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130K views 445 replies 56 participants last post by  BTZ 
#1 ·
Is their anyone out there ex Eastern Ships
 
#295 ·
Hi, well all these years and my Dad, conveniently, never mentioned is wonderful nickname, Blossom. He probably knew I would have teased him every day. Sadly my Dad passed away last April, but he always talked about all of his times sailing with so many of you in Jardines. My sister and I have some memories of sailing on the tankers. I remember being on the bridge giving orders to the engine room as acting Captain at 3 or 4! And I am sure doing a better job than Captn Sawyer!
My Mum, Julie remembers a lot of you and has a few stories of her own.
I recently moved to Roatan, Honduras to help Mum out until she sells the house. Then eventually moving to the States or the UK together.

Lianne

P.s. Nick, sorry but I didn't receive your initial reply to my message
 
#299 ·
Hi, well all these years and my Dad, conveniently, never mentioned is wonderful nickname, Blossom. He probably knew I would have teased him every day. Sadly my Dad passed away last April, but he always talked about all of his times sailing with so many of you in Jardines. My sister and I have some memories of sailing on the tankers. I remember being on the bridge giving orders to the engine room as acting Captain at 3 or 4! And I am sure doing a better job than Captn Sawyer!
My Mum, Julie remembers a lot of you and has a few stories of her own.
I recently moved to Roatan, Honduras to help Mum out until she sells the house. Then eventually moving to the States or the UK together.

Lianne

P.s. Nick, sorry but I didn't receive your initial reply to my message[/QUOTE

Leanne. Thanks for letting me know. If possible can you contact me off line at wilsonnicholas90@gmail.com Sorry to hear about your father but glad your mum is still managing. I think she will be glad to leave the island and all its memories. We all go back a long, long way Nick
 
#303 ·
I am looking for help from someone with a better memory than mine that stretches back to HK c.1970. An ex chief officer, Eric Dunbar, who had left the company a few years earlier and gone outside, opened a small bar on D'Aguilar Street in Central just up the hill a bit from Queen's Road, Central. Does anyone recall the name of the place?

Nick
 
#304 ·
I never met him, Nick, but Jimmy Main (and Polly) was a good friend of his. I lived on Kowloon-side, Chatham Road, above The Godown pub, so needless to say i didn't venture across to "the other side" to quench my thirst very often!

There was another ex "H" class liner (!) C/E who set up a pub in Tawau; i think he made more money out of constructing galvanised steel water tanks, though!

Jon
 
#305 ·
Thanks, Jon. Never heard of the Tawau engineer. There was a fellow in Sandakan in the early 60s,an Australian'I think, who owned a small water boat and would pedal down to the Govt Dock in (on) his Silver Wraith, an aluminium painted bicycle, to solicit business, Can't remember his background and I think he ran a small marine engineering business in the town.

I would not have thought a one horse town like Tawau was large enough to ever have supported a 'bar'!

Your reference to the 'Godown Bar' in Kowloon rings a bell. Can you give me a clue as to where it was located?

Nick
 
#307 ·
Thinking of Wallace Bay; you will no doubt recall that there was quite a bit of piracy/ village raiding going on in the 60's? The RN sent a Destroyer (or even a Cruiser?) to calm things down. But of course that wasn't the answer; the bad guys could simply short cut across the reefs and mud flats in their outboard boats and the RN couldn't follow.
So then the RN got cute and sent a hovercraft to Wallace Bay. It came in pieces, and was assembled on the football pitch up the road from the log pond. The pirates, many of whom lived in the village, all came to watch this. They thought it was a rather silly foreign invention, and asked how on earth it was going to get from the footy field to the creek???
There were some very wide eyes and clenched jaws when it inflated its skirt and zoomed down the road, across the log pond and down the creek in an impressive cloud of spray!!

Jon
 
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#320 ·
Nick, I would bet you a beer the photo of the HO was taken in Yam-O. In my day the discharge was there, and she shifted back into the harbour to load. (Or WAS B31/B32 at Yam-O???)
Jon
Very likely. Can't remember if they transferred the buoy nos to Yam O. Just trying to show off my superior knowledge of the good old days when one did not have to make a day's journey to get back to Kowloon.

Off Stonecutters, there would always be a old lady in her sampan willing to scull you over the Mobil terminal in Laichikok for a couple of bucks. Jump into a cab and fifteen minutes later you could be downing your first San Mig within the grandeur of the Pen with your Saigon linen suit only slightly rumpled. Did God really put us on this earth to enjoy such a life? Nick
 
#324 ·
Very likely. Can't remember if they transferred the buoy nos to Yam O. Just trying to show off my superior knowledge of the good old days when one did not have to make a day's journey to get back to Kowloon.

