Ships and the Sea

After arriving in Liverpool to the Grain Silos in the South Docks , I had time to go home for a hot bath & sleep & next morning off we went again to Glasgow & I recall taking my binoculars & we scanned the sea all the way North looking for bodies ! As Alehouse will verify it was not unusual to suffer conditions like that on coasters ,people ashore could not even contemplate the conditions we tolerated & got no extra for it . I might try to describe it one day, but would anyone believe it ? :disgust: Ron

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ron Ham

After arriving in Liverpool to the Grain Silos in the South Docks , I had time to go home for a hot bath & sleep & next morning off we went again to Glasgow & I recall taking my binoculars & we scanned the sea all the way North looking for bodies ! As Alehouse will verify it was not unusual to suffer conditions like that on coasters ,people ashore could not even contemplate the conditions we tolerated & got no extra for it . I might try to describe it one day, but would anyone believe it ? :disgust: Ron

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Hi Ron
Go for it Ron.:)
I did post a full report on the old "Sailors Home forum" but it will not be on the new "forum" unless Alehouse made a copy? I shall try to find the original report !
Did you make any further progress on your Genealogy quest?
Reg.

Hi Reg and Ron,
here is what I wrote further down this thread about the Princess Victoria.

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56 Years ago today, the ferry Princess Victoria sailed from Stranrare for Larne in N.I. In a short time the wind and sea got up and eventually it was hurricane force blowing down throuigh the North Channel, the same storm that flooded south east England killing over 500 people and thousands in Holland., The sea stove in the stern doors and she took water on the cardecks, the free surface effect gave her a ever increasing list The Maydays went out, the Sparky died at his Post and was awarded a posthumous GEORGE MEDAL, Unknown to the rescue services she was blown over 30 miles south of her reported position No one was able to find her. 133 passengers and crew died, all women and children died.
The wind was reported to have gusted up to 120 mph,
I was on an Everard tanker, Amity, we had sailed from Heysham for Belfast early that Saturday morning.
I was on the wheel just before noon when I heard the Skipper talking to Portpatrick Radio,they wanted all ships to proceed to the area. We were being smashed around in some of the most horrendous seas I have ever seen in 50 years of seafaring.we were like a submarine.we could not make much head way against those seas and wind. I remember us being in touch with the Pass of Drumochter, another small tanker and Donoghadee. By the time we got off the Copelands it was dark and no sign of anything except a screaming gale and heavy seas. We searched around not knowing where to look , until Sunday morning we then crept into Befast Lough, the saddest thing I saw was HMS Consort and the minesweeper, HMS Woodbridge Haven . They were overtaking us quite close, with the dead bodies lain on their quarter decks.
The Princess Victoria had drifted 30 miles to the south that is why no one could find her. The strange thing was, she was never out of sight of land in all that time.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by captain kong

Hi Reg and Ron,
here is what I wrote further down this thread about the Princess Victoria.

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56 Years ago today, the ferry Princess Victoria sailed from Stranrare for Larne in N.I. In a short time the wind and sea got up and eventually it was hurricane force blowing down throuigh the North Channel, the same storm that flooded south east England killing over 500 people and thousands in Holland., The sea stove in the stern doors and she took water on the cardecks, the free surface effect gave her a ever increasing list The Maydays went out, the Sparky died at his Post and was awarded a posthumous GEORGE MEDAL, Unknown to the rescue services she was blown over 30 miles south of her reported position No one was able to find her. 133 passengers and crew died, all women and children died.
The wind was reported to have gusted up to 120 mph,
I was on an Everard tanker, Amity, we had sailed from Heysham for Belfast early that Saturday morning.
I was on the wheel just before noon when I heard the Skipper talking to Portpatrick Radio,they wanted all ships to proceed to the area. We were being smashed around in some of the most horrendous seas I have ever seen in 50 years of seafaring.we were like a submarine.we could not make much head way against those seas and wind. I remember us being in touch with the Pass of Drumochter, another small tanker and Donoghadee. By the time we got off the Copelands it was dark and no sign of anything except a screaming gale and heavy seas. We searched around not knowing where to look , until Sunday morning we then crept into Befast Lough, the saddest thing I saw was HMS Consort and the minesweeper, HMS Woodbridge Haven . They were overtaking us quite close, with the dead bodies lain on their quarter decks.
The Princess Victoria had drifted 30 miles to the south that is why no one could find her. The strange thing was, she was never out of sight of land in all that time.

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Hi Captain Kong.
Thanks for that, have just made a copy.
Reg.

MEDIA, CUNARD LINE


CUNARD`S MEDIA
built by John Brown Clydebank,
Yard No 629
Engines by shipbuilder

Last Name: LAVIA
Previous Names: 1947-61 MEDIA / 61-82 FLAVIA / 82-86 FLAVIAN / 86-89 LAVIA
Port of Registry: Liverpool
Propulsion: 4 team turbines dr geared to 2 sc shafts 15000shp 18 knots / 2 x Water Tube Boilers supplying steam at max pressure 450lbs (430lbs Superheated)
Launched: Thursday, 12 December 1946
Built: 1947
Ship Type: Passenger Vessel
Tonnage: 13345 grt now 15465 grt
Length: 531 feet now 556 feet 0
Breadth: 70 feet 4
Draught: 30 feet 2
Owner History:
1947-61 Cunard Steamship Co Ltd Liverpool
61-68 Cia Genovese Di Arm SPA Italy
68-82 Costa Line Italy
82-86 Flavian Shipping S.A PA
86-89 Lavia Shipping S.A PA
Status: Scrapped - 1989
Gutted by fire at Hong Kong 07/01/1989 while undergoing renovation. Towed to shallow water where she heeled over onto her side on a sandbank. She was righted and towed to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, arriving 17/06/1989 for demolition.




I sailed on Cunard`s `MEDIA` in December 1955 to January 1956. I didnt intend to, the Western Ocean in Winter is atrocious, but a crowd of us had just paid off the GEORGIC after taking her to the breakers and we were having a bevie in `Tom Halls` at the back of the Cunard building and someone came in and shouted `The MEDIA` wants a crowd signing on in the Cunard Building.`
So somehow I was swept along in the rush as someone else said she was a good job. When I sobered up I found I was signed on and due to sail the following day for New York. I also discovered that I had signed on as a Quartermaster, well that would keep me out of the weather on deck.
We sailed bound for New York and it was blowing a gale and sleet. on the way across I have never seen before or since seas as big as that trip. She was climbing verticle upwards and on top of the huge swells it was terrifying looking down the deep valleys then falling 70 or eighty feet and the next mountain of sea waiting to smash her under shaking like a dog out of water as seas cascaded off the fore deck. Very difficult to sleep when you float off the mattress weightless and then fall and the mattress wraps itself around you. By the time we got to New York we were knackered. We had Christmas at sea but we were getting smashed around so much it was a no no. All the big plate class windows on the Prom Deck for the lounges and restaraunts smashed due to the ship twisting like a cork screw, We had no passengers on board that trip and we were one of the few ships at that time to have Stabilizers fitted but we never used them, the Captain said it costs a lot more in fuel with the drag. There was a Pig on board but it didnt get used much, the ale was being spilled all over. I was glad when we got into the Market Diner in New York.
Up on Broadway at night time it was very glitzy, bright as a sunny day with all the lights, Santas, ringing bells everywhere collecting for charity. snow flakes falling, a whole technicolour world. No contest with Liverpool`s dull and gloomy atmosphere, pubs shut at 10pm and surrounded by all the bomb sites around town. New York was a good place to buy the winter gear, thick wool Tartan three quarter length jackets, shirts and hats with ear mufflers on, gloves and scarves, it was freezing and we needed to have this gear.
We had New Years Eve on Broadway and Times Square, fantastic, I have never ever been kissed by as many women in all my life, some pretty ones, Ugly ones, fat ones, thin ones and some of doubtful gendre, ugh, spit. but a great time was had by all until the early hours.
When the Long Shoremen were working cargo , they sometimes called us over, "Hey what size shoes you wear?" I would say tens, `OK here try these` and give us a pair of export shoes, It was so bad over the years that they started to export shoes by shipping all the left shoes on the Media and all the right shoes on the Parthia.
On the 2nd of January we were sailing and the Hudson was frozen over, the temperature had gone down to 28 degrees below freezing, The Captain tried always to get her off the pier, going ahead and astern , the ice was holding her fast. so Ice breakers were called for and they smashed their way through and got us out, jeez, it really was cold, and so we went to Norfolk Virginia to load a cargo of Tobacco, we did`nt go ashore there. A week before some Royal Navy ships had paid a visit there to the US Navy base and as always when the RN and US navy get together there is always a big battle, some men were killed and many injured so feelings ashore were a bit tense so we were advised not to go ashore.
We completed loading in a couple of days and made our way back across a wild Western Ocean to Liverpool. where I paid off and caught up with the leave I should have had off the GEORGIC.

