Re: A trip down the West Coast
coldest place ever for me on the mv aldersgate,,,,seven islands dec 1960.....iron ore just big massive lumps all frosted solid .....usally loading iron ore the vessel gently rocked but these solid lumps when dropped in the hold made the whole vessel shudder ....i actually thought they could have damaged the vessel ......but the site of the massive icebergs still stay in my mind ......big beutiful monsters ....never forgotten....cappy;)
Re: A trip down the West Coast
We had a polish second engineer at one time on the Pennyworth and on passage to Murmansk had to drop him off at Kirkeness and pick him up on the way back. He was persona non gratus in Russia , that was his story anyway. He must have had a better time than we had in Murmansk. JS
Re: A trip down the West Coast
Quote:
Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
We had a polish second engineer at one time on the Pennyworth and on passage to Murmansk had to drop him off at Kirkeness and pick him up on the way back. He was persona non gratus in Russia , that was his story anyway. He must have had a better time than we had in Murmansk. JS
Had you not dropped him off and taken him to Murmansk, there's every possibility your ship would have left without a 2nd Engineer. The engineer was speaking the truth because he knew he wouldn't be a welcome person in Murmansk. One should remember that a joint Nazi-Germany and Russia attacked Poland in 1939.
Fouro.
Re: A trip down the West Coast
There were quite a few Latvians and Estonians on the Cardiff pool at one time also. And had similar problems. They always kept a low profile if there was a Russian ship in any port we visited. JS
Re: A trip down the West Coast
I sailed with several Poles, and a Lithuanian on the Baltic Trader, one of UBC, and as you know, Poland Finland and all countries North was the usual run, except there were two Baltic boats running down the Med, i cannot recall the name of the other one, but i was on the Baltic Trader 15 months, our home port was Hamburg, and the Poles were both ABs and had agreed to pay of in Hamburg, should we get sent North. Both were very deep characters, and heavy drinkers. When i think of all the different nationalities i sailed with in the 50s and 60s, we could never be classed as racists, kt
Re: A trip down the West Coast
#45 Keith in our era at sea, I don't think any of us were racist, the word hadn't been invented, we sailed with every colour and creed under the sun and took a man for what he was and no other reason, we had Jamaicans called Chalky, we had Swedish called Scandi, Chinese called China, Somalis called Ali, and many others I cannot recall, all nicknames of course and the holders didn't take offence. My brother in law was Irish and christened Paddy, now it would be racist to call him Paddy even though its his given name. We sailed the world, met so many people of all races, some bad, but most good. All this PC business I suspect is making people racist who never were. Authorities seem to think that it is only Caucasians that are racist, but we world travellers know that that is no so
Re: A trip down the West Coast
Polish troops fought on D-Day and they also fought in Italy at Monte Casino. After the war when they were demobbed in Britain, some returned to their homes in Poland, but the majority feared doing this. The reason being, Eastern Poland was now Soviet Ukraine and they didn't like the possibility of finding themselves on trains once again being deported to Siberia. Very few survived a second deportation.
I would mention some Poles found employment in the local paper mill and sometimes I used to listen to them having conversations about such times.
Fouro.
Re: A trip down the West Coast
Agree with that Ivan, in 59 i was JOS on the St Merriel, one of the Saint line ships, the only Eglishman on the deck crew, German Bosun, german, Dutch, and Indonesian Abs, everyone got on famously, the engine greasers were Somalian, also got on fine, a real mixed bunch. The one thing i remember was a great big stone container on the newsroom table, with lots of fruit cut into pieces, and Bowls gin, and frequently topped up, and never any sign of trouble, the officers were all UK ,kt
Re: A trip down the West Coast
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ivan Cloherty
#45 Keith in our era at sea, I don't think any of us were racist, the word hadn't been invented, we sailed with every colour and creed under the sun and took a man for what he was and no other reason, we had Jamaicans called Chalky, we had Swedish called Scandi, Chinese called China, Somalis called Ali, and many others I cannot recall, all nicknames of course and the holders didn't take offence. My brother in law was Irish and christened Paddy, now it would be racist to call him Paddy even though its his given name. We sailed the world, met so many people of all races, some bad, but most good. All this PC business I suspect is making people racist who never were. Authorities seem to think that it is only Caucasians that are racist, but we world travellers know that that is no so
hi ivan cloherty
you are absolutely correct about the different nationalities you sailed with,and the fact that in them days it was a delight to experience these different and strange people that we had not had the pleasure of meeting in our own world in the uk, and you are correct in your assumption that the pc brigade are responsible for making the word RACIST fit a narrative that suits their agenda,
i shall not specify why the pc brigade are so inclined as im sure you are aware of the fact if anybody speaks out against their agenda, then they are instantly accused of being a racist.
tom
Re: A trip down the West Coast
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Keith Tindell
Agree with that Ivan, in 59 i was JOS on the St Merriel, one of the Saint line ships, the only Eglishman on the deck crew, German Bosun, german, Dutch, and Indonesian Abs, everyone got on famously, the engine greasers were Somalian, also got on fine, a real mixed bunch. The one thing i remember was a great big stone container on the newsroom table, with lots of fruit cut into pieces, and Bowls gin, and frequently topped up, and never any sign of trouble, the officers were all UK ,kt
hi keith
like you i have worked with lots of nationalities, and enjoyed the ride, i draw the line at the towel on the sunbed crowd, the germans.
many years ago i was ashore in vigo for a couple of nights when i met a german captain whom was half shot, he bought me a drink and kept rabbiting all night about his deck crew whom whom he stated where philipino and he hated them, and he was looking for somebody to take the job as bosun and kick some of them into shape i told him i was not interested but he kept on about it, anyway after a few hours id had enough and was about to leave when he stated he had no more money and as he had bought me a drink then i should now buy him one, i reminded him that he had only bought me one beer and it was over two hours ago and that i had been paying for every round since, well you can guess what happened then, as he was the most arrogant pr--k i had met that week.
so i do tend to draw the line with the towel on the sunbed crowd,
tom