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Thread: "It Wasn't All P & O or Union Castle out there was it?......."

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    Post "It Wasn't All P & O or Union Castle out there was it?......."

    I've rescued my post,this one, from the Quiz Forum where it was rather 'lost' and put it in a post of it's own for clarity.

    Those of us who were at sea in the 70's and 80's,mostly in good companies ,and especially those of us who had brand new tickets to wave about,or were aware of impending redundancies in our own outfits might have been sorely tempted to try their luck in 'other' less well-known British companies. Just for a change you understand ,you know--less BS ,more exotic ports,more money (usually)-tempting or what?.Never mind those adverse reports in the Telegraph-the MNAOA union rag- about these cowboy outfits-they're biased,and anyway doesn't the Union make a lot of money from all our 'proper' legit British companies? No,try it.....but you might be sorry,mister.....

    Helmville Limited ,along with it's associated Farwent Ltd;was one of them,and became quite 'infamous' over that decade.
    Four such vessels of theirs are worthy of mention.

    MEDINA PRINCESS
    FAITH EUSKALDUNA
    DAVID,MARQUESS OF MILFORD HAVEN
    JOCELYNE

    The following notes are collated from my reports saved over the years onto my computer.They are mostly from the Web and some from other seafaring sites.
    They might at first seem a bit of a 'hotch-potch' but I have tidied them up and made them more logical.
    I find it fascinating reading into how some of my contemporaries served in the 1970's.





    Helmville Ltd went into "members voluntary liquidation" in May 1981. The liquidator was John Theodorou.
    Farwent Ltd was not dissolved until April 2006.
    There are some potentially interesting files in the National Archives at Kew:BT 322/6 - Helmville Ltd: claims for ships built overseas; potential fraud and negligence (1969-1975) BT 322/88, 89 - Helmville Ltd: disposal of grant aided ship, repayment refusal and High Court action, and claims for payment on further ships (1974-1978)BT 324/61 - Investment Grant Claim - Farwent Ltd: Faith Euskalduna (1970-1978)BT 324/69, 70, 71 - Investment Grant Claim - Helmville Ltd - Euskalduna Shipyard (1968-1978)BT 324/72 - Investment Grant Claim - Helmville Ltd - David Marquess of Milford Haven (1969-1980)BT 324/73, 74, 75 - Investment Grant Claim - Helmville Ltd - Jocelyne (1969-1980)
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    Log from the "HMS LOCH LOMOND, AUGUST 1962 reporting:-– a British ship – MEDINA PRINCESS a British flagged tramp ship requested assistance from HMS LOCH LOMOND which was paying a visit to Djibouti ,formerly French Somaliland. Amazingly, MEDINA PRINCESS was lying alongside the wharf but the Master had signed a Lloyds Open Form ! Salvage work was taken in hand immediately by technical staff from the British frigate. All efforts to remove water from the flooded engine room proved in vain. It was suspected that as fast as one sea valve was shut by the salvage team in an attempt to prevent ingress of water, other valves were being opened by persons unknown to ensure that the ship would not be able to sail. The absence of any ship drawings made all salvage attempts a lengthy and hit and miss affair. LOCH LOMOND had to sail three days later and salvage work was then abandoned with no success.
    MEDINA PRINCESS had a history of disaster since sailing from Europe with a cargo of wheat consigned to China. There has been innumerable problems including a mutiny whilst on passage through the Mediterranean. After HMS LOCH LOMOND left, the MEDINA PRINCESS was towed to a shoal in the harbour at Djibouti and beached by the harbour authorities. The whole dismal affair culminated in a legal action in the High Court in London. Salvage awards were not paid."Google also turns up a fair bit about the insurance case... seems Helmville was trying to get about UKP350,000 for a ship worth UKP65,000. I think the case may have been notable for the length of time it was in the courts...I have had a morbid fascination with this company for over 40 years.They first came to my attention when I noted an entry in a 1961 Lloyd’s Shipping Index with their ship ;Medina Princess' ( built 1944) listed .. Baltimore to Hull, in 46.12N 17.8 W Apr 16, noon - In tow of tug Englishman, Bd Falmouth- SHORT OF FUELNot the sort of thing you expect in a well run outfit….
    Next notable appearance in LSI .. that I am aware of .. has her as ‘;Put in Djibouti Aug 1962. Aground;I believe she put in with weather damage... ended up in a very big blue over insurance which dragged on for years. In the early 70;s she was still on the beach outside Djibouti, abandoned. Quite a bit in the shipping press about her at the time.

