | Tape 1 Side A: KEVIN JOSEPH TOPHAM born Retford, Notts, 12.8.1928. 1 of 6 children (5m/1f). Unique family having only set of 5 surviving brothers who served in the forces 1939-52. Details. All still alive. Siblings: Anne, Aiden, Walter, Gerald, Brian. Details re their occupations. Reference Hoovers. Didn't know grandparents. Father, Walter Topham, worked in British Ropes Limited as a foreman. Mother, Sadie Mullan, didn't work before marriage. Wife Eileen Mary ('Molly') nee King is a twin to Ronald William King, ex oil industry. Children: David William, went to Sheffield University, senior careers officer; Karen Elizabeth, Deputy Head Teacher at Sir John Hunt School, Newark. Recalls Retford, its industries, significance in World War II. Describes childhood home, a council house with its own bath (lucky to have one). No hooliganism on council estate. Local policeman highly respected. Clip on the ear from him for apple scrumping and another at home for being caught. Wife's uncle, a local policeman, Sergeant Stanley Johnson, ended up on Sea Gem as a steward when it went down. Details re his getting job offshore. Reference first aid. He was in same rescue dinghy as KT. Describes father. He never missed a day's work in his life, died at 86. He was in the army in Northern Ireland, a fireman in World War II. He worked shifts. Describes mother. She lived to 88, a strict Roman Catholic. Recalls church, Sunday School regime. Father not a Catholic. Religion was important. Explains own broader view of religion. Childhood memories: Politics not important in family. Father voted Conservative. He smoked - considered the 'in' thing. Family couldn't afford holidays. Lucky to get a day out to the seaside. Not many visitors, apart from neighbours. Little vandalism. Played music on a wind-up His Master's Voice gramophone. Reference song Tea for Two. Still loves big band sound. Has always done ballroom dancing. Recalls taking lessons. When in the forces, it was all the rage. Taught ballroom dancing to the men in Gibraltar, men danced with chairs. Reference 'Blighty'. Not encouraged to read as a child. Reads a lot now, interested in archives. Always interested in information, libraries. Education: about 1933 Hallcroft Primary School; about 1940 Sir Frederick Millner (Secondary) School. At 14, out to work. Never thought of going to university. Explains. Had no work aspirations. Loved sport, swimming, dancing. Still swims to keep fit. Family was close-knit. Recalls headmaster at Sir Frederick Millner School, his caning pupils for lateness - eg 6 strokes. Was always top of class in English, writing etc. Enjoyed writing. Few (employment) openings for the young then. Reference conscription. Recalls typical day's meals, running about 2 miles home at lunchtime, mother's apple pie and custard. Compares choice of food with today's variety. Comments on nutritional value of wartime rations. People were lean then. World War II affected education, eg trenches had to be dug at school; air raid warnings. Recalls fear at sound of enemy planes on their way to bomb Coventry, bombing, searchlights etc. Details. Employment: 1942 left school to become apprentice motor mechanic. Explains. Recalls first foreman, his insistence on getting things right. A good apprenticeship. Discipline never did anyone any harm. Plenty at school, work. Conscription should be carried on. Explains. Reference drug abuse; broken homes.
