Hi Bob, watched your film on the Mystic with interest - it was my first ship, sailed as Engineer Cadet in about Sept 1964. I can remember two of the deck cadets were John Hughes and Mike Sangster, Roger (can't remember his surname) was the other engineer cadet, Mel Griffiths was a J. Eng, I think the C/E was 'Wee" Wiily Achison, the 3rd Eng. was Joe Doyle, a superb practical engineer who made quite an impression and influence on a young engineer just starting out. Can't remember any more names, but I remember it was a very happy ship and we all got on well.
Similar trip to your, but left from London, didn't go to Sudan via Suez but straight to Aden, Trincomalee, Fremantle, Port Pirie, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney (for Christmas and New Year, spent Boxing Day on Manly Beach), Newcastle and Brisbane, and I think Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle, missed out Ceylon, Aden and went into Genoa homeward bound.
The very brief clips of the engine controls brought back memories, my first stand-by on the 12-4 leaving London shortly after midnight and I was given the movement book to write up and answer the telegraph - I never imagined I'd ever see that again, so quite moving for me. Shame the ER clips were a bit dark, would have loved to see more detail.
Memories:
First port was Suez canal, was on 12-4, we arrived about 6am and I was woken by apparently the "Captains Bum Boat Man", or so he said, coming into the cabin at 10 past 8 and opening his suitcase of wares. Was getting no-where trying to get rid of him and was glad when Roger, the other eng.cadet, came off watch but it took us about quarter of an hour to get rid, spent some of the time unpacking our stuff he kept packing into his suitcase!
Trincomalee, we were to leave in the very early hours, until water was found coming out the engine. Where was it coming from was a bit tricky to find - eventually found to be a cracked turbo-blower casing and the water was running down the exhaust trunking into the engine. Only it was now Ramadan and we couldn't raise the shore. We eventually by-passed the turbo-blower and went more slowly onto Fremantle and got it sorted there.
I think it was at Port Pirie, the deck cadets went on a night kangaroo shoot. I didn't fancy it so didn't go. They came back at 8am, one of the 'roos shot was a mother with a joey, the shooters brought the joey back, when they got to the ship the joey jumped out and jumped into the dock, one of the cadets had to dive into the dock to save it, what a game!
At Brisbane myself and another cadet went to the Lone Pine Koala reserve, which was great. We just missed the last bus back and the ship was sailing that night -instant nightmare! Fortunately, a kindly Aussie spotted us missing the bus and before we could go into full panic mode told us to jump into his car, he chased after the bus, passed it and dropped us off at the next stop so we could then catch it back to the ship.
The Sky Pilot from The Flying Angel Mission (where we would have been without the Flying Angel in all the ports?) in Sydney (or was it Newcastle?) came an offered two of us to crew on a sailing boat at Lake Macquirie which was a lovely afternoon out, as was the next trip when in Melbourne the Sky Pilot there took us cadets on a car trip up country; he had to go to a wedding and thought it would be nice for us to see the countryside and keep him company at the same time.
Have gone on too long, the Mystic hold very fond memories for me, thank you for putting this all together, very much appreciated.
Chris
