[scottie dog]

Mike Scott with palm line for 10yrs in the seventies.
Recently contacted Garry on this sight, and Bob Stenhouse via talking to someone on this site.
Unfortunately the site collapsed a few day back and some info was lost.
Come on guys lets get this started.
Mike

[Bjm]

brian Melia here AB on Bamenda and Bagagry in 80s
I still miss pepper soup ,chicken palm oil chop !
I used to get it off our cook he was from Freetown and was surprised I loved it!

[manowari]

Further the thread on Palm Line this is the Globestar ex Burutu Palm aground and breaking up at Mombasa c1974...

[Four Bells]

Badagery Palm 69 JOS,Enugu Palm70 Edh, good memories

[Monket]

Ilorin Palm 1961. EDH

[PollY Anna]

Elmina Palm 1963

That west coast was a real eye opener don't let the 1st Mate catch you coming back at 8 o'clock in the morning LOL

Regards Ron

[jim barnes]

IKEJA PALM 29/6/73 to 9/9/73
LAGOS PALM 20/9/74 to 31/1/75
ILISHA PALM 10/3/75 to17/4/75
ANDONI PALM 18/9/75 to 17/4/75 My first child (girl) born 27/9/75 Liverpool.
left in Sapeli paid off sick
My last trip with the palm line, got banned dont think they liked the medical fee's

[louielouie]

Hi, I'm fascinated by this route and was wondering if anyone knew of any way you could recreate it as a traveller now? Are there still frieghters that opperate along the coast or is it just direct to South Africa? I'll be in Luanda, Angola and it would be the most amazing route back to Britain. Any advice would be much appreciated. Cheers. Louis

[hoparch]

I sailed as a passenger on the Gambia Palm from Freetown to Avonmouth
in 1957. It was its last trip before being scrapped and frequently broke
down.
I am hoping to record the voyage as a short story for my family and
wondered if there is anyone who even remembers the ship.

[sheringham]

After 4 years apprenticeship with BP Tanker Co. I fancied a change.!!!
3rd Mate on Kano Palm 61/62. Then Lagos Palm 1962. Could see little benefit taking leave when vessel back in Europe as stevadores did the discharge and loading so it was almost like being on leave. Had no inclination to take leave down the coast...even if the opportunity would have arisen.
Toxteth docks, the west coast, Palm oil chop and pepper soup a distant memory.

[Russken40]

Great memories of Palm Line. Started on the Lobito Nov/Dec 62 as jun 3rd engineer, then 2 years on the Ibadan, then various others ranging from the new to the old ..the Makeni...ex BP tanker.....what a ship!! Two trips on the Lagos, 1965, then another two on the Ibadan 1966,last deep sea was the Africa 1967. Parted company June 1968. Memories....Pepper soup at 2 in the morning down below on the 12-4 watch!!............... playing football in Sierra Leone, Freetown, against a group of locals, we were kitted out football boots etc, the locals, some had boots, some had shoes, some had neither......they kicked us off the park!!!! Happy days!!
Russ K

[SkaVeN1313]

Hi all, Im completely new here so a warm hello to you all, and do be gentle.

The reason I came to this site was in particular to go back over my fathers history (unfortunatly he passed away suddenly three years ago- the perils of being on land too long we think lol!). His life was at sea mainly between 1964-1982, in which he worked in fishing, merchant navy and royal navy as a radio operator and in particular his fondest memories of being at sea were on board the Badagry Palm vessel. Please bear with me as I gather more info but heres what I have so far:-
My father: Francis John Wild b 1950-d 2006, Resided mainly in Grimsby but also lived in Birmingham for a while. May have also gone by the names, Frank Eddington/Wild, Edders, Frankie.

I know its just a shot in the dark but my father came on to land to stay when I reached two or three years of age and he finally got settled with just one woman (he was a great character hehehehehe!). And although he led a good life (he became a writer in the end with partial recognition for his poetry) his happiest times were at sea- and the many stories he would tell me were amazing, from being thrown through pub windows in Hamburg (a woman involved again lol) to being robbed and left in his underware with his pals because they thought they would try some wackybacci they got from some locals in Lagos and many more, some not so funny and very harrowing. Makes my modern job seem so boring!!. Men were men ect!! I just thought I would take a shot in the dark and see what happens.

Thanks for your time gentlemen.

[Peter (Pat) Baker]

Hoparch,

I certainly remember The Gambia Palm as I dis my first and second voyages to Sea in her in 1955.
If I can give you any further information about her just ask.

Peter (Pat0 Baker.

[Peter (Pat) Baker]

Hoparch,

For "dis" please read "did"

Peter (Pat) Baker.

[R58484956]

Greetings SkaveN and welcome to SN on your first interesting posting. Enjoy the site and bon voyage.

