[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

Can you name the five Blue Funnel Ships alongsiude at Singapore on the same day in May 1953...and class them too.

Capt Bax.

Answers here in maybe about 2 weeks.

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

Come On Lads. Its Not That Difficult.​

One Of Them, Anybody Who Sailed With Blue Funnel Has Got To Know.
The Singapore Twins.​

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

Close but no Banana.!!

Tanker.

Take a real good look at the fourth from the front. Otherwise you are getting warmer. !!!! Every ship is different although they may be of the same class but you are on the right track. No 4 is the odd one. Well known and to be transfrred to would be to die for !!!!!!!! No 2 was in action and damaged in The Straits of Formosa. Clue !!!

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

OK As No One Got Them. here Are The names.

From 1st Left. ANSWERS !!!!!! Nobody gets the banana.

LAOMEDON. ANCHISES. ASCANIUS. GORGON. (S'pore to W Australian Service) PYRRHUS.

So how come none of you Blue Funnel Lads got Gorgon. Sister of Charon !!!!!!

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

CHARON. Got to know your Greek thing a me bob !!!

CHARON: Ferryman of the Dead. He's a sulky old salt who transports souls across the River STYX to the gates of the Underworld.


But not for nothing. Oh no. First you have to pay him a silver coin. Don't forget to place one under your tongue before they bury you. And even then he might refuse if you haven't been properly buried.

Isn't it time the old curmudgeon retired? He must have amassed an amazingly large pension by now. Still, with parents like EREBUS and NYX what can you expect?

Remember her passengers were not that fussy, in the main SHEEP !!!

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

Re Clan Line Pictures.

Hello Cpt. Bax.
Did you ever use any of my Clan Line photos I sent?

Very likely, but I had over 2000 pictures,so it is sort of dificult to remember where some of them came from (old age) mostly of the later vessels (after 1910) but go take a look on www.merchantnavyofficers.com. I still need many of the early vessels especially JALAWAR and NORTH STAR. Am just starting Glen and Shire Line now to complete the Blue Funnel Section which was made up of so many and some even I have never heard of.

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

I have now seen the same photograph on the Mansfield & Co site. On that site it is dated 1952. If that is the case then the left hand "A" class ship cannot be Laomedon as she was not delivered until February 1953.

Hi John.

You are correct. It is on the Mansfields section in Blue Funnel on M.N.O. We received it from Harvey Lade ex Director of Mansfields quite a long time ago now. Harvey lives in Oz.
However you will note there are no ships names and the date is here or there.

If you have a copy of "The Blue Funnel Legend" by Malcolm Falkus
( ISBN # 0 - 333 - 52283 - 4 )that was recently obtainable throgh the Blue Funnel Pension Dept on a very limited release at a very cheap price to us poor pensioners. !! The same picture is on Page 265 under the picture of Gorgon discharging her" passengers" ..Sheep. This picture is dated and the ships are named. It is dated May Singapore 1953, so there you are Maiden Voyage. May seem quick but you I am sure know that a lot of the "A" Class were prefabbed and the fitting out was very fast. (Modern Liberty ?) It of Course could be any of them.

Capt Bax

 

[Capt.John Bax. Ret.]

Hello Capt Bax,
Forgive a non Blue Funnel seaman for asking a question re. the Gordon, you stated in an earlier post before you gave the names of the five ships, that to be transferred to this ship "was to die for........" is this solely because she was on the Singapore to Oz run or was there some added incentive _ if that is not enough _ to serve on that ship?

HI Mike.

To Die For YES!!

If you ever worked on any of the Main Line Blue Funnel or Glen Ships you will remember how heavy they were to work, besides that they returned to U.K.EVERY trip and all the BS of Head Office.

With Charon and Gorgon and later Centaur and Orestes, we lost all the BS. They never returned to UK and were based in Singapore and guess what !!! in the case of Charon and Gorgon, most of the cargo walked on....SHEEP !!!