MV Westminster Bridge

[Malcolm Green]

Hi you guys
I have not been a member long and just hope i get this posting right!

I was in the Westminster from August 1968 until May 1969, first as 3/O and then 2/O for the second half.
When I first joined she was in Watts Watts colours ie a W on the chimney and WW houseflag. During the forthcoming voyage the colours were changed to Bibbys.
I remember she was a happy ship although she was plagued by engine problems. She broke down off the Canaries and had to be "rescued" by a salvage tug and was towed to Las Palmas for repairs. The B & W engine was a real problem.
I have a couple of my photos of her which I could upload if I knew how!! Any advice greatly appreciated.

I was with Bibbys from August 68 until December 71 and apart from the Westmonster Iwas in the Yorkshire,Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Pacific Bridge twice. Apart from Bibbys I sailed with Ben Line and Comben Longstaff.

[Tony Wilding]

hi would be very interested in photos of westmimster bridge, maybe someone can explain to you how to upload them, or you could send them in a email, regards tony wilding.

[Gulliver]

Hi Tony,my friend,hope you are well? and..

Welcome to Malcolm to this great site,and to the Bibby forum in particular.
I served my Deck cadetship with the great old company between late 69 and 72,so was there during your 'timeline'.
I served on Derbyshire,Staffordshire,Shropshire,Worcestershire and Dart America.; so not with you on the ships you mention.I do recall your name though,probably from the crew lists from the Gazette mags.
According to Tony,the Westminster is the only ex-Watts,Watts vessel he recalls having the funnel 'flag' from that company,so it would be interesting to see any pics.


There are so many others here who have the expertise uploading..I've only ever uploaded some crew lists,having very regretfully lost my early photos;but I'll try and explain what to do (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!)

Go to Gallery
Resize your pics if necessary (I used JPEG 800 x 600)
Select Upload Photos
Select Category in the Gallery..Try Personal Albums,then it will keep them together under your name....or perhaps Cargo Ships(I don't think there's a Bulker category)
Try one at a time
Then Upload/Submit and follow instructions.....
(No pressure then.....take your time!)
If not,as I say there are many experts on site....shout for assistance!)


Best regards
Gulliver
(aka D.J.Smith)

[Tony Wilding]

HI, thanks for your reply, i was on MV WANSTEAD a lowly fireman cleaner, why we signed on as that i dont know, as she was a motorship with a 5 cylinder doxford engine, never ever let us down, yet i hear bad reports on doxfords on this site, i had bad experiences with double acting b and w engines, hated them, for me it was the doxford every time, i sailed on the wanstead i think in 1962 joined in antwerp, then all around the medi back to lisboa accross to canada up the great lakes as far as detroit, a continuous cycle for 9 months, paid off in glasgow as she dry docked, they said the next trip was going to burma, ? my brother was on her as port wanstead, also beaconsfield from galley boy to cook, then the woolwich, after that he was on many of the tankers managed by watts watts, his name is paul jarvis, i just got him to join this site, has his first pc. my father jimmy wilding was a senior chief steward with watts during and after the war, have tried to get his wartime history to make an album of his ships , but gave up,went to records office at kew , but think i must have gone on a bad day, i know he was on ss fort august managed by watts also ernest g pathy of federal commerce montreal, ships also managed by watts, also the rangitiki during the war,but was on more ships i dont know of,watts ships to be sure. sad but i dont think i will ever find his ships, expect u know i collect photos of watts ships, have over 200 , including other companies they owned or managed, very interesting, but time consuming, am like a bloodhound tracking them, regards tony wilding

[Malcolm Green]

I have found a photo of the Westminster in WW colours .Hope it uploads OK.
I have a few others of her but the quality isnt up to much as.Iin those days I think my camera was very basic and I didnt take many. I will try and upload what I have got over the next few days.

[Ross Davidson]

Hi Graham, Ross here. I remember you and your wife on the last trip.I remember we were in Pepel loading and doing some repairs. I stayed on board so the 2nd Elec could go ashore(first tripper) and i was working on the automatics for the boiler and getting it back to the original condition. You guys had gone ashore on a boat and on the way back i got a call from the the bridge to find a good hiding place!You see i had just lit the boiler and was adjusting air/oil mix and this huge plume of black smoke came out the funnel, floated down and across the dead calm water enveloping you guys making your way back on the boat. I tore up the engine room steps to the stern just in time to see you all disappear into the thick cloud of smoke!! What a crack up! I did shut the boiler down as soon as i got the call but the damage had already been done.I probably kept a low profile the rest of the day. Best regards, Ross
I have a heap of stories from both voyages on the Monster - as it plummeted along at 13 knots!