[SkaVeN1313]

R58484956 - thanks for your kind greeting, I am currently enjoying reading through many of these posts, my father would have loved this!

[Russken40]

Hi SkaVeN1313,
Welcome to this great site. I sailed on the Badagry Palm, 3rd Engineer, 1964 and 1965, maybe a bit before your father met the Badagry, a great ship. Unfortunately your father's name hasn't rang any bells, but there again I have trouble remembering what day it is. Enjoy the site.
Regards
Russ K

[cacique]

"Night Soil of Sogal"

to the tune of Mountains O'Mourne.


La La La La La Etc.

Oh they told me that Sogal was a wonderful sight
Where the people are sleeping by day and by night
They don't eat potatoes, nor barley nor wheat
But there's gangs of them scratching their **** in the street

At least when I asked them that's what I was told
So I thought while they're sleeping, I'll steal all their gold
But for all that I found there I'd sooner not be
Where the night soil of Sogal sweeps down to the sea

La La La La La Etc.

Oh the people are friendly and cultured I said
Until Goats on Airegin Airways were led
The lunch was cassava, the dinner was yam
And spitting out garri to the toilet I ran

How we landed at Sogal I'll ne'er understand
Sure a plane landing backwards just couldn't be planned
As we sat at the customs the smell came to me
Where the night soil of Sogal sweeps down to the sea.

La La La La La Etc.

As we parked in the traffic there arose like a flash
some twenty-five beggars all pleading for dash
I paid them but then to my horror I saw
They were instantly followed by twenty-five more

And when finally at my own house I arrived
Of power and water I was wholly deprived
As I sat in the darkness the stench arose clear to me
Of the night soil of Sogal being swept to the sea.

La La La La La Etc.

Oh they told me that Sunday my steward was good
'Til he cooked all my washing and ironed all my food
He smashed all my dishes, set fire to the bed
And misunderstood everything that I said

I tried to dismiss him, but he begged on his knee
And now I keep finding ice cubes in my tea
Ah, I thank God I'm not very long left to be
Where the night soil of Sogal sweeps down to the sea.

La La La La La Etc.

And when I'm in England I'll look back on all this
But no doubt there will be many things that I'll miss
I'll think of the people, I'll remember the fun
I'll crave for the money and I'll long for the sun

I'll dream of mosquitoes and sleep counting bites
And stars will remind me of tropical nights
And perhaps when I'm lonely I'll again long to be
Where the night soil of Sogal sweeps down to the sea.


Regards,
David Wilson.

[stan mayes]

Nice one David,
Best regards
Stan

[lakercapt]

sheringham;
3rd Mate on Kano Palm 61/62.

Might have met each other as I was 2nd mate at this time on Kano Palm

[sheringham]

Lakercapt.

Joined Kano Palm 30.09.61 in Hamburg. Did 1.5 round trips to the coast. 3rd Mate on the Lagos Palm got into a spot of bother in Apapa and as we were leaving that day (03.03.62) we swopped ships with 1 hours notice. Got back to Toxteth dock 07.04.62. and paid off. Most mates were married and local so I elected to stayed aboard until signed on again!!. One evening found the second cook entertaining the tally man in the bar. Told him to leave !!!Next moment I am running round the hatches with him in close pursuit with butchers knife. Made it to the security gate. Returned to ship with police only to be confronted with a completely different scenario. I wondered if I was on the same ship!. Next morning rang office explained the situation.... told that they would take no action. Left that day never to darken their gangway again.
Actually I liked the Company and would have stayed but could see little future on that vessel.

Ron

[mattyr]

matty roberts here. have just seen your message. i still have contact with a few palm liners,namely colin curtis jammy mathews jimmy smith john whilem graham knoles and neil jenkins and through neil jerry batt and andy dickson(A

[father john]

Hi SKaVeN 1313 I sailed on Badagry Palm as 3rd Mate in 1964, and as 2nd Mate in 1967 and 1968.It is difficult to put faces to names so long ago. You father must have been employed by Marconi, as they supplied Radio Officers to Palm Line at that time. I also have good memories of Badagry Palm. Good luck. father john.

[father john]

Hi Russken 40, I joined Badagry Palm on 7th Jan 1964 in Antwerp and paid off on 24 June 1964 in Rotterdam after two voyages to West Africa, so we were probably shipmates for a while, I also sailed on several other Palm Line Ships between 1963 and 1969.

[Palmship]

Hi All, looking at SKaVens post, I think he's talking about the Badagry Palm of 1979 vintage. Will ask my Dad if he remembers Mr Wild, my dad stood by the ship whilst she was being built and did the first couple of voyages before being promoted to master,

regards Graham