In Memoriam...m.v.Derbyshire 9-10 Sept.1980

[Gulliver]

Disappointed that nobody is heeding my request to refrain from turning this respectable 'In Memoriam' thread into a debate attributing blame,construction etc.

I am in a good mind to pull the whole thread which was started by me 4 years ago.
If you want to talk about the actual sinking start A New Thread within the Bibby Line Forum.

This thread here is about remembering our ex-colleagues (some of them mine) and our memories of them.

Respectfully
Gulliver

[John Petches]

Derbyshire was called the Liverpool Bridge not Canadian Bridge mate sailed on both ships

[Keith at Tregenna]

MV Derbyshire:

MV Derbyshire (previously named MV Liverpool Bridge) was a British oil/bulk/ore (OBO) carrier built in 1976 by Swan Hunter of Newcastle and owned by Liverpool's Bibby Line. She was the last of six Bridge Class ships built between 1971 and 1976.

On 11 July 1980, she set sail from Canada bound for Japan carrying 157,446 tons of iron ore. A few days before she was due to arrive she was lost in the South China Sea during typhoon Orchid. All 42 crewmen and two wives perished, including 17 from Liverpool.

On 15 September a search commenced but after several days the ship was declared lost. The families were devastated and immediately began questioning how such a vast ship could disappear without a trace. To this day she remains the biggest British registered merchant ship ever to have been lost at sea.

The display also features leaflets, books and other material produced during the Derbyshire Family Association's long campaign for the truth and to improve safety procedures for bulk carriers

LINK 1: MV Derbyshire - Search for the Truth - Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool museums

LINK 2:
The sinking of MV Derbyshire - Merseyside Maritime Museum, Liverpool museums

[John Arton]

I remember the disappearance of the Derbyshire very well as we were bound for Sept Iles to load iron ore shortly after she was lost.
At that time there were a load of theories fling around about her loss. One that we got was that her cargo of DRI (Direct Reduced Iron ore) pellets, having been loaded wet, had been moving around and generated enough heat to self ignite. Some boffin claimed to have proof that this could happen and 2000 deg core temps. would evolve, meaning that the whole of the bottom of the ship would just drop out.
I recall streams of paper coming from the Office regarding all these theories along with the voyage orders.
The bottom line was that we were not to worry as we were not loading the same cargo....as if. On arrival at Sept Iles in about 5 ft. of snow, with the loader pouring 5000 tons plus into us before we had even finished tying up, that was when we discovered it was the same cargo type as the Derbyshire.
Loaded 122000 tons in about 12 hours and off we went to Japan. The boffins theory must have been a load of boll**ks as we had no problem, apart from boredom, on that voyage.
Sept Iles was a pretty unforgiving place, covered in feet of snow, bluddy cold and you had to arrive alongside with your hatches open as they started pouring the ore into you as soon as you were under the loader, tied up or not. No arrival draft survey, you had to use the last draft survey constant and you were only allowed on stop for final trimming calculations and that was it. You loaded on your draft marks, left the pier, anchored and then sent your calculations ashore. Agent came out with B/L based on ships figures and that was it, off you went into the sunset with the next ship already having started loading on the berth.
rgds
JA

[garymac63]

I was about halfway through my leave after my first trip on the Lincolnshire, so would have been around the middle of July 1980, when Stan Clayton rang me to ask if I fancied going back early as he was arranging crew for the Derbyshire. At the time I was having a ball being at home with a few quid in my pocket and didn't feel ready to go back. In all fairness to Stan he didn't put any pressure on me but did advise me that I might have to sign on the pool for a few weeks if I wanted to finish off my leave, but that there would be another ship for me soon afterwards if that was what I wanted to do. With this in mind I turned down the chance of joining the Derbyshire. I then joined the Hampshire in late August and was on there when the news of the Derbyshire reached us.
Even after all this time there is still a part of me that feels a bit of guilt and I often take time to think about the poor souls that were lost.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Gary, most of us who have survived something where others have not have a feeling of 'why' but there are some things that our beyond our control, but guilt should not play a part of it, you didn't choose to stay ashore because you knew the vessel was going to sink. None of us ever joined or didn't join because we knew, or even thought, the vessel was going to sink. Life throws some very strange things at us but to survive them is not a sin.

[Gulliver]

m.v.DERBYSHIRE /Golf Uniform Lima Kilo...Lost 9th September 1980

This year will be the 33rd Anniversary ..... In Remembrance of the 44 Persons Who Lost their Lives in m.v.Derbyshire,on 9th September 1980.

The years pass by so quickly,but the disbelief and sorrow of the sudden loss remain in our thoughts today and always……..
　　　Please pause a while and remember here-
　　　　
ALLIS Kevin -Jnr.Eng.Officer
BAYLISS Francis Arthur -Chief Officer
BEST Phillip Joseph- Steward
BINDON Paul John -Extra 2nd Officer
BLEASE Thomas Victor- Petty Officer/Carpenter
BOND Richard- Petty Officer
BROWN Terence- GP1
BUCKLEY William -Purser /Chief Steward
BUJANG Ali Bin -GP1
BURKE Timothy- GP1
COATES Nigel -GP1
CHEDOTAL Frederick James- Electrical Eng.Officer
COLTMAN Leo Thomas Mackenzie- 3rd Eng.Officer
CRONE John James -2nd Steward
FREEMAN Mark -Jnr.Catering Rating
GORDON Andrew- Steward
GORDON Alexander Turner- Steward
GRAHAM Joseph Henry -2nd Cook
GREENLAND John James -Steward
HARDMAN Barry James -Chief Cook
HODGES Anthony Jack -Chief Petty Officer
HUNT William Leonard -4th Engineer Officer
HUTCHINSON Graeme- Extra 3rd Engineer Officer
HUTCHINSON Mrs.Anne- Marie- Wife of Graeme
JONES David Hugh -2nd Engineer Officer
JONES Mrs.Mary -Wife of David
KANE Norman Gibson Aiken- GP1
KING Paul Desmond -Jnr.Engineer Officer
LAMBERT Peter -GP1
LANGTON Bernard- GP2
MARSH Norman -Chief Engineer Officer
MUSA Ali Bin Haji -GP1
MUSA Ronnie- GP1
NOBLETT James -GP1
RAPLEY Clive William -Extra Chief Officer
RIDYARD David Michael -Extra 4th Engineer Officer
SEKAH Badarun Bin -GP1
STOTT Adrian Keith- Jnr.Seaman
TAYLOR Peter John -Petty Officer
TAYLOR Raymond William -2nd Officer
UNDERHILL Capt.Geoffrey Victor -Master
WALLER Roy Alfred -Radio Officer
WILLIAMS Griffith Wyn- GP1
WILLIAMSON Edward Frank -Jnr.Engineer Officer


　　　Also Remembering


PRESCOTT Robert -3rd Engineer Officer
BIGGAM Maxwell -Electrical Engineer Officer
　　Who tragically lost their lives earlier , in 1976, also in the Derbyshire(when named Liverpool Bridge)
　
and

SCULLY John - GP 1 who died aboard another Bibby vessel,m.v.Devonshire in 1983


　
Once again,our thoughts are also with All the Families,Friends,and ex- Shipmates .


　



.....We Will Remember Them......

[cappy]

after all the trouble with that class of vessel don't know why they were still at sea ......we will remember them

[Brian Sladovich]

Much respect to all on board. Many of whom, I had the pleasure to sail with in the '70's.

[james allison]

Hi this keith allison. did we sail together on the Atlantic Bridge in the early 70<s