PNS Shah Jahan (DD-962)

The PNS Shah Jahan (Urdu for "King of the World") was in origin not a U.S. ship at all, but actually a British C-class destroyer from the Second World War. The C-class was similar in size and appearance to the U.S. Gridley-class, which was built just prior to the outbreak of World War II.

The HMS Charity (R29) was one such C-class destroyer. Her keel was laid at the John I. Thornycroft Shipyards at Woolston, Southampton, on 9 July 1943. She was launched on 30 November 1944 but was not commissioned until after the war had come to an end. The vessel did see action with the Royal Navy during the Korean conflict, however.

The Charity was transferred to Pakistan on 16 December 1958 after undergoing some upgrades at the J. Samuel White Shipyard in Cowes. The work was performed under contract by the United States, who ultimately brokered the deal and facilitated the handover to the Royal Pakistan Navy as part of the Military Assistance Program.

Fate

Shah Jahan came under missile attack during the war between Pakistan and India in 1971, suffering massive damage. The vessel was scrapped 11 years later.

Asbestos Risks

Regardless of whether they were serving during peace or war, troops have long accepted that working in the armed forces brings with it certain dangers. However, what many servicemen and servicewomen in the first part of the 20th century, especially sailors in the navy, did not realize was that exposure to asbestos could sometimes prove to be just as life-threatening as enemy bullets.

To safeguard those aboard a ship, as well as the ship itself, from flames and excessive heat, materials with excellent insulating properties are needed when building a ship. During the timeframe when PNS Shah Jahan and similar ships were built, the fibrous mineral asbestos was frequently used on ships for its property of being able to withstand flames. The downside with using asbestos is, in addition to its insulation properties, asbestos is also linked with serious illnesses as lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos damages the body when the mineral is friable (i.e., easily smashed into tiny particles) because it can then enter the body by being inhaled.

During the heat of battle or while struggling to ride out a typhoon, the likelihood of someday contracting peritoneal mesothelioma was no doubt the last thing on most sailors' minds. However, when a navy ship was subject to damage by enemy fire, by Mother Nature or by accident, it almost always exposed asbestos and permitted it to be exposed to the elements, leading to hazards on top of the more immediate ones. And even when not faced with crisis conditions, those who worked on naval vessels still faced at least a certain amount of exposure because practically every compartment of the ship contained parts made with asbestos. Furthermore, anyone toiling in enclosed spaces containing asbestos, such as PNS Shah Jahan's mechanical sections or engine room, was particularly at risk. People who maintained Shah Jahan or other destroyers like her whenever she spent time in a shipyard for overhaul were subject to the chance of asbestos ingestion too.

Since asbestos-related illnesses like pericardial mesothelioma often don't manifest until as many as 20 or 30 years after the patient was exposed to asbestos, they are extremely hard to spot. In order to make an accurate diagnosis, a doctor needs to have information about a patient's history of contact with asbestos. If you lived or worked aboard PNS Shah Jahan during your career, you should find out about the signs of diseases associated with asbestos and talk about your asbestos exposure history with your health care provider. To learn more about the diagnostic process, available treatment options and financial assistance to help pay for medical costs, please click here to receive a comprehensive packet in the mail.

Source

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