headline belfast 1959 til 1967

I'm Shaun Browne. and, although I did not serve on the Head Line, I sailed on the Roonagh Head from Montreal to Liverpool in November / December of 1962. The captain was Andy McFee, I believe.

My father, Captain Morton Browne, sailed with the Head Line for over 23 years. He was an officer on the Fair Head, which was damaged in harbour and was later broken up. He was also the captain of the Wicklow Head, lost off the Nova Scotia coast in 1947.

I have his record of service with all the trips listed except those from 1939 to the end of the war.

The trip I took across the Atlantic was with my parents and sister. We were bound for Belfast. I remember the trip as very stormy... my father was unaffected by the rolling of the ship, but everyone else was. We survived on peanut butter for 7 days.

Later in the trip, a female passenger was injured due to rough seas, and had to be taken off before we reached Liverpool. I think it was at Bangor. A rescue launch came out and a crew took her off to hospital.

I was allowed to visit the bridge during the time we were in the St. Lawrence River. It was great fun.
We also listened to a radio show called "Mrs. Dillson's Diary" that was broadcast on the BBC.

I was pleased to see some of you on this forum had served on the Roonagh Head during the time my family sailed to Britain on her. Perhaps we met, in the officer's mess, or on the bridge. Perhaps some of you served with my father, as well. He passed away in 1993.

Those are great memories. My sister and I still joke about the crossing and our great sea-going adventure.

Cheers!

Hi Ron, It's been a long time since I've been on here, but good to know that some "old salts" are still around, as for my hair, it was dark brown (at that time) now white, the years keep creeping up on me, I remember the bosun falling down the hold, also during a hurricane the old man was tipped out of his bunk and knocked out, also a steward got a broken arm, and we lost ALL the deck cargo that trip, had to have repairs made in St. John, Nova Scotia, I also remember the 6 in's of ice on every thing on deck, and a busted windless, which we repaired with CEMENT ??, it worked anyway, good to meet you shipmate, hope to hear from you soon, Robbo.

Hi Robbo, still trying to get a visual of you, I do recall that trip and the Bosun falling down into the hold, We put into Cobh[Cork] and he was transferred to the pilot boat. Andy Niblock myself and Brian Kane were apprentices on the Roonagh at that time. And yes we did carry a deck cargo of herrings in barrells of which most was lost due to storm. St Johns was our port of call in winter months and was very cold, but do you remember the diner I think it was called gars or garths, It was good to visit and get a hotdog or two and maybe a banana split, play the jute box. Andy I and a few others have been in touch lately catching up on bygonedays. Keep in contact Raymond.

Hi Tilly, Campbell Gardner was 3/E on mv Torr Head during 1962. Billy (brother) was apprentice at the same time. Billy , I believe , resides in Monte Carlo ( retired from property development) whilst Campbell is retired from Ballylumford Power Station and lives in south Belfast.

Hi Raymond, I've just found your post from 2 yrs ago where you mentioned Michael Knight. He was apprentice during 1964 when I served as 3/O. I believe he first went to Kalgoorlie, western australia as a prospector! Any more info on him? I'm Mike Alexander.

Hi Mike,
good to hear from you, yes, Michael Knight met me in Belfast before I came to Australia, that was over twenty two years ago. As I recall he was a land surveyor and seemed to enjoy that. He had an only son, who had been killed on a motorbike. Then he went to New Zealand and skippered tug boats, asked me to look him up when I arrived in Australia, haven't heard of him since. If my memory serves me right we first sailed on the New Torr to-gether with Ted Heize (not sure of the spelling) then maybe we had a trip on the Fair to-gether. Do you remember Robert Vance on the Fair, he kept the music going with his guitar which reminds me, if you go into Andy Niblocks site (do you remember Andy) he has an interesting little 35mm movie on the Fair Head entering the locks (Great lakes) you'll recognize the bosun Ernie with his black cap on. As you can see on site I've been in touch with a few of the lads which is good, it brings back a moment in time when I think about them.

Keep in touch MIke.
Raymond

hi brian im interested to find out if anyone sailed on inishowen head ? my two uncles charlie and alex whitla from bangor possibly sailed on it i think any info on this ship?
regards
cathy

hi shaun my name is cathy and one of y uncles sailed on the roonagh head pos 61' his name is charlie whitla and his bro sailed headline also alex whitla was told the roonagh head collided with another ship near canada not much info but will look it up to chat with my son
thanks for reading my reply
regards
cathy

g'day mouse
i was 4th/3rd eng. on the ramore head when you did your first trip. can you remember being sent to the e.r. for the spanner to put the steam on the organ for the church service on the first sunday. merevyn mcconnel was senior cadet and one of the other cadets was bob mason. the last i heard of you was from a golf club colleague,dickie gomes. i understood from him that you were swanning around the med skippering a private yacht. i hung up my shifting spanner in 1997 after stealing money off the shipping industry for 39 years.
i hope this reaches you ok
cheers
maurice mawhinney

mouse
john auld and his cousin harry thompson were classmates of mine at seaview primary school and although i never sailed with either of them i saw a lot of john in converys lounge. sadly john died several years ago. i have met his younger brother raymond a few times and he tells me that harry thompson is alive and well and still living in norn iron.
cheers
maurice mawhinney