Ellerman line City of Ely.

[Johnny Kieran]

Anyone sail on the City of Ely around 1962? I considered it one of the worst things that could happen to a human being at the time, but look back on it as an adventure that not many people could experience, and glad I did.

[Graham Shaw]

Anyone sail on the City of Ely around 1962? I considered it one of the worst things that could happen to a human being at the time, but look back on it as an adventure that not many people could experience, and glad I did.

Ooh,what on earth went wrong Johnny? Don't fret though,about ten years later ,after sale to Mr.Greek she caught fire and was scrapped.

ANDALUSIAN-CITY OF ELY O.N.183768.jpg
Courtesy Clive Ketley Coll'n,Teesbuilt Ships

INFOLINK

[Johnny Kieran]

Great picture Graham, thanks. One ship I never had a picture of, I hope you don't mind if I copy it?
The City of Ely was a pile of junk, no cold water tap for drinking. We broke down almost every day, with no air through lack of headway, particularly in the Red Sea. One engine room guy died, the older guys said it was yellow fever, but we'd all been jabbed for everything.
I was a deck boy to start with, but finished as JOS, so was still only 17.
Most of the crew walked off in Singapore, but they told me to stay aboard as it could get nasty. The police came with batons and forced them all back to the ship. Some ABs missed the boat in Borneo somewhere, even though they stood on the dock as we were letting go. They were picked up by the army and flown to another place to re-join the ship.
A dead policeman was found on our anchor chain once, he'd been under water for some time, a horrible sight to see.
There are too many bad things to tell here, it never stopped until we were paid off in London. I think I was the only one on deck not to get a D.R.
Anyway, sorry if it's boring, but I thought it a bad trip.

[Doc Vernon]

Just on the City Ships, i recall many of them coming to Cape Town in the 1950's all great looking Ships, those days the Harbour there was really bustling!
My dear old Grandad and Grandma , went to the UK on Holiday on the Brand New then City of Durban, and remembering going to the Docks to see them off! Wonderful days !

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Johnny
What a terrible tale, the ship 's build was the same as my first ship. but with different results, I joined as a deck boy from the Vindi and left as a SoS two years and four trips later, a very happy ship.
Cheers Des

[Johnny Kieran]

I can remember being told after we sailed, that the ship was built for Lascar crew. Indeed we had several Lascars down below. I was told that the union had demanded a UK crew be taken on, a big mistake.
We were Shanghaied anyway, as we were all told by the pool, that it was a 6 week trip to the Med. After signing on just before we sailed, we were all told to go back up to the officers wardroom. There we all lined up and were given jabs. The older guys were saying that "this is not good, somethings wrong here" so they knew.
I wasn't very experienced, I'd only done a couple of trips on the Hornby Grange prior to this, so it was all a learning curve, and boy, did I learn.

[cappy]

always thought city boats had lascars on deck and catering and down below.....pretty sure out of shields this was the norm but stand to be corrected....cappy R683532

[Johnny Kieran]

You're probably right cappy, but this was out of London. Unfortunately as I said, the union changed it. For us anyway.

[j.sabourn]

#8. Was that Prescott Street ? Only remember sailing with one crew from there who joined in Rotterdam. It was to replace a crew paying off, and this was after a voyage where the master had been stabbed. Only the 2 engineer and myself were retained on board. On the first night on board after coming back from shore , found one body lying in the lower accomodation alleyway and immediately thought he was drunk , so dragged him to his bunk and kept an eye on him to see he didn’t choke himself. When he was compus mentos not too long afterwards found out he was subject to epileptic fits. He proudly showed me the scars on his wrists where he had tried previously to kill himself. Made me wonder about the Federation doctor on passing him fit for sea duty , and the whole pool in question. A few months later it may have been the same crew after I left who witnessed 1 murder and 1 attempted murder off the coast of Chile. Just pleased I was not in attendance. But heard all about it from one seaman’s account of it on this site, and also by the master Captain N. Jacotine ,if the author of the narrative on here reads this. Jacotine was the intended target who chased his would be assailant with a broom and probably saved his life when he refused to let the Chilean Navy shoot him out of hand. He was an East African I believe and got 3 concurrent life sentences at the Old Bailey. The first attempted murder of a different master in West Africa he only got 3 years . This first one was reported in the Daily Express with the usual modicum of truth as happening on the High Seas. There seemed to be an unusual share of alien seamen coming from that Prescott Pool . This was in the early 70s. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes Vernon City line had some great looking ships, traditional lines as we kn ew them, not like today.
It always appeared that when ever we docked in Cape town there was a City ship in or just arriving.
Was a regular run for them it would appear.