E-mails with Steven Manning

I have been trying to get hold of Steve ever since I saw that haunting post, finally he contacted me and wrote the following , a few personal bits have been removed for his protection. Life aboard Scientology's ship 'The Apollo' in 1968 Posting of Steve Manning 8 Mar 2000 I was twelve years old and witnessed children younger than myself being thrown into the chain locker (a room for storing the anchor while at sea) for days on end until they persuaded the ethics officer that they were not enemies. Physical abuse of children was rife. http://members.chello.nl/mgormez/childabuse/lock-ups.html steve manning <> Nov 15
to me

Hi Sharone,

We were on the Sea Org during the summer of 1968. I was 10 years old. My Mum was the chief cook, and often in "liability" for giving food to people who were not supposed to have it. My brother Nick was posted to the engine room, my sister Kay, I can't remember what she did, my sister Bryony was in the nursery and I was a messenger to a man named Dick Lardy, not sure if the surname is correct, as well as being in charge of logging people and supplies on and off the ship. I had a desk directly in front of the gang plank. My shift was twelve hours a day. We joined the Royal Scotsman at Spanish Morocco. My Dad wasn't allowed on board and had to return to London. We were very upset at that. The ship sailed to Tunisia, Bizerta and Corfu where we finally left after an amnesty was granted to families with children a certain age. I find it very difficult to remember and get very emotional when I do remember things. I must have shut so many memories out. Here are the answers to your questions. I'm sorry I can't be more specific but it's the first time I've tried to remember those dark dark days in a long time. Feel free to ask any more questions. You can put my name to all I say.
Kindest regards.
Steve.

Was it you that was sexually abused or someone else you know of?

I was not sexually abused. The other kids, especially the boys, used to talk about one particular girl named Karen Rousseau (not sure if that spelling is right) who used to have sex with one of the guys on board. Myself and a few others asked her about it and she ran off in tears saying she couldn’t talk about it.

Who was the perpetrator?

I don’t know

Were you or who ever was involved able to complain about this, or was it hushed up?

We didn’t know who to go to for fear of getting into trouble so we didn’t do anything

Did you witness any other types of abuse whilst on the Apollo, are you willing to detail them either under your own name or anonymously?
There was a guy who used to dress as an officer and wore his cap with the peak pulled down his forehead, I think his name was John. Often he would wake the kids up very early in the morning and take us on to the rear deck, make us undress, line us up and hose us down with cold water. It probably lasted five minutes.

I witnessed many kids going to the chain locker, I used to listen to them crying for help through on of the vents on the forward deck. They used to cry out “please get me the Master at Arms, I know who I really am” I used to drop sweets down to them.

My sister Bryony was in the nursery and we were not allowed to go and see her. My Mum, April who was the cook asked me to go to her as she couldn’t leave the galley during the day. I remember Bryony crying and holding her arms up to me to pick her up only to be ushered out by the staff on duty.

How did you finally manage to leave Scientology ?
I was persuaded to get back into Scientology in the early1980s by my sister Kay who was then working at the office in Tottenham Court Road, London. I was doing a study course downstairs one Friday. I used to attend about four days a week. As we were packing up about 10pm the course supervisor notified me that I had to stay longer and finish as I had missed some nights. I explained that our daughter had died recently in a cot death, hence the missed sessions, and I wished to get back home as my wife was not well. He shouted at me that I had to stay. I shouted back that I was leaving. He then told me I was not leaving. At this point rage took over and I upended the study table and warned him not to threaten me. By this time four of five guys had been sent downstairs and were blocking the door to the staircase in an attempt to keep me there. I was angry and in no mood to kept against my will. Walking out the front door was a release. I felt fantastic in the knowledge I would never return.

