WILLIAMSON'S TURN

Captain James had just taken over the command of his new ship. It was a heavy cruiser and James has had goose bumps when he saluted the Ship’s Ensign to confirm his Command of the majestic Ship. Battle cruisers are sub-types of capital ships, and may be defined as ““Surface vessels of war, other than capital ships or aircraft carriers, the standard displacement of which is less than 10,000 tons (10,160 metric tons) and which exceeds 1,850 tons (1,880 metric tons), or with a gun above 5.1 inch (130 mm) calibre. The cruiser category is divided into two sub-categories, Heavy cruisers carrying a gun above 6.1 inch (155 mm) caliber and Light cruisers carrying a gun not above 6.1 inch (155 mm) calibre.”
 

James’ Cruiser was armed with torpedo tubes, and had a top speed of around 30 knots. The ship was designed to mix speed with range, endurance and firepower, and was expected to be able to out-run any ship they it couldn’t out-fight. Smaller than a battleship, the heavy cruiser could mix fire-power with punch. The World War – II was raging on and the cruisers had a role to play in the Big Game. Captain James had a young crew and most of them had joined the new ship from other ships and establishments. The crew had got down to work themselves up and to reach the sailing standards. The heat of the War had reached the propellers of each ship worth sailing and no sooner James and his Ship were underway to the mighty Pacific Ocean’s battlefield. The Pearl Harbor massacre had just got over and the serious battle had begun.

The Ship proved its design during the sea trials and a young 18 year old Sailor was the first one to get a chance to fire the Ships’s massive big gun. The 09 guns of the cruiser fired simultaneously and the battle readiness was announced. The Ship set sail for its patrol area and to meet any challenge. Captain James stood on the bridge and was in full control of his mighty ship. He only had one worry on his brow- his young crew. The times did not afford James a well-oiled Ship’s Company and the challenge now was in James’ court to lead the ship into the raging battle. His Ship had charted course for an area infested with enemy Submarines and Sharks. The Submarines were routinely blowing holes in Men of War (Ships) and many a sea going Captains were having sleepless nights as Submarine alarms went onboard their ships. James had joined their bandwagon along with his large crew.

The life onboard a battle ship at sea resembles a human’s life. The action never remains still and times do not freeze. The ships at sea are constantly in action and practice to achieve perfection never ceases. Each soul onboard the ship gets exercised to achieve his standards and to contribute his bit when the prime action unfolds. The hum of the machinery keeps the humans on their toes and everyone has to contribute with their might to achieve the victory. Something similar happens in the life of the humans as each part of the body has to be kept well-oiled and nimble to meet the challenges of individual life. In a family, all the constituent individuals conjoin their efforts to achieve unified success. Individual successes leave tired souls whilst collective success leaves a well settled family.

Captain James began exercising his crew in the right earnest. He had laid out an extensive plan for the Ship’s Company to achieve perfect harmony before action strikes. The drills and emergencies were constantly being exercised to get the crew into a cohesive state. The day had broken brightly and the ship was getting exercised. The sea was also in an excited state and the region was infested with Sharks. The guns were being tried out when Leading Seaman Woody lost his balance and went overboard. As he fell into the Pacific waters, the Man Overboard alarms went off. Captain James rushed onto the Bridge and young Lieutenant Marsh had started executed a Williamson’s Turn. The massive ship had to be brought upwind of the overboard sailor.

The Williamson turn is a maneuver used to bring a ship or boat under power back to a point it previously passed through, often for the purpose of recovering a man overboard. It was named for John Williamson, USNR, who used it in 1943. However, according to Uncommon Carriers by John McPhee, the maneuver was originally called the Butakov pipe and was used in the Russo-Japanese War as a way of keeping guns at the same distance from an enemy. The propellers had to be stopped well clear of the man.

Captain James quickly analyzed the situation and saw the chart positions. He gave his nod to Lieutenant Marsh and just observed the proceedings. Marsh had ordered rudder over full towards Leading Seaman Woody. As the heavy cruiser responded to the rudders, Marsh calculated deviation from the original course. As he touched 60 degrees deviation mark, Marsh shifted the rudder full to the opposite side. The ship’s bows cut mercilessly into the cold water. As the cruiser came 20 degrees short of the reciprocal, Marsh put the rudder amidships and the ship gained onto the reciprocal course. The order for shutting the propulsion was given and Woody was onboard before the Sharks could get a whiff of his blood. Shaken but not stirred, Woody was taken to the warmth of the Ship and Marsh received Captain James orders to commence the journey to its target zone. The Ship’s Company had performed a live act and the crew bonding was amply displayed as the recovery was carried out. Captain James had maintained his calm during the entire maneuver and other than the nod and his eye contact with Lieutenant Marsh, he had not spoken a word during the entire episode. Captain James and his men had gelled into a cohesive unit. 

