The Radio Northsea International
Tribute Pages
An in-depth look at the story of Europes most
popuar and controversial radio station.
The Radio Northsea International
Tribute Pages
At a liitle before 1:30pm on the afternoon of Saturday, 29th August 1970, a salvage tug named " Huski ", was spotted approaching the Mebo 2. She was accompanied by a launch, the " Viking ". On board the launch, along with a woman and a small child, was a Dutchman named Kees Manders.
In the studio, Andy Archer interupted his programme to broadcast a series of announcements appealing to listeners to contact the stations offices and advise them of what appeared to be a threatening situation.
The Italicised paragraphs that follow are transcripts taken from the actual broadcasts made by Radio Northsea International:
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". . . seven minutes now away from two o'clock, and we have to apologise to you for interupting our normal programme schedule with these urgent messages, but as you can probably appreciate, something rather drastic has happened. Or they're trying to make something happen which we won't stand for. We're refusing to allow anybody on this radio ship, and if you've just joined us, perahps you'd like to be put in the picture, that a tug has come alongside, along with a person by the name of Kees Manders, who apparently is a well known figure in Holland, and he is trying to take the ship away. |
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Our Captain has only allowed him on board, and nobody else, and that will remain that way. We're not going to let anybody else on board the ship, only Mr Manders, to hear what he's got to say, but Radio North Sea International will stay broadcasting until we receive a definite order from our Head office in Zurich. So if anybody is listening in Zurich, or in London, or in our office in The Hague, in Scheveningen, perhaps they would like to do something, perhaps send a boat out, or perhaps try to make contact with us on the short-wave. . . - Andy Archer |
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"Well, the situation is. . . none of us are sure what's happening at the moment but this certainly isn't an authorised tug. . . we have no tugs. . . the Mebo is in no need of a tug because we have perfectly good engines. . . The Captain allowed one of the men on board, but he refused to let any more on board, which is his perogative. . . and this is the way it's going to stay untill we receive details or instructions from our head office. So, once more we'd like to make a call to our head office in Zurich, or if anyone is listening in our London office, on in The Hague, perhaps you could try and get a message out to us on the short-wave link. . . " - Andy Archer |
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" It seems they're gonna spray water onto the antenna, which apart from tripping out our transmitter, would give whoever did it a very lethal shock. . . So by all means, spray the aerial with water, if it makes you feel any better ! " - Spangles Muldoon |
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". . . and the banging you can hear in the background is that we are taking all security precautions, and locking up the hatches to save anybody from coming down into the studio itself |
Manders' demands were refused. He returned to his launch issuing a threat to cut the anchor chain and tow the Mebo 2 back to port. Crewmen on board the Huski made ready to use a water cannon on the the radio mast, but decided against this, presumably having heard the message that in doing so, they would risk electrocution.
While Andy Archer and Spangles Muldoon continued to broadcast, others on board armed themselves with knives and petrol bombs, and prepared to repell any boarders. Meanwhile, on land switchboards in London, The Hague, and Zurich were jammed with calls from concerned listeners. Then, just as the situatiuon looked as if it was going to get violent, station owner Erwin Meister arrived on the scene on board a very fast launch. Followed by the Eurotrip tender, and numerous other craft.
Suddenly, without warning the Huski and Viking made off into the mist and were never seen again. Later that same day the van Ness, a frigate of the Royal Dutch Navy stood by, lest the raiders should return.
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As the day drew to a close, Managing Director of RNI, Larry Tremaine went on air during Carl Mitchell's show to make a formal statement:
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" Ladies and Gentlemen, I am very sorry for the inconvenience today that you have had, but unfortunately we have had problems out here. And, I'm glad the disk jockeys have done their part in keeping you informed, and that's what RNI plans to do. . . I'm out here right now with the owner of Radio North Sea International, from Mebo Limited in Zurich Switzerland, and we hope we don't have too many problems. At the moment, the ships have pulled off. But we are sure, as they have told us, that they are coming back. They had brought a child, and a woman, on one of their ships, to kinda deter us from doing anything to them. Although it is our intention. . ." [to defend ourselves]. " As the owner of the station has said to the Captain of the 'trip that brought us out here, only the agent from the shipping company in Holland, myself, and the owner Mr Erwin Meister has come out to the Mebo. Many people wanted to come out to come out to help us. We told them they could not come on our ship, we are not interested in any fights, we are not interested in any deaths at sea. This station is not around to make trouble, this station is around to provide you with musical entertainment. This is the reason that we asked that only the shipping agent, Mr Erwin Meister, and myself, Larry Tremaine to come out here to the Mebo 2, to see what the problem was". |
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We have contacted our attournies, our soliciters in Holland, and we are trying to do our utmost to do the best for you. So please stay tuned. Thank you all very much for lighting up the switchboard at the Grand Hotel. We appreciate that very much. Also thank you very much for lighting up the switchboard in Zurich. As I understand, all the lines were flooded, showing your continued support for Radio Northsea International. We are not saying that at this time, that we do not still need help, because at this time they have pulled away. But we are sure that they are coming back. |
Kees Manders |
MR Manders has no right to take this ship. There has never been a contract signed with him. There is no agreements between him and Radio Northsea International. This I can assure our listeners implicitly, there is no ageement, and there is no reason for this action whatsoever. We are very sorry for all this trouble, we are very sorry to interupt music like this. But you can understand our involved situation out here. We will protect the Mebo 2, to the utmost. We will not leave this ship, we are prepared for them although we do not want a fight. We do not want any deaths, or anybody hurt at all. It went so far as to tell them, when they planned to put water on the transmitter, the disk jockys, just by thinking of the people on the ship, and not thinking of themselves, told them not to put water on the transmitter, because it would kill everybody on the tug boat. This we did not have to do, but we did it because we are a music station. We are not around to injure or endanger any lives whatsoever. So please stay tuned, if you wish to help, we want it. But meanwhile, stay with us. - Larry Tremaine |
