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BP female Navigation Cadets

95K views 227 replies 78 participants last post by  advara 
#1 ·
I saw a thread just started up on the topic of the first female Navigation Cadets In Denholm's and Ellerman's

As far as I can find out the earlist in BP were a 1973 or possibly late 1972
Misses, VS Birtwhistle, A Rutherford, EAM Stroud and CR Thomlinson,

There are also some in 1974 and possibly later.

SJ Pollock ( NC) was also listed in a 1978 Fleet News and I have the feeling VS Birtwhistle reached at least 2nd Mate but cannot find the article.

Any comments, anyone meet them at sea? That must have been an 'interesting' time for the first few!

There were also Female Engineering Cadets, anyone remember any names?

Graham
 
#3 ·
Trevor,

I have an NC Baker who I considered to be a 1974? I have her sailing on the Argosy 12/74, I cannot find her in any earlier papers. But now I realise I have NC Baker (who I presumed to be male) on Cavalier 4/73 and Unity 3M 10/76, no 'Miss' mentioned on either of those entries!

An entry date of 4/73 For Nina Baker then puts her ahead of VS Birtwhistle of 10/73.

As far as I can find out around December 1974 BP decided to put 'Miss' in front of their names and then in1976 onwards ( I have no 1965 Ships Movements) they completly ignored that, so in later year's issues I have no idea who the females were.

Graham
 
#4 ·
Pretty certain Nina Baker was the first, followed by Anne Rutherford, who I think was Capt Rutherfords daughter.
Claire Tomlinson was also with Anne Rutherford I think, but Nina was just before them.

They were the only 3 young ladies I briefly met whilst with BP.
 
#8 ·
I sailed with a female Sparky in Wallem Shipmanagement (UK) ... young lady called Carol Greenway.
She would have been a Marconi Sparks I think, as Wallems had none of their own.
Had that knack of fluttering her eyelashes when there was a dirty outside job to be done on the aerials etc ... someone always offered to help her out!!

Later went on to be Best Man for her as she married a Wallems 2/O called Chris Metson.
 
#9 ·
Hi Graham, I sailed with several female cadets:
Nicky Frey was on the Wye when I joined as First tripper in October 1977. (think she was almost due to take 2/M)
Lorna Atkinson on the Promise mid 1978
Sue Hook on the Maple 78/79
Kathy Scott on the Commerce mid 1979
J Hodson and K Mothersole on the Shoush mid 1981
I also spent time at college with a few others: Sheena Nisbet, Caroline Roe (Radio Cadet); there was also a Lesley ? and Linda ? whose surnames escape me at the moment..
 
#10 · (Edited)
We had a female 3/O who was married to a 3/E in the company, he was made redundant in one of the pre 86 culls, he then sailed with us as a seagoing husband.
Checking with the mem. on the date, I was reminded of the 3/E who came to our cabin one evening to ask us not to tell his wife, who we knew, that he was having rumpy pumpy with the 3/O.
Funny old world.
(Cloud)
 
#13 ·
Sailed with Mary Jane Slaven twice originally from the Isle of Bute. She married a sparks from up my neck of the woods who took his lot and went to sail with P&O I think. Also sailed with a 3rd mate Sheena, same trip as Mary Jane but can't remember her second name. She was also engaged to a sparks. That would have been the Br Tamar joined 1/11/84 paid off 14/11/84. Think the first time I sailed with Mary Jane was either the Test or the Forth both in 84 again. Canny lass.
 
#15 ·
Kev, I think there could have been only one Sheena (Nisbet) with BP. She came from Sheffield, her father was ex RN. She and myself were an item for a while , back in late70's/early 80's- met her at college at Shields, and were together for acouple of years, but drifted apart as you can do at such an age. We were at Flagg House in Westoe, there were other female cadets there too, listed in a previous post, plus a couple of others from CP Ships etc
 
#17 ·
I sailed with a Scottish lass who was a DC, but can't remember her name or which ship it was on, I think it was in the early 80's, but I might be wide of the mark.
What I do remember is that she was a good laugh. This was illustrated when somebody got hold of her boiler suit drying in the engine room and wrote on the back in marker pen "Engineers Tools Are Best", and she then wore this whilst on duty on deck!
 
#18 ·
There were four female cadets on the British Holly when she was in drydock at Western Shiprepairers in Birkenhead around 1977.
The ship was in for a major shotblast job to all the tanks, and was in dock for about two months.
These four girls were very active around the ship and caused lots of heads to turn, females of any description being a rarity in a shipyard in those days.
 