Off Stonecutters, there would always be a old lady in her sampan willing to scull you over the Mobil terminal in Laichikok for a couple of bucks. Jump into a cab and fifteen minutes later you could be downing your first San Mig within the grandeur of the Pen with your Saigon linen suit only slightly rumpled. Did God really put us on this earth to enjoy such a life? Nick
Nick, i felt it was very bad form NOT to have the Saigon linen suit slightly rumpled!
Jon
 
#316 ·
Hi Robert, remember when you were OM on the MAID and she had a total blackout coming out of HK harbour? She had some 15 or 20 deg of helm on at the time, and took a bit of an exciting swoop!
The photo you posted reminded me of that; she had a Blue Ensign too; you and I were RANR/RNR. I was 2/O, Robin Fitzgerald was 3/O and Don Gibbons was Mate. Bod was Chief.
Jon
 
#319 ·
Reminds of one time as a cadet on an E&A ship while aiming for a Kowloon pier, the pilot had us stalled right across the two Kowloon star ferry piers. The British officer in charge of the ferry piers was dressed in full white uniform and was bellowing at our pilot through a speaking trumpet - demanding that he get the ship out of the way of HK peak hour commuter traffic.
 
#321 ·
Don't blame him, Peter!!
I was Master of a heavy lifter going into Bombay. I hadn't been to Bombay since apprentice in Shell!! In the lock, a VERY fat gent in a white uniform sent his 'runner' up to the bridge to collect a valise full of goodies. Whereupon he got out of his Morris Oxford and started shouting engine movements up to the bridge via speaking trumpet. So i leaned over the bridge wing and told him, using a carefully selected vocabulary, that if he wished to give orders on my ship, he better get his rotund backside up onto the bridge!!
He got back in his car and went home, and we went through the lock quite peacefully!

Jon
 
#325 ·
the Pen Lobby and Gaddi's restaurant were wonderful experiences, and sometimes with Hollywood stars breezing by - saw John Wayne once and Mega-millionaire American cruise ship passengers dressed in all kinds of furs -
they were the only kind of cruise ships then. I remember large Jardine groups in the Palm Court lounge with chairs arranged in a wide circle and then going on for a curry in the restaurant there or to a nearby White Russian reastaurant for huge cheap good quality meals
 
#328 ·
,
What a 'nasty' mind you have Peter. He was known as Garlic Guts and topped the list of masters young officers feared to sail under.I was one of the lucky ones though probably in retrospect he was not as bad as all that. Young people have always been very judgemental of their elders, haven't they?

Nick
 
#332 ·
Chalkie White stayed on and on and would have retired with an ICSN pension. The transition for him from the old style cargo liners to all kind of tramps and bulkies must have been quite an adjustment. I never sailed with him but always heard anecdotes about him (including the underpants). Those who had sailed with him spoke well of him.
 
#333 ·
Jardines shipping

I sailed on the "Eastern Queen "as a 4th engineer during 1967,We carried 100 passengers and general cargo from Melbourne,Sydney,Brisbane up to Guam,then on to Yokkaichi,Nagoya,Yokohama and Kobe,staying about 12 days in Japan,then return to Australia. The food was very good,with authentic Chinese,or British. However,as an engineer,it was a hard life,the ship was built in 1950 with äll the latest anti-piracy features,including cabins for 4 European guards,as well as steel bulletproof doors between crew and passenger accommodation-the ship was in terrible repair,especially in the engine room,.There were no spanners or basic tools,no spares, we had to try to fabricate any spares we might need on the antiquated lathe and when in port,had to visit other ships to borrow tools,to be able to carry out the on going machinery surveys, the old boilers were always bursting tubes, and there was never any shore repair men called in,we had to just keep patching things up,as best we could. The one saving grace is that the company provided oxy-acetylene equipment,we used that instead of using spanners,which we did not have.After a hard day slaving in the hot engine room one needed to wash up. Provide soap? you must be joking.You were provided with pumice stone which took your skin off,as well as oil and grease.Soap cost money! I enjoyed my time on the Eastern Queen, for the great social life and food,but always wondered if Jardines run all of their ships on a shoestring,as they did this one. Dale Collins.
 
#334 ·
Hi Dale. I was 2/O on Eastern Queen for 18 months around the same time as you. It was a great social life aboard as you say and on deck was not too hard-working and the run was great - one month on the Oz coast then 10 days to Japan via Guam, ten days Jap coast and ten days back to Oz. The ship was one of the last of the old-style cargo-passenger liners. Peter Ballantyne
 
#337 ·
As a cadet when keeping the movement book on the bridge it was also your job to make notes on a slip of paper of the numbers and silhouette of the Chinese naval vessels that were passed, for later conveyance to the RN in HK. One time on Eastern Saga the master, Maxie Groundwater, on the way into Shanghai, he pointed out a crowded and very noisy passing Yangste River steamer heading for upriver, as an ex-ICSN owned rivership from pre-revolution days. About 20 years ago I found my way with my son to Wuhan (Hankow) for an up river voyage to Chungking through the rapids and gorges, before the newer great Yangste dam was built. Nowadays it can be done in 5- star luxury but then it was all very basic.
 
