SHIPS NAME AND SERVICE RECORD
Full Name William Frederick Champion
Discharge Book Number R344521
Department Catering
Your Rank/Rating Galley Boy, Waiter, Assistant Cook, Assistant Steward, Chief Steward
Which Ships were you on and When SS Hazelbank - 30/09/1946 to 14/02/47
MV Oakmore - 18/11/1947 to 02/03/1948
SS Corabank - 14/05/1948 to 22/05/1949
MV Crosbian - 06/08 to 13/09/1949
Samaria - 04/10 to 13/12/1949
SS Churruca - 27/01 to 23/05/1950
MV Grebe - 30/05 to 09/08/1950
SS Leo - 19/09 to 14/12/1950
SS Woodwren - 05/01 to 26/05/1951
MV Drake - 25/07 to 10/09/51 and 20/09 to 10/10/1951
SS Rinaldo - 09/11 to 19/11/1951
MV Purbeck - 23/11 to 24/12/1951
SS Freecrest - 02/01 to 18/02/1952
MV Moreton Corbet - 24/03 to 07/04/1952
SS Tavistock - 15/04 to 14/07/1952 (renamed the SS Southwick)
SS Southwick - 15/07 to 25/11/1952
SS Yorkbrook - 08/12/1952 to 22/01/1953
SS Lord Gladstone - 17/02 to 12/08/1953
Sylvian Coast - 27/11 to 22/12/1953
MV Goldfinch - 31/12/1953 to 22/01/1954
Rhone - 09/02 to 25/02/1954
SS Lloyd Crest - 26/02 to 08/07/1954
Bosworth - 05/08 to 15/10/1954
SS Holderness - 29/10 to 01/11/1954
Finch - 10/11 to 25/12/1954
MV Ortolan - 28/01 to 14/03/1955
MV Lapwing - 15/03 to 29/03/1955
Rhone - 13/08 to 09/11/1955
Notes: R 344521 William Frederick Champion caught his last ship to a far away ocean at 01:20 am, on Saturday morning, 10 November 2018.
He joined the Merchant Navy aged 16 and attended training at the old National Sea Training School, Gravesend from 20 July 1946 to 20 September 1946. He twice circumnavigated the world, once via the Suez Canal and once via the Panama Canal with Bank Line Ships 'Hazelbank' and 'Corabank'. His very first posting on 30 September 1946 was on the 'Hazelbank' and his last posting on 26 August 1955 was on board the 'Rhone'. He started his career as a galley boy and worked his way up to Chief Steward.