Gsnc

[Stuart Henderson]

Hi Stuart, I remember the" Concorde" well. She belonged to Lockett Wilson a subsidiary of Dundee, Perth and London Lines and saw her on the Seine many times. You are right, she only carried a cook/steward on the catering side.

The Muller ships that I sailed in were the "Somme" on the Manchester/Liverpool run and the "Scheldt" on the London/Paris trade. We sailed from St Georges wharf, near Surrey Docks entrance and later moved over to Free Trade wharf which also was not far from the Prospect of Whitby. Muller ships were all named after French rivers Garonne, Gironde, Marne, Meuse, Aisne, Escaut etc.

Regards....Alec.

Hi Alec,
Thanks for that info,really news from a long dstant past.... Remember Surrey Docks with affection from my Cunard cargo boat days,it was nearer Waterloo station for me than the Royal Docks which helped when working by a ship. Remember pubs being open before 0800 hrs too for dock workers which was real handy if you had a real hard night and wanted a livener. Also recall Dock St pool sending me to Deadmans Creek to join collier Sherwood France Fenwicks. I thought they were kidding but an old dear on the bus told me where to get off,right near Surrey Docks on the river. Didnt get to St Georges but recall Free Trade wharf.
Best wishes
Stuart

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Like you when you first posted I haven't quite got used to this site. I just thought I would register that my first trip to sea was on the mvDrake out of what was then London Dock, in Nov.1949, as Galley boy. The run was the same then, cargo of wool for Dieppe or Le Havre and then round to Tonnay Charente to load up with Hennessys best. I wonder if the bar that we all called Madame Le Blanc's is still is still there. I'm sure she isn't.
Happy days
Cheers

Pete Leonard

[KEN WILLIAMS]

Hi my name is ken williams d/b r576358 my first ship was the seamew .july 52 to dec 52 as the deck boy .our trips were down to bordore for 5 trips then down to oporto for the rest of my time on her what a great ship and crew.i also sailed on the alouette from butlers wharf to amsterdam and up to harlegen.my girl freind at the time (now my wife)would be at the worldsend pub on saturday to wave to me as we sailed down the thames; that was june53 /dec 53.after that it was b.t.c tankers. My last 5 years at sea was with everards.i now live in new zealand

[Stuart Henderson]

Hi Ken,
Just missed you on Seamew, see I was A/S on her in early 1953 also on the Oporto run. Great company though,lots of happy memories. Nice short trips, good accommodation,runs ashore and of course the weekly docking bottle who could ask for more ? Happy times, good luck to you.
Stuart Henderson
France

[Leslie Gray]

Hi I have just joined Old Friends.I am still not quite sure how this works.I joined Royal Sovereign July 1950.After 8 weeks as Pantry Boy I was offered the chance of joining the Merchant Navy,and getting my Book. I signed on to SS.Cormorant as Galley Boy on 2/9/50.After this I served on MV Greenfinch.MV Mavis.and SS Starling.It was all hard work and long hours,but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.After this I went deep sea,and served with quite a few companies.Hope I've done this right.Les.

[Stuart Henderson]

Hi I have just joined Old Friends.I am still not quite sure how this works.I joined Royal Sovereign July 1950.After 8 weeks as Pantry Boy I was offered the chance of joining the Merchant Navy,and getting my Book. I signed on to SS.Cormorant as Galley Boy on 2/9/50.After this I served on MV Greenfinch.MV Mavis.and SS Starling.It was all hard work and long hours,but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.After this I went deep sea,and served with quite a few companies.Hope I've done this right.Les.

Hello Les,
I was in several GSNC ships in fifties like you but apart from Royal Sovereign which I did a few weeks on as A/S wasnt on the others you mentioned. Found it a great company,liked the short trips & docking bottles.
Hope you enjoy the site,there are still a few old uns around like us. I was at sea 1947 to 1977
Stuart

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Hi. Stuart, I also served on MVDrake, but a little earlier than you 1949/50. Tonnay Charente was a fascinating place,probably because it was one of the first foreign places I had been to. I can remember walking across the railway lines to the nearest bar whch was run by a Madame LeBlanc, commonly known as Madame Le Plonk. You mentioned Pabst brewery in Milwaukee, are you sure it wasn't Shlitz? Their advertising slogan was 'The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous'. It was something to do with a big fire there when the brewery dished out beer to the firemen.