7A
The MEDIA was a cargo passenger ship. she carried 250 first class passengers, six hatches and 20 derricks.
The ship was built for the Cunard as a cargo-passenger liner in 1947.
In 1961 traffic across the Western Ocean was getting a bit thin so she was sold to Codegar Line of Italy and rebuilt as the Europe-Australia emigrant ship Flavia. In 1968 she was chartered to Costa Line, who refitted her as a cruise ship. She operated Caribbean cruises from Miami, and was so successful, Costa bought her in 1969. Her engines became troublesome, so she was sold in 1982. She was sold to Hong Kong based C.Y. Tung Group. Her name was changed to Flavian and was to commence cruising locally. Instead, she was laid up for four years and was sold in 1986 to another Hong Kong shipping company, Virtue Shipping, who changed her name to Lavia. She remained laid up at anchor near Landau Island.
On January 7, 1989, but neglected Lavia caught fire. She was completely gutted and her hulk was sold to
Taiwanese shipbreakers.

..............

Great story CG, interesting comment on the"friction" between the R.N. and the U.S. navies! Was this as common as you say? What were the typical causes,and were these incidents ever reported in the media,or not considered worth reporting on,being considered typical! :snf (41):

Hi Steve,
From what I have seen and heard over the years the US Navy and the RN have always had a go at each other when on shore leave,
There was one big incident in Kowloon in the early fifties. The US Navy were always paid movie star wages compared with the National Service men. In Hong Kong in those days the National Service Man, Army, Navy, Air Force got around 28 shillings a week then they had deductions off that leavinng around twelve shillings spends.The price of a bottle of beer was around an old nine pence. When the US Pacific Fleet came into Hong Kong the price of beer soared to unbelievable levels. The National Serviceman could not afford, this caused tremendous resentment. Then one day when the American Fleet arrived all the Brit Servicemen were waiting and a terrible fight started and many killed and injured. After that the American Fleet and sailors were confined to Victoria side and the Brit Servicemen confined to Kowloon side to keep them apart.
There was always great rivalry between the two.
"Hey Limey, how`s the second largest Navy in the world doin."
"Great, how`s the Second best Navy doing". then the battle commences.

Brian,
Another interesting story.
Great to meet you last night.
Kevin

HI KEVIN,
THANKS FOR THAT, GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO, IT GAVE ME A STIFF NECK LOOKING UP AT YOU, DIDNT THINK YOU WERE SO TALL.
CHEERS
BRIAN

We signed on, on the Dunedin Star on the morning of Tuesday, 21 August 1956 and the crowd met each other for the first time. At lunch time all the deck crowd went across
the road from the dock to `Mable`s` bar and had a few beers while we were getting to know each other. On Tuesday morning we arrived on board with our gear and turned to getting the ship ready for sailing early next morning, dropping derricks and tidying up the decks as the Dockers finished loading the cargo. That evening was our last one before we got to Cape Town so all hands went across to `Mable`s`, I took my guitar with me and Tony and I took it in turns trying to play a tune on it. There were a few attractive young ladies in there and Tony and I copped for two of them and walked them home to somewhere in Bootle. We ended up in a back jigger kissing them good night and trying to have a knee trembler with a guitar slung over the shoulder is not recommended, it was banging against the wall with every movement with a loud `boing`, `boing`,
We were falling over laughing and then we left them and walked back to the ship.
Early on Thursday morning, the 23rd of August we let go and moved through the docks and out of the lock gates into the Mersey and were outward bound for the Cape.
We had a good run down to Cape Town stopping off at Las Palmas for a few hours to bunker.
We arrived in Cape Town on Friday morning, the 7th of September and moored starboard side to in Duncan dock ready to discharge our cargo.
That night we went ashore to sample the delights of Cape Town. The place to go to in those days was to the `Delmonaco`, a night club on Adderley Street, It was built like the inside of a castle, and the ceiling was like the sky with moving clouds, changing colours and the night sky with twinkling stars. They had a band and dancing and lots of pretty girls, but Tony and I couldn?t cop off with any of them, we must have lost our touch. We had a few bevies and staggered back to the ship, next morning we found that Joe had got himself a woman from the `Seamen?s Club` and had stayed the night, lucky fella.
Saturday morning we had a `job and finish` painting the funnel so we had finished at midday. That afternoon we shaved, showered and shampooed and legged it ashore to the `Seamen?s Club. We got Joe to introduce us to his new lady, who was the Stewardess of the club, and did she have any friends? we asked.
She said she had one who was coming ashore later from the `Dunnottar Castle` where she was a `Steam Queen`, who worked in the laundry,
The Steam Queen?s were legendary; they worked half naked down in the bottom of the ship sweating in the heat and steam of the laundry and were reputed to be `bang at it` all the time.
?She?s mine,? I said to Tony. ? No she mine,? shouted Tony, , he always wanted my girls. We sat around the bar drinking with Joe and his lady, she wasn?t too bad but she a lot older than Joe. Later on this old lady came in the club and walked over to us at the bar, ?Hi?, said Joe?s friend ?this is my friend Mary, off the `Dunnottar Castle`, and these are Joe?s friends Brian and Tony?. ?She?s yours,? I said to Tony. ?No she?s yours?. said Tony.
We had a few more drinks at the bar, we were chatting to Mary, who was quite funny to talk to with a good sense of humour, but just a little bit old for us, we were desperate but not that desperate.
Joe?s lady invited us all back to her house for supper so all five of us piled into a taxi and went round there. She opened a couple of bottles of wine and had a pile of sandwiches for us, so we got stuck in we were getting a bit bevied by now and gulping more down just in case we got the old Steam Queen, we couldn?t go with her sober.
When Tony went to the bathroom he found a line over the bath where she had a few pairs of knickers hanging there drying so he stuffed a few pair in his pocket.
Later on we ordered a taxi and leaving Joe and his lady there the three of us got into the taxi and went back to the dock, she?s all yours I told Tony, no she?s all yours he insisted.
We got back to the Dunnotter Castle and left her at the bottom of the gangway; we declined her offer of going on board with her and continued back to the Dunedin Star.
When we got into the cabin Tony pulled a few pairs of knickers out of his pocket, make a good souvenir he said.
On Sunday evening we went to the `Delmonaco`, we had a few drinks and danced with some of the girls there but somehow we just couldn?t crack it with the girls there. I don?t know why as we were both good looking, lean, mean and bronzed with sun bleached hair and normally they couldn?t resist us. True!
Joe was in there with his lady friend, and we called at their table for a chat, I just happened to have a pair of knickers sticking out of the top pocket of my suit as a handkerchief. Joe?s lady recognised them and went berserk and accused me of stealing all her knickers. Tony and I had to do a swift runner out of there and go to another bar down the street, to the `Navigators Den`. Here?s another fine mess you?ve gotten me into, I said.
On Monday at lunchtime we were sat in the cabin having a ciggie before we turned to, when there was a knock on the door and when I opened it there was the old Steam Queen.
?Hi?, she said, ?I?ve come to see you before we sail this evening?, Tony jumped up and said I?ve got to start work now, and ran out of the cabin leaving me there with her.
She was rampant. ?Come on and get in the bed and give us a good seeing to?, she said trying to put her arms around me, pushing me against the bunk. ?I?m all yours, take me now?. I was panicking now, just then the Bosun knocked on the cabin door, ?OK lad turn to?, Saved by the bell. ?All right Bose I am on my way? and was out on deck before he was. ?Kinnel, what?s the matter with you two? he said to Tony and me.
? If you want a quick leg over Bose, there is one in my cabin, she?s more your age than ours and she?s waiting for you?.
We left him and ran down aft to the Poop where we were painting, ? Jees, that was a close one you should have stayed with me? I said to Tony, ?I was getting raped?.
We knocked off at half past two for smoko and went amidships to the cabin and found that she had gone. We found the Bosun wandering around with a strange look in his eyes, "Book four hours overtime lads", I think it was the first time he had had a leg over in years. .
At 7pm that evening the Dunnotter Castle was sailing back to the UK and there were hundreds of people on the quay waving good bye to there friends and relatives, we joined them as the sailing of a large passenger ship was always a good event in the old days.
Along side the poop we saw Joe?s lady friend waving to the Steam Queen who was on deck We started shouting to her and then Tony and I pulled out two pairs of knickers and started to wave them to her. The Steam Queen was laughing but Joe?s lady went berserk again and snatched them off us and chased us around the quayside trying to batter us. We ran up town again to the first bar and had a bloody good laugh over a few beers.
On Wednesday we sailed to Port Elizabeth arriving thereon Thursday morning and sailing again on Thursday evening for East London, so we didn?t get a chance to go ashore.

