Hi John.Dad remembers you very well and also Ian Anderson in the picture you put on and Joe Anderson.He said he shared some great times with you and still to this day blames the Vietnam saboteurs for his baldness!!
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Hi John.Dad remembers you very well and also Ian Anderson in the picture you put on and Joe Anderson.He said he shared some great times with you and still to this day blames the Vietnam saboteurs for his baldness!!
Hi Claire and John, my dad was 3/E with LOF from mid 1960s to 1985 perhaps you might know him.. Ray Purvis?
Re LOF and new buildings in La Spezia, Italy. I was with LOF from April 1962 until Feb. 1968 when I came ashore. There were 3 oil tankers, steam turbines, that were converted in La Spezia to Bulk Carriers. I did my steam time on the "London Explorer" Capt. (Jimmy) Morgan. which was the 2nd conversion I think.
My personnel experience of LOF was having sailed with BP (3 Tankers.), and Blue Star (2 both built in the 1930. They were the best. Good food, good engineers and the mates were OK as well. I* broke a leg on one ship and they kept me on full @nd's pay until I wes medically signed off sick and returned to sea.
Incidentally Viet Nam was not good to LOF as the "London Citizen" I believe had a fortunately DUD shell land in the @/Engs. sleeping cabin which he was not in at the time.
Probably the best Company I sailed with in my 33 year career at sea.
Norrie Jackson was a total gentleman, and managed the Fleet well.
I was a young 2nd Mate / Chieif Officer with LOF and I look back in this time in my career with great fondness for the crew I sailed with.
I do wish that modern shipping was on a similar footing.
The Kulukundis family were excellent employers, and I only left to emigrate to NZ
for all LOF shipmates I wish you the best of health, most are getting on now .....
Did any of you out of LOF know a Dunbaven from Somerset if I remember correctly. He had been acting as supt. On some of their buildings in Italy. When left there came with J.I. Jacobs back in a seagoing position in the early 70s. JWS.
I was on the george k in 1950. Fridge went on the blink, dumped 500 lbs of meat,between suez and the red sea, apart from that ,and 14 solid months of tramping,i guess we were better off than you.
She was a right old rust bucket, suffered rsi from chipping! Ken hansen.
Interesting about the London Banker. I joined her as 2nd Eng during fitting out at Vlissingen, Netherlands in '63. On our maiden voyage, to load grain in Argentina we were heading down the Schelde estuary and the telegraph requested half ahead. No problem revs were upped to 80rpm. A few minutes later the phone rang. It was the C/O. "Er Sec we want half ahead " "This is half ahead. Full ahead is 115rpm" ."oh Okay ". Later I asked the C/O(Rodman Tarbuck from Liverpool) what was the problem. He told me the Skipper(Counties Ship management) had only sailed on steam reciprocating jobs and 80rpm was the norm for Full Ahead.It was a very happy ship. The only fly in the ointment was the Chief.
I joined LOF as uncertificated fourth mate when I failed second mates. Joined London Independence in Stockholm and we did two trips from Russia to Cuba during the missile crisis. Then another six months on a sister ship Overseas Ambassador. Following passing second mates then did eight months on an older one, London Pride. Was due to join London Prestige but decided to leave to join Trident.I was ex BI so went back in the group.
LOF were a great company to work for.
Sailed with LOF As a deck officer for three years and it was a great company,