Union Castle at Southampton 1963

[happy daze john in oz]

Sailed with Patey on the Pretoria, very fair skipper who alter became commadore skipper on the Windsor.

[bobpopeyeowen]

Hi Sean, I was an apprentice deck officer with British and Commonwealth from 1969 to 1973. Slightly later than the period you mention but I have a couple of stories that may interest you. I was in the Good Hope Castle, early '70s, we were in Cape Town loading gold bullion into the specie room. I was nominated to keep an eye on things. If I remember right it came on small steel pallets about a foot square. Each pallet had 9 gold ingots, each slightly larger than a housebrick, 3 layers of 3, arranged at consecutive right angles as you go up. And very firmly fixed to the pallet with stout steel bands. Lowered into the hold by a crane they were landed on a wheeled trolley which the Zulu stevedores then manouevred into the specie room and levered on to the deck. One of the pallets did not land square on the trolley. It fell over. About 6 of the stevedores, big lads all of them, gathered around it and tried to pick it up. Gold is heavy. It wouldn't budge. The looks on their faces I will always remember. By this time the ChOff was on scene. He organised bull wires, snatch blocks and God knows what but the pallet was finally righted and safely stowed.
During all these proceedings there were numbers of armed guards, very visible, on the ship and ashore.
When we got to Southampton and were unloading the bullion, I was again in the hold keeping an eye on things. There was also a bank officer, at least that's what he said he was. He was holding a clipboard. Not an armed guard in sight. I told him about all the armed guards in Cape Town and asked why there were none here. He replied "There here all right, we just can't see them.".
There are also rumours of a possible insurance scam when the same ship caught fire, a year or two later, mid Atlantic, home bound, carrying bullion. She was abandoned by her crew and was later boarded by engineers from the Clan Malcolm, a company ship, who put out the fire and salvaged the ship. I would love to know more of that story. I do know that a little later I was in a pub in Warsash (I think it was the Silver Fern, but memory fades.) They had the Good Hope' bridge bell hanging behind the bar. The rescuing engineers had rescued it too, and donated it the the pub. So I believe.

[Doc Vernon]

Had seen that Loading of the Gold on 2 occasions, but there was always Security around in Cape Town, from the Train that brought the Gold to the Ship as well, always very tight!

Yes Gold sure is Heavy, and i also have seen the actual Gold Bars being made , i once worked on the Gold Mines in the Orange Free State, which had and still has some of the Deepest in the World, as well as Johannesburg. The one Mine i worked at Harmony, was at my Level as they called each different place of work, then at some 15000 Feet, but was made even deeper later ! That was some experience!

Me Harmony Gold Mine.jpg

Me Marked on left after coming up from a shift at Harmony! Just completed our 1000000 th Fatality Free Shift. Very Proud Moment!

Anyway and just a view , and that is not all those Workers that loaded the Gold were Zulu,s , there were many different Tribes working on those Ship Projects then. Such as Xhosa, Sotho (These were devided into three seperate groups)Shangaan, Basutu, Tswana, Pedi,Swazi and quite a few more, however as many come from various parts of South Africa to seek work in Cape Town, the Majority are of course as stated by the Poster Zulu, also are noted for their hard work and at most times their Honesty!
Cheers

This is just a sort of noted Reply and no Umbridge at all meant!

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
Why were you marked? was it to keep and eye on you LoL.
Des

[john mc dermott]

I was no 1 hatch boy on the Windsor Castle with one AB in charge of that hatch where the gold bullion was stored .We watched the gold being loaded accompanied by the second mate and armed guards. The gold came off the train on to a conveyer belt in small wooden boxes .I remember the dockers had to lift the boxes on to the conveyer , they looked very heavy by the way the dockers were handling them.
I remember someone told me that i had just watched 26 million sterling being loaded, wow that was 1966,what value would that be today .To me it was just another day in the life of a JOS in the merchant navy .The AB in charge of no1 hatch would have been a leading seaman or bosuns mate.

[happy daze john in oz]

Remember Gold being loaded, also on the Windsor, in Durban.
For years UCL berthed close to the old Whaling station but later moved to the city dock.
It was there the Gold was loaded.

[Doc Vernon]

Remember Gold being loaded, also on the Windsor, in Durban.
For years UCL berthed close to the old Whaling station but later moved to the city dock.
It was there the Gold was loaded.

Hi John
While i know that you have been around some mate and have seen a lot too, i must say that i myself have never heard of any Gold Being loaded at Durban in any place there!?
Why would they take Gold to Durban , as Cape Town has always been the Port for Gold Shipments to Southampton.
Now i stand corrected here, but unless there is some concrete written or other proof of this ever happening, well then i will eat my Hat! LOL

The Bullion Run – British Transport Police History Group (btphg.org.uk)

Possibly you may have mixed a trip up at some point and not at Durban Point! LOL
cHEERS

[Doc Vernon]

This has nothing to do with the Gold Loading etc, just thought it would be interesting reading for some on here!
I have read it all, and must say i enjoyed it!
Cheers

(99+) Southampton to Durban on the Union Castle Line: An Imperial Shipping Company and the limits of globality c. 1900–39 | Jonathan Hyslop - Academia.edu

And on the same page there are quite a few other Articles also (PDF) Format ready to read, Browse through them at your leisure!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

I posted some years ago a photo of such gold being loaded.
You at the time agreed with me about that.

[Alan Briggs]

Recall telling some friends ashore about this, they thought I was making it up.