Brian, some enterprising young film producer could make a bloody good movie of your exploits. The banter between you and Tony would make the movie more interesting. I could imagine Matthew Vaughan and Owen Wilson playing the parts(although some unkindly soul mentioned Laurel and Hardy) Whatever,your tales are made for the big screen because they re so much larger than life. Keep 'em coming,
BrianD

Thanks Brian,

A VOYAGE ON THE DUNEDIN STAR 1956


We arrived in East London in the Eastern Cape, on the Dunedin Star, around 8 am and we were on the 8 to 12 watch, we topped the derricks and stripped the hatches ready for discharging. The Ship was sailing at 4pm so we only had a couple of hours or so before we sailed again.
Last time I was here my mate, Ken Hignett, was drowned in Bonza Bay on December 13 in 1953, and I was rescued by a South African lad, David Brinton.
We went to the Seamens Mission on Buffalo Street and asked the man there where Ken was buried, I wanted to visit his grave. The caretaker told us he was buried in the West Cemetery many miles out of town in the hills. We got a bus and went up there to a small township. The place was deserted. The cemetery was spread all over the hillside so we wandered around and there was no way we could find a grave out of the many thousands up there. Then we met a man who was just sitting on a bench, he said, ?Who are you looking for?? , we told him, `Ken Hignett,` he said ?You are in the wrong cemetery, he is on the other side of town in the East Cemetery". Then he said , "My son saved a lad that day", I said , "Is he David Brinton," he said "Yes". so I said , "I am the lad he saved". I was stunned, and we walked away and left him, I forgot to ask for his address.
We had to get back to the ship, I was amazed that we had gone 7000 miles to the wrong cemetery and the only person we saw was the father of the lad who saved my life three years earlier. I had forgotten to thank him.

Now I digress?????
For a few years I tried to find David Brinton to thank him for saving my life. I wrote to the South African newspapers, including East London`s Daily Dispatch. but to no avail. I phoned the Salvation Army in Johannesburg, they have a fantastic tracing people reputation , but they referred me to London. I tried them and was told they only trace family members. I told them the story and asked if they could make an exception, I also told them I was a member of the Salvation Army when I was a lad, a "Little Sunbeam" no less. They said they would see what they could do. The only information I had was, he was 15 years old in 1953 and his name, David Brinton. Africa is a big place to trace people with that amount of information .
In 2001 I decided to go to East London to try to find him myself. it was a quest I knew I had to do.
Two days before we were sailing to Cape Town on the QE2 The telephone rang, it was the Salvation Army in London, they had found him. "Where in East London?" I asked, No he is in Stranraer, Scotland, they gave me his phone number and I phoned him. It was fantastic to be able to thank him for saving my life. He had lived there for 17 years after leaving South Africa he had gone to Rhodesia then to Scotland.
I went to Cape Town and then we flew to East London to find Ken`s grave.
We checked into a hotel and a South African family who had read my emails on the internet met us and took us to the grave. The East Cemetery was in town, easy walking distance from the dock.
The cemetery was silent, not a sound. As Anne and I approached the grave, the screams coming out of the grave were terrible, I was shocked, Anne `s face turned white and was visibly shocked. The noise of a demented soul, we walked back and it stopped, silent. As we walked forward again the noise started again. There were no words, just an out of this world noise, which had a meaning, like, .. why have I been here so long, no one has been to see me and so on. I could walk into and out of this sound like walking in and out of a large bubble over the grave, His spirit was definitely there and in anguish as if he was tied there with no escape.
I laid a Merchant Navy wreath that I had brought from England, on his grave. I got my camera but it would not work, nothing. So I got my video camera and that would not work,, I was very upset and disturbed by all these happenings, It should have been a happy day, that I had found him and laid a wreath on the grave.
We went back to the hotel , the camera worked, the video camera worked, nothing wrong with them.
The following day, the South African friends took us to Bonza Bay, even though it was 48 years later everything was still the same as it was. What scared me was, a sign on the Surfer`s hut, ?Beware of the Great White Shark?. Bonza Bay was a favourite place of the shark and it amazed me that we were never attacked when we were there all those years ago.
Two days later we were going to the Airport to fly to Cape Town, I was not happy and very disturbed, it should not be like this. I couldnt go home not knowing what was going on there. So I told the taxi driver to go back to the cemetery.
When we got back to the grave , all was silent and peaceful. I took the photos, the camera worked and also the video camera worked OK ,
He had gone, gone to Fiddlers Green, where all good Sailors go. He had been released.
I felt good again as if a load had been taken off my shoulders. The trip had been worth while.
We sailed back to England on the `Caronia`, and when we arrived home I had a phone call from Esther Rantzen, a TV Presenter from the BBC. She had heard of the story and wanted me to go to the London BBC studios and tell it on TV on the `Esther Show`. So on 14 February 2002, Anne and I went to London, expenses paid, a Limo waiting at Euston Station for us and then to the studios.
I was taken to the make up room and sat with a few TV Celebs and had a make over, lip stick, and make up over my face and my eyebrows darkened. I was then interviewed by Esther on stage with a studio audience, and told them all about the tragedy and my search for David Brinton, Esther said have you ever met him?, I said `no`, so she said , well here he is, and David walked onto the stage. it was another fantastic moment to be able to shake his hand and thank him after more than 48 years. We went into the green room after the show and partook of the free bar, Later David had to go back to Scotland for his business and I stayed. That evening the BBC Staff poured me into a Limo and took us to our hotel in Kensington . I went into the bar there and ordered a couple of drinks for us both. A lot of men were smiling and winking at me, I thought, what friendly people there are in London.
Later I went to our room and shock horror, I still had my make up on. They must thought I was a wufter.
I keep in touch with David and always phone him or go to Stranraer on December 13.
We talked later and he told me his father had died in a car crash in October 1956, around the time Tony and I spoke to him. So was he a ghost that we met??????????????continued??..

So Tony and I arrived back in East London at 5pm We thought we had missed the ship as she was down for sailing at four. We decided it was a waste of time going down to the berth so we went into a pub on Oxford Street for a beer. Ten minutes later whilst enjoying a cool beer we heard the whistle blowing. She`s still in we said to each other. We ran out of the pub and bumped into the Padre from the Mission. ?I am looking for you two, the ship is sailing? . We climbed into his Jeep and he ran us down to the berth and the Dunedin Star was about thirty yards off the berth and moving outbound. The Captain, a very angry man, was on the wing of the bridge shouting he would sort us out in Durban and be there.
Astern of her was the pilot launch, and the Padre called out to him, they came over and Tony and I climbed down the ladder and into the launch.
We followed the Dunedin Star out passed the break waters then went alongside, the Pilot climbed down and we climbed up.
The Captain met us on the boat deck screaming abuse at us, be on the bridge tomorrow morning for a big logging for holding up the ship.
I tried to explain where we had been but he wouldn?t listen.
Fortunately the Fourth Mate was with me on the New Zealand Star when Ken Hignett was drowned and later he told the Captain the story so next day he let us off with the logging.
We then sailed on to Durban.

In Durban we

What happened in Durban , are you O.K.? I'll sit by screen until the nigh****ch comes on. What a cliffhanger!!

I was called away to dinner and then lost it. be on tomorrow,

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Originally Posted by brian daley

What happened in Durban , are you O.K.? I'll sit by screen until the nigh****ch comes on. What a cliffhanger!!

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Disgraceful, Brian. Fancy trying to type a naughty word into an innocent post.
Well you were well and truly caught!
:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

DUNEDIN STAR, SOUTH AND EAST AFRICA, SEPTEMBER 1956

We arrived alongside in Durban on Saturday morning on the 15th of September and we were only to be here until Monday, so there was not a lot of time to get ourselves known here.
Saturday night Tony and I with some of the other lads went uptown to the Playhouse, it was a club very similar to Delmonaco`s in Cape Town, it was built as an Indian palacea, court yard with the `sky` above
Having moving clouds which changed colour as the sun set and then twinkling stars. There was a good bar and lots of pretty girls to dance with but we just couldn`t crack it, we must be losing our touch or
I think maybe that the girls didn?t want to get involved with seamen, so we got ourselves bevied instead.
On Sunday morning the Seamen?s` Mission put us on a coach and took us up to the Valley of a Thousand Hills to a Zulu village to watch the Zulus singing and dancing, quite interesting but we couldn?t crack it with the Zulu girls either.
That was our last run ashore until we would arrive in Brisbane one month later. On Monday morning we dropped the derricks and battened down and then sailed to Lourenco Marques in Mozambique.
We anchored in Delagoa Bay and unloaded our cargo into barges for a couple of days then sailed round to Beira. We were anchored out there for seven days completing discharging all our cargo again into barges, we were too far off shore to get ashore so we were quite happy when we were ready to sail to Australia to get a decent run ashore.
I had a letter from my girlfriend Sheila in Melbourne and she said that she had a friend who wanted a
Blind date with Tony but when I told him he wasn?t too keen as on most blind dates you end up with the ugly one, still it was something to look forward to.
We sailed from Mozambique on Saturday, 29th of September sailed round the southern tip of Madagascar and then had a good run down to the southern ocean to the Aussie coast.

