The Role of Conductor on a Cargo Ship

[James Curry]

Attachment 37591

Here is a Pic of her not Copyrighted.
Cheers

Thanks James will now delete your ic. An d as you say dont know if it should still be Copyright!
But for the sight, sake and that of Brian best be careful.
Cheers

Attachment 37593

Doc is that her at Capetown?

[Doc Vernon]

Indeed it is James, both Pics .
Good old Table Mountain and Devils Peak.
Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

I would doubt that 'Bank Line' (Andrew Weir SS Co Ltd) who were basically tramp ships would have a musical director Doc, but strange things happen at sea, but as mentioned earlier when trading out in the Indian sub continent and the Far East they did carry deck passengers on coastal trades, quite common in India in those days. Bank Line, like Ropners were noted for their trip lengths 18 to 24 months not being unusual and deck passengers were a good source of revenue, the only service the ship supplied was fresh water and thunder boxes. The passengers provided their own food, stoves and cooks.

Hello Ivan
Possibly i did not put my words in the correct way. What i meant was that the letter was giving him permission to go aboard the Ship, to seek Employment as a Crew Member of sorts. (The letter just pointing out that he in fact was a Musical Conductor) So not to look for or get Employes as such, but possibly as just another Crew Lad!??
Cheers

[Mike Hutchins]

Well, I did a 2-year + 1-month, + 6-days trip on Levernbank's sister-ship Clydebank, in 1955-1957 & we definitely had no 'conductor' personnel back then! At that time Bank Line had two passenger ships, Isipingo and Inchanga both on the India/Africa run, and 2, 12-passenger ships (both 1924-built, from my ageing memory), Luxmi and Gujurat, both running mainly from Asia to Africa. Have racked what's left of my brain & can't recall any mention of 'conductors'....except in the 'opposite to insulators' sense!
Hope somebody comes up with an explanation, it's still puzzling me!
Mike.

[j.sabourn]

Will have to get in touch with Cooks cruises on the Swan River in Perth Mike, maybe they carry them to show the passengers round the vineyards and see them safely back on board. ….. JS…

[j.sabourn]

#24 I flew out to Philadephia to join a foreign flag vessel in 1968 Mike. The vessel had British officers at the time and a Chinese crew. All the officers had no problems with being there for 2 years 5 months . Their 2 years were up in Japan but they all volunteered to stay on until reaching the USA. The mate was damaged by shifting deck cargo and landed in Honolulu and I was flown out to replace him in Philly. However I insisted on a 12 month contract, needless to say it was thirteen and a half months before relieved . The master from Gateshead had been on the ship for 6 years and home once for a week in that time. The electrician that was there fitted in with his plans and allowed him a poor man’s divorce which he was looking for, he was from shields. Cheers JS

[Mike Hutchins]

Hello John.....from memory, wasn't there a clause in FG Articles saying something about the 2-year 'contract' being automatically extendable if the vessel was bound for or loading for northern Europe? Seem to remember something along those lines - but its a long time ago!
Stay Well!
Mike.

[j.sabourn]

Yes beleive there was , however this was an Indian owned vessel under the Bahamas flag. Going by the book was more relaxed on such vessels the likes of the Chinese believe they were on a Hong Kong agreement . Don’t think that ship the Maratha Endeavour ever went to the UK, the continent yes , As regards the Chinese,
They signed 2 year Articles and expected 2 years work out of it. Unfortuanetley the Chinese like the British liked jumping ship in the US of A and as there was a $1000 per head (whereas the uk seafarers preferred Oz and Kiwi.)
Surety bond on them got to be too much. So one trip back to Japan from the Great Lakes the owner exchanged crews back to Indian much against his good will. The Chinese sued him for loss of employment and received some financial gain on their loss of work . And this was 1968. So the Brits who jumped in Oz and Kiwi weren’t
Alone in the habit of seeking better surroundings. Chowgule the Indian owner lived in Switzerland obviously he also liked the finer things in life. Cheers JS.

[Tony Taylor]

Well, I did a 2-year + 1-month, + 6-days trip on Levernbank's sister-ship Clydebank, in 1955-1957 & we definitely had no 'conductor' personnel back then! At that time Bank Line had two passenger ships, Isipingo and Inchanga both on the India/Africa run, and 2, 12-passenger ships (both 1924-built, from my ageing memory), Luxmi and Gujurat, both running mainly from Asia to Africa. Have racked what's left of my brain & can't recall any mention of 'conductors'....except in the 'opposite to insulators' sense!
Hope somebody comes up with an explanation, it's still puzzling me!
Mike.

they might have had a band to entertain passengers?

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was offered a conductors job at the local R.S.L but they had no band, so I just make a fool of myself waving my arms around, until my wife kicks my legs from under me.
Des