Dominion Monarch. Wedding?.

[Frank Thorp]

In the 60's I had a cousin, (John Gibson), who had been at sea long before me. He was a an A.B.

I remember him telling me that on one trip on the Dominion Monarch, they were in Aukland, and quite a scandal was raised when the Mayor of Auckland
was invited to a wedding of two crew members. It was apparently a mock wedding and the mayor was not impressed.

At the time I did not know whether to believe him or not. (probably not), but strange things happen at sea, so I have often wondered.

If there is any likely hood of this having happened, I am sure many of you out there would know of it.

I have never believed it but it would be amusing to find out that it was true.

Frank.

[Samuel Denton]

My wife's Aunt sailed on the Dominion Monarch for years as a stewardess. She was married to the Chief Steward at the time. They met on there. She never told the company nor did he they were married as it would not have been possible to sail together under company rules. She would sign on as Blease and him as Walker. Blease being her maiden name. So maybe the so called fake wedding was theirs .lol

[Frank Thorp]

Hello Samuel.

I am sure that your aunts wedding would not have been the one told to me.

I think that the connotation at the time was of a same sex wedding.

John was a story teller so it probably was a tall story. But I have often wondered.


Frank.

[Charlie Hannah]

Dominion Monarch, I am pretty sure that was the one were the two puffs staged a marriage, caused an uproar.

[Doc Vernon]

Were they Cream Puff's Charlie! LOL

[happy daze john in oz]

Yes it is true according to a good friend in NZ.
Two gays, one a local who was a steward on the DM arranged to be married in a church.
All went well according to him until another one of them who was jealous raced along the aisle and pulled the wig off the one dressed in a wedding gown.

Would have been great fun no doubt.

[John Arton]

In 71 I was 3rd mate on the Beaverpine and after a great trip around the Carribbean, we ended up in sharpness, discharging grain from Baltimore. The captain was a real character from sefton, married to a coal merchants daughter. We had a number of wives on board for the in port stay and the first trip 5th engineer had his girlfriend on board also. After a night out in Bristol I came on board in the early hours to be met by the 2nd mate who told me to ask no questions but to go with the flow. On going into the bar I found all the officers having a stag do for the 5th engineer whilst all the wives were in the 2nd engineers cabin having a hen do for his girlfriend.
Turned out that the captain had earlier asked where the 5th and girlfriend were when they should be in the bar enjoying everyone's company. On being told they were in the 5ths cabin, doing their own thing, he declared that was not good enough and they should be enjoying everyone's company.
He went round to the 5ths cabin and banged on the door demanding that the 5th came out immediately!!
A very sheepish 5th peeked out wanting to know what was wrong.
The conversation went like this.
Captain..." Mr. ****, When I agreed to your request to allow this young lady to join us on board I was under the impression that she was either your wife or at least your fiancée, now I find that she is only your girlfriend and that you are spending the night with her. That's something that I cannot allow to go on aboard my ship. What are your intentions towards this young lady?, Do you love her and intend to marry her?".
5th... Stturring .. "yes I guess so"
Captain... " Good, I can perform the ceremony at noon tomorrow, be ready".
So that is what I was met by when I got back on board.
The next morning at smoko we all thought it was a good laugh and knowing that he had no power to perform the ceremony we all thought the captain would have forgotten about it all but no, he insisted that we all attend the chartroom at midday dressed in full uniform. On going there we found that he had the chart table covered by a red duster flag, the Bible opened at the relevant page with the OLB open at the section for recording birth, marriages and deaths at sea. He had crossed out the "no power" bit and written "full power by order of H&W".
We all stood solemnly around whilst the happy? Couple were drought up and stood before the captain, shaking in the belief that they were about to be married.
It was only after the captain got past the "dearly beloved, we are gathered together this day to join this couple in holy matrimony" ( all spoken most seriously), that someone could not surpress their laughter at the look of terror on the 5ths and his girlfriend's faces that the whole lot of us rescinded into hysterics. Mind you booze up afterwards was well worth it.
Rgds
J.A.
p.s. after paying off later on we did hear that the 5th and his girlfriend did become engaged and later married so I guess that captain could have added being Cupid to his other talent's

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Frank.
Your right mate, I was on the NZ coast when the two poofs got married off the DM, It was a big society wedding with the Auckland Mayor and his wife and a few society matrons attending, turned into a right shamoozle, the DM was going to be banned from NZ, as it was there was always a bloodbath every time she was there .
Des

[Frank Thorp]

hello taff.

Thanks for that . It is practically word for word as told to me all those years ago.

I often wondered but I take it now as confirmed.

Regards.


Frank

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Frank.
Your right mate, I was on the NZ coast when the two poofs got married off the DM, It was a big society wedding with the Auckland Mayor and his wife and a few society matrons attending, turned into a right shamoozle, the DM was going to be banned from NZ, as it was there was always a bloodbath every time she was there .
Des

Des, not sure if correct but did hear she was in fact banned from Wellington at one stage.