Hi Brian,
Went to LM three times, and each time it was a different name!
First time - Lourenco Marques
Second time - Camfumo (didn't last long).
Third time - Maputo, its current name.

Great stories Brian, keep 'em coming. You have got the memory of an elephant:)

Alec.

Great stories Brian, keep 'em coming.

Alec.

We landed in Brisbane in Queensland mooring at New Farm Wharf, that night we went into Brisbane and to the Grand Central Hotel in Queen Street. It was a bit quiet in there and we asked one of the local lads where all the action was. He told us to go a township outside the city, there was a pub and a brothel. Sounded good so `Blubs` Donnelly, John the Baptist, Tony and I climbed into a taxi and went there.
It was just a small place with wood side walks a pub with bat wing doors, a few wooden houses and a Brothel facing the pub. It was used by the men who spent a few months in the bush who came into town had a few beers and a leg over before going back to the bush.
We had a couple of beers in the pub and sat on the veranda looking at the Brothel.
Then `Let?s get it over with lads`, we strolled across the street to the `House` and knocked on the door.
A big buxom woman, who?s former beauty was fading fast, opened the door, "G`day boys you want to see my girls? come in" We went into the lounge with six scantily clad young ladies lounging around on divans waiting for us.
It?s ?20 for a `quickie`, no pay no play.
`Kinnell! Our wages at that time was ?30 a month so it was 3 weeks wages for ten minutes, 2 minutes in Tony?s case. We argued and haggled but she wouldn?t bring the price down. You would think it was her who would be doing the deed, I am sure the girls would have done it for nothing the way they were looking at me, I was, lean, mean and bronzed with sun bleached hair and girls used to scream after me. In the end the old Mamasan screamed, " Get out you Pommie bums".
We walked back across the street to the pub and ordered another beer and sat on the veranda overlooking the brothel, dreaming of what might have been. " You would have been finished by now Tony " I said sipping my cool Castlemaine xxxx
"and I would have just about been nearly half way." Just then John the Baptist, a Liverpool lad, who looked like his namesake, said "they will all burn in hell for their sins, Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord, I will repay" Why what?s going to happen John, ` we asked. " When you were arguing with the Madam I put the electric fire behind the drape curtains and switched it on, just watch,"
A minute later we saw flames licking up the drapes and then a flash and the tinder dry wooden building went up in flames, Kinnell! Six scantily clad young ladies ran out of the House followed by the screaming Madam, then 3 naked young ladies and 3 men staggered out trying to pull up their keks and falling over as they tried to run across the street. Suddenly the building collapsed in a shower of flames and sparks.
`Come on let?s get out of here`, I shouted, we ran around the corner and found a taxi and went back to Brisbane.
When we got back to Brisbane we went into the Grand Central Hotel for another beer and a young lady by the name of Gwen Taylor took a fancy to me and was all over me, chewing my ears and kissing etc. Tony was a sick as a pig cos no once else fancied him.
A closing time we all piled into a taxi and went back to the ship. We went into my cabin and I got a bottle of Penfolds out and then went to the mess room to get a bottle opener and some glasses. When I got back Gwen had gone,? where is she?"
Bubs Donnolly said she?s gone with Tony to his Cabin.
I legged it up the alley way and hammered on the door which was locked, "Open up you ba*tard that?s my girl" " Not any more, she?s mine now, so *** off."
I ***** off back to my cabin and drank the bottle with the rest of the lads while we laughed about the Brothel burning down.
Next morning I got up early and went to the bathroom and found Gwen, who had just had a shower, scrubbing the crutch piece of her knickers with Tony?s toothbrush. Later on when Tony got up and was brushing his teeth he said, "What are you laughing at" When I told him what Gwen had done he was nearly sick. " Serves you right you ba*tard " I said. Meanwhile Gwen did a runner with Tony?s money and a carton of 200 ciggies.
We stayed in Brisbane for a couple of days then sailed up to a God forsaken place called Port Alma, up near Rockhampton.

Brian ,as I was reading todays episode I thought "how very unlike the lives of our own dear royal family". You know John the Baptist was right,you are doomed to burn in hell for the wicked things you did back then. But, before you do,.tell us some more ,please!
BrianD

We arrived in Port Alma after calling in at Gladstone, another one horse town for a couple of days. Nothing much there just a couple of pubs with batwing doors. Next stop was Port Alma.on 3rd.November, a godforsaken place up in.Queensland.
It was up a crocodile infested creek, surrounded by salt flats, scrub and desert. a breading ground for millions of flies and mosquitoes. There was no electricity there only oil lamps when it got dark ashore.
There was just a small wood jetty and six wooden huts and a canteen that only sold Sarsaparrilla pop, The Five huts were the accommodation for the wharfies and one for the girls who worked in the canteen, cooking meals for the wharfies. The girls were ruled by a huge Bosun type of a woman, a big forced draft job.We called her the Mamasan, who hated us Sailors cos she thought we were all sniffing round her girls and would have them locked up in the shack by 9.30 pm. The nearest town was 200 miles away where there was a meat works that sent the frozen beef down every day on a single track railroad. The wharfies and girls stayed there for the duration of loading a few thousand tons of beef.
Saturday night was 5th of November, bonfire night and a large fire was lit on the beach and beer and grog appeared and we were all having a great time snogging the girls in the shadows. Tony and I were having a go at two beautiful Polynesian twin sisters , Theresa and Thyra Hornung, when the Mamasan gave us a load of abuse and threats and took the girls back to the shack and then locked them all in for the night.
The party was over so we all went back aboard the ship and turned in.
About 1am the watchman woke us up and said the wharfies were running about with
shotguns searching for a sailor who had been trying to break into the girls shack. We checked the cabins and found that John the Baptist was missing.
He was called John the Baptist cos he looked just like the man from the Bible and was always saying biblical phrases from the bible. He was from Liverpool.
Tony and I got a torch and went ashore to find him before the wharfies did and blew him apart with their shot guns.
By the shacks I spoke to a wharfie with a gun and he told us that they had heard singing of hymns coming from the top of the water tower,
. John the Baptist had climbed up the tower to hide and fell into the water and the sides were to high and smooth for him to climb out and was just swimming around in ever decreasing circles.when the wharfie and his mate climbed to the top of the tower they could see John singing `Abide with Me` and just as he was sinking for the last time he started singing `For Those In Peril On The Sea`. Just before he sank they grabbed him and pulled him out and got him onto the ladder, John just shot down and disappeared into the darkness and so they were still searching for him.
Tony and I searched under the shacks and then I saw him, I grabbed Tony and we crawled underneath the shack and there was John the Baptist. on his knees with his head on the ground throwing sand over his head shouting "You can`t see me I am an ostrich" Crazy, he was out of his head with the grog.
As we grabbed him he was shouting " The Lord Is my Shepherd, but He lead me astray tonght". We dodged our way back to the ship in the darkness and got him to his cabin and locked him in.
The shouting and screaming ashore slowly died down and the Mamasan locked up her girls again and the wharfies turned in and Port Alma went back to sleep after the most exciting night it had ever had.
Next morning the wharfies went on strike and refused to work until whoever it was apologised. So we got John to got out to meet the wharfies.
He looked like John the Baptist, he had a little round white skull cap on, a thin haggered face with a beard , a long white shirt that came past his knees and open sandles. He stood on top of the gangway looking down on the wharfies and the girls.
They were shouting abuse and kill the ba*tard, but when John appeared on the gangway platform, the light cluster was on the deck behind him, in the early morning light, he was glowing, he looked truly biblical. They were stunned and fell silent when they saw this apparition above them.
He raised his arms and said "The Lord was my shepherd but I was lead astray last night, I was suffering from the sins of the flesh but now I have seen the light and and have found the paths of rightiousness I have cast out the devil within me and I will sin no more and now I walk in the shadow of the Lord. God Bless you all. Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord I will repay." and with that he turned and walked back to the mess room.
The wharfies stood there in a stunned silence for several minutes They could not believe what they had just seen and heard and so in their bemused state they went back to work and John became a legend.



.

It has taken me over two hours to get this post on, does anyone else have problems with the slow speed??

Dunedin Star continued,.......................

