Week from hell

[Richard Quartermaine]

Tony, Hold in there mate. Here's an excerpt from a time when I thought prostate was lying flat on your face - perhaps with aspirations of a priesthood!!!!
Richard

It was five o’clock in the morning of the 21st January, 1947 when the night watchman poked his head around the door of the cabin and shouted “Hands off cocks, on socks - It’s 5 o’clock – what do you think this is? Your Daddy’s Yacht!”

The night before I had been sent up from Port Line’s Sydney office to Wickham Docks in Newcastle to join the Motor Vessel “Lowlander” to replace the pantry boy who had just “jumped ship”.

I threw on my clothes and scampered up to the bridge to join a line of men who were there to replace those who had also jumped ship in Australia. My pay was to be 5 pounds a month. Plus 5 Pounds a month war bonus which I was told was still payable as floating mines were still the scourge of the sea.

As a steward led me off to the pantry I asked him “where are we sailing for?” “New York “ he says “We’ve a full load of cargo and 24 passengers. They are all American war brides going there to join their husbands.”

I must say, they must have been the most fantastic wives considering the amount of practice most of them enjoyed with the officers during the voyage.

The hawsers were lifted from the bollards, the tugs pushed and pulled and hooted and the “Lowlander” slid out of Newcastle Harbour with one very awe struck pantry boy, 15 year old Richard Quartermaine.

We set out across the Pacific Ocean, I got so seasick I thought I would die – then worse still, I thought I wouldn’t! But I never ever got seasick again.

The first port of call was Papeete, Tahiti.......

[cappy]

a long way off the indian coast we saw to men bollocky naked sitting on two logs lashed together we came about and came slowly alongside the old man could speak a bit of indian dialect but they didn't want taken aboard and said they were on some sort of fast to death if they were 5 stone at most I remember the chief steward saying now that's wot u call a bad feeder the old man was ex altmark rescued a great captain top man he will be long gone now regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

Only the Geordies can speak Japanese, Ha way tha hoi the hammer ower ere. John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

And just remember to duck when he does.

[cappy]

yes john but only in a very up market way of cause now follow for first lesson yintongyintongyintongyintongwesgannabyaroond divnt yesayitsnotye regards cappy ps remember the Japanese words sayanora arrigato and jig ajig with fondness

[Tony Geeves]

Didn't the Port Caroline and Charmers have some type of stabilising tank located in the crane housing foreward of the bridge? I think its efficiency was being monitered by the Nauticle something or other of Southampton. I understood that sea water went througe a narrowing, from one side to the other when the ship rolled, and supposedly damped down the effect. Regards, T.G.

[Richard Quartermaine]

yes john but only in a very up market way of cause now follow for first lesson yintongyintongyintongyintongwesgannabyaroond divnt yesayitsnotye regards cappy ps remember the Japanese words sayanora arrigato and jig ajig with fondness

Ah Cappy, Har wheh Geordie man - my earlier post didn't mention that when I climbed aboard the 'Lowlander' in Newcastle, Oz at 1.00am I was taken to a cabin that had a spare bunk by the chief steward who said "look after this lad". The other five bunks contained five Geordies. During the six months voyage they looked after me like big brothers and taking me ashore with them at the various ports.

By the time I walked down the gangway the last time six months later I could sing all of "Ee me lads, yer shoulda seen us garnin, all the lads and lasses there all with smilin fa a ces...... gannin alang the Scotswood Roard, to see the Blaydon R a ces". Three years later I worked by on the Port St John at South Shields for a few weeks and made sure I went to the places I had heard so much about, Gateshead (Gatesheed), Cullercoats and that dance Hall - was it the Orange Ballroom - a long time ago. And there was a pub I used to go to that had a special brew in the cellar.

I bought this postcard there exactly 63 years ago. In the background is the bridge like in Sydney Harbour Bridge. All the best. Richard
Newsastle UK 1950.jpg

[Ivan Cloherty]

I bought this postcard there exactly 63 years ago. In the background is the bridge like in Sydney Harbour Bridge. All the best. Richard
Newsastle UK 1950.jpg

Sydney bridge built from plans of Newcastle bridge, scaled up, and same steel suppliers Dorman Long. 50's and 60's those were the days, sailed with a few Geordie crowds, once you'd learnt the language it was okay.

[cappy]

Richard nice to think that you remember geordies with good memories I think most ships I ever joined looked after the first trippers and tried to keep them not from the pleasures of a young seaman life but from the dangersboth ashore and aboard there are of course as you will have found out in life in all people good and bad but seamen inaverageare easy company and don't seem to have the croose to bear of shore wallahs I remember Newcastle in oz wellas I had my 21st birthday there the old man sent me a bottle ofscotch for my 21st and I foolowed that in the seven seas bar at the coaling birth sme memories never leave I once jumped an old banger in oz for a bonny lass but her father shipped her up to queensland and then grassed me up the rest of the story is not a good memory must oz was one of my best places to visit and took my wife to your bicentennial etc must say the surname you have I would think is a good old English name any way thanks for your good memories that's ripper regards cappy

[Keith at Tregenna]

[QUOTE=Tony Morcom;120907]reading about unwelcome neighbours, unionisation, the idiots running the government, repetitive jokes, immigration and a 101 other moans!!
QUOTE]

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