Last Trips to Burma

[Gregor Morcom]

Following recent Focus articles, it now seems that the Yoma went to Burma on more than the one trip I did, over Christmas 1965, immediately following her name change. I was under the impression that she went back on the West Africa run after that one voyage, but that seems to be an incomplete story. Any further details of the/those further trips would help clarify still slightly muddy waters.
Regards, Gregor

[Doc Vernon]

Is this the Ship in question,if it is then perhaps the former and subsequent names may assist others to look up what you are seekin!??
Welcome to the site!
Cheers

Daru (2) 1958 1965 transferred to British & Burmese SN Co., renamed Yoma (3), 1966 reverted to Daru, 1979 sold to Liberia, renamed Lone Eagle. 6,340 ??????

[Tony Morcom]

Hello and welcome to the site Gregor. Have to admit its not very often I come across someone with their surname spelt the same as ours. Maybe a connection somewhere back in the ists of time?? Anyhow I hope you find the info you are looking for and also find plenty to entertain you here.

[Charlie Hannah]

My brother in law was on SS Yoma when she was sunk by German u boat.



SS YOMA Sunk on June 17th 1943
SS Yoma was a Passenger/Cargo liner of 8,131 tons of the British and Burmese Steam Navigation Co., serving in the Mediterranean as an auxiliary transport.
She was in convoy with the ships SS Amarapoora, Pegu, Kemmendine and Sagaing en route from Sfax to Alexandria when she was sunk by
the U-81 near Derna. On board were 1,670 troops of which 451 were lost. Capt. George Patterson and 32 crew members also perished.

[Gregor Morcom]

Many thanks for the welcome.

The very same ship, Doc (but I was under the impression that she become Yoma (2)). The subsequent information is that she made a further Burma run from 23 November '66 to 27 February '67. I wondered whether there were any further trips between mine and this one.

There would appear now to be a further question regarding her reverting to Daru in '66 if she was indeed in the course of a Burma voyage. The ED Fleet History is incomplete regarding such information.

Regarding the number 6340 ????? in your reply, this was the gross registered tonnage of the Daru. This became 6300.68 (per my Discharge Book) following conversion to the Yoma. (I know not why. Something to do with crew galley arrangements perhaps?) There appear to have been more changes to this, and other tonnage figures, later.

As a final detail, when she reverted to Daru, it was under Guinea Gulf, rather than ED, colours.

Thanks for the prompt follow up.

Regards, Gregor

[david crawford]

Hi there I was fiver on the Daru yoma . on her atlantic trip in 1966
I joined her in liverpool as yoma and then on the way to the states she was changed back to Daru .On that voyage the Mates wifes phoned the Eds to find when her husband was coming home and 2was told that EDs didnt have a ship called yoma !
good ship,happy times
hope this helps
David

[Bev Summerill]

I did my first 2 trips with ED's on the Daru in 1965 as 3rd mate. Then she became the Yoma and I left before she sailed deep sea as my first child was due

Bev Summerill

[Gregor Morcom]

Thanks for the further info. It looks like she did your trip before reverting to Yoma for another, final, Burma run at the end of '66, for which she was still probably equipped with the Suez Canal searchlight. Closure of the canal in June '67 put paid to any more Burma trips, although it seems that she only did that one and thereby avoided being trapped in Great Bitter Lake.

I guess that the 3/E was still Alan Atkinson and the C/E for the my two trips was John Smith. I seem to recall that, by the end of the Burma trip, the engine side rods were painted Henderson pink! I was discharged in Liverpool on 7th march 1966, after coasting.

Did you still have the Burmese crew? Whilst we were away, the 8-12 greaser used come on watch and present me with an acceptable, sun dried fish. Whilst in Bassein, somewhere else on the Irrawaddy I believe, he came back from ashore with a pack of 50 (cheaper) Burmese cheroots, which I didn't manage as well as the fish. My cabin mate was Burmese Deck Apprentice Aung Myint Soe.

Gregor Morcom ('Cornish')

[Gregor Morcom]

Were we on the same trip? Your name kind of rings a bell but, as ever over the years, all the details have faded. I joined Daru in Shieldhall early in July '65, when she was lightship and the gangway was at a crazy angle. Signing on date was 15th July, 1966 in Glasgow. We loaded in Liverpool (either Toxteth or Brunswick) and the last port was Milford Haven, where we loaded explosives and left around sunset.

We bunkered in Las Palmas and called at Teneriffe, from where we sailed without the 4/E and a Junior. As a first trip Cadet this was an experience and I became 'Junior' to the remaining Junior on the 8-12 - a great way of learning the business.

As a final item, we loaded palm oil in Port Harcourt and, with a couple of feet of oil in the tank, the Mate enquired whether the pipes in the 'tween deck should have been in the tank. They were the pieces forming the suction pipe for the circulation system, which was still blanked. Now, our young, (first trip?), ex-ED Cadet, 2/E was too big to fit in the man-way in the hatch cover and had not checked the Headman's work! A second tank was prepared rapidly and the other oil transferred later (by bucket?). The 2/E did his next trip with Harrisons!

Does this ring any (of the eight) bells?

Cheers,

Gregor