We stayed in Port Alma for another few days loading beef. We spent the evenings in an old railway carriage with the two twin sister, Thyra and Theresa, until the big Mamasan came along to chase them back to the shack and lock them up. When we sailed for Melbourne we said we would write to them until we returned the following trip on the Adelaide Star.
Arriving in Melbourne we tied up near to the bottom of Flinders Street on a Saturday morning. After topping the derricks ready for the wharfies starting on Monday morning , I went ashore to phone my girl friend, Shiela, who I had first met on the `GEORGIC` when she was emmigrating in 1955. She was a beautiful green eyed ginger haired girl. She said she had a friend who wanted a blind date with my mate, so I told Tony.
` No, No, ` he said, `Blind dates you always get the ugly one.`.
She said they would meet us in the cafe in Flinders Street Staion at 4 pm. We went ashore to the `Sir Charles Hotham,` on the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets for a bevy. He was gulping it down, `Do I have to go? I dont want the Ugly one, I`ll have to get bevied to face her.`
At 4pm we staggered up Flinders Street and went into the cafe, we had a couple of coffees. Then I saw them across the road on the corner of the Church. "Look at her Tony, she is beautiful, "
`No I`m not looking `he said with his head in his hands.
They entered the Cafe, Shiela came over to us and gave me a kiss, "This is Anita" she realy was gorgeous, Tony was still not looking, "And this is Tony" I said giving Tony a thump,`and fasten your flies". he raised his head and could not believe what he saw, I have never seen a man sober up so fast.
We sat there for a while having coffee, then Shiela said they were going to the Olympic Village in Heidelberg. The 1956 Olympic Games were on then. So we climbed into a taxi and went there. There was a dance on and then Anita disapeared, `Where is she` Tony said, "Just wait " said Shiela. Then they announced the final heat for "Miss Olympic Games 1956"
The finalists came on stage in their swimming costumes and there was Anita, looking fantastic. "You owe me." I said to Tony.
Anita won the contest. What a blind date!!!.
She then went on to win the Miss Victoris title and then Miss Australia, she had changed her name to Victoria
Shaw, after the State of Victoria and her mother`s maiden name. She eventually got a movie contract and went to Hollywood and became a movie Star, I saw her a few times in in a few films the last one a western. She died about three years ago.
We spent a couple of weeks with the girls. I went to the `Hostel` where Shiela was living with her parents, it was a disused army camp in Brooklyn on the outskirts of Melbourne, I went through the iron gates and a depressing row of Nissen huts, two families in a hut seperated by a breeze block wall and a cold water tap outside the door. they had been there for twelve months. Six months later when I went to see her they had moved to a farm house out in Melton South in the country. a little better.
The night before we sailed we kissed the girls good bye and went back on board the ship. In the messroom was the crowd drinking their bottles of beer, We got ours and joined them. There was a `beachy` there, a Liverpool bum who had been dossing down in the mess room. an obnoxious ba*tard. who was drinking everyone`s ale and money was missing from cabins.
He got hold of one of my bottles of ale , so I gripped him by the wrist and said,"Put it down or I`ll break your arm", He pulled away and threatened to kill me and said he had killed before and would do me as well. I said who have you killed.? He replied that he had killed two men in the Cameo Cinema in Liverpool seven years earlier in March 1949. ........
{ Now in 1949 my home was raided by the police and I was beaten up by the cops, a man, George Kelly was charged and then Hanged in 1950 for the murders and another man Charles Connolly was gaoled for ten years for conspiracy to the two murders at the Cameo Cinema. I became a close friend with Charles and eventually after a campaign by George Skelly and Lou Santangeli we got them both cleared and proven innocent of the murders, Charles died just before the result at the Criminal Court of Appeal in London. a sad story. ...I digress. ]
So I leaned over the table and smashed him in the face with a big iron fist. Of all the men to say that to it had to be me, who had been involved.
I dived over the table and battered him, with Tony`s help I dragged him out on deck and flung him down the gangway. With hindsight I should have held onto him, and found out who he realy was.
After the Court of Appeal verdict I learned from a lady in London that she suspected that a relative was the man who did the murders and his description fitted the Liverpool bum and he was in Australia at that time.
Next day we dropped the derricks and battened down, we had a full load for the Continent and London. we sailed that afternoon bound round the Southern Ocean past the Cape of Good Hope and up the Atlantic to Gibralter, a long voyage...
to be continued.................................

Dunedin Star, continued??????

After a long voyage of thirty days around the Cape from Melbourne we called in at Gibraltar to discharge two hundred tons of frozen beef.
Tony and I were on the 4 to 8 watch. We topped the derricks and stripped the hatches for the Dockers and removed the plugs for the fridge hatches.
Then we shaved showered and shampooed and leapt ashore to sample the delights of Gib after a long trip at sea. Tony was engaged to a young lady who was in the Signals Regiment and based here on the Rock so he was excited that he would meet up with his intended.
We walked up Main Street and went into the Royal Oak for a couple of pints then to the Cha Cha Bar for a few more. Walking down the next road we found the NAAFI Club so we dived in there for some more grog.
There were half a dozen National Servicemen in the bar so we were treating them to Rum and pints, as they didn?t get so much money.
Then suddenly Tony remembered his girl was here, he had forgotten, so he went to phone her. He came back and was going berserk; she had kicked him into touch and was now going out with a sergeant in the Army.
He came back into the bar and thumped one of the soldiers, he thumped Tony back and Tony fell on the floor so I thumped him knocking him over a table with all the glasses smashing on the floor. The others joined in; six to two wasn?t bad odds. Then an Army Officer and some more troops ran in and sorted us out and then escorted us to the gate and threw us out, well we had been thrown out of better places than that.
The following year I went back there and there was a notice on the gate, ?No Dogs, Dagos or Merchant Seamen allowed in the Club?.
The ship was sailing at 4pm so we staggered down the street and went past the Governor?s Palace; there was a soldier on guard with rifle and bayonet. Tony staggered across to him and crashed into him knocking him to the ground and dropping his rifle with a clatter. They were rolling over fighting so I had to separate them and got the soldier up and apologised for Tony?s behaviour, I explained that he had lost his girl to an Army fellow. I dragged Tony away and we staggered down the street to the dock. The crowd had just dropped the derricks and battened down and the ship was ready for sailing. Just made it. We sailed then for Dunkirk and into a cold weather and storms across the Bay of Biscay mooring in Dunkirk in a blizzard two days before Christmas Eve???????.

To be continued???????

Dunedin Star continued.........................

I forgot to mention of when we left Melbourne for homeward bound.

A young Fireman, George Jones of Liverpool had a brother Jimmy living in Melbourne and on leaving he said he wanted to go back to Liverpool so George stowed him away.
We found out a couple of days later when I went to Georges cabin and found Jimmy.
At first it was OK then when it became time for the weekly accommodation inspections when the Captain, Chief Steward, Chief Engineer came around it was a work of art shuffling Jimmy around so he wasn?t seen, from one cabin to another and in one locker to another.
One night Jimmy had a seizure and collapsed on the deck in Georges cabin, he was shaking violently then fell quiet, we thought he had died.
He eventually recovered and told George he was epileptic. George went mad over this, he said he would never have stowed him away if he had known. We even discussed what we would do if Jimmy died during one of these fits, we decided we wouldn?t call the Captain but just slide Jimmy over the wall into the oggin and say nothing.
Jimmy was beginning to be quite a nuisance and giving George a lot of stress, five or six weeks of this is a long time to hide someone.
In Dunkirk on Christmas Eve, Jimmy borrowed money off George and went ashore, got quite legless, fell out of a bar and discovered a hole in the road with workmen?s` tools and a wheelbarrow, he got the wheelbarrow full of tools and was galloping all over Dunkirk with it before the Gendarmes lifted him and locked him up. George on hearing this had to hide for two days as he was supposed to be in gaol, so he had a lousy Christmas.
The Police notified the Captain that one of his men, Jones, was in gaol and so on Boxing Day he went to the gaol and paid the fine and took Jimmy, the Stowaway, back to the ship. The Captain thinking Jimmy was George logged him two days pay for being adrift and then charged him the return taxi fare and the fine off the Police. It cost George half a month?s wages, George was going demented over his stupid brother.
He was becoming ill over his behaviour.
When the ship arrived in Hull just before New Year, George got a sub for Jimmy?s train fare to Liverpool and got rid of him. Then George who was really looking quite bad asked the Captain if he could see a doctor, the captain said `No, you just want to go home for the New Year instead of going to London, the final port of discharge as per articles`.
On New Years Eve George collapsed in his cabin, we told the Captain and I went ashore to a phone box and called for an ambulance. They came and took him to hospital.
Three weeks later I was in Liverpool and I bumped into Jimmy, ?How?s your George? I asked. Jimmy replied, ?He died on New Years day in the hospital?.
George was 22 years old. If he had seen a doctor when he wanted one, would he have still been alive? Very sad, after five months George went home in a coffin.

to be continued..................................