#338 ·
On that voyage upriver on the Yangste I spent the whole trip out on deck looking at the wonderful scenery. My son (in his 20s) spent the whole time inside the nextdoor cabin with some HK Chinese guys - all smoking and drinking beer while playing cards (My son Nick spoke Mandarin but not Cantonese). The HK guys were doing the river trip so as to look for business opportunities. With the HK changover looming, I asked them if that meant that HK was going to become like China. They said NO - instead that China was going to become like HK. Guess what - they were right !!
 
#339 ·
Great Cultural Revolutions

Having witnessed first hand the madness of Mao's Great Cultural Revolution and sensing it may breakout in Unhinged States of America with the statue breaking rampage and could ensue here in Australia decided it was time to take precautions

I took down my National flag peeled the NRA sticker off my front window. I disconnected my home alarm system and quit the candy-ass Neighborhood Watch. I bought two Pakistani flags and put one at each corner of the front yard. Then I purchased the black flag of ISIS (which you CAN Buy on EBAY) and ran it up the flag pole.

Now the Federal Police, ASIO, Border Protection Force and other agencies are all watching my house 24/7. I've NEVER felt safer.

Plus, I bought Burkas for me to wear when I shop or travel. Everyone moves out of the way, and security can't pat me down. If they say I'm a male wearing a burka, I just say I'm feeling like a woman today.

Hot Damn...Safe at last!!!
 
#340 ·
Having witnessed first hand the madness of Mao's Great Cultural Revolution and sensing it may breakout in Unhinged States of America with the statue breaking rampage and could ensue here in Australia decided it was time to take precautions

I took down my National flag peeled the NRA sticker off my front window. I disconnected my home alarm system and quit the candy-ass Neighborhood Watch. I bought two Pakistani flags and put one at each corner of the front yard. Then I purchased the black flag of ISIS (which you CAN Buy on EBAY) and ran it up the flag pole.

Now the Federal Police, ASIO, Border Protection Force and other agencies are all watching my house 24/7. I've NEVER felt safer.

Plus, I bought Burkas for me to wear when I shop or travel. Everyone moves out of the way, and security can't pat me down. If they say I'm a male wearing a burka, I just say I'm feeling like a woman today.

Hot Damn...Safe at last!!!

Well done, RGM, you haven't lost your sense of humour a bit!

Jon
 
#342 ·
Hello Caroline. I sailed with Laurie Cox on HINSANG. He later left the Company after a grounding and went on to the "Outside" Companies, which were the non-British ones in HongKong. He died not long afterwards, not old. I never sailed with your father but a friend of mine who sailed with him on EASTERN QUEEN always spoke highly of Captain Bartlett. Also never sailed with Captain LeRoyd, but in those days you always heard about everyone in the Company. Regards from Peter Ballantyne
 
#343 ·
Hello Caroline,

A very warm welcome to this section of Ship Nostalgia. There are not too many contributors who would remember your father though I certainly do, but never sailed with him. With HK as home port, there were always people ashore there studying for exams or waiting for ships ( we did not have local leave just a very long leave after four years) and one very soon got to meet everyone. He was known universally as Bart so seeing his first name in print came as a bit of a surprise. He was master when I knew him (1956-65) and a very popular one. As you say he could be a bit of a party man. I really do not ever remembering your mother, or for that matter you, though you were six by the time I joined. You must have been born at Matilda Hospital on the Peak.

I am pushing 83 and you will not find too many on this list who will remember your father. Bob Tatz, who now lives close by to me in Edmonton certainly will and maybe one or two others.

If you would like to share your father's service record I am sure it will help jog people's memory. I connect him with the Loksang c.1959, but obviously there were other ships.

Good luck with your search,

Nick
 
#344 ·
Hello again Caroline,

Sorry, at first reading I 'missed' your query re laurie Cox and Ron Learoyd, both of whom I sailed with and enjoyed the experience. Laurie by my time was a bit of a maverick and liked nothing better than getting under the skin of the shipping department with his awkward questions. He never got the good ships his seniority deserved. Eventually I think he left and sailed as master with a local Chinese company, I last saw him in about 1969 after I had had come ashore. He was living in the Seaman's Club in Kowloon and soon afterwards died of cancer (lung?).

I am not sure what became of Ron. I don't think I saw him after I came ashore in late 1965 but I have very happy memories of sailing under him as chief officer on two ships. I'd be happy to share photos of them both with you.

best wishes,

Nick
 
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