Corfu,1968.

The Commodore and the Colonels always reminds me of this picture that Tony Ortega has put with this article:
http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/12/writing_ot_viii.php

The caption should read; Hubbard, Diana and Nate Jessop.A funny story about Nate, his brother Amos went to get Nate out of the cult of Scientology and ended up becoming a loyal officer himself. The sad story is Amos did eventually leave, however Nate is still there, or at least so I am told.

December 14: SMERSH has infiltrated even Australia's government! The bastards!

SMERSH Good News. Adelaide trouble had a reprieve when they did not pass a ban bill at once but delayed it until Feb due to the filibuster tactics of our opposition and the ferocity of our defense. The "Parliament" there was considering a bill to ban Scn, backed of course by the Health Minister who is a SMERSH appointee.
LRH, COMMODORE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMERSH

Baron Berez? Sounds like a fictional character.But is he?

Baron Berez is a Squirrel, that's straight from the mouth of the biggest nut of them all - L. Ron Hubbard - Founder:

Subject: Squirrel groups

30 November 1970

The following is a list of squirrel groups past and present. Anyone
found to have ever been a member, or associate, or student or
practicioner of any of these groups comes under the Policy „Enrolment
[sic] in Suppressive groups" of 29 June 1968

Abilitism - USA
The American College Propriotary Ltd. - Australia
Amprinistics - USA, Aus. [,] New Zealand, UK
The Assoc. of Int'l Dianologists - USA
The Aus. Center of Applied Psychology - Aus
Balanced Determinism - USA
The Brotherhood - USA
Calif. Assoc. of Dianetic Auditors - USA
Calif. Dianetic Fdn. - USA
Church of the final Judgement - USA, UK, EU, Mex.
Church of Satan - USA, UK, EU, Mex.
Christan [sic] Spiritual Alliance - USA
Dianology - USA
E-Therapy - USA
Eumentics - UK
Harmonistics - USA
Institute of Ability - USA
Int'l Awareness Center - USA
New Principles - USA, UK
Personal Creative Fdn. - USA
The Process - USA, UK, EU, Mex.
Reform Church of Scientology - USA
Sciognostics - USA
Self-Realization - UK, USA
Trichotomy - USA
Trinitology - USA
Triology - USA
Vacuum Cleaning Procedure - USA
World Society for Everyman's Freedom - USA

In some cases the groups no longer exist, but in many others they have
simply changed their name and carried on as before, in which case the
group has not been disbanded by any means. In any event, the final
decision on whether a squirrel group has been disbanded or not rests
with the Guardian's office in Bureau 4.

Additions made by US:

Eductivism - USA
Anderson Research Fdn - USA
Defense or Thought - USA
Erhart [sic] Seminar Training (EST) - USA

The following people have been found by their consistent activities to
destroy Scientology to be dangerous to Scientology orgs and staffs.
They are few in number compared to our own, but regularly create more
havoc than would be expected from their apparent spheres of
influence[.]

We will not close the door forever on these few, but have withdrawn
all forms of help as we are not in the business of saving wounded
water buffaloes. Consequently any attempt by any of these listed to
get back on lines, must be referred to Guardian's Office Bureau 4
section for Internal Security. The Ethics officer or whoever is
covering will then handle as per advices given to him from bureau 4.

Andy Anderson
Ivor Batchelor
Bob Bayford
Richard Benjamin
Baron Berez

http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/docs/squirrel-groups-hubbard-list.txt

It appears he is for real, though I do not remember the name.However here is someone I remember well and his wife.And of course disconnection was canceled, it must be true it's in writing.

The birth of the Sea Org - The Die is Cast:
http://aidathomas.wordpress.com/tag/scientology/

Apart from us merely going through the motions of carrying out these impractical instructions another scenario was unfolding.     After the initial communication and as the “heat” was turned up by the old man, Berez decided It was no longer wise to be at the receiving end of this erupting volcano.    Next thing I know Berez chucks the radio to me.    As it flies through the air there is this thundering voice emanating from it.    I catch it and decide instantly; no way.   I immediately chuck the radio to someone else, who clearly had also decided that they would rather skip this opportunity to converse with the commodore.      Just as quickly the radio is passed to another who also figures they will give it a miss and chucks it to someone else.   I know this went on for a few minutes until someone boldly reestablished comm.    It seemed now that LRH finally realized the situation.    Once the engine packed up we were left with two options.    One; we make ourselves as comfortable as possible and wait till dawn, hoping the weather won’t get worse.    Two; someone comes out as soon as possible and tows us back into port.

Hubbard, Diana and Nate Jessop.