We went ashore in Dunkirk, two days before Christmas, it was freezing and deep in snow. We were drinking in Yvette?s bar and got friends with a couple of American seamen, one called Frisco who was a little guy and the other was a big fat slob called Boston.
They were throwing their money around like confetti and as long as they kept on paying Tony and I kept on drinking, a very good arrangement we thought.
We were drinking and dancing with Yvette?s` girls on Xmas Eve and Yvette said that if we brought a couple of turkeys on Xmas Day when the bar was closed we would have a big party there with free booze.
We said we would bring Frisco and Boston, as they were the biggest turkeys that we knew.
Later on as we were all getting bevied Frisco was shouting that he wanted to go to midnight mass at Dunkirk Cathedral.
So we carried on drinking and at 4 am on Christmas Day we all decided to go to midnight mass. Frisco got a very large sombrero off the wall in the bar, put it on his head and staggered out into the snow, he looked like a drunken mushroom. It was freezing and snowing and the four of us were staggering up the road and we had to call in a couple of bars to warm up and then we came to the Louis XIV Club and Boston went in and the doorman threw him out, he went in again shouting, "I am a United States Citizen ya gotta let me in, these other bums are Lymies keep `em out". The doorman threw him out again.
Boston screamed "I could have got in there but for you Limy bums" so with that I thumped him and we were rolling about in the snow and I was sat on his chest battering him when he shouted " I surrender". I let him get up and said " Us Limy bums don?t like being insulted, don?t do it again". We staggered on through the snow towards the cathedral.
We got there for midnight mass at six a.m. just as the service was about to start.
At the entrance was a font with the holy water in and another font with money in and Frisco grabbed a handful of money and blessed himself with it and Tony twisted his arm and made him put it back.
We sat at the back of the cathedral, I whispered to Frisco, " Take that stupid sombrero off your head" " Hell no," he shouted, " Some one might steal it".
The Bishop was speaking in Latin through a microphone. Frisco stood up and started walking down the aisle to the front, still wearing the big sombrero, " Hey shout up will ya, we can?t hear what you?re talking about at the back?.
With that I said come on Tony let?s get out of here.
We just got outside when we were followed by Frisco and Boston being thrown out by half a dozen Frenchmen. Frisco was shouting, " I?ve been thrown out of better places than this."
We staggered on through the snow to the dock.
We arrived at the American ship, the `HOWARD T ANDREWS` a Liberty ship and Frisco invited us on board for breakfast. In the mess room Boston introduced us to the American sailors as two Limy bums that they had found, I was going to thump him again when I could smell the breakfast in the galley.
A big black mess man towered over me, " Wadda ya want, eggs, two, four, six? easy over, sunnyside up or what. ham ?, two, four, six, or what.?
" Err six of everything please " Tony and I said.
We got six eggs, six huge slices of ham with fries, tomatoes beans and toast. the biggest breakfast I had ever seen.
After breakfast Tony and I left and said we would see them in Yvette?s bar later in the day with our turkeys.
We got aboard the Dunedin Star and the sailors were just getting their breakfast of one egg and one thin slice of bacon, we gave ours to the lads.
The Galley boy came into the mess room so Tony said to him ? Get us a couple of Turkeys this afternoon" the Boy replied there was only one turkey onboard and that was for the Officers Xmas dinner.
" What no turkey for the sailors?" so he said there is a chicken for the sailors. " It must be a bloody big chicken to feed all the sailors,? I said. " Get us that one then "

" I can?t " said the Galley boy. Tony said "Just leave it by the port in the galley and leave the rest to us. "
We got our heads down until 1pm and got ready to go ashore, we walked past the galley port and there was a small chicken on a plate. I leaned through and passed the chicken to Tony who wrapped it in a paper and we ran down the gangway and up the road to Yvette?s bar.
We were sat there with a drink when Boston and Frisco came in with two large cooked turkeys. Boston sat down with us and said " Where?s ya turkeys Limies"? I pointed to the newspaper with the chicken in. " Well god****, a few scraps for the dog " and then he threw it on the floor and Yvette?s Alsatian dog dived on it and scoffed the lot.
I jumped up and said " You fat Yankee ba*ta*d" and was going to thump him again when Yvette jumped in between. It?s OK there is plenty of turkey for us all and the drinks are on the house, and all the girls are yours for free.
Well we had a great party with the girls all night and two days later we got back to the ship.
The Captain had Tony and I on the bridge to be logged for being adrift for two days. We were fined two days pay and forfeit two days pay, then we were questioned about a missing chicken, we said we had never tasted chicken for months, we hadn?t, but Yvette?s dog had.
The ba*ta*ds, the ship had 15,000 tons of meat from Australia on board and we were starving. they could have bought dozens of chickens with the four days wages each they had taken off us.
The following day we sailed for Hull.

To be continued????????.

You haven't lost your touch Brian, a good tale and very well told. Keep 'em coming............................................ ...........Where's our Fred, I haven't heard anything of him since the Liverpool 'do'. I hope he is O.K.
BrianD

Great stories Brian. :handclap:. You've got the memory of an elephant.:)

Alec.

We arrived in Hull on the 29th of December 1956.
It was cold wet and windy, a typical winters day on the Humber.
We had a few bevies that night and the following night then it was New Years Eve. The problem with having to the discharge ports after a long trip meant that we were going to pay off with nothing, after all the subs and loggings.
New Years Eve, we were sailing at 10pm. What a stupid time to sail.
All hands went to a dance at the Baths at Beverley Road, the pool had been boarded over, and there was a band, a bar and lots of pretty girls.
10pm came and went, Midnight we were kissing the New Year in and Tony and I copped for two young ladies to take home. Tony?s girl looked like Gene Autry and had legs to match, mine was quite pretty.
We took them home and eventually made it back to the ship just after 1.30 is, she was still there with tugs alongside and the Pilot on board, the Captain demented and screaming abuse as the crew were arriving back one by one.
Next day we were all lined up on the bridge for logging, at this rate we?ll be paying Blue Star on pay off day.
Another day at sea and then we arrived in Antwerp. We were only here for the day sailing sometime in the evening.
I went ashore at 1pm and at the first bar stopped for a beer. Inside was a lad I had sailed with on the `Empress of Scotland` 18 months earlier.
He was on a Ropner boat, the `Levenpool`, a Fort boat; they were trying to get paid off. They were on a two-year voyage, coal from the Continent to Buenos Aires and grain back to the Continent.
They had all began to break out in scabs and boils with bad guts. They had complained about the water, which was pumped up from the after peak and told the tank was cleaned and cement washed in dry dock in Glasgow nine months earlier. They had the Union man over from London and eventually got the tank drained and then the manhole cover was unbolted. Inside they found the skeletal remains of a man and some empty whisky bottles. It was presumed that the man who cleaned it also had a few whiskies and flaked out inside. When the men shouted inside if anyone was there, no answer, then they battened down? When it was filled up he must have drowned and they had been drinking this contaminated water for nine months. So they were hoping to get paid off.
My mate was gulping ale down as fast as he could, trying to wash the taste of the ships water away.
I was keeping up with him and eventually Oblivion. I remember nothing until I woke up at sea bound for London. Don?t remember going back on board or anything.
Next morning, Friday, 4th of January 1957, we berthed in London and paid off in the afternoon. We all got taxis to Euston Station and went into the bar for a few drinks then we caught the last train to Liverpool

" Brief Encounter".