Tape 1 Side B: Apprenticeship took 3-4 years to complete. Lived at home till leaving for the Services. Rare for teenagers to live away from home then. Paid rent. Recalls wages. Mentions gardening for father at home. Still has an allotment. Explains pleasure at growing vegetables. Uses no chemicals, encourages organic gardening. President of local horticultural society. Involved with many organisations. Always good at organising. Mentions attitudes to unions in 1930s, 1940s. 1946 Joined RAF as Flight Mechanic, Air Frames. Explains choice of RAF. Stayed in 6 years. Bevin Boys were still being sent down the mines. Details. Always made own decisions. Children not spoilt in those days. Discipline at school, home, church didn't do the world any harm. Describes work done in Air Force, including on USS Midway, aircraft carrier. Reference Battle of Midway; Hornet aircraft. Describes huge meals, whole chicken on board ship etc. American-English relationship was good. Has always had a lot to do with Americans. Describes UXB (unexploded bomb) work. Massive programme clearing airfields in Lincolnshire, 'bomber country'. Some hairy moments, eg a bomb that fell off a trolley, exploded. 'I'm all right Jack' attitude. Mentions bombs being buried in North Sea - some now being washed up. Dodgy situation when there's corrosion. 'Men put (bombs) together, men should be able to take them apart.' Describes dismantling process in detail. Recalls apprehension in first jobs. High casualty rate. Explains. Importance of calm approach, mechanical mind. After 6 years, asked to carry on in Air Force, but decided to return from posting in Gibraltar to England. Recalls photographing, from the air, HMS Amethyst in the Mediterranean on her way back from 100 days captivity in Yangtse River. Describes state of the ship. Mentions Halifax aircraft engine cutting out. Met, Molly, wife-to-be in dancehall in Newark. Joined BP through her twin brother. Details. Reference ex Flying Officer Jimmy Bain. 1952 Joined BP Anglo Iranian Oil Company, Kirklington Hall, as a mechanic working on oil well vehicles, eg Schlumberger well logging vehicle. Details of actions of vehicle, recording underground formations for geologists, geophysicists. Later worked with Dr Tommy Gaskell, physicist, now well known author, using tape recordings etc. Details. Example of Gaskell's eccentricities. Reference Lady Robinson. Recalls low price when BP sold Kirklington Hall in 1958.
Tape 2 Side A: 1952-58 BP (cont'd): Research station was a happy group. No desire to take annual holidays - only time in working life. BP looked after their staff. Details. Mentions their share price then. When Kirklington Hall closed, research functions moved to Sunbury on Thames. Given choice of going to Sunbury or Eakring. Explains choice of staying in home area. Boss at Kirklington Hall was Frank Gill who was responsible for invention of FIDO - fog dispersal, lit up runways. Main purpose of work at Kirklington Hall - training centre for geologists, geophysicists, drilling personnel who went all over the world. Details. Reference D'Arcy Exploration, Eakring. 1958 Went to work at Eakring (about 5 miles from present home). Reference: book The Secret of Sherwood Forest by G & G Woodward (pub University of Oklahoma). Summarises history and importance of Eakring oil wells in Duke's Wood, Sherwood Forest. Mentions wartime sinking of tankers in the Atlantic. Eakring oil was high octane, suitable for Sptifires, Hurricanes, enabled them to outstrip German ME109s. Operation was top secret, not even local villagers knew. Americans came with equipment from Oklahoma to work on oilfield. Details. Reference (D'Arcy Exploration Managing Director, C. Southwell). Mentions complications with American involvement, ways around this. In 1958 Eakring was still a hive of activity. Continuing ignorance about the oilfield. Describes Dukes Wood area in 1958, equipment etc. Work was carrying on 24 hours a day. Reference Nobby Clark. Explains role of driller, tool pusher. Boss was Tom Watson, a Scotsman. Describes. Went straight on to a drilling crew. Had to learn as you went on. Dangerous work, eg changing bit ('tripping'). Explains. Describes daily work routines, process of taking over from previous shift so that job didn't stop. Drill had to be kept rotating. Often worked up in the derrick. Describes procedure when adding drill pipe lengths. Dangerous, heavy material. No real safety training - got it from workmates. Explains how toes, fingers could be cut off etc. Explains use of power spanners. Importance of keeping eye on what others were doing. Drilling could go on for many hours. Describes post-drilling procedure, lining hole with steel casing, cementing casing etc. Recalls working in deep snow. Didn't stop for the weather. Sir Frank Whittle worked at Eakring. He invented turbo-jet drill bit. Describes its functioning and advantages, eg lack of noise. When using this it was like working on a ghost drilling rig. Explains. Describes Whittle. He was underrated. Explains. Recalls meagre resources he was provided with when designing the jet engine etc. Describes his personality. He was highly respected. Hard work on drilling rig - no easy job offshore or onshore. Explains attraction of job. BP a good company to work for.
