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Chief Engineers & 2nd Eng's we sailed with

36K views 103 replies 58 participants last post by  Michaeljohn 
#1 ·
We seem to hear a lot about Masters etc, but never any of the other ranks who all go to make up a ship's officers compliment who are essential to the safe operation of the vessel, so we all have picked enough holes in Masters so lets have a go at the other ranks.

Kind Regards

ianian (see my profile)
 
#70 ·
John Poulson/Doxford 76J6

John.....

Great to see that you have found a good berth ashore in NY. Noble Denton are also in Houston and I know them to be an excellent company. Several of my friends have worked for them in the past. Over the years I have discovered a number of ex-Bank Line men on this side of the pond!

Alistair.
 
#71 ·
Bank Line Engineers

RON REID C/E.
Does anyone remember Ron and his wife with her canary (both Aussies). I remember visiting them in Madang back in the 60's when I was stevedore supervisor loading copra (bulk). I have forgotten the name of the Bank Line ship. Ron was a enthusiastic cinema photographer (must have had some agreement with Bank Line to make a film something along the lines of "Life aboard a Bank Line tramp ship". I remember him showing me over the engine room complete with extra lighting for his 16mm Bell and Howell camera. Cast of actors : the crew!
About 1962/3 when I was with ED's as Cadet Purser/Writer I was invited to come down to London (next leave) and stay with them in Southwark Street (?) Earls'Court (yeh...Kangaroo Valley).The apartment they rented was much like a large studio and I think he was producing, shall we say different type of movies.
A strange couple. I wonder if anyone got to see his Bank Line movie??
Peter John Lyne (capt.rtd)
Brisbane.
 
#72 ·
Charlie Cain (Gowanbank 1974) hardly ever slept as I recall. Crew Dept were keen to get him on the same ship as Frank Abel but never managed it!

Pete Trussler (2nd Engineer Moraybank 1980s) - excellent bloke and very helpful in all deep tank related work.

Who was the Chief on Lossiebank - the Aussie bloke and his wife who had turned his accommodation into a home from home - who never took leave?
 
#76 ·
Ch.Eng Ron Reid. This could have been on Northbank with Kent as master. Wife's name as I recall was Gwen. I was 3rd mate and J J Farringdon 2nd mate. The apprentice was the main character of this film and his exploits and training the subject. It would have been between September 61 and August 62.
 
#77 ·
My first trip was in the Stanvac Horizon, the flagship of the Standard Vacuum Transportation Company, transporting oil around the Middle and Far East. It was an eighteen month trip.

The commodore chief engineer was James Robertson Kidd, a Scot who was as hard as nails and was known by all in the fleet as "Jimmy the Kidd" (although never, ever, to his face). It was rumoured that he had once fought in the boxing booths in Glasgow in his youth, and none of his engineers doubted that for a moment. He was one tough cookie!

Every day, at unannounced times, he would visit the engine room, and God help any watch keeping engineer who was not on top of his game. Jimmy had an obsession with tank tops and bilges, and the tank tops were painted with boot topping. If he found any water on those pristine tank tops then the watch keeper would be looking at field days. Even worse, the chequer plates of the control flat had to be immaculate -- a simple matchstick on the plates by the log desk would invite purgatory.

Jimmy had an obsession with Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, and in the smoke room he would insist on playing them over and over again the two or three that were his favourites, to which we were all expected to sing although we tended to add our own lyrics much to his disgust!

From memory I sailed under Jimmy for around two and a half years when I was a very green junior, and he taught me how to be a ships engineer. Learn the job, know where every pipeline and cable goes and what it does. Know the purpose of every valve even if it seems to be hidden in some place below the floor plates. Spend every watch in the quiet times questioning oneself "What would I do if....?"

Jimmy the Kidd was a superb engineer, and he gave me the grounding that has served me well in my engineering career since leaving the sea. His simple rule: know the job, and if you don't know it, learn it fast!

Jimmy, I believe from communications with his son some years ago on this site, is long gone now. So RIP Jimmy the Kidd and thanks. You turned me from a callow shipyard apprentice into an engineer.
 
#84 ·
Would other ex blue flu lads recall a Chief Engineer ,John Bursey,aka Lord John Bursey,his well known comment, if your reply to a question was "yes chief",my name is Mr Bursey or Sir I'm not a******* Red Indian!!Other chief engineers I recall ,Big Bill Marshall and Vic Hetherington,second engineers,Willie Sutherland,Joe Skipsey,Ray Blakemore,good days with Blue Flu(1962-1975).
 