Tony and I went into the bar on the train, which was full of business types. drinking Gin and Tonics, going home for the weekend. Whilst I was stood at the bar I saw a very attractive young lady trying unsuccessfully to order a drink. I asked her what she wanted, a G&T? right. ? A G&T and two rum and cokes Garcon.? ?There you are, my treat?, I said. In those days I was lean, mean, and bronzed with sun bleached wavy hair and the girls could not resist me, TRUE!!
I introduced myself and told her that we were homeward bound from Australia and were celebrating Christmas and New Year.
She told me that her name was Magnolia and she lived in Birkdale near the golf course and she was a secretary to Sir Hartley Shawcross the famous legal eagle. After a couple more G&T s our hands touch and it was electrifying, our fingers entwined and soon we held each other in an embrace. I could feel the warmth and contours of her body as she pressed herself against me, we kissed gently and I could smell the perfume in her hair. I could see Tony over her shoulder and he was going around the coach talking to all the men there and pointing at me, but I took no notice I had a promising night ahead, soon we were planning to stay at the Adelphi Hotel on Lime Street. Magnolia was lovely, I was in love with her and she was with me.
The Train stopped at Crewe Station, suddenly I saw Tony open the door and throw my case out on to the platform and a crowd of men came over to me and pulled me away from Magnolia. " Hey what?s going on?? I shouted.
" Come along old chap" one fellow said to me, " your Mother is waiting for you"
My Mother??? What?s she doing in Crewe? They dragged me away from Magnolia who was looking startled at what was happening, I was struggling to get free but there were to many of them and next I was out onto the platform and Tony slammed the door. I picked up my case and tried to get back on the train then the Porter grabbed me from behind and was pulling me back. Then the train moved off and was picking up speed as I ran alongside it. Magnolia opened the window and leaned out, she was weeping as the train accelerated out of reach Magnolia took a ring off her finger and our fingers touched for the last time as she passed the ring into my outstretched hand. I stood there stunned, I could not believe it, what was happening, one minute I am homeward bound with a beautiful lady and the next I am all alone on a cold dark platform as the train disappeared into the darkness.
The ba*ta*d, that Tony will have a lot to answer for when I catch up with him. I walked back down the platform to where my case was, the Porter was there. " What the hells going on I demanded." why did you stop me from going on the train"
He replied " Your mate said that you lived in Crewe and that you had been away from home for more than three years and seeing that you were drunk they had to force you off the train"
The picture was getting clear now, that Tony wanted to have a go at my Magnolia.
" What time is the next train to Liverpool " " There is no more tonight, the next one is at 6.30 in the morning" he said. " Kinnell" I dragged my case into the cold dismal waiting room, I sat there stunned, looking at the ring that Magnolia had given me, This was the big one, the only woman I
would ever love, now she was gone, I could have wept. I didn?t know her surname, or her address or phone number I would never see her again. I kept the ring for two years until a young lady in South America took it off me.
I stretched out on the hard wooden bench in the cold waiting room and tried unsuccessfully to sleep. I could not believe it, I should have been in the Adelphi with Magnolia.
I climbed aboard the train at 6.30 next morning, cold, stiff and hungry bound for Liverpool. In Lime Street I dumped my case in the Left Luggage Office and caught the bus to Dovecot to where Tony lived. I walked down Grant Road to number 189 and hammered on the door, as soon as he opens it I will batter him.
The door opened, it was his Mother, " Hello, are you Tony?s mate off the ship? Come in" I went in " Where is he"? " He?s upstairs, I?ll just go and get him, make him a cup of tea Luv" she said to Tony?s sister, she was attractive, I followed her into the kitchen and was chatting to her while she brewed up.
Tony walked in laughing, " All right Scouse, how did you get on in Crewe"" You ba..? I said but I could get angry as his Mother was smiling and his sister was handing me a cup of tea." Why was I thrown off the train" " Well" he said as we all sat round the table " I fancied Magnolia and I knew I would have no chance while you where there so I told the men in the train that you had been in the French Foreign Legion and had been captured at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in Viet Nam, and when you were released you went to Sidde bel Abbes in Algeria then demobbed in Marseilles and now you were on your way home after being away for more than three years and I promised your Mother that I would see that you got off the train in Crewe where you lived. so all the fellows in the coach thought they doing you a favour." " How did you get on with Magnolia? " I asked. " I didn?t " he replied " she was weeping and when I went to her she slapped my face and then went down the coaches to her seat and I didn?t see her again. "
" You sneaky ba*ta*d , and I was all fixed up there" " That wasn?t a very nice thing to do , our Tony " his Mother said.
Ah well, `Cie la vie`, as we say in the French Foreign Legion. We walked down to the `Boundary` Tony?s local alehouse, as they were open by now and had a few bevies before I got the train back to Bolton and home.

Does this old photo evoke a few memories? 6.30 of a morning ,the daymen rigged up in seaboots for the morning wash down.We'd start on the fiddley and work our way down to the main deck. One hoseman, the rest of us with yard brushes and holystones ,followed by the leading hand with a squeegee. You could eat your dinner off those decks on the Blueys.By the time we were down it was time for breakfast,and that's another story!!
Cheers,
BrianD

Did this get done regardless of weather/temperature? :shock:

It sure did Steve.

Now here is another yarn................

