Opening a deserted forum

[Ian Malcolm]

I did four foreign voyages and one coasting voyage on the Glengarry during 1949-1950 and have written the following poem.


SAILING EAST FROM LONDON IN 1949

Bowling along through the Biscay
Then onwards through the Med
Three days to Gibraltar
And five more to Port Said

Slowly though the Suez
On a clear and starry night
The Red Sea lies before us
And we’re now dressed in white

With bunkers filled at Aden
It’s into the monsoon
The sky so heavily laden
No sights obtained at noon

Discharge commences at Penang
After twenty-two days at sea
Natives work both day and night
And so, of course, do we

Next stop is Port Swettenham
Then on to Singapore
Discharging briefly halting
When rain begins to pour

Steaming through South China Sea
Heading for Hong Kong
A typhoon makes the passage rough
But nothing much goes wrong

Northwards now to China
To Formosa and Shanghai
But as the Civil War is close
We’re relieved to say ‘goodbye’

Outward yet, still farther east
To the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’
But while last cargo swings ashore
Loading is begun
And spirits rise as we turn west for London

By Ian M. Malcolm

[Trader]

Nice poem Ian. More or less the same as my experience with the sister compamy,Blue Funnel, but we sailed from Birkenhead and docked in Liverpool. My first ship was the "Bellerophon" and I did six Far East trips plus a few coasting trips. I did four years with them from 1952/56.

Alec.

[Ian Malcolm]

Thanks Trader. I was with Holts from 1943 until 1951, but I had the usual experience of not sailing Far East until 1948. That was on the old Atreus, a coal burner built in 1911. We went only as far as Hong Kong and carried pilgrims to Jeddah on our way home.

Regards

Ian

[Lin Treadgold]

I would encourage all those who sailed Blue Funne/Glen Line/Elder Dempstersl in the seventies to become members of this web site.

Lin

[Keith at Tregenna]

Can you add this poem to the poem section with all credit given to Ian M. Malcolm and a link to this post, would not possibly have found it without taking a break from a huge project and seeing Lin's message come up, all thanks to Lin for highlighting this and Ian for the penning.

LINK: Blue Funnel Line, Collection, Home Page. Rhiw.com

K.