[Ross Davidson]

Hi Davey, Yes Captain Pierce was a nice bloke. It was such a shame about the killing off the coast of West Africa. I met the young lad's Uncle at Heathrow and promised we'd look after him as he was only 17 and his first trip.Felt i let him down. I was 2nd Elec on that voyage and responsible for showing the movies. I thought it would be a good idea to teach the lad how to operate the projector and splice the films etc. He was keen to do it and it looked as though he was in for an interesting voyage with another wee skill up his sleeve for the future. It wasn't to be.I can still remember the scene and setting up floodlights for Scotland Yard to take pics. We pulled in to Dakar and the body was removed. A totally sad affair to start the voyage. We were all questioned by the D's between Dakar and Simons Town(Capetown's Naval Base). We called at People to load with ore for Japan and as we approached FreeTown, one of the main bearings on the HAsties steering gear collapsed and jammed the steering - propelling us towards the Yacht Club.I ran onto the deck outside the accom in time to see the Mate(a short balding guy) running as fast as he could in flip flops with the Chippie in tow. They let out the Port anchor and as they tried to slow it, burned out the brake!They dropped the Starboard with a bit more care. Finally we got full astern going and as we had already pumped out ballast, the whole stern shook and bounced. I reckon we were bouncing at least an inch up and down and all the while still heading for the beach. People were starting to rise and vacate their positions almost like a retreat!I don't think the hammering the engine got did it any favours and in fact it may have caused the broken "tie" rod.We " limped" from Pepel to Simons Town where we carried out proper repairs to the steering gear.As we were anchored near the Naval Base, it was common to see warships go in and out and i remember having a bludge up on the bridge when the second Mate said to me let's check if these South Africans are on their toes.My borredom disappeared immediately and the 2nd Mate got a cadet down to the stern Flagstaff. As a RSA destroyer passed us he got the cadet to dip the Red Ensign.Wel! The Starboard door on the destroyer bridge liteally flew open and this poor seaman bolted all the way down flights of ladders to the stern to dip their Ensign in return!
I bought a monkey in Pepel for 5 empty Heineken bottles, in fact three monkeys were bought.One escaped at sea and when we cornered it in the starboard lifeboat, it jumped - the wrong way, into the sea.Minewent wild and bit people. It escaped about four days out of Australia and Captain Pierce quietly made me aware of what quarantine would do to me so i went on a three day hunt to catch the damn thing. Clambering over nine hatches, up one side of the forecastle and down the other, up the goal posts at the bow and down the other side.They used to clap and say "here comes the great white hunter" at lunch. I did get him on the third day and i think it was the 2nd mate who helped me knock him out with chloriform from the hospital. I remember just as i was going to drop him over the side he came to and sasnk his teeth into my hand!The second dose we gave him until we were sure there was no heartbeat and then dispatched him to the deep. I was bitten,bloodied and my reputation in tatters but at least i had saved myself thousands of dollars in quarantine fines.Must go. Bibby Line was a great life,never a dull moment.May share some other stories
The last monkey survived and was a real pet to everyone. Used to come in the engineers mess and have breakfast with us and snuggle up inside your overalls on a cold morning. Best regards, Ross

[Paul Coleman]

I was an Assistant Steward on the trip previous and the last trip of the Westminster Bridge. This means I would have cleaned your cabin and served your food. Do you remember Mad Mac, the Chef? I sailed with him when he was a Chief Steward on the English Bridge and remember him well.
Go well

[Colin Beveridge]

I sailed on the Westminster Bridge in the mid seventies,Bob Prescott was 4th,Alex Cairney 3rd,John penman 2nd and the Chief was George Tennant,me being a second trip Junior.Tony Bath was the mate and Eric Pearce the skipper,that was the trip he ran her aground in Japan and the resulting dry dock gave us a bit of time ashore for a change.
Never worked so hard in my life but all the memories are good ones and I sure miss Bob Prescott,he was a great shipmate.
I am sure the chippy was Tom Blease who perished on the Derbyshire,I have a photo of him riding down the deck on a pushbike he "found" in Japan.
Good Times

[Dave Cobbett]

Hello Yorkie

I sailed on the Westminster bridge on this trip. E.D.H. i think. Lot of livestock came on board in west Africa.
Parrots, monkeys etc. lot of break downs if i remember. Long way to a one horse town in Australia.