MISSING IN JAMAICA

In 1954 I signed on the Tilapa, one of Fyffe?s skin boats for a four week trip to Jamaica.
When we arrived in Kingston we were only there for one night so we went ashore to sample the Appletons Estate rum and any young lady who happened our way.
We ended up in the Blue Duck Bar and I met up with a young lady by the name of Gloria Campbell,
We ended up in bed all afternoon and into the evening with a few rums in between to keep the strength up.
After a shower and some more rum I staggered out into the night and at the bottom of Kent Street I was mugged and battered unconscious by a gang of Jamaicans.
Next morning I awoke in an alley covered in blood stiff and sore all over my body and the pain was terrible.
I staggered to my feet and found all my money and ciggies were gone,
I limped around to the dock and found the Tilapa had gone.
"Kinnell, no money, no cigs, and no ship". I sat on a bollard in the early morning sun, and felt really ****ed off. .
I bummed a ciggy from a passing docker, he told me the Tilapa had sailed two hours earlier and "You look a hell of a mess man".
I flicked the end of the ciggy into the water and limped around to the Blue Duck Bar,
The bar was closed but the cleaning lady let me in when I asked for Gloria, Gloria came down and was shocked to see me in that condition she took me upstairs and bathed my wounds and gave me a shower, and got the cleaning lady to wash my dungarees and shirt, then she put me to bed for the day. I slept most of the day and awoke to find Gloria ironing my gear
" Hi Honey, how you feel now?? " A lot better than I did this morning, just a little sore where those *******s kicked me"
."Hey I got some chilly beans on de stove if your ready to eat" " Thanks" I replied.
After the meal and a cold beer I felt a lot better. but still had a problem. "I got no money and no ship, I guess the police will be looking for me now"
"What you want to do Honey, give yourself up and go in de jail till the next ship comes in or you want to stay with me." "I got no money and the cops will soon find me if I sit in the bar."
" No problem? she said, "I have a shack up in de Blue Mountains, and we can go up there and I will look after you" "Yes that will be OK, " I said.
" We?ll go in de morning when I have sorted out a few things to take,? said Gloria. Meanwhile we go downstairs and have a few drinks"
Later that evening we went back to bed and made love again for most of the night.
Next morning Gloria had borrowed and old pick up truck and loaded it with a couple of bags with food and even a few bottles of beer and a bottle of rum, this gal must have really fancied me.
Then we climbed on board and set off for the Blue Mountains.
Once out of town it was a narrow winding track past the sugar plantations and then rain forest up to about three thousand feet above Kingston. We pulled off the road and into the bush and there was a small clearing with a two roomed wooden shack alongside a small stream that tumbled down the mountain, it had a small garden of limes, paw paw and mangoes, and a magnificent view over Kingston, " This will do me " I thought " There?s nowt wrong with this".
Gloria sorted out the shack and made a bed stowed the food away and then we fell on the bed and had another session,
This girl was insatiable. After bathing in the stream Gloria said she had to go back to work in Kingston and would be back in two days.
I soon settled down in my new surroundings, I could not believe it, early retirement at the age of 19, it can?t be bad.
During the day when Gloria was working in Kingston I kept busy tidying up the garden and soon had it looking good.
In the stream by the little waterfall I removed all the rocks from the bottom and made a dam so eventually I had a swim pool
about three feet deep and fifteen feet wide. It was a great life.
Every other day Gloria came up with food and rum and her speciality, curried goats meat.
We would spend the day lazing around, making love and splashing around in the pool then we would sit drinking our rum and fresh lime juice gazing over the blue Caribbean or the lights of Kingston twinkling below.
As the months passed I became bronzed with the sun and just wore a loincloth, my beard was growing longer and so was my hair.
One day as I was wandering around the bush I came across a group of American tourists. They were fascinated in me so I played the part,
I told them I was a Blue Mountain Yeti, the divis believed it and wanted to take my photo.
I posed with each one and they all gave me several dollars for it. so I was able to give it to Gloria for looking after me.
But the word was soon going around Kingston about a Blue Mountain Yeti, that the tourists wanted to see. The Police became interested and came up the mountain to investigate, and I was captured. They handcuffed me and fighting and shouting they threw me in the back of their truck and took me down
to Kingston Police Station in Kent Street near the City Hall. I would never see my paradise again, There is always some ******* who wants to spoil your day. An English expat Police Inspector questioned me. I told him I had been beaten up
lost my memory and missed my ship and that a young lady had looked after me
This ******* treated me with the contempt that only an expat could have for a seaman. He told me they did not want scum like me to be on their Island and I would be deported as soon as a ship could be found to take me back to England.
I was flung into a cell that stank and was totally unsanitary, the mattress was full of fleas and the food was disgusting.
The following day I persuaded one of the Jamaican Policemen to take a message to Gloria at the Blue Duck Bar.
She arrived in less than an hour, and was shocked and weeping, to see me like this. She pleaded with the Police to let me go but to no avail. She left and soon returned with a towel and some soap, and with some food, she even smuggled a bottle of rum
wrapped in the towel. Good girl!. She could visit as often as she wanted but we could only hold hands through the bars of the cell
She knew this was the end and it was very sad, rather like being in the condemned cell, waiting for the end.
Eight days later the English Police Inspector arrived again and informed me that a ship, amazingly the `Tilapa` again, was in Port Antonio, on the North side of the Island and that I would be deported immediately.
I was shocked at the suddenness of it all, I couldn?t tell Gloria that I was going and I would never see her again.
I was handcuffed and dragged outside and shackled to the inside of a police van, I was struggling and shouting abuse at the Police
I was still wearing my loincloth and beard and long hair and a crowd of Jamaicans stood outside the Station on Kent Street laughing and jeering at this "wild animal".
My God, I thought, if this is what happens when you miss a ship, I?m glad I didn?t steal an apple or something.
The Jamaican Police driver bounced the van over the roughest roads in Jamaica as he made his way over the Blue Mountains
on the six hour drive to Port Antonio. I was being flung around in the back of the van, the shackles cutting into my wrist.
After about three hours the driver stopped for a smoko. I asked him for a ciggy, " No Cigs man, got some ganja if you want one."
"Kinnell " I thought, this guy is flying over these high mountain roads as high as a kite on ganja, " Go ahead I?ll have some" I said "I have nothing to loose now" We smoked the ganja for nearly half an hour then set off again over the mountain.
Wow this is the only way to travel man, Yah Hoo.
I must have fallen asleep and as I awoke the man was taking off the shackle and pulling me out of the van. There in front of me on that small wooden jetty was the familiar site of the old `Tilapa`.
All around was a crowd of Jamaicans going up one gangway and down the other with stalks of bananas on their heads, all singing
"Day oh, day oh, Please Mr Tallyman, tally me banana daylight come and I wanna go home............"
As I was lead, still handcuffed to the gangway, I looked up and saw a couple of familiar faces, Billy Williams and Joe Porter.
"I shouted " Hey! Billy, Joey, its me" the lads looked at me, "Kinnell," said Billy, "what happened to you, look at the state your in".
Before I could say anything else the Policeman dragged me up the gangway and up to the bridge deck and knocked on the Captain?s door. The Captain opened his door, the same one who I was with before, Captain Roberts.
The Policeman said, "I have one deportee for you Captain, here are the deportation papers for you to sign"
Captain Roberts signed the papers and the Policeman took off the handcuffs, my wrist were cut, bruised and swollen.
"My God", said Captain Roberts, looking down at me " what a horrible, disgusting mess you are, what happened to you?"
I told him that I had been battered unconscious by a gang of Jamaicans and left for dead. When I recovered I didn?t know who I was
or where I was, I had totally lost my memory, I didn?t even know that I was a seaman. A young lady took me in and looked after me
and then a week ago my memory returned and I went to the Police Station to make some enquiries and they threw me in gaol like a common criminal and so here I am."
"Get down aft and see the Bosun" Captain Roberts said "and for Gods sake get cleaned up before the passengers see you, and don?t forget there is no shore leave, I am responsible for you now that I have signed the deportation order, I will sign you on later.?
I walked down aft and as I walked along the after deck the long line of Jamaicans were still singing as they carried thousands
of stalks of bananas on board.?..........day oh day oh day light come and I wanna go home."
When I got to the mess room the sailors were having smoko, "Cor Blimey" Billy said " look at the state of you, tell us all about it".
I got a coffee and a ciggy told them what had happened, they were amazed. Then I got the Peggy, a first tripper he couldn?t believe
what he was looking at..?? Get me a towel and some soap, and if anyone has a razor and a pair of scissors I?d appreciate it .Is there any spare gear around, shirt dungarees and shoes?" You might find some gear in the oilskin locker said Joey Porter.
I went into the bathroom and had a shock when I saw myself in the mirror, the first time in four months, I was thin, with a long beard and long sun bleached hair and dark brown with the sun.
I cut off the beard and trimmed the hair to the collar line then shaved and enjoyed a long shower, I almost felt human again.
I found a shirt and old pair of dungarees in the oilskin locker, they needed a dhobi but I would do that tomorrow. I saw the Bosun and he told me there were no spare bunks and the only place to go was in the canvas locker on the boat deck where they stowed
the awnings. I got the Deck Boy to get me some blankets and pillow, and went to the locker and sorted it out to make it comfy.
I got a bolt of canvass and a palm and needle and some lashings and made a hammock, as I didn?t fancy sleeping on the rolls of awnings.
Meanwhile I had seen the Captain again and he signed me on as a DBS, at a shilling a month wages.
At 7 pm that evening they loading was completed and the shell doors battened down and derricks dropped and the ship made
ready for sea. By 8pm we had cast off and sailed through the lagoon, past Naval Island, owned by Errol Flynn, through the narrow entrance and into the open sea.
I was on day work and kept busy holystoning, sooging and painting on deck. and every day we went down the hatches to inspect the bananas to see if any were getting ripe then the whole stalk would be taken out and dumped or given to the galley. Fyffe?s cooks were masters of the art of cooking bananas, we had fried bananas, roasted bananas, stewed bananas, bananas soup, frappe bananas
banana salad , mashed bananas and so on. It kept the food bill down.
Two days out of Port Antonio two Jamaican stowaways were found down the hatch, they were shivering with the cold and were starving
and thirsty. They were taken up to the Captain on the bridge and questioned, as to why they were there, they wanted to go to England.
There was no accommodation for them and so they were put in the canvas locker with me, I wasn?t too pleased about that, my cosy little
Locker was now over crowded, so I was happy that I had made me a hammock, they slept on the awnings and I was above them.
They were put on day work with me and were not at all happy as we got into the cold weather at the end of November as we steamed up the Bristol Channel to Avonmouth.
After fourteen days we made fast in Avonmouth and the immigration and Customs came on board. The Immigration questioned the two
Stowaways and they were released into the care of a Society who looked after West Indians and they were given suits, shoes and
shirts and some money. When I asked them to help me all I got was abuse.
We paid off and fortunately the crowd had a tarpaulin muster and I had enough money to get a rail ticket home.
I stayed home for a few days then went to the Pool to face the Committee.
Paddy McGrath, the Union Delegate, came with me, "Give us a fiver and I?ll get you off" "Eff off Paddy, I don?t need you ".
I went in front of the Committee and my book was there on the desk, "What have you got to say for yourself", said Mr Deakin, I told him that I was battered unconscious and had serious head injuries and nearly killed by a gang in Kingston and lost my memory and didn?t know who I was or where I was from, I didn?t even know that I was a seaman, A young lady found me in the gutter and took me home and looked after me and probably saved my life. Eventually my memory returned and when I realised who I was I went to the Police and they threw me gaol before deporting me, so you see Mr Deakin, I didn?t mean to miss my ship."
They muttered between themselves for a minute then said go and see Mr Repp, he might have a good job for you, they laughed as they said it.
I figured he had some bum job that no one else would take.
I went to see Repp, " Hallo Brian, I see you have returned to us, now I have a lovely Shell tanker for you, and with a bit of luck you?ll be home for Christmas, `laugh`, in 1956. [ this being December 1954.]. or you could try a khaki suit in the army".
"OK I?ll take it " he gave me the Tectus a T2 tanker.
Good job enjoyed every minute, we went to Curacao, up the Maracaibo Lake and then to Shell Haven in the Thames, I was home in six weeks.
Fantastic.

Hi Brian.
Great story, keep them comming:002:
Reg.

Another great story Brian:handclap:. Does your missus ever read them?.:shock:

Alec.

Great story Captain Kong. I was in Africa and was drinking out of a well that had bodies thrown down it. Sh*t for days. Nearly died. Didn't taste that bad though. Great story mate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by captain kong

We arrived in Hull on the 29th of December 1956.
It was cold wet and windy, a typical winters day on the Humber.

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To Hull and Back?

:PDT_Aliboronz_24:

I guess sailing has a very romantic touch sometimes. I often come across thinking about sailing as a wonderful opportunity to be on your own and be able to think about all the things in life that move you. Often thought about sailing by myself around a beautiful island actually...that is kind of a secret dream I hide inside since I was a little girl...

Hi Kim,
In this age of hi tech it seems that even schoolboys can sail around the world alone. if you are a dreamer and wonder what it would be like to sail around the world ,really alone ,then I would recommend that you read Joshua Slocums "Sailing Around the World Alone" .It is a wonderfully descriptive book ,written in the pre electronic age ,he conveys the sense of what it was like to do as the title of his book says.
BrianD

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kim.ler

I guess sailing has a very romantic touch sometimes. I often come across thinking about sailing as a wonderful opportunity to be on your own and be able to think about all the things in life that move you. Often thought about sailing by myself around a beautiful island actually...that is kind of a secret dream I hide inside since I was a little girl...

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Hi Kimler.
Have done all that, still married to the same beautiful girl ,on the same beautiful Island,Don't know about the Tax-haven?:)
Reg.