Were you disconnected from family and what kind of insights did you realise from your experiences?
I was never disconnected from my family

One other question, are you on the decks in the Shrinking World of L. Ron Hubbard documentary?
No, I wasn’t in that piece of footage

On Fri, Nov 16, 2012 at 9:44 PM, steve manning <> wrote:
Hi Sharone,

First, about Karen Rousseau. She was about my age which would be 10 or 11 years old. She was a plump girl with blonde hair usually in a pony tail. I always remember her in a red skirt and white top. I think, but I'm not sure, she had a brother on board. One of the boys that talked about her and sex with an older man was a lad named Tyler Turley. Again this is going back a long time but it's what comes to my mind and it's what I remember. There was another lad older than us, he was about 14, who also used to talk about Karen and sex but I can't remember his name. He was tall thin and had blonde hair. I think Karen was at one time in the chain locker, I remember her calls up the vent, (this is making me very tearful, I'm crying more at remembering this than when my Dad died two weeks ago)

The hosing down took place on the poop deck at the back end of the ship. I've been trying to remember the bastards name but I can't. He was always in blue uniform and looked like an officer from the gestapo with his cap tilted down over his face and a dead pan expression. He often held a clip board. (how I'd love to meet him now, I'd put that hose around his neck and choke the fucking life out of him). I told you in my last email my anger had subsided. It hasn't.

My Mother. Her name was April and she was the chief cook. She died in 2007. May she rest forever in peace. She may have entered her surname as Strawson-Sykes, or Sykes. She was partnered to but never married to Darrell Strawson-Sykes, who also joined the Royal Scotsman at the same time we did. It was a strange affair with my Dad and Darrell living in the same house with my Mum and all the kids. Darrell was really into Scientology and apparently knew L.R.H. well. (perhaps your checks will reveal more) My Dad was skeptical about it all but went along with it. He was refused entry onto the ship because he failed the sec check. I don't know what the real reason was but that's what we were told.

As far as I know my brother and neither of my sisters were put in the chain locker. My brother Nick however was put to work in the forward lower deck chambers chipping off rust with a hammer. I think he spent a couple of days there. I remember him telling me about it.

At the time of being on the ship my hair would have been a light mousey colour. I don't have any photos of that time. I was on board when we crashed into another ship. Their front hit our rear one night and all hell broke loose. I forget which port we were in but I do remember L.R.H. shouting orders from one of the upper decks.

You know Sharone, I would never have remembered half this stuff if you had never asked the questions. I thought I'd locked it all away never to come back to haunt me. It's taken me one and a half hours to write this mail, fighting back tears and trying to push back the memories I know are there that are coming at me like an unstoppable tide. It's making me feel very bad and at the same time making me feel strong for remembering and facing up. I will stand up to any and all of them.
Kindest regards to you.

Steve.

Just to re-cap, Darrell Strawson Sykes was my step father and it was him who got us into Scientology and eventually onto the Sea Org. I've tried to remember who his cronies were nothing is coming to me. He always told us he knew Ron Hubbard personally and that he was instrumental in setting up the original personality test.

Some names I remember, Neville Chamberlain, Norman Starkey, Otto and Robin Roos, Ron Pook [ my mother was put into liability for giving him food he shouldn't have had] Libby Berry, Thor Sundergard.

We used to go to Saint Hill quite regularly and I got to know Arthur Hubbard well. We used to play behind the canteen and also on the building site which is now the castle. I often asked him about his dad but he always said he was not allowed to talk about him. I met Quentin a few times but as he was a bit older than us we were never friendly.

You know something Sharone, I find it so difficult to remember much about those times. When I put my mind to it all I see is a white hollow with nothing inside. It's frightening that such a large part of my childhood, although an unhappy one, seems to be wiped out.

If I do remember anything else I'll write it down and mail you.

Subject: UNFORTUNATEY...I was on the Sea Org with LRH in 1968
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2000 13:21:55 +0700
Message-ID: <8a4rpo lu="lu" news.loxinfo.co.th="news.loxinfo.co.th">
 
I was twelve years old and witnessed children younger than myself being thrown into the chain locker ( a room for storing the anchor while at sea) for days on end until they persuaded the ethics officer that they were not enemies. Physical abuse of children was rife. Cold water hose-downs on the deck at six in the morning was a common practice. Working twelve hour days for little or no money. Sleeping in over crowded dormitories with strange adults led to sexual abuse. And all this in the good name of Scientology. If any of you sick fucks who are in the business today can explain why this happened to me, especially while "God" himself was on board, I'll be happy to know. Until then I'll continue to smear the name of Scientology, and all that goes with it, with the shit and contempt it deserves. If anyone would like more info. on the life and abuse that went on on the evil ship as it sailed around the Mediterranean, I'll be happy to enlighten you.  

http://www.holysmoke.org/cos/childrn.htm

I originally saw the above on alt religion scientology.