Lieutenant Marsh and the Executive Officer (2^nd in Command) Lieutenant Commander Bennett sat down for the dinner with the Captain that evening. James was not a man of few words and a stiff upper lip. He appreciated young Marsh for his presence of mind and perfect execution of the Williamson’s Turn. The discussion veered towards the imminent action that the ship was likely to face in the coming days and Bennett was a bit worried about the new crew’s performance. James calmed his deputy’s nerves and advised that the Ship’s Company be kept exercised for all the possible actions that could unfold. He elucidated the hard work put in by the ship builders and war torn country’s industry to get the cruiser into water and the expectations from the ship’s guns. Bennett and Marsh acknowledged the Captain’s advice and the ship sailed deep into the Pacific Ocean as the night unfolded.

Across the huge expanses of the Pacific, the two most powerful navies in the world were locking themselves up in a death-to-finish struggle. The war was spreading in every possible climate, from Arctic conditions in the Aleutians, to the appalling heat and swelter of the South Pacific. Every conceivable type of naval activity was represented: carrier aviation battles, surface engagements, bitterly fought night-fights, the largest amphibious landings of the entire war, and the stealthy, brutal battles waged by and against submarines. James and his ship were soon going to enter into the spread of war and the young Captain had many thoughts grazing his mind. He was all over the ship and his handshake stories became the galley talks amongst his crew. He would greet each of his men with a broad smile and a pat on the young and old backs. He had started pushing his new team for a leadership at all levels and guided the Officers and men to take charge of the situations in their arena. James understood one thing very clearly- the raging battle would consume either the enemy or his ship and he wanted each men onboard the heavy cruiser to engage in everything that went onboard from drills, emergencies to combat moves. The young crew of James ship began to respond to his leader-leader theory.

James’ ship joined a squadron in the area tasked with interdicting any enemy resupply convoys to the area. On a clear morning and with unforgiving cold sea, this task group found what they were seeking, but got more than they bargained for. An enemy convoy of two transports was coming north, escorted by eight warships, including two heavy and two light cruisers. What followed was one of the more 'pure' long-range naval gunfire engagements of the war.

The enemy ships were far more superior and nimble. The enemy ships had sailed in a pattern and the initial engagement resembled as if the Fox had arrived in the Chicken’s coop. The young crew of James’s ship was excited as the guns prepared for their pound of steel. The day grew brighter and along with it appeared the huge enemy task force. The Fox was now turning into the chicken. The option was very clear- barrel down till you go down. James passed down a cut message to his crew- Begin with End in Mind. The cruiser was cutting the Pacific water line at almost 30 knots and the battle positions were drawn. The enemy ships were firing all guns and each change of position by Executive Officer Bennett was where the last enemy shell fell. Bennett sought advice from James and James advised him to follow his instincts. As the ship swung on its side, yet another shell landed into the merciless water.

The ships’ machinery was taking the toll of the high speed maneuvers and it was the time when a shell landed on James ship. The deadly explosion ripped steel frames and casualties were born. The young crew worked hard to keep ships’ buoyancy into a stable position for its own guns to return the fire-power. The guns blazed away to glory and each hand on ship was moving on his own to meet the mission. The listing ship kept pounding its guns on the enemy and its sister ship created a smoke screen to hide it from the enemy’s gaze. James ordered a steaming coffee for himself as his guns kept sliding out powder from their barrels.

As the smoke screen lifted, the enemy ships were seen moving out towards the horizon. They had just given up on the battle and were retreating. The success of the guns and their continued firing from behind the smoke screen saved the day for James and his ship. The limping ship was safely brought back to the harbor and earned laurel for a spirited fight against a larger enemy. The battle was fought with minimum of intervention from James who just ensured that each one of his Officers and Men took the actions that were required.

