Union Castle at Southampton 1963

[Bryan Portwig]

hello - i enjoyed your story especially the terminology you use - interestingly i have had a intense discussion with people on other shipping forums - regarding deaths at sea - and how they are treated today especially on the cruise ships - i have a few images on file of the old passenger ships and ocean liners that had a mortuary on board - one springs to mind - the united states - and of course a few of the modern cruise ships - which raises my question - do burials still take place at sea ? and how are they done with normal cargo container and other ships - i have just finished reading an account of the tug es steytler on her delivery voyage to sa - i think 1942 - where a crew member was buried at sea - i also witnessed first hand how the mermoz - a cruise ship - image attached - disembarked a passenger who like your story - had a heart attack - and they had to make a unscheduled stop in durban for this purpose - regards

[happy daze john in oz]

Officially there are now no burials at sea, but no doubt the odd body still goes over the wall.

All ships carrying passengers, cruise or other, all have a morge on board where any bodies will be kept until returning to port of origin.

There was a time back in the 60's when such were not uncommon, as was the dumping of gash over the side, and tank washing at sea.
Now all banned, but at times you can see what is the remains of an oil slick on the surface where some ship has ignored the rules.

[Bryan Portwig]

gold bullion - loading gold from train to ship

gold loading capetown- durban.jpg

[Doc Vernon]

Not many Guards around that i can see, only one Copper standing there , very slack LOL
cHEERS

[Sean Currie]

Apologies for my absence everyone. Thank you for the excellent picture, Bryan. Good stuff for my book. Just to make clear, the novel does not employ a U-C ship, but another company. Chris, yes, you certainly know your stuff, so let me ask you; at Soton, when the gold was lifted out, might it have been on a pallet, and were the pallets lifted by hooks or by a wire net?
Many thanks.

[Graham Bell]

Hallo Sean
I was in the NAVY from 1968 to 1973 galley boy then ass/stwd and I cant belive I knew nothing about this
I knew about the REEFERS but not carrying GOLD
I only left the NAVY like so many because of the CONTAINERS
ANYWAY to the POINT
I signed on the ROXBURGH CASTLE 13TH APRIL 1970 in LONDON
Not sure of the DOCKS
We had a brilliant CREW and were looking forward to SAILING
HOWEVER there were POLICE everywhere
Hard nuts as I Remember
On the DOCK On the SHIP
We were told NOTHING and were extremely PUZZLED
Our best guess was a MURDER
Someone tied to a CHAIR and over the SIDE
On a dark and windy night!!
WELL we had 4 days to SPECULATE on things!!!
So I have tried over the years to find out what that was about
With no luck at all
But now we have the GOLD in the Mix
So Perhaps it was something to do with That
Over to you!!!
Graham Bell

We had to sign off her again after 4 days!!
Sorry senior moment!

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Graham
You say Navy? I well presume Merchant as the Roxburgh Castle UCL .was Merchant Ship.
More than likely it was KG5 as that is where most UCL Ships Berthed . Tilbury Docks.
Another point is that there were as i recall of the Smaller UCL Ships like the Roxburgh did not carry Gold Bullion so all the commotion there could well have been some other incident !??
Cheers

[Bryan Portwig]

Graham Bell - your story ties in nicely except - the rotherick castle was detained in durban - and yes it was a murder rotherwick castle murder case.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

Here is the gold train prior to loading on the pretoria castlegold train pretoria castle.jpg

[Graham Bell]

2 POINTS there
I goggled ROXBURGH CASTLE and GOLD and got PHOTO of the ship and Description
which said she was carrying Gold also showing Passengers on the Deck?
2ND POINT
I read a STORY about a BOX welded to the BOW on a ship with Sand in it and GOLD
Hidden underneath and 2 crew waiting there chance to get it and the POLICE Watching
Which made me think of the 4 Days on the ROXBURGH CASTLE!
Graham Bell

[Bill Roques]

My dad was a UC engineer in the '40s and said that if they were burying someone at sea the engine room was told to shut down the propellors on the side of the ship they were disposing of the body on.