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Bridges
Surprising, some of the stories above, I had dealings with Kowloon Bridge and Tectus. Regarding Kowloon Bridge, on it's last loaded voyage prior to sinking off Ireland, she suffered extreme heavy weather damage, on the deck and aft, in way of the Emergency generator room on the lower bridge deck. The steel plate reinforced (not Watertight) doors had been stove in by a "Greenie" coming in over the Port quarter. The Theoretical loading of the suspect "Frame 67(8?)", should have meant that the ship was lost there and then!. The Deck damage was port side also, where a following sea had come aboard and damaged hatch coming support brackets on the forward five hatches, cracks were also seen in the vertical hatch combing plates.
On Tectus, the vessel, in ballast, was anchoring at Vlissingen one afternoon/evening, when the order, "Let Go Port", was given as the vessel was making about six to eight knots astern because of wind and tide, so the whole locker emptied, leaving me to fix it up in the middle of the night. As usual this was the first of about five consecutive anchor and windlass repair jobs.
It was a tragic loss, the Derbyshire, but the results of inquiries into such losses does, eventually, improve safety at sea, although, the manning scales leave a lot to be desired. Nine men on a 300.000DWT ship is not enough for safe watch-keeping and general/emergence maintenance IMHO.
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Hi Billieboy.
I had just finished replying to Calway,in the Robert Prescott posting,when I saw this.
You might like to look at that Link I placed to the Derbyshire Forum in 'Ships Nostalgia'.
(36 pages of it)
http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/showth...ght=DERBYSHIRE
Cheers!
Davey
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Ships Nostalgia
Thanks mate, had a look, quite interesting!:)
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Bibby Gazettes
Hi Davey,
I have seven Bibby Gazettes - 1978-1983, and as they are a bit past my time with Bibby's I will post them on to you if you are interested. All I need is a postal address.
Salaams
Phil
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To Phil
Hi Phil! It's been a while since we spoke in these pages. How are you? Bahut Atcha,sahib. I hope!
That would indeed be a grand gratefully accepted gesture, then I could post the Crew Lists within a Bibby Forum on the site,for reference.
I'll send you a Private Message in a while.
Salaams!
Davey
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Hi Phil,
Would you be the Phil Jones who sailed on the Troopship Devonshire early 60's as one of the R/O's. If so then we sailed together - I was Chief Stewards Writer at the time.
Regards,
John.
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Devonshire
G'day John
Yes, I remember you- strange after all these years. She was a very happy ship and after being on her for over four years I have very fond memories. I swallowed the anchor in '64 and live in Aussie. On fairly frequent trips to the Old Dart since then I meet quite a few of the old Bibby boys and have had many a pint with Jimmy George ( Asst Purser). Alas, he died two years ago.
Salaams Phil
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Hi Phil,
Many thanks for your mail, but it came as a great shock to read that Jimmy George had died. I was with Bibbys until 1976 on and off and every time I was on leave met up with Jimmy and had a few pints in Wrigbys. Do you remember Willie Crooke and Willy Bell, both Jnr Engineers then, sailed with them on the Shropshire and Ocean Bridge respectively. Good to hear that you are well and fit. Still can't believe that Jimmy has died. I went live on the Isle of Man in 1977, now living in Scotland so kind of lost touch with those I knew in Liverpool.
Regards, John.
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Hi John
Could you kindly forward your private Email address, couple of pics to send
salaams
Phil Jones
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Hi Phil,
My email address is john@sincal.co.uk. Looking forward to the pics.
Many thanks,
John.
