That's an RPL (ramped powered lighter) Merlyn, crew of 6. They had 2 Rolls Royce 6CFLM medium speed diesels, pieces of crap which put ships in danger on two occasions that I know of. In fact, one of the Union Castle mail jobbies, Good Hope Castle, I think, burned out because of a major fire in the aux genny room, stemming from an inherent mechanical fault on one of the RR gennies. The other time was when one of the RPLs was en route from Bahrein to Dubai. Port engine quit because the Gilkes water pump kept losing mechanical seals (this was the time mechanical seals were more or less experimental) then the stbd engine sheared off the two screws securing the Bosch injection pump Vernier timing flange. Drive shaft for the pump whipped around, took out the main lub oil line to the filter and the engine was screwed. I was on radio watch at Bahrein that night, when the skipper informed me they were dead in the water, I asked him if he wanted assistance. His reply? "Put it this way, Mayday, Mayday Fu***in MAYDAY!"
You'll have to read Hammond Innes's "Atlantic Fury" to get an idea of life on an LCT. He did a trip to St Kilda on the L 4041 Abbeville to do his research. He spent a lot of time in the crew's mess and, by the stories in the book, listened to the Mk VIII stories from the crew. I could identify at least 2 of the boys just by his stories! LCT Mk VIII (crew of 36) were around 1200 GRT, 4 Paxman TPMs, 2 shafts, broad beam, shallow draught, could land 7 Chieftain tanks on a beach (or 4 Conquerors) and would roll on wet grass. Great bunch of guys though, a real "family" feel about it. Still have a reunion every year.
Here's a link to a wee movie about transporting a boiler to Islay for Bowmore distillery. The navy had nothing to do with it, it was all Army. You'll see the guys wearing berets, not flat hats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nd0wVjr ... F9A17CA34C
Discourage incest, ban country "music".