#92 ·
Would other ex blue flu lads recall a Chief Engineer ,John Bursey,aka Lord John Bursey,his well known comment, if your reply to a question was "yes chief",my name is Mr Bursey or Sir I'm not a*** Red Indian!!Other chief engineers I recall ,Big Bill Marshall and Vic Hetherington,second engineers,Willie Sutherland,Joe Skipsey,Ray Blakemore,good days with Blue Flu(1962-1975).
I haven't been here for a long time. I do remember Mr Bursey, Willie Marshall and Ray Blakemore too. We sailed together Steve on the Priam, you were 4/Eng I was the Eng Cadet.
Bucky Burnett was 3/Eng and Peter Robinson was the X3/Eng. You showed me how to set the economisers for the Teledeps, rebuild Titan purifiers and Cupedo valves. Those Super P's were hard work. Someone told me that they built character.
That was a long time ago. Chief Steward was Motorbike Griffith and the mate was Em Owen I think.
Stephen
 
#85 ·
Larchbank

View attachment Larchbank Chrisrmas Menu 1962.pdf

View attachment Xmas dinner 1962.pdf
Sailed on the Larchbank January 1962 to September 1963 as first trip 6th Engineer.
Coasting chief was G Forsyth replaced by G? Flynn on leaving home trade. Second was RM Macleod who left some time later to take his chief's certificate and later became a superintendent in the company. He was replaced by an Indian chap, can't recall his name.
Flynn also left later and also became a superintendent in the company.
He was replaced by G? Fridell and Anglo Indian and a real gentleman.
Menu from Christmas 1962 signed by most officers attached. Don't suppose there are many of us left but I am meeting up with the fifth engineer Erle in a few days after almost 53 years.
Have some photos if anyone interested let me know and will post.
 
#88 · (Edited)
G Forsyth

View attachment 134930

View attachment 134938
Sailed on the Larchbank January 1962 to September 1963 as first trip 6th Engineer.
Coasting chief was G Forsyth replaced by G? Flynn on leaving home trade. Second was RM Macleod who left some time later to take his chief's certificate and later became a superintendent in the company. He was replaced by an Indian chap, can't recall his name.
Flynn also left later and also became a superintendent in the company.
He was replaced by G? Fridell and Anglo Indian and a real gentleman.
Menu from Christmas 1962 signed by most officers attached. Don't suppose there are many of us left but I am meeting up with the fifth engineer Erle in a few days after almost 53 years.
Have some photos if anyone interested let me know and will post.
Sounds like G Forsyth, your Chief Engineer may be the same as the 2nd ENG on a 2 year trip on the twin screw Irisbank (old version) from 56 to 58. approx. that I was 3/0 on. He was a nice bloke who, with the other engineers kept the old ladies engines going, despite numerous stoppages for liner changes etc in all weathers. The other feature of these old blast engine starters, was the chronic shortage of starter air when manoevering, which gave the old man palpitations, and lightened the proceedings for us youngsters! G Forsyth was noted for his almost religious saluting of the sun every morning as he emerged from the noisy and oily dungeon hellhole.
 
#91 ·
In answer to why we don't hear about other ranks..... I recall two poems / songs..
"Tribute to the Forgotten Man"...which ends with "Remember, the man behind the throttle is the man who drives the ship".

Also of course "An Engineer told me before he died...ah hum..."

See attached photo.

Best C/Engs I sailed with were: Deboo from India.......Taught me heaps as 6/E and 5/E on the Mara
.....Lenny Newton......bit of a character and not popular with Mates, but gave me the best discharge report as 3/E on the Meadow.

Charlesworth on the Cora. Paid me my best compliment as 2/E one late night in the bar. He said "Know why I like you? Because you worry. When you worry, I don't need to worry!!!"
 

Attachments

#95 ·
just skimming through this post and i'm probably a youngster on here having not gone to sea until 1978 after completing my apprenticeship at Smiths Dock on the Tees, I sailed with Alan Fairney (the Bald eagle) probably early 80's and possibly John Burdis. The only lads I'm still in contact with are Mick Murphy (electrician) Andy Hudson (C/Eng) and Barry Jewson (served my apprenticeship with but he joined Bank Line as a Superintendent after I left). Does anyone still have copies of the old Bank Line rag from late 70's to mid 80's that used to be published & sent around the boats.
 
#98 ·
Live in Brisbane. Came ashore in 1984. Years ago I used to work on the boilers of a couple of Teekay tankers. "Barrington" mostly and another, can't recall the name. I am presently working in Nth Qld. Won't be back home till Feb sometime. Will dig out the mags then.
 
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