Esso

[Andrew McPhee]

Hello there,

I wonder if anyone can help, please? I'm seeking details on my great uncle, William (Willie) McPhee, who was chief engineer on an Esso fleet tanker from the 1930s until retirement in the 1960s. He lived in Netherlee, Glasgow, and trained at the Nautical College there before going to sea. My father thinks he ended his career as engineering commodore, but sadly doesn't remember the names of his ships.

I know he worked out of Aruba, presumably taking refined oil to the USA (he certainly had a lot of US-made tools in his home) and possibly also to the UK. My father remembers him saying he was torpedoed twice during the war, with one story going that his ship's bow was blown off and he steered the aft section back to port. I have found reference to a ship that this happened to in the Esso fleet in the Standard Oil Company's book 'Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II', but no mention of my uncle in the crew list.

I've also contacted the University of Texas, which holds records for the Exxon (Esso) fleet, but they don't have crew records.

Any ideas where I'd find out more? Does anyone remember Willie? Any help or pointers would be very gratefully appreciated.

[jimmys]

Thats strange I live in Netherlee in Glasgow, I am an ex Chief Engineer and I trained at Glasgow Nautical College. I know a McPhee family.

Which street did your uncle live in??

regards
jimmy

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Andrew
Welcome to the site,hope you will enjoy your stay and get a load of info on your query!

Dont know if this may be of some help,and not sure if this is your G/Uncle at all,as you dont mention his DOB !
Anyway could be??
Cheers

Record Summary
Scope and content Name: McPhee, William. Service number: R277989. Date of birth: 25/10/1909.
Covering dates 1944-1945
Held by The National Archives, Kew

Many Crew Lists are now held in Canada,so this may be a starting point!
A lot of the Lads on site have obtained Crew Lists from there,myself included!
Cheers

http://www.mun.ca/mha/about/orderagreements.php

mha@mun.ca.

Contact Tanya McDonlad

Dont know if this Book would have anything of help ???

http://www.booksandcollectibles.com..../527c6853.html

[Andrew McPhee]

Hello there Jimmys,

Thanks for taking the time to reply - I really appreciate it. I think they were in Netherlee Avenue (although it's 17 years since Willie's wife, Ina, died). I know they didn't have any children, so maybe it's a more distant branch of the family you know?

Andy

[Andrew McPhee]

Hello Castleman,

Very, very grateful for you taking the time to help. That could be a real winner – I know my Grandpa (Willie's brother) was born around that time, so it ties in quite well. I'll follow it up for sure.

Thanks, too, for the Canada tip and the book title; I'll check these out, too.

Thanks very much again.

Andy

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Andy
A pleasure and i hope that you may reap some rewards from the info!
All the best in your quest!
Cheers

[DeepSea]

If he served with Esso during the war, I doubt any crew records would be held in Canada. Esso was part of the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, which were American owned. It is possible his WWII service record is held in the US. See link below.

http://www.usmm.org/contact.html#contact3

The other refernce given by Castleman is from BT 391/73/223 held at Kew. This is a record pouch for a British Seaman named William McPhee engaged in the liberation of Europe from the 6th June 1944 to the 8th May 1945.

I am not aware of any Esso tankers being involved in Operation Neptune, so would be sceptical this is your man.

[jimmys]

Hi Andy,

The house I now live in which is in Deanwood Avenue in Netherlee I bought in 1977 from Jack and Annie McPhee. Jack worked for General Electric and was an engineer. I dont know about sea service. They had lived here since pre WW2. It was just funny the name came up. Jack died in the eighties and Annie just died a few years ago in an old folks home. She was in her high nineties. They both were locals.
Probably your extended family. I dont know about relatives, I asked around but to far back. Both born WW1time.
Just for your interest

regards
jimmy

[Andrew McPhee]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for your replies. DeepSea, I did try Esso records at the University of Texas (they haven't kept personnel records), but I'll try asking them if they exist for Standard Oil. It'd be terrific if they did.

I'll also try the US Merchant Marine - I know Willie must have spent a lot of time in the US, because a lot of his tools were made in the US.

Jimmys, thanks again - quite a coincidence! Willie and Ina must have bought their house after the war, I reckon, because they lived in Aruba during the war years. Thanks for the correspondence, though - it'd be funny if I went back and discovered they were related!

Thanks again for all your continued help - it's really very much appreciated.

Andy

[Arthur John Harvey]

R235941. I served with what was Esso during the war, it was the Anglo American Oil Company and one ship named George W.McKnight about 12000 tons also a ship called the Eclipse which was under the Socony Vacuum Oil Company, but these companies appear to be controlled by Standard Oil, after the war I
serviced on the mosquito fleet in Aruba; shipped back to the UK on the Esso London T2 as second mate. I would assume that all the paperwork was retained by Anglo American Oil Company who became Esso.