    [wrecked Djibouti 3.8.62 & again wrecked there 1.9.64 in 11.32.5N/43.11.7E]

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    1962 .August the 3rd. The MEDINA PRINCESS ran aground on a reef near Djibouti at the entrance to the Red Sea.
    Although later refloated, extensive and serious damage had been sustained. The ship remained close by, at anchor until the 1st of September. Then during stormy weather she broke away from her moorings and once more ran aground.
    1963.August the 31st. Twelve months later the vessel was still aground, and had now developed a three degree list to starboard.
    1964 .June the 6th. Djibouti. In view of impending monsoons, the Harbour Authorities moved the MEDINA PRINCESS to what was considered a safe position near to Waramos Island in Lat 11 33N. Long 43 13E., The vessel was then resting on sand and mud and was also securely anchored.
    September the 1st. During a violent storm that was accompanied by a torrential downpour, the anchor cable fractured and parted.
    This cable that had been in continuous use for the last 25 months was unable to take any further strain.
    With no means of mooring the vessel it was forced aground in shallow water in the position Lat 11 32 5N Long 43 11 7E.,
    The vessel was now, resting on the sea bottom, with no security, and unable to anchor, and totally at the mercy of the elements.
    1965 . March the 15th. Djibouti. A crew member who had remained here ever since the MEDINA PRINCESS had first grounded issued the following statement, "the hull is under tremendous pressure, the engine room is flooded to a depth of five and half feet, and number four and five holds are flooded to a depth of over eight feet. Sand is also present in the ship". And so she remained until,
    1967 At some time during this year the ship was sold to a Greek Company for breaking up. So ended the life and times of the, S.S.MEDINA PRINCESS, ex BENVANNOCH, ex GRANDDYKE, ex EMPIRE TUDOR.


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    Next I heard of Helmville Shipping was in the early 70’s when the MNAOA put out a warning about working for them due to substandard pay and conditions. The ship they were operating then was ;David Marquess of Milford Haven.There is little in various shipping directories about Helmville Ltd, and the company first appears in Directory of Shipowners, Shipbuilders and Marine Engineers in the 1970s, showing its “fleet” as mv “David Marquess of Milford Haven” and the identical mv “Jocelyne”.
    The 1970s editions I have show (1973) Helmville Ltd, 3 Lloyd’s Avenue (see comment below), London EC3; managing director M Alachouzos, director J L Wilson, secretary Mrs J Alachouzos, marine manager and superintendent Capt L A Osborne; (1976) J L Wilson no longer listed, Capt L A Osborne now described as “consultant”; (1978) no further changes; (1981) no further changes.I have noted, interestingly, that when “Medina Princess” was owned by the company, the offices were, according to Lloyd’s Register, at Coronation House, 4 Lloyd’s Avenue, and according to Lloyd’s Confidential Index and Lloyd’s Register in the 1970s it was at 5 Lloyd’s Avenue. Maybe the company was having landlord trouble as well?
    In addition to David Marquess of Milford Haven and Jocelyne (both built 1970; 11525 tons gross), Mr Alachouzos was also manager of the sistership “Faith Euskalduna” (built 1971; reg’d owner Farwent Ltd), which was sold in 1972 to Aegis Shipping Co Ltd.


    David Michael Mountbatten OBE DSC (born 1919), the Third Marquess of Milford Haven, after whom the mv David Marquess of Milford Haven was named, died in 1970. He was succeeded by his heir, the Earl of Medina (aka George Ivar Louis Mountbatten, born 1961).

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    I wonder if anyone recalls Helmville Limited? The boss was a Mr Alachouzos who rented a small office close to Fenchurch St station in the city. Somehow or other he persuaded the government of the day, who in the early 1970s, were offering low interest loans and grants to build ships and run Red Ensign ships; surprising isn’t it?Anyway for the price of two ships he built three at Bilbao in Spain. One was called "Jocelyne" another "David Marquis of Milford Haven" (some money came from that family) and I can;t remember the name of the third one. (It was the Faith Eskalduna. I sailed as 2nd Mate on the Jocelyne after leaving Bank Line to try another outfit. Joined in Bilbao and left again in Cristobal 6 weeks later. The whole setup was a shambles. British pool crew who walked off in Hamburg and only returned after Alachouzos himself boarded and promised to look into their grievances. Amongst other disasters I had to borrow enough charts from a Spanish tanker to get us to Hamburg from Bilbao! Between Goree and Texel we had no chart!I managed to get in writing from Alachouzos that he would relieve me in Panama, I copied it to the MNAOA. It was the first time I had transited the canal by train. When I got home Alachouzos wouldn’;t pay me, saying I had only asked for repatriation! During our heated discussions he sat alongside his PA, a very glamorous young lady, and fondled her all the time - amazing what money does?Eventually, with the help of the MNAOA I got my pay and my air fare paid. My relief was stabbed by one of the crew and hospitalised in the Philippines. The Old Man was a retired Blue Star Master, I don’;t know what became of him.I went back to the sanity of Bank Line as quick as possible and never looked back.Many years later I heard that the "David..." had been arrested at Capetown after two crew members had smuggled a girl aboard at Durban and then panicked and thrown her overboard on route to Capetown! I also heard that the third ship had been impounded at Naples and lay there for a number of years with the 3rd Engineer in permanent residence on it a dead ship complete with his Italian wife and brood.You couldn’t make it up.If anyone has more details of this taxpayer funded investment tragedy, I’d love to hear.