It was during our stay in Corfu that the class 8 auditor’s course was launched.    The first batch of students to attend the course came from outer orgs.   There introduction to the SO environment was a baptism of fire as evidenced on the introductory class 8 tapes.     During the course over-boards became SOP.     And I must admit I had a pretty callous attitude regarding this practice until a particular incident influenced my views.   In other words, I saw nothing wrong in people being chucked off the aft deck until a friend of mine who couldn’t swim was over-boarded.    The terror and humiliation this guy had to endure was a sad day for me.

The trip by train to Copenhagen was another Keystone cops episode.    Imagine changing trains several times with around 30 staff members along with huge trunks filled with AO materials.   A couple of places we only had a few minutes to change from one train to another.   When we got to Germany, we discovered some trunks filled with OT materials and course tapes including the class 8 tapes were missing – we had left it on the train in Milan.    Don’t ask.  If you have been around in the SO for awhile words aren’t necessary here.

Mike Stainsforth and one other were immediately sent back to find the stuff.   Imagine our relief when they caught up with us having successfully retrieved the material.    The coach with our stuff still aboard was found amongst hundreds of others awaiting cleaning and possible maintenance.
Having found the perfect building for an AO on a farm outside Copenhagen we set up shop.  Soon however we realized we had a problem.

Simple fact was we had no established lower level feeder orgs – we had no established field.   Yet it was up to us to make things go right.    With very limited set-up funds, a crew to feed, rent to pay and no established field from which to cultivate an AO public, things looked kinda grim.    Keep in mind there was only one org in Europe at that time.   Paris was it with not much else going on.   We were supposed to get our public from SA, AUS and NZ, but that would take time.

According to my Dad,the one other was a Texan, wore the cowboy hat, the cowboy boots and was a really good guy. Weren't they all? These incredible lovers of Hubbard technology that taught children such hard lessons, like how to bring yourself up, because "we parent's have better things to do, we are clearing the fucking planet" We are teaching children how to grow up, childhood is a thing of the past.You are born, now grow up, forget childhood, it is an aberration.Childhood is ALL in your mind. CLEAR it with Dianetics!YOU have lived before,therefore you do not need to be a child, be an adult,get on with it.

Life is such fun, an amazing adventure when you disconnect parents and children from one another.

L Ron Hubbard has come under some severe criticism over the years, some of which I know from personal experience is unfounded. 

In spite of this grim picture what follows next turned out to be another memorable period in my SO career.  Knowing that the org was in the hands of some very competent people I could get out there and do my thing.  Jill was without a doubt one of the best org CO’s I have ever known and I bet few equaled her since. Ask anyone who knew her.

Oh, she was the best, one of the best dis-connectors of families I personally have ever come across and ALL in the name of L. Ron Hubbard. Jill van Staden, one hell of a loyal Officer and in such a good cause.

Whilst looking through all things 1968 today I came across a few little gems, we'll start with this one:

An old friend to the end

by Damian Mac Con Uladh 27 Jun 2010

JOHN FORTE jokes at how he found his way to Greece by paraphrasing the words of Julius Caesar on his invasion of Britain in 55BC.  “I came, I saw, and was conquered,” says the formidable Forte, who will be 95 next birthday, in a telephone interview from his home in picturesque Paleokastritsa, Corfu. The Bristol native’s first visit to Greece was in the spring of 1946 with the Royal Norfolk Regiment, part of the large contingent Winston Churchill had sent to Greece during the civil war. “Our role was to bolster Greek morale and give indirect support to her war against the communists,” says Forte, who was commissioned into the British Army at the age of 19.  His regiment was based in Patra but had a detachment in Corfu, which brought him to an island with which he would establish a lifelong relationship, not only through marriage. During his time on the island, the young officer met a Corfu girl, Nadia Kourkoumeli. The two fell in love and were married on the island a year later, when Forte was based in Ioannina. She is a great-granddaughter of Sir Dimitrios Kourkoumelis, who was regent of Corfu in the closing days of British rule, when, as coincidence would have it, Forte’s own grandfather was posted with a British regiment in the old fortress of the island.   Early reader In 1952 Forte found himself attached to the British Military Mission in Athens. “This gave me the opportunity to buy the very first issue of the Athens News, which was, of course, then a daily.” Forte remembers the appearance of the new title on 29 January 1952 as a very welcome addition. “It was a popular read and godsend to all UK residents in Greece - as it is today,” he remarks, characterising the newspaper’s founder, Yannis Horn, as “inimitable”. On his retirement from the army at the rank of major in 1958, Forte was appointed British vice-consul on Corfu, a post he kept until 1971.  During this period, Forte maintains that he assisted his adopted island in a number of ways.  “Firstly, by putting Corfu on the world-tourist map by publishing my acclaimed guidebook Corfu: Venus of the Isles; it was published in 1963 and later ran into six editions.  “It received the written congratulations and gratitude of the secretary-general of the Greek National Tourism organisation and of the Corfiot and erstwhile prime minister George Rallis,” Forte proudly recalls. Seven books followed, including The Palace of St Michael and George (1994), which a contemporary Athens News review praised: “Of the myriad books which have been produced this year to coincide with the [European Council] summit, the best value must be John Forte’s The Palace of St Michael and George.” Last year, he republished his The Commodore and the Colonels, first released in 1981 (see sidebar). Sport, especially tennis and cricket, is another lifelong Forte passion. Indeed, Forte counts himself among one of the oldest members of the Marylebone Cricket Club: he joined, he says, “when membership was far more exclusive than it is now”. On Corfu, Forte, in conjunction with the British Daily Telegraph, revived the island’s centuries-old cricket tradition, which had become moribund through the lack of funds. “At last year’s May cricket festival, I was presented by the president of the Hellenic Cricket Federation with a silver engraved shield in recognition of my services,” he says. Another achievement on Corfu he likes to highlight is his involvement in the resuscitation in 1960 of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church which had been closed for over 20 years.    Patriotism He and his wife live in both Greece and the UK, but prefer to spend the winter in England. Comparing his two homes, he says: “Over the past decade I find that Greece, though not to the same extent as Britain, has suffered from change and decay, thanks to a large extent to our legislators.” But he sees some hope in Greece’s attempts to overcome its present predicament. “I believe that Prime Minister George Papandreou has the ability to pull the country through this crisis with the support of Greek patriotism,” says the major. “This patriotism is more fervent here than in most countries, thanks mainly, in my opinion, to education offered by the Greek national service, which would be a cure for most of Britain’s present ailments.” Once a soldier, always a soldier.   Corfu and the sect THE ARRIVAL in August 1968 into Corfu harbour of the Sierra Leone-flagged Royal Scotman (sic) was an event that aroused little initial interest on the Ionian island. Seven months later, however, the ship - renamed the Apollo and flying the Panamanian flag - and two auxiliary vessels were given 24 hours to leave Greek waters. The Apollo and the smaller ships, the Athena and Diana, were part of the Sea Org, a seaborne Scientologist outfit established in 1968. It was commanded by Lafayette Ron Hubbard, the American science-fiction writer who established the church in 1954, and a mixed-bag group of followers from the US, UK, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere.  In this book, The Commodore and the Colonels, retired major John Knox Forte revisits this most peculiar of incidents in Greek history, one that saw the controversial Church of Scientology attempt to open a “university” on the island of Corfu. Forte was the honorary British vice-consul on Corfu during Scientology’s sojourn on the island and played a role in ejecting Hubbard and his ships. The presence of the mini-fleet pleased the island’s traders and merchants, who benefited from the Sea Org’s spending on supplies, estimated to be in the region of a thousand pounds a day, a welcome boost to the island’s economy during the otherwise quiet winter months. Hubbard issued a “manifesto for Corfu”, which envisaged a number of mass tourism projects as well as the founding of a university to spread his self-help theory of dianetics. He left a positive impression on the island’s elite and its two main newspapers, which were already muzzled owing to the imposition of the April 1967 military dictatorship. Indeed, Hubbard appealed to the vanity of the colonels, claiming that the junta’s constitution represented “the most brilliant tradition of Greek democracy”. But others, including local journalist Costas Daphnis, found the drilling of the uniformed crew on Greek territory and the early-morning practice of throwing reprobate crewmembers overboard as punishment much more dubious. These worries were shared by the American, British and Australian embassies, which were concerned about the wellbeing of their citizens aboard the ships, some of whom made attempts to flee from Scientology. Forte is to be congratulated on this republication, which sheds much welcome light on the dubious activities of Hubbard and the litigious and secretive organisation he established.   The Commodore  and the Colonels By John Forte Olympia Publishers, 2009. 123pp, 7.99 euros http://www.athensnews.gr/issue/13396/22271  Marysue's letter to Sir John Foster: http://www.xenu.net/archive/books/bfm/mshlettr.htm

http://home.snafu.de/tilman/krasel/germany/

http://exscn.net/content/view/125/98/

Another little gem is a delightful little film about Corfu made in 1972:
http://vimeo.com/623638

About as far removed as life on the Apollo as you can possibly imagine, but interesting none the less.