James did not give orders, he had conversations with his team. He ensured that he only certified what they briefed to him. He held their hands warmly and patted their backs as they took control of the situations. In the end, James’ team came out of the battle unscathed. Something similar happens in the life of each human. We also end up operating in various teams in our own personal and professional lives. We have teams at home, at offices, with our friends, with our business associates, our social networks et. al. Each team demands a leader who can give the correct control to his team members. The orders should have a room for correct questioning and conversations. Teams need to work on long-term strategies and should remain curious till the end is not achieved. Monitoring and inspections necessarily do not increase efficiency and many a times stifle courage and conviction. James led with control, competence and clarity. He was the source of power which gave power to his crew. The response- A Battle Well Fought Against a Superior Enemy.

We all have the capability to carry out a Williamson’s Turn in our own lives. Life does have its own tricks up its sleeves and many an initiatives will fall down. Who then stops us from carrying out the turn, head on to the reciprocal course, shut the propulsion and recover the initiative. Come on look ahead, the rudder is very much under your control.

GET UP, WALK & RUN

Lying on the Military Hospital (MH) Bed, there was only one dream in the mind of the teenaged Cadet. He somehow wanted to get up, walk and run. The couple of years gone by had seen him going through ups and now the deep trough of his life’s fortune had arrived. The life had taken a downward spiral and nothing good seemed to be happening to him. The last high point in his life was a selection to the prestigious National Defence Academy. Since then, the tough routine and now the fatal spinal injury had rendered him into a semi-vegetable state. As he lay motionless on his damaged back and stinging feeling of drying plaster around his head, neck and back, he did not know what lay ahead. The friendly military doctor explained to him about the Minerva Cast which he had put on him. He explained to him that it was an orthopedic cast applied to the trunk and head, with spaces cut out for the face and ears. The section encasing the trunk extends to the sternum and the distal rib border anteriorly and across the distal rib border posteriorly. The cast will ensure to immobilize the head and part of the trunk in the treatment of his cervical injuries. This was the best option for the young Cadet since he had not yet signed for a recommended operation.

The drying Plaster of Paris was pushing itself towards the skin of the Cadet. He had no option but to let the moisture dry up and settle inside his new upper body suit. After all, this was the best option till he made up his mind to give consent for the operation. He had no one to fall back to for an advice as his father had passed away just 02 months ago and he did not want to send another bad news back home to the fragile environment. These were the days of a conflict that the Indian Army was fighting in the neighboring island nation. The wards were full to the brim with wounded and hurt soldiers and Officers. Finding a place to park the spinal injury case was not becoming easy for the MH. Finally, he was wheeled into a barrack ward where young Officers from the battle field were fighting for their respective recoveries.

The Cadet’s arrival arose great curiosity among the war veterans. All those who could walk/move, came to his bed to enquire about his well-being and how he managed such an injury. His immediate neighbors were Sub Lieutenant (SLT) Jogi whose lower body had been run over by a truck as his bike skidded and Captain Joe who had been grievously injured in the conflict. Jogi had gone through many days at MH as he fought for a recovery to claim his wings to fly again. He inquired the Cadet’s story in great detail and advised him to begin his fight for a complete recovery, but, without a surgery. After all no one will be able to bind you like God did, said Jogi Sir to the Cadet. A limp right arm and a not so responsive right leg were adding to the hurt and the pain of the Cadet. The instructions were to keep the Cadet straight in the bed till the Minerva Cast settled into its position. The vegetable’s state can only be understood in those restrictive circumstances.

The first night at the MH was desolate as pains and injuries caused moans and hurts. The pain killers brought temporary relief and the effect died down by mid night as the supper time dinner at MH also lost its relevance in the churning stomach. The agony had raised its ugly head in the most discourteous manner. The only option left was to bear/fight the agony, hurt and anger.

The next morning, SLT Jogi and Captain Joe sat next to the Cadet and saw him being helped by the medical assistants to carry out the morning ablution activities. It was a difficult experience as the body had to be kept in a position where the back injury did not aggravate. The Minerva Cast was now drier and sticking closer to the body. Its material had started causing an itch on the skin and the breathing was not becoming easy either as lungs could not be expanded fully. The existence itself was now raising questions in the young mind. Jogi and Joe kept their friendly banter to swing up the fledgling morale. The ward visit by the panel of Doctors added fire to the pressure as the spinal surgery was considered the possible option. Jogi and Joe maintained the same stance of staying away from the surgery. You have fought your war and now do not aggravate your present condition, was the mantra by Jogi and Joe. The Cadet had not much option and the limp right hand was not aiding him either in his decision for a surgery. The moments started ticking by and the days started moving. The war machine kept sending new entrants into the ward and Jogi-Joe combination stuck next to the Cadet.