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    I was in London in May 1970, when I was offered a Job as a second engineer on the M.V.Jocelyne.I had an Indian passport and since my passport was not valid for South Africa where the vessel had stopped for Bunkers and a change of crew.I managed to get one-valid for one day-.Was refused entry into the white only section of the country where the white officers were allowed-I asked them to send me back to London, and then they made an exemption and let me stay in a hotel with white officers-strange days indeed but nothing like the nightmare I was about to face on board the Jocelyne.Had 12 hours to take over the vessel with a new crew and sail it to Japan- a forty two days trip with a crew of Cape coloureds and British officers and a South African captain.Three weeks into the trip, the crew decided to Mutiny-all South African cape coloureds and we the officers doubled up the work load and sailed into Japan, where the South African captain disappeared with a load of the company’s money- Apparently he was part of a conspiracy on a previous ship that he had worked with the same owners which he had help scuttle and had not received his share of the spoils.We got a change of the entire crew- of Phillipines.We waited to get a captain next- an ex P & O captain arrived in full blues and he took over the ship ,only to our dismay the following happened.- He sailed right into a typhoon on a twelve hour trip around the Japanese coast to Yokohama and wiped out the entire derricks and machinery on deck leaving us just the superstructure. Once in Port, this Captain went on a drinking binge and did not find him for a week. We waited for another Captain to arrive- lo and behold it was Mr Clarke the marine superintendent of Helmville who arrived to take over the ship.We then ran into major engine problems- we lost about twenty five of our electrical motors and had to get them all rewound- this was bad baking done when the ship was being built in Balboa, Spain.We left japan after a six week coastal voyage towards Panama and Europe and not without any further incidence. The Phillipino crew decided to mutiny as they were not getting their wages sent to their homes- we were not being paid as well and the food started to get rationed on the ship.We arrived in Lisbon where the vessel was arrested for non payment of dues. All the crew were paid off except for a handful of officers.Two engineers including me and two deck officers and the captain. A new chief engineer arrived and we sailed to Algeria with just the officers and no crew (the Fillipino crew stayed on strike and did not work the entire voyage).We made the trip back to Lisbon on our way to Dunkirk- due to engine failure.Eventually the vessel arrived in Dunkirk where the crew decided to take action- the Fillipino crew threatened to set fire to the engine room if there wages were not paid and the French authorities would not do anything being a British Territory on a British Flag Ship. I left the ship with my bags around two in the morning and finally arrived at the offices of Helmville in London. Lucky for me, I was able to get my wages paid, though they refused to give me a bonus and shorthand wages as promised.Was i glad to get off this vessel-after being through a "Voyage of the damned".Sadly such things do happen and no one is aware of what goes on in the shipping lanes of the world with greedy shipowners and how the sailors are treated as slaves.This was my Karma and I had to wipe out my past life regressions this way. I went through these kind of incidences all my entire sailing career-Read my book-"Odyssey of a Great lakes sailor"--Ranga Iyer.God bless those sailors who toil the great seas and oceans of the world and hopefully one day people will get to recognize that those who sacrifice their time and energy to make it a better world are a special breed indeed.'
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    Last edited by Graham Shaw; 28th September 2021 at 12:18 PM.

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    Default Re: "It Wasn't All P & O or Union Castle out there was it?......."

    Interesting Graham,
    Helmville Limited
    A bit of history:-
    13.09.1972: Petition to wind the company up granted.
    12.05.1981. Special EGM where members agree voluntary Liquidation and John Thodorou and John Alachouzos appointed liquidators.
    02.01.1985. Meeting held in order to inform members on how company was wound and distribute any funds.
    29.05.1986. Company liquidated.
    02.10.2018. Compulsory struck off.
    Source of info. London Gazette.

    Farwent Limited.
    Only info I can find:-
    11.06.220: Struck off and dissolved.

    Vic
    Last edited by vic mcclymont; 28th September 2021 at 06:33 PM.

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    Default Re: "It Wasn't All P & O or Union Castle out there was it?......."

    Helmville Limited was incorporate in 1955.
    Vic

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    Default Re: "It Wasn't All P & O or Union Castle out there was it?......."

    Thanks for that post Graham, wonder how many would say there but for the grace of god.
    Des
    R510868
    Lest We Forget

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