Tanker "Beechwood" 21 April 1952

[j.sabourn]

#9 yes knew him very well from JIJ. JS.
Yes Sandra he was from Liverpool and was born in Cheshire. Is your maiden name Ireland ?. Somewhere in the past in various stories I recounted a story and mentioned the Beechwood. A retired Scotland Yard detective got in touch with me and asked if I had been there when they had trouble there also ,the trouble i recounted was on the Rosewood , but he sent me pictures of Capt Ireland and his wife who he always carried when possible and they referred back before my time with JIJ, but I also knew him as well . Other JIJ masters
Were Jacotine, Hort,Dunbavin and a few more whose names slip me at the moment. Cheers JS…

[j.sabourn]

Cunningham, Chapman,were two more. Last time sailed wih Dunbavin was
1974. On the tanker Laurelwood. Previous to that on the ore carrier Beechwood .JS.

[j.sabourn]

Rereading your post may have Jumped the gun. The info. I have from the police was that when interviewing the master of the tanker Beechwood it was capt. Ireland. Re reading your
Post are you implying that capt. Dunbavin is your father.? JS

[j.sabourn]

One final word from me to try and clarify what has been said. As far as I am aware none of the statements referring to people i mention refers to the subject title for 1952 ,none of them would have been master then as too young. both Ireland and Dunbavin weren’t much older than me and in 1952 I was 15. JS
If I am correct in my assumptions and Capt. Dunbavin is your father and still alive give him my best , he was very good to me as was the first British ship after a few foreign flags and walked off one in Japan , he helped me financially before signing on to pay my debts, think it was out of his own pocket until I got sorted. Cheers JS. Think also you are referring to the Beechwood the ore carrier. JS if you were born in 1964 think your father if right would have been working shortly close to that time as superintendent for the London Greeks on two new buildings of ships in Italy , think I got my counties mixed up where he was born as think it was Somerset when you dont live there one soon forgets. Cheers JS..

[Sandra Drew]

Yes he was, John Kenneth Dunbavin. Did you know him?

[Sandra Drew]

Yes he was my father, I actually went through the fjords on a trip with him wen I was around 13.

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That is lovely to hear that he was kind. I did not really have the chance to know him that well. As he was away for so much of the time in. my early years, and also because he sadly died young, aged 50. Thankyou for that anecdote.

[j.sabourn]

Yes I knew him Sandra sailed with him on two different ships. The Beechwood from May 71. To November 71 . This is not the tanker Beechwood, but an ore carrier that was bought second hand as someone has already said . And the Laurelwood from September 74 to December 74.on the New Zealand coast where we both flew home together and drank the plane dry. In those days you had to buy the alcohol in miniatures . We parted at London Airport him to the office and me to Kings Cross and hence north to Alaska as the saying goes . I was his chief mate on the Beechwood, and chief officer on the Laurelwood a fancier title as they carried 4 mates. Your father insisted on me accompaying him ashore whilst he played golf in nearly every port and there are a lot of Golf Clubs in NZ. But like most seafarers lost touch with him on the demise of the company. A hard question to ask is… is your father still alive , if he is and I hope so he would be about 92 now , just a guess , as age doesn’t matter when you’re young. And is never talked about. All the best for the coming year to yourself and family. JS.

Sorry just read your piece at the end re his death which had no idea of. Words cant say how sorry I am. It can’t have been too long after I sailed with him either. He was such an alive person in himself as well , so sorry on
Your loss. John Sabourn .
PS your trauma about growing up I have 2 about your age and the boy today says to me why didn’t I talk to him about ships. The answer is obvious to me but not to him, I didn’t want to be the reason why he went to sea , I saw too many broken homes. I was lucky , but is the only thing I regret is not watching them grow up,
JS

[Sandra Drew]

Dear John,
Thanks so much for replying, it is amazing to come across someone who knew him, I felt quite overcome reading it. I was 17 when I last saw him before his death. Wish I could talk to you more, you seem to remember I really well. Unfortunately things didn't go too well for him after Jacobs, don't think he ever foresaw not working for them, and struggled to adjust to other companies. I hope you are in good health, thank you for replying, and that your career went well after that. I always saw my dad as incredible sharp and intelligent, and so sad that he died so young.

[j.sabourn]

I really find it hard to believe he died so long ago, thought he would be one of the long livers.I was under the impression he had 2 daughters and often spoke about putting them through a Swiss finishing school and said he borrowed the money from JI Jacob’s it was a shock to all of us when they closed shop. I hope he died peaceably .kind regards John sabourn

[Sandra Drew]

He had 3 daughters, I was the youngest. I have sent you a private message which elaborates on his death. Thankyou for giving me a small insight, best wishes Sandra