The following mention Darrell Sykes.

News

UK: The OT Committee London, chaired by NOTs OT Julian Bell, will be opening an Academy in the near future. They have the materials, the staff and the students - they're just finding suitable premises. East Grinstead already has a Foundation Academy with a Flag-trained supervisor. The emphasis is on training and co-auditing at affordable prices, in an ARCful environment.

These are two of the several Independent groups in the UK. If you want help in opening a group contact Joyce Barnes, OT Committee UK, Avalon, Cranston Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex RH19 3HG. If you're a field auditor contact Darrell Sykes, Auditors Association Universal.

http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/read/reconnection/issue01.html

Suppressive Persons List
http://www.antisectes.net/suppressive-groups-and-individual-soed-2830-1991.pdf

Independent Scientologists ( partial list )

John Ablett
Bob Ainsworth
Armorel Allen
Mick Alpin
Val Alpin
Dora Atack
John Atack
Brian Auker
Unni Auker
Chris Barnes
Joyce Barnes
Vince Barnes
Eric Ballard
Vicky Ballard
Mitch Beedie
Julian Bell
Horag Bellmaine
Carmen Biggs
Ron Biggs
Steve Bisby
A Boland
K Boland
Mohamed Bouderba
Maurice Broad
Andrew Brown
Michelle Brown
Terry Brown
Mauricio Cattarossi
Neville Chamberlain
Fiona Cowe
Joanne Dancer
Bill Devlin
Nicky Devlin
Gary Earle
Diana Fearon
George Fearon
Sue Fisher
Philip Gardiner
Alan Groothius
George Hanson
Yaron Hillel
Ralph Hilton
Thelma Hodges
Jay Hurwitz
Pan Hurwitz
Kim Hutton
Peter Impey
Margaret Jennings
Irene Kaye
Steve Kaye
Jenny Lansdale
Harinder Lawley
Mike Lawley
Ron Lawley
Debbie Leighton
Noella Milner
Colin Mills
Emma Mitchell
Tony Moss
Iris Palfreyman
Marie-Sylvie Patterson
Bevan Preece
Phyllis Preece
Adrian Ribolla
Frankie Robinson
Steve Robinson
Manuel Rodriquez
Martin Ruston
Adrienne Scott
Helen Silcock
Peter Silcock
Don SummonS
Mel Slnith
Maryon Stewart
Darrell Sykes
Linda Tedman
Patrick Tedman
Peter J Webb
Barrie Weller
Heather Wray
Mike Wray

http://www.truthaboutscientology.com/read/reconnection/issue03.html

Return to England In September relief came. Darrel Sykes came out to relieve me, and I returned to London and a job. For I became a HASI staff member, at 37 Fitzroy Street, near Tottenham Court Road in London (long term goal).

http://www.antology.info/index-6.html

A little postscript
I told earlier of my six months in Dublin where the organisation was in very bad shape, and I cried out for a replacement for me every time I sent my weekly reports to Jack Parkhouse and Ron.  Although I did get some (apparently ineffectual) auditing in two intensives when I was there, the period was never looked at in auditing afterwards.  That is to say until some months ago, when I was run on what was called R3X (extended form of Dianetics, incident running). That was a surprise. I realised two things which astonished me.  The first was that Jack Parkhouse had hired me while I had absolutely no qualifications to do anything I was expected to do some hundreds of miles away from any help.  I did have an idea of the theory of how you did teaching by agreement, and in six months, managed to refine that work to something quite satisfactory.  But I had absolutely no management experience, or idea how to take an organisation that was more or less on the rocks and turn it round to a success.  I also had no experience in handling juniors of whom I had two very faithful people.  The other things I realised was my complete lack of curiosity, which was noticeable when I came back to London.  I worked at HASI, which had direct control and contact with Dublin, but I never so much as thought of inquiring how things were going, and I have no idea whether the organisation finally folded up under Darrel Sykes, or under someone who followed him.

http://www.antology.info/index-21.html

More on children caught up in ridiculous belief systems that cause abuse.
http://chainthedogma.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/respecting-childs-point-of-view.html