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M.V. Peleus

11K views 30 replies 16 participants last post by  Benn 
#1 ·
Are there any out there that sailed on this ship in the early to mid Sixties????
Berthed 9/12 sailed 08/01, berthed 9/04 sailed 08/05, berthed 09/08 sailed 08/09. Obviously the senior ship.
 
#2 ·
Interesting name that. Peleus.
There is a book called "The sinking of the Peleus" that I read many years ago.

That earlier Peleus was sunk in the 2nd WW and the UBoat captain was the only UBoat captain executed for war crimes against merchant seamen.

I don't have the book now but there is a good write up and plenty of information at http://uboat.net/articles/index.html?article=18&page=2

It will make good reading and enlighten anybody interested in just what that murdering so and so did to deserve the death penalty.

We all know, and he must have known, (how could he not?) that there is a seafarers unwritten code and that is once men are in the water, you either rescue them or leave them alone, not murder them, but Kapitanleutnant Heinz-Wilhelm Eck did murder survivors of the Peleus.

The "Peleus" mentioned in the posting must of course be a later one. Same owners I wonder?
 
#4 ·
SS Peleus 10093 tons built 1949 by Cammel Laird, Birkenhead.
489.4 x 68.3 x 35.2. 3 steam turbines DR geared to one screw shaft. Engines built by ship builder.2 water tube boilers. DF,ESD,GyC radar.Code flags GMQP.
British flag registered Liverpool. Owned by Ocean SS Co. (A Holt & Co as managers.)
 
#7 ·
Hi Phil,
Left the Peleus April 64 and sailed in her again in 67 (around the land).
Memories of Capt McDavid, Ch.Off Hughie Davies and the Bosun, Paddy Proctor without doubt the finest Bosun and sailor in the company. An absolutely legendary wire splicer and a gentleman.
Regards
Hague
 
#8 ·
Hi Hague, just missed you in the Peleus as I started my catering training with Blue Flue at Odyssey Works, Birkenhead in April '64.
I remember the Bosun, Paddy Proctor, very well and I remember Capt. McDavid but Albert Lane was skipper when I joined her. Some of the catering crowd were Jimmy Blower, pantry-man, Dennis Garner, Asst. Steward, Ken Kirkaldie, catering boy.
I can remember many faces from my first trip but cannot recall any other names. The ships Doctor was an Irish lady who I remember had to be taken by lifeboat across to a Ben boat in the Med to issue a death certificate for an apprentice who had been killed in an accident. The Ben boat was only four days from home which made it even more tragic.
That was a very un-settling incident for this first tripper.
But as I said, the Peleus was a great ship with a great crowd and I will always have a soft spot for my first deep sea ship.
Regards Phil (Thumb)
 
#10 ·
Good morning Trader,
Name does have a familiar ring. But then thats Blue Funnel as we all had either heard of or sailed with each other. Prior to around 1966 there were no 'Pool Men' in the ships so it was a real closed shop 'so to speak.
Brgds
Hague
 
#13 ·
Hi Hague,
Its me again, I have just been thinking about your Bosun,Paddy Proctor, I think that I sailed with him on the "Neleus", was his first name Danny?. This was in 1955/56 on the Aussie run, the poor old Bosun threw a wobbler and Dan being Lampy took over as bosun. Was he a big bellied chap?.
Trader.
 
#14 ·
Trader,
Danny was indeed Paddy's first cousin, both from Arklow, C.Wicklow. Danny died in Rotterdam as Lampy of the Pyrrhus (I think) in 1961.
I understand Paddy had other relatives in 'the China' both Bosuns that was Joe Cavanagh (Ixion) and Jack Cleary (Hector) both from Wicklow.
Brgds
Hague
 
#21 ·
Hard things happen all round ...

On August 19, 1915, about 100 miles south of Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland, U-27, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Wegener, stopped the British steamer Nicosian In accordance with the rules laid down by the London Treaty. A boarding party of six from the U-27 discovered that Nicosian was carrying munitions and 250 American mules intended for the use of the British army in France. They ordered the freighter's crew and passengers into lifeboats, which soon pulled away. They were preparing to sink the freighter.
The Q-Ship Baralong, commanded by Lieutenant Godfrey Herbert, which was disguised as a cargo vessel and was flying the Stars and Stripes, arrived. When she was half a mile away Herbert ran up a signal asking permission to "save life only". The U-27 acknowledged. The U-boat, knowing that the United States was neutral, remained on the surface, with a boarding party on the Nicosian, expecting the Baralong to collect those in the lifeboats.
The Baralong was almost right up to the U-boat when her three 12-pounder guns opened fire. 34 rounds were discharged. Within a minute the U-27 sank. The crew who jumped overboard were shot in the water by Royal Marines. Two were shot climbing the Nicosian's pilot ladder. By now the Baralong was alongside the Nicosian. A party of twelve Royal Marines led by Sergeant Collins were able to jump from one ship to another. Two Germans were shot on deck. The remaining four, wounded and unarmed, fled to the engine room. The Marines waited for the crew of the Nicosian to return. The four were killed by the Liverpudlians.
 
#23 ·
Re Peleus



Sorry for the delay, have not looked in for a long time

My point could have been that hard things happen in time of war, I do not think Kapitanleutnant Heinz-Wilhelm Eck was any better or worse than many others in similar situations. He was just unfortunate enough to be done away with in a fit of self righteousness by the victors.

The example I gave concerning the Baralong Incident I picked deliberately because it was independently witnessed and was particularly cold blooded.
There were other incidents, one off Norway, in which survivors in the water were deliberately killed. The matter was logged, reason given they could not be picked up and were therefore killed so as to prevent them rejoining the German war effort.

I think that submariners became quite hard in their attitudes, possibly because of their own poor survival chances (in particular the u-boat men the hardest hit group on any side in WWII)

Then again, maybe my point was that one should never mess with Scousers
 
#25 ·
A long time master of the s.s.Peleus was a Captain Ron Wilks (from maiden voyage 1949/59. A lot of people must have known him during that time. I wonder if anyone saw him and his wife in the recent T.V. program, "Who Do You Think You Are", which featured his grandson, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen.
I have a vague recollection of Mrs Wilks telling me once of the difficult times they had in the "thirties" when her husband was a 3rd mate and how she waited anxiously, all one afternoon in the India Building restaurent whilst her husband was interviewed, to learn if he still had a job.
He became a master in the early part of the war and was in the Glenfinlas when she was bombed and disabled off the East coast. I also vaguely recall her telling me that for the first 14 years of their marriage he spent every Christmas away at sea. Maybe that is why Holts appointed him to the Peleus
which, as any who sailed in her would know, was the Christmas ship, and in Liverpool for every one!
 
#28 ·
Peleus - Bloody good ship! Sailed Xtra 3rd Mate September - December 1963. (Captain McDavid). Shared watch-keeping with a bastard blond 2nd Mate whose name I forget but who made my life a misery!
Sailed on her again as 3rd Mate, September 1965 - December 1966. (Captain Charlie Collett). 3 Christmasses at home!!!
 
#29 ·
I was in the Peleus twice, in 1959, both coasting trips, Liverpool-Glasgow-Birkenhead, and it was a great ship.

Attached a photo of Peleus in the Mersey, and one of her launch from Cammell Laird in 1949
 

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#31 ·
Maritime Museum.

This may have been mentioned elsewhere but there is a model of the Peleus in the National Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

A photograph of the model may be found by Googling "Liverpool Maritime Museum Peleus" if I remember correctly there was also a display about her being the Christmas Ship.

Elsewhere in the museum there is a model of the Priam.
 
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