[Tony Selman]

Can anyone tell me how often (if at all) Oronsay visited Colombo. I was an R/O on her from 1970-72 and met my wife, who was a WAP, on board. I want to commission a painting combining my two shipping companies Brocklebank's and P&O and have the idea of Oronsay plus a Brock's cargo ship on the buoys in Colombo Harbour. If Oronsay visited Colombo I assume she would tie up on the buoys as I can't ever recall a passenger ship alongside in Colombo. Plan B is to have the two in either Aden or the Suez Canal because I would like it to be authentic without too much artistic licence. Preferably the timeframe would be when she was P&O white (sorry Orient Line diehards).

Thanks in advance.

[rushie]

Tony,

I can't help you with any info of Oronsay visiting Columbo...however I do possess a First Class Deck Plan of her (issued Feb 1972, mint condition), which if may be of any sentimental value to you, and the good lady, then you are welcome to have it.

Cheers,

Rushie

[froggie]

ORONSAY made regular calls at Colombo in her early life. She was the first Orient ship to be painted white so may well have been at the buoys in Colombo harbour painted white. For a while she kept the Orient Line green boot topping.

[royal viking]

she was wonderful....did any one have pictures of her insides from the 70s..i believe they did some alterations to the pool area

[Tony Selman]

I know I have got some somewhere but they appear to be amongst a box of slides that have been lost/misplaced, call it what you will. Infuriatingly there are several slides that are of relevance to threads currently on this board but a fairly comprehensive search of the loft has failed so far. I know they haven't been thrown out but finding them is another matter. I am still on the case though.

[Ben Boat Jim]

Sailed on the Oronsay when she was 'biscuit coloured hull and white coloured . Yes that was her first port of call after leaving Fremantle homeward and after Aden outward. We would moor at the bouys to load/discharge mail, and load chests of Broken Orange Pekoe tea. Normal stay was 6am arrival...6pm depart.
Regards Ben Boat Jim.

[Bill R]

I know for a fact that the "ORONSAY" was in Colombo June 1956 and also a Brocklebank cargo vessel as well. I was passenger on "ORONSAY" en route to Oz then NZ where I joined USS Co of Nz and met up with a good friend of mine Bill Adams 2nd Mate of the Brock ship . We had been to school in Aberdeen for our Mates tickets.

Bill Ross

[Buoy]

Hi Tony,

What a way to catch up.

I only joined this site a few days ago and have already found so many ex colleagues & then came across this thread today!

I don't have any Colombo pictures, but the attached is a painting I have as the wallpaper on my pc & may give your artist some inspiration. I got the print from a calendar some years ago.

Trust all is well - Sale v Scarlets this weekend should be interesting...

Best regards

Derek & Christine Rice

[shipmate17]

Hi,
Here is a nice photo of her.
cheers.

[Tony Selman]

Thanks everyone for your input. The artist is just finishing the painting now but it was eventually decided to use Port Said instead of Colombo. We could not definitively prove that the two ships in question were in Colombo in the time frame I had in mind but we could do so in Port Said, so we settled on that. I have seen a draft of the painting and am very much looking forward to it's arrival before Christmas.

[JoK]

What's a WAP?

[Tony Selman]

JoK, a WAP is a Woman Assistant Purser. All passenger ships carried them but their titles varied from company to company. They were Purserettes, for example, in some companies but I can't remember offhand if it was Union Castle or Shaw Savill.

[JoK]

Thank you. I figured the W was for woman but had no idea after that.

[Stephen J. Card]

Originally Posted by Tony Selman

Thanks everyone for your input. The artist is just finishing the painting now but it was eventually decided to use Port Said instead of Colombo. We could not definitively prove that the two ships in question were in Colombo in the time frame I had in mind but we could do so in Port Said, so we settled on that. I have seen a draft of the painting and am very much looking forward to it's arrival before Christmas.

Tony,

Who is the artist? Robert Lloyd by any chance? Hope you will post a photo when the painting arrives.

Stephen

[Tony Selman]

Stephen, yes it is Robert Lloyd. I will post a photo after Christmas.

[gadgee]

Tony

My wife was a FAP -female assistant purser or purserette with Shaw Savill. I met her when I was 3/0 on Northern Star. Never heard of the WAP acronym!
By the way, if you look in My (Gadgee)Gallery here on SN I have posted a pic of Oronsay on fire at Barrow whilst fitting out in 1950.