Esso's

Hi Tom,

Good to see your post Tom, my first trip was on ESSO Portsmouth 08/04/68, she was the ESSO Durham sister ship and by this time they were both “All Aft” after the explosion. I had my share of fires and explosions with ESSO but don’t envy you on the Durham, just in case you haven’t seen it follow this link to Auke Vissers site:

http://www.aukevisser.nl/uk/id173.htm

Some ESSO Portsmouth Names that might ring a bell or two:

Master, “Willy” Brians
Mick Lisney, Third Engineer
Jack Calor, Jr Second Engineer
John “Mud Hut Mason” Lecky paid of in Pantalarea with a dicky ticker
Alfie Toulson, Lecky

All the best

Steve R770014 South Derbyshire

When the Durham went into dry dock the crew were repatriated, and I (junior eng) the 2nd eng, the CE, skipper and chief steward were to remain.
Instructions were to book into any hotel except The Rock.
I nipped ashore smartly and got myself and the second booked into The Queen. There being no more vacancies at The Queen the others had to billet at lower quality billets down town
Every morning the second and I would sit on the balcony with coffee and croisants and watch our more senior members toiling uphill. We would then join them at the dockyard gates.
I prepared samples from the explosion site for conveyance to the UK and sawed in half anodes from the ruptured tanks.
Explosion occurred in 4 cntr but made common with the sea through 4 port and 4 stb.
The ship had been provisiond for 56 men for 6 months.
Esso invited tenders from wholesalers and chandlers, for the victuals.
It appeared all tenders "Had been cooked" as every one was identical and ridiculously low. Esso retaliated by donating all supplies to a local orphanage run by Catholic nuns.
Army trucks transported the food and dry good to the nuns and the bond store to the army mess. ( how much made it to the mess is a matter of speculation)
The local press were loud in their praise for Esso, but, as the Company said, Esso had no presence in Gib.. All sevice stations were Shell
tom reidy

I sailed with Jack (spelt Caller) I think in 1965 on the Westminster when he was a 4/E. I'm glad he made it to J/2E at least. Any idea whan happened to him after that?

Regards

Dave Light

hiya steve, i have just come on this site, anyway i spent 10 years in esso and really enjoyed my time there, you know they always said that tankers where on crap runs but when i was there deep sea they where on great runs, and the company really did look after there employees, anyway its weird how over the years how you forget but you mentioned the purser terry sutcliffe, well i sailed with terry and he was a real gent and to be honest id completely forgotten about terry until i saw his name mentioned, then it rang a bell so to speak,terry weas a lovely man, regards terry lewis

Hello Michael, I was told, By some-one that knows, that ESSO was originally a typists mistake when the company was STANDARD OIL of NEW JERSEY. she was told to draught a letter to S.O. (Standard Oil> but mistook the name for ESSO. It appears that the boss liked the name, and from then on that was the companies logo name. I stand to be corrected of course.
Nice to meet you,
Colin, ex Esso man.

In '49' I sailed on the D.L.Harper & I have always been curious of how the careers of 2 apprentices transpired, one named Campbell ,the senior app. ( his father was a senior Capt.in the company ), & 'young Wilkie ' Wilkinson on his 1st trip . I recall many incidents involving them , some amusing, but couldn't occur today , hopefully . If anyone knows of them I would gratefully appreciate it . Ron

I too was did ten years with esso 1965 till 1975 second cook and baker then head cook I was also on the Cambria when it ran aground in the gulf in 1970

I too did ten years in esso 1965 till 1975 most of the vlcc s was second cook and baker then chief cook I was also on the Cambria when she ran aground in the gulf in 1970

I have just been reading the posts on this ESSO thread,
It appears that all of my posts have disappeared.
ESSO was the best ever Company to work for. good pay and at the end when offered early retirement as they were getting out of ship owning, the severance pay was incredible, like winning the Lottery, after 25 years and spending over £150,000 on world cruises every year, I still more than twice the amount they gave me with the advice of their Financial advisers. with incredible investments.
Best move I ever made.
I sailed with Jack Aalan`s` son Ashley on QE2 ,when I was cruising, as a Cadet and then when he was Second Mate.
Cheers
Brian.

I too sailed in the Exeter and also with Cable and Wireless...