Tape 2 Side B: Eakring period (cont'd): Travelled to other counties to drill wells, eg Lincolnshire, Wareham, Dorset. Explains Wareham operation which was abandoned at that time, use of green sand for storing gas. Reference Twyford, Buckinghamshire. Gas found at Whitby, leading to first North Sea well drilled 1965. Reference Norman Falcon, Geologist, relative of Robert Falcon Scott. Reference Wytch Farm, later drilling at Wareham, importance of this now. Did some work in Great Yarmouth, exploratory work for North Sea. Helped set up first workshops, storage facilities on quayside. Recalls atmosphere, expectation of discovery of the century. Own feelings at the time. Mentions Dutch finds, Whitby wells.Also worked on wells in Scotland, Buckinghamshire. Details. Various specialists worked together. Lots of esprit de corps. About 1 in 10 wells successful. Significance of discoveries for own job security. Some Canadians came to work near Eakring, in Leicestershire. Rivalry between 2 rigs, eg in speed of bit changes. Recalls signal indicating the winner. Reference Caltex.Shutting down of Eakring, Duke's Wood drilling led to KT working offshore. Explains reason for shutdown about 1965. Quite a number of drilling personnel, management offered transfer to North Sea project. Reference the one Dutch rig at the time. (Company) transferred 'Fifers' (Scottish) drilling crews from Saudi (Arabia), mixed them with men from Eakring area. Recalls being sent to Middlesborough to live on the Sea Gem which was being fitted out in dock. Details. Worked on fitting out. Describes Sea Gem in detail, its history. Urgency to get a British rig out on the North Sea. Sea Gem hastily put together. Not sufficient inspection of welding etc. No NDT (non-destructive testing). Accident occurred through inadequate welding of leg extensions. Welding done in France. Case of hurry hurry hurry to get rig out to Block 48 on the North Sea. Dummy run done with Sea Gem derrick and pumps at Eakring, also a small bit of drilling. Details. Mentions long experience of 90% of people on Sea Gem - not just short term contractors. Details re transport of derrick etc to barge at Middlesborough. Worked on Sea Gem for few weeks, then it was towed out. Went out the next day by helicopter. Details re working pattern at Middlesborough. Recalls good accommodation on Sea Gem, high quality food, steward service etc. Describes own accommodation, living routine etc. Crew of 60-70. Superintendent was John Clark, a Scotsman. Describes. Details re hierarchy, different jobs on rig. Reference Drilling Manager, Ron Kean; Tool Pusher; drillers; roustabouts; stewards and catering staff. Ship's Captain was Peter Mason. Explains his role. Recalls watching new films all together in cinema. Had to be comfortable living because it was called the toughest job in the world, even tougher than working in coalmines. Explains.Barge was raised to about 90 feet above the water. Hardly any difference between drilling on sea or land. Recalls feelings of isolation in fog. One or two trawlers banged into Sea Gem's legs. Details re shift routines, meals procedure, role of steward etc. Like a first class restaurant. Meals waited till after bit changes. 2 meals a day, snacks in between. When not working, did a lot of fishing, took fish home. Details. Fish gathered round rig for droppings.Not much pollution although cuttings did go into the sea, now taken ashore. Recalls rivalry re fishing.
Tape 3 Side A: Recalls taking fish home from Sea Gem. It had to be weighed because there was so much of it. Helicopter came every day with provisions etc. Personnel change was every 10 days. Own accommodation was under helicopter deck. Recalls use of foghorn. Always a lot of noise on drilling end of rig. Started on Sea Gem in 1965. 10 days on, 5 off. 12 hour shifts. Effect of work on family life - compares with times away on land-based drilling. Attraction to many of shorter times away offshore in North Sea than eg the Middle East. Got used to being away. Wife had parents nearby. Personal relationships offshore sometimes got tense. Few safety precautions taken offshore. Everyone felt confident. Explains. Can recall no safety drills. Nobody was excited the day gas was discovered in commercial quantities through tell-tale signs in drilling mud. Describes test for gas. Significance of the discovery - first, and by an all-British crew. Sea Gem expected to move on to another parcel (site). Normally the production people would take over. After the tests, the well was cased in steel, steel casing cemented in. Details of procedure. Well was about 11,000 feet. Safety well head - Christmas tree - put on. Explains purpose, positioning. Explains purpose of mud lining of hole. Compares with swallow's nest. Details re activities over next weeks. Press/media people got excited. It was like working in a goldfish bowl with aircraft, helicopters flying around. Often had visitors to rig, eg Minister of Power (Fred Lee), Prime Minister (Harold Wilson) etc. Lot of television coverage. No safety training for visitors to rig. All crew were highly qualified. Former policeman from home town (Molly's uncle) joined as first-aider/steward. Feelings about this. Details re him. Sea Gem Disaster Boxing Day 1965: Recalls chance circumstances leading to being on Sea Gem at time of disaster. Recalled from Christmas leave because of need to move the rig during favourable tides. Sequence of events leading to arrival on rig at about 13.45 Boxing Day. Describes weather. Went down and had Christmas lunch. Describes special Christmas cake. Tins of beer issued but doesn't like beer. Went off duty. Was reading book on bunk when sequence of lowering jacks began but rig suddenly lurched, tilted. Details. A helicopter couldn't have landed. Got life jacket. Describes scene outside. Some, in lower accommodation cabins trapped, drowned because of twisted metal doors. Recalls Ivan Mitchell's superhuman effort to get out. He still has scars. Went to helicopter deck. Reference steward Stringfellow, ex Korean war. Left helicopter deck, went down to get off. Rest on helicopter deck died. Details.