[Stuart Henderson]

Hi. Stuart, I also served on MVDrake, but a little earlier than you 1949/50. Tonnay Charente was a fascinating place,probably because it was one of the first foreign places I had been to. I can remember walking across the railway lines to the nearest bar whch was run by a Madame LeBlanc, commonly known as Madame Le Plonk. You mentioned Pabst brewery in Milwaukee, are you sure it wasn't Shlitz? Their advertising slogan was 'The Beer That Made Milwaukee Famous'. It was something to do with a big fire there when the brewery dished out beer to the firemen.

Hi Pete,
Yes of course you are correct Pete, it was Schlitz in Milwaukee !! I did visit Budweiser brewery many years later on a Florida holiday, not Pabst but I guess in my fifteen years running on Cunard ships I must have drunk barrels of all of em !! Think we have talked about Drake before,was it earlier on this thread ? I lived in France since early nineties and visited Tonnay Charente a few years ago, very big changes obviously in the fifty plus years but the quay side square was still very much the same,bar as well.
Cheers,
Stuart

[Leslie Gray]

Hello Les,
I was in several GSNC ships in fifties like you but apart from Royal Sovereign which I did a few weeks on as A/S wasnt on the others you mentioned. Found it a great company,liked the short trips & docking bottles.
Hope you enjoy the site,there are still a few old uns around like us. I was at sea 1947 to 1977
Stuart

Hi Stuart.I agree with you GSNC was a great company.My trouble was seasickness,on those little ships I am afraid I couldn't take it,so I went deep sea and from then on I was OK.I finished at sea in 1958.And got married.All the Best.Les.

[David Williams]

Hello all, Im a newbie to this site. I was at sea 1947 to 1977 in catering. My first ten years I more or less operated on a programme of one ship,one trip but of course at times the Pool had different ideas. However usually when I had a girl friend I liked the GSNC ships which were short trips and I could get home each night when in London, Irongate Wharf,London Docks or Regents Canal Dock. They were all good little ships and a DOCKING BOTTLE each week more or less as it was the Captains bond. My first ship was WOODCOCK in 1950 on the Bordeaux run stayed in her about 4 months. Next was Seamew to Oporto another three months which of course involved several short runs That was 1953,. Also then did a short spell on Royal Sovereign running day trips Tower Bridge to Margate & Southend. Another girlfriend another GSN but something a bit different Dec 1954/Jan 1955 (home for Christmas) on the troopship Empire Parkeston running Harwich/Hook of Holland with troops of the BAOR. An amazing point about this ship she sailed at midnight docked about 6am next morning so I was in bed all voyage.... I was officers mess steward. In 1955 couple of monthson the little Drake. Running to Tonnay Charente nearest port to Cognac and that was our cargo. In 1956 FAUVETTE and a diffrent run through Kiel Canal to Copenhagen with private visits to Carlsberg Brewery as a leisure activity. Second period on DRAKE followed in quick succession by WHITEWING and GANNET. Last ship with them was HERON in 1957, nice little ship. There were other company ships in between some of the aforementioned, but I was very fond of GSNC which was a subsidery of P&O. The crew office was right on Tower Bridge at Irongate Wharf ,this site now long gone and a hotel.
Once on Gannet in mid 1956 (Spt ?) we left London in the evening and I was in bed when I awoke to rough seas smashing against porthole and engine silence. Went on deck to discover our lifeboat launched and going to rescue crew of TRAQUAIR, Gibsons of Leith which was foundering and sank later. All crew rescued safely due to Gannets C/O and four ABS. We dropped them in Hamburg. I donated some spare gear and cooked sausages for survivors. Almost a year later whilst on Heron I was called to head office,wondering what was up,only to be presented with a wristwatch presented by the ships insurers. It was a good watch and lasted for years,only hope the lifeboat crew got a gold one as it was a rough old night. Anyone out there on any of these ships about same time ?

Hi Steve.

Did I ever tell you that I managed to get hold
of a GSNC buttton,on the interenet.

Dave Williams(583900)