Sorry to see no one has added to this site

[David Neilson]

I have photos and menus from the RMS DARA 1950s any body interested.
David Neilson jr

[Gulliver]

Good Morning, David.
I guess maybe ex-BI staff are too well-catered for by their own excellent site,which I expect you know!
http://www.biship.com/

Still,thankfully a lot of us are not' blinkered'. I shop around the sites,or should I say 'ship' around!,and am always drawn back to this one.
Stops me going stale. By the way,I'm not ex-BI,but Bibby's.
Must say I still think that this MN site is ,for me,the friendliest general interest site for all we Seafarers and Families.

Like most of us,I've never eaten as well as I did at sea!...I mean....kedgeree,fresh fruit...and curry(if you wanted)....and that's just for breakfast!
So yes,would love to see those menus....We devour anything on this site...well,not the menus...but you know what I mean
(Oh well....back to me baked beans on toast..)
Davey(Gulliver)

[Gulliver]

The mention of BI's m.v.DARA in David Neilsen's post, reminded me of the fate of this vessel,which some of you may find interesting.
http://www.biship.com/historical/dara.htm
(Thanks to BIship.com for this link)
http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuil...ip.asp?id=4421


Gulliver

[John Briggs]

I was in BI for nine years. A really great company.
Maybe the lack of response to this thread is the title - "BI Steamship Line"
I have never heard it called this. Always BI or BISN Co. or British India or British India Steam Navigation Co.
The present title could be confused with the B & I Shipping Line.

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

Sorry about that John - I have changed the name to The British India Steamship Co.

Brian.

[jimmys]

In the late fifties I was serving my apprenticeship ashore and I had written to some shipping companies for info.
The best and most attractive package came from British India. I had every intention of joining them. That was until Mummy read the booklet and at that time young engineers were contracted out to India for two years, you took leave there during the time. I looked forward to the two years.
My Mother did not see it like that and British India was out the window. I joined Blue Funnel which was six months maximum. She had to be talked into that. I am afraid long trips were not on the agenda.
BI had over 100 ships at that time, almost all unknown in the UK.
The Uganda was the first to be really well known.

regards
jimmy

[Tony Brooke]

Your Mummy clearly knew a thing or two Jimmy.
I joined the BI along much the same route as you describe, but had already left home to serve my time, so didn't have anybody around to warn me about those open ended trips to the far side.
I joined SS Uganda in the Royal Albert Dock in 1966 thinking I would sample the life at sea for a couple of years and ended my working days still at sea on a ship down in Brazil, 36 years later.
I was with the BISNCo. till P&O took control and eventually sold off all their lovely ships in the 70's. It seemed to me, in my early 20's and 30's a very alluring and dangerously addictive company to be a part of , more like a gentleman's club than a paid job. but the BI ships were the best and the people on them knew it and were very proud of it.
I'll spare you the listing of my other ships here, as any BI survivors will be huddled with a can or a nip gazing glassy eyed at BI's own web site, clicky as ever, God bless em! After BI there were a few NZSCo; Strick Line and P&O cargo ships, then the offshore oilfields, but that's a different world and a long story, most and best of it forgotten.
The Blue Flue were also a very good company though, from what I saw and heard of them.

[John Lloyd]

Hi , forgive my lack of knowledge .but is it the British &india Steamship Companys "Darra" ? if so had an old mate Peter Lightfoot who was on it in 1960/1961 ? Best regards
John

[John Lloyd]

David
I have now read further threads and I see it was the ship my mate Peter Lioghtfoot was on ,He was a Radio Officer and was i think onboard as she exploded and eventually sank . Great pictures for "Gulliver" thread....
I havent used the links and threads much , but have now realised how Good they are,
Cheers Shipmate
John

[Peter Harris]

Hi there. I was a cadet o Okhla running cashew nuts between E Africa and India when Dara went down. I was later relieved by one of the cadets from Dara [his name is mentioned with merit in the book Last Hours of the Dara] and I went to Bombay to join Dumra for 9 months. We often passed the wreck of the Dara which was clearly visible.