Tape 3 Side B: Sea Gem Disaster Boxing Day 1965 (cont'd): Explains own decision not to stay on helicopter deck. Attitude of those up there. Details re own intentions re life raft. Difficulties. Success with second life raft. Got 13 people aboard. Details re dangerous return for a 14th man, suddenly rough weather. Life raft overloaded, had to bail out. Reference Ivan Mitchell. Saw Sea Gem turn turtle, take men with it. Seen by passing British ship, Baltrover, a mile away. Reference Mayday. Details of rescue. Worst part was getting up onto ship. Explains. Details re time in water etc, treatment on Baltrover, own clothing etc. No Mayday had gone out from Sea Gem. Mentions testing of life boat short time before disaster. Describes own reaction to situation. Describes wreckage etc. RAF helicopter got entangled with wreckage. Explains. Mentions other raft of survivors rescued, others who died of exposure. Went back to Hull, injured taken off. Issued with clothing by Salvation Army. Had injured leg, kept in hospital overnight. Phoned home. Wife saw news flash on television, didn't know outcome till own telephone call. Reaction of people in the village who had seen KT in village same morning. Recalls scene in dinghy, unconscious people etc. Difficulty lifting them up on to ship. Recalls loads of stuff in the sea, eg drums of high octane fuel for the helicopter. Dangerous situation for all. Brought home by BP taxi. Home about 36 hours after leaving. Slept like a baby afterwards. House milling with people. Doesn't dwell or dream about disaster. Wouldn't go and see film Titanic. Explains. Goes cruising, not worried about the sea. Some men have never got over it - one has nightly nightmares. Bonding effect on survivors who meet regularly - like UBX lads who meet every year. Mentions being referred to in books. Turned down job building Sea Quest in Belfast. Explains. Drilling finished around Eakring. Off work for 6 months with injured leg. Would have gone offshore again. Describes terrified reaction of others who did go offshore again when storm struck. They had to pack up on offshore rigs. Details re members of Sea Gem crew who died: Paul Belgiral, a Frenchman; Sam Coull, a bag of nerves before disaster - details; JP Daily; A Edwards, last body to be found - recalls difficult visit to his family; CA Fox, apprentice; RS Gibson, senior electrical engineer; G Gough, catering; Colin Grey, radio operator, champion swimmer, died in lifeboat - had been going to follow him, explains decision not to; DC Henderson, derrick man, a Fifer; Ivor Hodgson, first body to be picked up; FR Smith, crane driver who changed shift with KT; Derek Stringfellow who fastened KT's lifebelt - saw his wife afterwards. Details re others: Geoff Broughton now dead; TM Cooper later killed in a road crash; Kim Forsyth now dead; RM (Bob) Hessey, Tool Pusher, still alive; SM (Stan) Johnson, Molly Topham's uncle, 1st aid man; Bill Maddock; Ivan Mitchell; JH (Jack) Strachem now dead; D Sutherland, American rig-lowering specialist, felt responsible, had heart attack, died next day. 1966-70 Returned to Eakring, did maintenance work. Central Generating Board (CGB). For next 25 years specialised in safety matters. Retired. Set up Oil Museum at Eakring. Reference item in newspaper re possibility of starting drilling again at Eakring. Comments on attraction of oil industry. |