#21 ·
I sailed with Claire Tomlinson and (I think) Vanessa Birtwhistle when they were Cadets, they were nice girls. They had the usual learning curve for all Cadets, including Sun sights placing the ship in the middle of the Saudi desert.

They were treated very well by the crew. I can remember falling flat on my face on the deck after tripping over a carelessly laid Butterworth hose during tank cleaning at night. The Bosun , who was a real tough guy, stepped over my prone body and gallantly lifted the hose out of the way for the female cadet who was behind me. <smile>


Warmest Wishes, Mike
 
#22 ·
EAM Stroud, mentioned in the first post, became Mrs. Liz Davey. She married one Sam Davey (BP Cadet, Sunderland copper, BP 3/0). I sailed with Liz and Sam on the Hazel? where they were both 3/0. I was 2/0, Pete Smith was Mate and John Pinkney was the Master.
"Nostalgia's not what it used to be!"
 
#23 ·
Had a few drinks with Anne Rutherford over Xmas and she told me she was the first female Nav App with BP, although she never finished her apprenticeship with them due to some percieved problem with the transition from apprentice to watchkeeper.
Happy New Year to you all
 
#24 ·
Hi Rod,
I'll get back to you directly!

Back to Female NC's

Both A Rutherford and EAM Stroud were NC's on the Grenadier in October 1972. I cannot find any earlier info on either of these two ladies.

I have the feeling EAM Stroud became Mrs EA Davey, 3rd Mate on the Holly in August 1978.

NC Baker was NC on the Cavalier in April 1973 and 3rd Mate on the Unity Oct 1976

To date ( 1978 Ships movements) I have come across the names of around 28 names of Female NC's, around this time the BP typists started to eliminate the 'Miss' title !

Graham
 
#26 ·
How did I miss that? JM White was I certainly a 1976/77 NC, first ship I can locate was Progress 4/77.

I never clued in that she was in 'Operation Corporate', the BP involvement in the 1982 Falklands War. The crews of Avon and Tamar received South Atlantic Medals, the Dart and Esk South Atlantic Medals with Rosettes.

All 4 C/E's were ex Engineering Apprentices.

There were two 2/O's on the Tamar, Carrick ( 1974 NC) and White.

I sailed with Captain David Rundle when a NA in 1959 on the Justice. He was Master of the Wye in 1982 when a bomb dropped on her deck. He received the OBE for Falkland services

Graham
 
#28 ·
Hi George,

Flooded out yet , or not in your area?

Esk- Joe Pyne 1958 EA
Tamar- Gordon Duncan 1962 EA
Dart- A David(?) Burgess 1955 EA ( my intake)
Esk- John Parry 1959 EA

I know Joe, Gordon and John, but never managed to locate David Burgess.

Wye C/E's in May/June, K Gray (possibly 1962EA) and WMI Ward

Graham
 
#29 ·
I sailed on City of Glasgow 1977, capt' Paul Wheldon , east coast canada to south and east africa to uk ,
second mate Shiela Edmundson , aged 28 ,one of first female to gain british masters certificate , i believe she sailed master on ellermans medi container ship in early 80s, 'often wonder what became of Shiela , as i left city line in 1980.
 
#31 ·
Nina Baker was a NC on Cavalier in Ships Movements 15th April 1973, I presumed she was a 1972 intake but then there does not seem to be any Rhyme or Reason as to when NC/s were indentured ( is that an old fashioned term?) and I suppose it could have been 1973.

Engineering Cadets always started with BP in September with the start of the College year.......makes sense to me!

Nina was on the Cavalier with a couple of NC's, MA Isles and PFST Lawrence, I wonder where they are now? The latest info I have on Isles is NC on Commerce 10/73 and PFST Lawrence was the Cavalier 4/73, they both disappeared off the radar after that as far as my info goes.

The only 1972 Ships Movements I have is 14th March so I have no idea when Nina Joined the Cavalier.

Maybe someone else will have the answer.

I did ask at the start of this thread if anyone had knowledge of Female Engineering Cadets, no response so far!

Graham
 
#39 ·
Captain Ann Rutherford
is the Responsible for Info Update & Correct in Company:
The Nautical Institute - Australia - Tasmania.
If you have personal questions or want to ask about Company Info and etc.
Contact him

Cut and pasted from the link given above. Now, is him a her or is her a him? You might say I'm a bit confused! (Whaaa)
 
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