A week passed by, the Cadet had not given his concurrence for the surgery and neither had anyone arrived from his home to watch over him. He was wheeled for an X-Ray to check the position of his injury. He could hear someone breathing next to his stretcher. Through the corners of his pupils he saw another Officer lying on his back and waiting for his turn for the X-Ray. The wishes were exchanged and he was lying next to Flt Lt MP Anil Kumar, who was paralyzed from neck downwards. MP Anil Kumar had crashed against a barrier whilst riding his bike and had been rendered in a vegetable state since then. Sharing their experiences, MP Anil Kumar wished the Cadet all the luck and stated that he was fortunate as his half body was still performing as per his brain’s diktat. Do not go for the surgery and fight with your will power was the mantra from the fighter pilot MP Anil Kumar. Jogi, Joe and soothing words from MP Anil Kumar became the fuel for the warring mind and the fight began for getting up, walking and running.

Visits by course-mates and friends brought solace and the pains started disappearing inside the mind’s cranium crevices. There is no gain without pain, announced Major Pandey who had been wheeled in with a mutilated leg from the conflict. His larger than life persona and will to drive the car in spite of a shattered right leg was indomitable. Shall we go to MG Road tonight was his constant challenge. Jogi had started teaching Bridge to the Cadet lying straight on his back. The challenge of understanding the terms of Bridge and joining the “Wounded Warriors Gang” to MG Road renewed the challenge of survival. The will to get up, walk and run had now started churning the Cadet’s mind and Jogi-Joe combination was sensing it to the hilt.

03 months had passed and Jogi got a soft ball from his out-pass visit. He handed the ball to the limp right hand of the Cadet and told him to continue to hold it. The feeling of holding the ball in the hand gave a kick to the brain which was busy wiring up into a new role. The fingers curled up to the ball and the ball stayed in the hand. Each day Jogi and Joe would now start experimenting with the Cadet’s hand and he was smiling yet again. The Doctors had by now stopped talking about the surgery and worked on a possible discharge from the military training procedure. The God gifted body would remain intact, Jogi chuckled as the Doctor left after the morning rounds. The subsequent checks revealed that the broken bones had started showing calcium growths and the sensations on the right part of the body were returning. The slow march to partial recovery had started.

The ward would turn into celebration as any one member showed signs of recovery. Now it was the time of the Cadet to show the recovery. 05 months had gone by and the life without a proper bath and shave was not bothering the Cadet as it was now the ritual. The young Doctor treating the Cadet was also watching the excitement building up in the Ward as the wounded warriors waited for the celebration. He ordered the Cadet’s bed to be raised so that he could be elevated to see what lay ahead of him. After 05 months of lying on his back, it was a welcome change and the first sight of a small garden outside raised his spirits for a get up, walk and run phase of life. Each day a new movement began as the things started moving and one fine day, the Cadet stood up with his Minerva Cast. Small steps of that day cleared two stages of the Get Up and Walk part of the rehabilitation programme.

The Doctors on round applauded as the young Doctor made the Cadet walk and the ‘Wounded Warriors Gang” celebrated the day with a Cake cutting ceremony. The laughter had returned back to the life. A bout of food poisoning in the Ward led to the hastening of the Minerva Cast removal but not before the only Camera with 02 shots left was utilized to click a momentous picture. Finally, the full body bath procedure was followed after 06 months. The hair were trimmed short, beard shaved and the new face emerged. Jogi and Joe were the happiest and the evening was well spent in the MH Open Movie Theater. Life started galloping and soon the body got back into the Run mode to complete the GET UP, WALK & RUN circuit.

The Run phase has its beautiful charms. Each run on the life’s roads brings forth new challenges and the milestones achieved provide satisfaction at the end. No human life can be considered complete unless the stages of Get Up, Walk and Run are not completed. Each one of us goes through these phases during the span of our lives and it is up to us if we abort any stage in between or just do not complete the span. A life well lived involves all these phases and there can be no escape from their vagaries. The toughest part of the game lies in getting up. Walking comes naturally to humans and so is running. If we convert all our life’s challenges into these 3 phases and ensure that we get up, the rest would be sweet history. A bit of struggle here or there is a part of the game and no one wins unless an attempt is made.

So, whatever you are onto, whatever be the game, however hard maybe the struggle, just GET UP, WALK & RUN. Meet the challenge head on and fight to live for the next challenge.