BAD SHIPS AND DR,s

[leratty]

Charles post 58 mate, no one that is no one would think you were blowing your trumpet, on the contrary I reckon they would like I do appreciate reading them & be grateful they were not their experiences. The German raider experience should be put in to a book for if only seaman to read let alone POW days. I often wondered what the guys rescued off the Altmark did in later life sea wise? Did the Capt.'s/officers go back to sea what about the others? As an aside in regards German raiders I visited Capt. Langsdorf's grave in B.A. on my first trip there. Never told anyone on board though, just as a boy I had quite some admiration for him as I did Otto Kretschmer of U-99. I was fortunate to met a U-boat Capt. who my fathers ship had sunk his U-boat & he along with all but one of his crew were rescued. He & dad became good friends after the war & he came to my school making me a hero for that day. Richard

[Tony Wilding]

I realise Lou did not sail voluntarily on the Michel, but he must have experienced the worst Ship of any of us, then to end up Jap a POW was terrible. dont know how he coped.

[leratty]

At the risk of bringing a hailstorm down on my head it is worthwhile remembering the Allies sank Axis passenger ships etc during the war too. In fact the worst one was by the Russians with still I believe the highest death toll of any such incident? I can not recall off the top of my head the name of the vessel but am sure if you troll the net it will come up. I am not a defender of U-boats or raiders per se however it should be acknowledged-accepted we too used them & the US submarine fleet in the Pacific sank some very large ships with both passengers as well as hospital ships & sadly prisoners of war ships too. Aus-US in one incident off PNG actually returned with aircraft to machine gun suvivors in the water the next day. That was a Japanese convoy so troops were also aboard. There is actual film footage of this incident available! Warnings of intent to sink by submarines went out before end of WW1. War is not pretty as they say. Richard

[Ivan Cloherty]

At the risk of bringing a hailstorm down on my head it is worthwhile remembering the Allies sank Axis passenger ships etc during the war too. In fact the worst one was by the Russians with still I believe the highest death toll of any such incident? I can not recall off the top of my head the name of the vessel but am sure if you troll the net it will come up. I am not a defender of U-boats or raiders per se however it should be acknowledged-accepted we too used them & the US submarine fleet in the Pacific sank some very large ships with both passengers as well as hospital ships & sadly prisoners of war ships too. Aus-US in one incident off PNG actually returned with aircraft to machine gun suvivors in the water the next day. That was a Japanese convoy so troops were also aboard. There is actual film footage of this incident available! Warnings of intent to sink by submarines went out before end of WW1. War is not pretty as they say. Richard

Richard

'Yesterday' Channel (19) at 1030 this morning 'Sea of Death' is a programme about the sinking of 3 german vessels by the Russians as well as other footage

Rgds

Ivan

[leratty]

Ivan, thanks for that unfortunately we have no TV where we are at present due to something wrong with the box. This should be corrected on Thursday but they said that two weeks ago, God love em. Must say we are not missing it at all, just the news. Instead lots more reading & conversation with large dollops of laughter has replaced it.
The footage would be interesting wonder who took it? You know the Germans sent a passenger ship out seriously overloaded with concentration camp prisoners on board at the very end of the war it had just left the harbour when it was sunk by I believe the Russians. But then the Germans shot those who had been able to get back to to shore. Horrific & as I say thank God without any experience of war, war is not pretty it seems to turn some persons into bloody animals understandably or not I do not know. Richard

[cappy]

Charles post 58 mate, no one that is no one would think you were blowing your trumpet, on the contrary I reckon they would like I do appreciate reading them & be grateful they were not their experiences. The German raider experience should be put in to a book for if only seaman to read let alone POW days. I often wondered what the guys rescued off the Altmark did in later life sea wise? Did the Capt.'s/officers go back to sea what about the others? As an aside in regards German raiders I visited Capt. Langsdorf's grave in B.A. on my first trip there. Never told anyone on board though, just as a boy I had quite some admiration for him as I did Otto Kretschmer of U-99. I was fortunate to met a U-boat Capt. who my fathers ship had sunk his U-boat & he along with all but one of his crew were rescued. He & dad became good friends after the war & he came to my school making me a hero for that day. Richard

sailed with an old man who had been a prisoner on the altmark he was a true gent one of the best not a logging and 11 month on the indian coast on british defender looked at us like family thro good and bad
regards cappy from shields

[Tony Wilding]

On YOU TUBE there are Videos of American Submariners Machine Gunning Japanese Survivors in the water alongside the US Sub, not a pretty sight,, there would have been more survivors from the Laconia if the American Liberator Pilot respected the Red Cross and the many lifeboats full of people. must have had a pea for a brain.

[Duke Drennan]

My apologies Duke, sometimes being old you forget that some of the members are younger than yourself and don't have the memories or information that we oldies do

Rgds

Ivan

No problem Ivan, I understand. Our Dis book numbers highlight this gap.

[Colin Pook]

Hiya Tony, One trip on the aforesaid ship was enough for me. 2 to a cabin, no air-con, absolutely no overtime, no swimming pool, 'black-pan' tea after the 4-8 watch, no movies, strictly no talking to passengers, had to use the 'underground' to get from aft to for'd, wore out 2 holy-stones out-bound, and 2 'teddy bears homeward, half the male crew were the type who 'sit down to have a pee', and in essence, were a fxxxxxx nuisance, bosun's mate who thought he was gods gift to a dying nation, and a bosun who was GOD. Never evensaw the inside of the wheelhouse, always on lookout. Lost my uniform cap over the wall, and had to pay for it. Got logged in Las Palmas outbound, the same in Capetown, and then in Freemantle, and got a 'good' for conduct for calling the bosun a prick.
DEAR ESSO< I WILL NEVER MISBEHAVE AGAIN IF YOU TAKE ME BACK, (and they did, thank god)
And Shaw Savill had the cheek to tell me I wasn't wanted the next trip. Actually, the words were:- 'new captain next trip' , why? I asked, is he leaving, No came the reply, YOU ARE!!!
Having said all that, beautiful looking ship, with a great run.

Regards,
Colin.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Colin.
When were you in ESSO?
I had a few years with ESSO,
Cheers
Brian.