Bowater Ships

[Ivan Cloherty]

Just looked at the photo ! Hmmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!!! Wallpaper, flowered curtains, and handbags, now I remember why I never applied to join one of their ships

[Captain Kong]

Just looked at the photo ! Hmmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!!!! Wallpaper, flowered curtains, and handbags, now I remember why I never applied to join one of their ships
.
.Me too Ivan, and also one man trying to mount another.
What jolly times these sailors have.
Cheers
Brian.

[happy daze john in oz]

I worked by in Dry Dock for a couple of weeks on two of the Bowater Ships , The were the cleanest Engine Rooms I have ever seen , and a total credit to the guys who worked on them , a lot of the engine room men seemed to be Hebrides guys

Of coures they were claen, all thoses big toilet rolls they carried, cleaned up the a***** end of the ship.

[Chris Isaac]

I wonder if any of you guys that sailed with Bowaters/British & Commonwealth ever sailed with an ass/stwd. called EDWARD GEI HAMILTON or know the true story of his death. He was a South African by birth and a great character. I first met him on the Tintagel Castle in 1968. In 1974 I was on a ship in Cornerbrook loading for Australia, at the same time a Bowater ship was loading. I got talking in one of the local bars to some of the crew of tthe Bowater ship (I do not remember which one) We were swinging the lamp about ships in general and B&C in particular when Edward's name cropped up in the conversation. One of these guys said that Edward had been allegedly murdered by the bosun on one of the Bowater ships whiile in a port in the U.S.A. This guy was not sailing on the ship at the time but had heard about it. We all know that these things can end up like Chinese whispers when being repeated. So if any body has any knowledge of this incident or Edward I would love to hear about it.

Eddie was Assistant Steward on Rotherwick Castle in 1969 and I was Second Mate on her.
Eddie was tragically swept overboard whilst he was sun bathing. The ship hit a freak wave and when the water had cleared Eddie had gone.
He was a lovely guy without a bad bone in his body. As camp as a row of tents and he would have been the first to admit it.

[john walker]

Thanks for that information Chris. I was a first trip catering boy when I met Edward. He was a great character and as you say very camp. I never went to sea training school so had very little knowledge of ships in general or catering in particular. Edward spent a lot of his own time showing me how to do my job in a more efficient and professional manner. He was like a lot of "gay" merchant seamen at the time very helpful and knowledgable and willing to pass that on to first trippers like myself just to help you. Characters like Edward were accepted at sea but not ashore, at the time. I will allways be thankful to Edward and others I sailed with over the years who helped me to learn my job and gain promotion and to help me on the way to a very rewarding and satisfying career.

[Bob Petty]

Bowaters Great ships good feeders, Gladys Bowater 15-02-1960 / 17-03-1960

[Chris Isaac]

Bowaters Great ships good feeders, Gladys Bowater 15-02-1960 / 17-03-1960

So why only stay for 30 days ?

[Chris Isaac]

As part of the B&C Staff Register I would like as many ex Bowater people to register and tell their experiences of Bowaters.
I want to hear of your fun with the company, your fears when B&C got involved (I have sympathy with that as I was with South American Saint Line and we had the same fate)
Home
Click on register, enter your details and I will enter and upload. If you have photographs even better just send me an email with them attached.

The Bowater section starts here:
Bowaters

Hoping to hear from many of you

Regards
Chris

[john sutton]

In the 50,s I was on the caxton and the Caslon.These were known in Manchester as paper boats.There was at least one other but I cannot recall the owners.We always understood it was a newspaper firm
john sutton

[robpage]

I believe it was a Runciman's ship , and foundered mid 1960's off Rhodes .