This is the story of my life so far: 68 years and counting.
Prequel: A Brief History of my Family in France
The story starts here
Previous episode: Part 52
After several months in Lorient, temporarily posted on an aviso-escorteur, mostly during a major repair period, I arrived in Brest in September 1976. I was the "officier calcul" (computer officer) of a new anti-submarine warfare ship, first of its class, the Corvette Georges Leygues.
The Corvette "Georges Leygues"
The Georges Leygues had been in construction since September 1974 in a dry dock in the arsenal of Brest.
In September 1976, she was still in the dry dock.
Georges Leygues in dry dock
source
The first time the Georges Leygues was floating on the sea was December 17th, 1976. But the ship was only transferred from the arsenal to the Navy in June 1977, when the Capitaine de Vaisseau (Captain Navy) Hugon took command of the ship in a traditional ceremony called in French "prise de commandement" (assumption of command ceremony?).
Capitaine de Vaisseau Hugon and Admiral de Gaulle
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Admiral Philippe de Gaulle who officially designated CV Hugon during the ceremony is the son of Charles de Gaulle, who has been president of the French Republic. Philippe de Gaulle is 96 years old today.
In 1976, Admiral de Gaulle was the president of the "Commission Permanente des Essais" (Permanent Commissions of Sea Trials) that was managing our sea trials in 1977-1979.
We will see again Admiral de Gaulle later during the "Traversée de Longue Duree" (long duration cruise) of the Georges Leygues in 1979.
The first trials at sea of the Georges Leygues did not start before February 1978.
In the next episode, we will see what was my job as the computer officer of a new ship with a new computer system, the SENIT 4.
Continue to Part 54
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Summary
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7
Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10 Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14
Part 15 - Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20 - Part 21
Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 - Part 25 - Part 26 - Part 27 - Part 28
Part 29 - Part 30 - Part 31 - Part 32 - Part 33 - Part 34 - Part 35
Part 36 - Part 37 - Part 38 - Part 39 - Part 40 - Part 41 - Part 42
Part 43 - Part 44 - Part 45 - Part 46 - Part 47 - Part 48 - Part 49
Part 50 - Part 51 - Part 52