Welcome to Common Brothers Forum

[Roy A Swan]

Thank you Brian Probetts for promptly opening this forum at my request.

Looking forward to hearing from fellow Commons guys and sharing some laughs and experiences.
I joined Iron Ore as a fresh faced cadet in Glasgow 1961 and left as a rather wrinklier Chief Officer in 1973. A good company for all round experience on a variety of vessels. A good old fashioned Newcastle family firm of 3 generations, I felt like touching my forelock when Mr. Elliot, Mr. John or Mr. Sandy deigned to speak to me !
Commons were mainly managers but did own a variety of vessels over the years.
A very good book called "The Trades Increase" is available and gives details of all ships owned and managed. The final name of the company was ' Forex' after a succession of mergers and takeovers.

Main management in my time were 'Border Boats' (BP tankers with Tartan Funnel), Bisco Iron Ore Carriers and Kuwait Oil Tanker vessels.

I enjoyed Borders Keep, Terrier and Pele, Daghestan, Afghanistan, Woodburn ( 21 months including big grounding in Singapore), North Devon, Warbah ,Al Sabiyah and Al Funtas. A mix of crews, Indian, Chinese, Somali and of course the usual UK mix of Geordies, Scots, irish and Welsh. Always good for a punch up after a few jars ! I even watched the skipper and an AB swinging at each other on the wharf. Happy Days !

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Roy.
Welcome aboard hope you enjoy yous stay, some good tales and banter goes on, don't be alarmed if it gets a little bit rough, it's only mess room talk generally. Look forward to your posts and some tales. I;m sure you will find someone who has sailed with Common Brothers.
Cheers Des


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[j.sabourn]

Hi Roy always kept to the more elite Tyneside shipowner the likes of Runciman and Dalgliesh. However did know the mate on the Dhagestan about 1965 a bloke called Gerry Screen. Cheers JS

[vic mcclymont]

25% owned by B&C.

[cappy]

Thank you Brian Probetts for promptly opening this forum at my request.

.

I even watched the skipper and an AB swinging at each other on the wharf. Happy Days !

did you ever come across arthur pegg an engineer who was with border boats like his father before him ....out of south shields ...did an 11 monther on the riseley with him .....a good bloke but seemingly came off watch up the gulf in a border boat ...drank a can sitting on deck .....squashed the can and then said ....effit and just jumped over the wall...ship came about ..but never found......on the risley the old man stopped all beer for the crew only officers got it ......i was 2nd steward amd there was always a few cans off arthur for the boys a good shipmate ...rest in peace regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

Cappy there was one skipper on one of the stand by boats in same company I was in carried his own survival suit, the company certainly didn't supply in those not too far distant days. It was said he had been in one of the specialist services SAS or something, whether true or not don't know. Had a habit on passage out to whatever location they were bound for of pushing the M.O.B. Alarm (Man overboard Alarm ) jumping over the side without telling anyone. I would class him in a line of nutters I have known at sea. Would not have fancied his chances if with a crowd he didn't get on with. As he did this when on watch by himself or had a yearning to depart this world I don't know, he got the usual warnings and sacked. Apart from his own life which he had an obvious disregard for, he was leaving his place of duty and endangering every man on board. On long ocean passages it was often usual to have at least one man suffering from severe melancholy and one had to watch out for any Sign of, once when ,mate on the Pennyworth this old seaman brought his son down to the ship when joining as deck boy and came up to me and asked I keep an eye on him. We did 2 trips up to Murmansk from Liverpool, each time the lad was sick from leaving the quay to getting back, after the first trip his old man came down and I told him I didn't think his son was very happy with the sea life, he insisted he carry on, which the kid did to please his father, coming back to Liverpool the second time his father came down to ship and I again said the same and also I was worried about the mental state of the boys health. He very reluctantly took the lad off the ship, and know the kid was very pleased to get off. We will never really know how many have taken their own lives as is so easy at sea, and know of at least a couple of other occasions where there was doubt in my mind as to cause of death. Cheers JS

[Red Lead Ted]

Jim, Cappy, You must have come across the mighty Quinn, Martin King Spoke of the Empress boats, I only ever saw one guy stand up and go toe to toe with him, Quarter Master Jimmy Turtin, Great bloke Jimmy sailed with him twice E.O.Canada and as Bosun in a Palm Boat I happened to mention the night it happened and I witnessed it, Terry lad the bigger they come the longer they fall and never forget it lad Terry.

[Jim Brady]

I remember Martin hunting me down on the Britain when I was bell boy, I emptied the purser's rosie over the side on the boat deck.The problem was I was on the weather side so there was quite a bit of paper scattered about the boat deck which his men had to clean up.Jimmy Turtin I sailed with him on the Salinas,I lost a bit of respect for him as him and Joe Bennett reputedly worked this little quiet AB over because he wouldn't lend them money,well that was the story.I did see the AB and he had had a pasting.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Jim Brady]

The story was Terry this AB (I think I remember his name but I wont mention it)didn't leave an allotment,did'nt need a sub as most probably had pay off from last ship lived in the Sailors Home when back in Liverpool.As soon as leave was up ship out most probably with money from last pay off.As far as I am aware he slid off ashore on his own,complete loner.Story was Turton and Bennett asked him for money he refused and they beat him up.I had a bit of an argument over this with Ernie Turton once in Waterloo,he was talking of his brother Jimmy.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Roy A Swan]

Thanks Terry, always enjoyed a night ashore in Liverpool, (and Shields, Glasgow, Hull, Dublin etc.) Fortunately my legs are longer than my arms so not too many punch ups. Love the Scouse accent and humour. After a few jars some guys fight, some sleep but the rest of us sing.