La Pradera

[AJ Hawker]

Sailed on the La Pradera 1962-63 nice ship good trip cannot remember mutch of the crew but i think they were pretty good. Loaded phosphrates in Casablanca ( first time i saw two males walking hand in hand) then bunkered in Dakar (woke up in morning the ship was covered from stem to stern with locusts). Sailed for Durban to discharge and load sugar for UK, spent Chrismas and new year in Durban ( had to go on board the Orient City to bum a bag of spuds for Chrismas dinner), Arrived home just in time to see the end of the terrible winter of 62-63.
Regards Allen

[happy daze john in oz]

G'day aJ, you have reminded me of that terrible winter. We heard of it in CapeTown ,think it began about Boxing day. Got home, saw the snow nad headed back to Southampton where it was not so bad. Did another castle boat run and even in March some of the snow was still there.

[AJ Hawker]

Hi John
We arrived home late Jan Feb 63 from South Africa and like you say there was to much snow about would have stayed on the La Pradera but thought she was going to Canada but she did not she went back down to Durban again, found out to late,so I shipped out right away on a BP tanker and ended up doing the Baltic and North Cape ports and that was even colder BRRR. Can see why you went to OZZ.
Cheers AJ

[Steve Farrow]

I missed meeting you by a few months!. I joined the LA PRADERA as a cadet in Belfast on August 2nd 1963, then spent the next ten months.....Montreal-Belfast-twice. Texas-Uk-Brazil-Argentina-Ivory Coast etc. Good ship. I think Allan Hawker sailed with you.

Regards

Steve

[Duke Drennan]

I missed meeting you by a few months!. I joined the LA PRADERA as a cadet in Belfast on August 2nd 1963, then spent the next ten months.....Montreal-Belfast-twice. Texas-Uk-Brazil-Argentina-Ivory Coast etc. Good ship. I think Allan Hawker sailed with you.

Regards

Steve

I hope so, it's the same guy. LOL

[Ernest Fletcher]

Hi Steve, I joined Buries in 63 also as cadet. Could our paths have crossed? The memory is fading and I only remember a few of the apprentices I sailed with. Andy Guthrie, Alan Clark ermmmmm! Damn what was I saying?

Ernest Fletcher

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Ernest
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers


Note Well

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag project then please pass it on to Mike Hall who is doing a Main Flag for all
to be displayed some time in one of the UK Museums!
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Please go to following Link

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=3315

reply to me in person! Via Private Message Link and I will pass on the info!




If you have already done this then please accept my apologies!

[Neil Morton]

My wife to be arrived from Oz in August '62, had never seen snow thought it would be grand, by Feb '63 wanted a plane back home pronto. I was on the Port Nelson mid Pacific and missed it all HA Ha

[happy daze john in oz]

Mort mate I can well understand how you future wife felt then. I remember getting back in about mid Jan and shipping out again as soon as I could when I saw all that snow. Believe some of it was still around end of March.