Don Bootle Marine Engineer & BP Training Officer, Engineering Apprentices and Cadets
I have just heard from Andy McCall (E/C 1971) that Don Bootle has passed away, I have no further information at present but will post it if I do.
I came across Don in June 2003 in my searchings for Engineering Apprentices. I had never heard of him before as I was well into my apprenticeship before he came 'aboard', he gave me some of his background and I have copied some of it below.........
Quote:
I joined BP Tankers in 1952 as Junior Engineer having served a five-year
apprenticeship with Royal Small Arms at Enfield. I made rapid progress in
gaining my 2nd Class Cert and was appointed Second Engineer without having
sailed either as 4th or 3rd. On gaining my 1st Class Cert I was recruited
by Dan Alcock in Nov 1957 to work with Mr Webb and Mr Young in HQ and I ran
a Summer Vacation course at Poplar Technical college for about 20
Apprentices. At the end of that I joined HO as an Ass Supt in the
engineering dept and after 6 months Webb and Young retired and I was
appointed as Training Officer looking after Engineer Officer Training and
Development which also embraced overseeing the development of the Cadet
Training Programme. Although working to Dan Alcock I was very much involved
with the restructuring of the training programme, from the early days of how
you did it to all the eventual changes that took place not only in BP but
Nationally. Whilst in the BP job I was also used as Technical Adviser to
General Council of British Shipping and was responsible for developing all
the Heavy Marine Training Centres established at all the major marine
colleges throughout the UK. All of these were mainly equipped with pumps,
motors and other machinery and equipment taken from BP Tankers sold for
scrap. An interesting time!
I retired form BP in July 1984 as a Personnel Manager with responsibility
for seagoing staff and sadly my last 2/3 years I spent making staff
redundant as the fleet size shrunk. Many staff of course I had recruited as
cadet and oversaw their subsequent career development. Shortly after I left
all seagoing staff were outsourced to an IOM Manning Agency. I suspect that
apart from your group I had an involvement with every engineer cadet
recruited by BP. Sadly, whilst many will no doubt remember me, I have lost
contact with most of them although surprisingly I still came across ex
cadets at the Institute meetings and other events that I still go to and I
do maintain contact with some who have become friends and colleagues, a
number of course being in the BP Society.
Unquote:
Don Joined BP as a J/E on the Energy in 1952
In recent years I have accidentally come across Don on the internet I believe he was writing some books but cannot remember the topic.
I wonder if any others have recollections of Don and his memorable boss DG Alcock. He was known as Duggie (?) so I'm told. I did not know any of his names at the time ( other than the ribald ones after getting a dressing down)...............I thought it was 'God'
These two guys must have done a hell of a lot for our profession
Graham
I have just heard from Andy McCall (E/C 1971) that Don Bootle has passed away, I have no further information at present but will post it if I do.
I came across Don in June 2003 in my searchings for Engineering Apprentices. I had never heard of him before as I was well into my apprenticeship before he came 'aboard', he gave me some of his background and I have copied some of it below.........
Quote:
I joined BP Tankers in 1952 as Junior Engineer having served a five-year
apprenticeship with Royal Small Arms at Enfield. I made rapid progress in
gaining my 2nd Class Cert and was appointed Second Engineer without having
sailed either as 4th or 3rd. On gaining my 1st Class Cert I was recruited
by Dan Alcock in Nov 1957 to work with Mr Webb and Mr Young in HQ and I ran
a Summer Vacation course at Poplar Technical college for about 20
Apprentices. At the end of that I joined HO as an Ass Supt in the
engineering dept and after 6 months Webb and Young retired and I was
appointed as Training Officer looking after Engineer Officer Training and
Development which also embraced overseeing the development of the Cadet
Training Programme. Although working to Dan Alcock I was very much involved
with the restructuring of the training programme, from the early days of how
you did it to all the eventual changes that took place not only in BP but
Nationally. Whilst in the BP job I was also used as Technical Adviser to
General Council of British Shipping and was responsible for developing all
the Heavy Marine Training Centres established at all the major marine
colleges throughout the UK. All of these were mainly equipped with pumps,
motors and other machinery and equipment taken from BP Tankers sold for
scrap. An interesting time!
I retired form BP in July 1984 as a Personnel Manager with responsibility
for seagoing staff and sadly my last 2/3 years I spent making staff
redundant as the fleet size shrunk. Many staff of course I had recruited as
cadet and oversaw their subsequent career development. Shortly after I left
all seagoing staff were outsourced to an IOM Manning Agency. I suspect that
apart from your group I had an involvement with every engineer cadet
recruited by BP. Sadly, whilst many will no doubt remember me, I have lost
contact with most of them although surprisingly I still came across ex
cadets at the Institute meetings and other events that I still go to and I
do maintain contact with some who have become friends and colleagues, a
number of course being in the BP Society.
Unquote:
Don Joined BP as a J/E on the Energy in 1952
In recent years I have accidentally come across Don on the internet I believe he was writing some books but cannot remember the topic.
I wonder if any others have recollections of Don and his memorable boss DG Alcock. He was known as Duggie (?) so I'm told. I did not know any of his names at the time ( other than the ribald ones after getting a dressing down)...............I thought it was 'God'
These two guys must have done a hell of a lot for our profession
Graham