vince sweet

[jim abrahams]

Is there anyone on the list that sailed on the Port Napier in 1965
thank you

[Doc Vernon]

With all aboard Vince I feel that with time someone will get back with a YES!
Cheers Welcome Abaord

[Frederick Lacey]

TH
Hi Jim, sorry its a no from me for that year, although I did 2 HTs and 2 FGNs on her.

HT. Victoria Docks. 25th Aug 53 to Liverpool 28th Aug 53.
Fgn Liverpool.22nd Sept 53. back to Liverpool 14th Feb 54.
On this trip went to the US and on to Suva then Auckland, was there with the Queen.

HT. Victoria Docks 19th Nov 55 to Liverpool. 25th Nov 55.
Fgn. Liverpool. 5th. Dec.55 to Victoria Docks 27th May. 56.
This trip had a load of bed bugs in some of the cabins, the chippy went round all the seams in the
mattresses with a blowlamp and nearly set the ship alight, happy days!!!


Always wondered why they put Victoria Docks in the Discharge Book when most of the Port Boats sailed out of KGV.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Fred,
Probably getting rid of the duty free coming up the Thames and missed the turn.
Here are my photos of the 1964 Royal visit to Suva and a well known spot just up from the wharf..
Cheers,Richard

[Frederick Lacey]

Hi Richard, was at Suva about 2 days before the Queen arrived, some of us got told off by the Police as we were letting
off firecrackers on a Sunday, they were built like battleships and about 7 foot tall, reckon they were also in the Fijian rugby team.Gothic.jpg

Gothic arriving at Auckland...took this from stern of the Port Napier.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hi Fred, in 1953 on the Gothic we called in to Suva a year after the aborted Royal Tour. Had Commodore AV Richardson stayed on for the 1954 tour I would have stayed on too. He was a real decent gentleman and always gave me as his Tiger a good few quid tip at the end of each voyage. The skipper on the first voyage I did before AVR took over for the Tour was a crabby old bloke and when AVR left I didn't want a repeat of that. Anyway, I am very happy with the way life turned out so it was just as well. Here's a couple more photos of Suva and I think that the ship in the 'Market' one is one of the cable ships that were based there at the time. Little did I know then that six years later I would be sent to Fiji as a married man and we would have a couple of kids there.
Richard

[cappy]

Hi Fred, in 1953 on the Gothic we called in to Suva a year after the aborted Royal Tour. Had Commodore AV Richardson stayed on for the 1954 tour I would have stayed on too. He was a real decent gentleman and always gave me as his Tiger a good few quid tip at the end of each voyage. The skipper on the first voyage I did before AVR took over for the Tour was a crabby old bloke and when AVR left I didn't want a repeat of that. Anyway, I am very happy with the way life turned out so it was just as well. Here's a couple more photos of Suva and I think that the ship in the 'Market' one is one of the cable ships that were based there at the time. Little did I know then that six years later I would be sent to Fiji as a married man and we would have a couple of kids there.
Richard

##always an interesting photo richard from my favourite islands.......regards cappy

[Frederick Lacey]

Hi Richard, these are a couple snaps I took while alongside at the time.img224.jpgimg225.jpg

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hi Fred, they are real blasts from the past. In your photo #1 the big building slightly left of centre in the background is Burns Philp (South Sea) Co Ltd and in the foreground is their Copra store and Bulk Store. They were the major merchants and shipowners in the South Seas and founders of the company I worked for. My office was in the big building above. If you care to see more photos of the South Pacific go to bulolo and FLOTILLA AUSTRALIA . Burns Philp even were involved many years ago prior to the regrouping of the Gilbert and Ellis Islands with remote Fanning Island that Brian (Kong) visited recently. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q...ands&FORM=IGRE
Regards,
Richard

[Jeff Randles]

Yes, I did. I was a first trip deck boy. You were second cook, I think? My cabin mates were Mick, Kevin and John.