R.M.S. Canberra

[Bob Sendall]

Thinking about the maiden voyage and realising that all the crew will now be 64 or over. I was a 17 year old and will be 67 in November, time, where has it gone?

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Hi.Bosely,
You are spot on 'where did it go' I am 78 now but I still look back at the old times at sea and try to remember names of my Board Of Trade aquaintances. I remember the names of real shipmates alright.
I came ashore in 1958 from the Arcadia where I was a BR. The Chief Steward was Max Perch and he had apparently been promised the Canberra, so he was even at that time trying to get a nucleus of a crew around him. He asked me if I would go with him, and if I had not already made my mind up about going ashore I would certainly have accepted, as he was a great guy. I just wondered if he did ever make it with his 'lads'
I would be interested to know

[Bob Sendall]

Bruno

Cannot help you with the Chief Steward, so long ago I cannot remember hardly any names,

Bob Sendall

[Keith Moody]

I TOO WAS ON THE MAIDEN VOYAGE OF "CANBERRA", I FIRST SAW HER IN bELFAST BEFORE HER TRIALS, AT THE TIME I WAS A STEWARD ON THE MV.GOODWIN OF CLYDE SHIPPING CO. I KNEW SHE WAS BEING BUILT THERE AND ON ONE SATURDAY EVENING I TOOK MY MOTORCYCLE (ALWAYS CARRIED IT ON BOARDTHE SHIP), AND WENT OUT TO THE FLORAL HALL (DANCEFLOOR AND LIVE BANDS) TOOK A SEAT AND WAS LISTENING TO THE MUSIC WHEN I HEARD THIS VERY DISTINTIVE VOICE IN FRONT OF ME, INSTANTLY I KNEW WHO IT WAS , SO LEANED OVER HIS SHOULDER AND POLITLY TOLD HIM TO SHUT UP, HE DIDN1T EVEN TURN AROUNDAS HE RECONISED MY VOICE TOO BUT UNFORTUNATLY I CANNOT REPEAT HIS WORDS HERE. ANY WAY IT WAS BRIAN (SHINER) NEWLANDS. WE HAD SERVRD TOGETHER ON THE R.M.S. ARCADIA FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS FROM 1956-59. HE WAS WORKING BY ON THE CANBERRA, WE ARRANGED FOR ME TO GO OVER THE NEXT DAY FOR LUNCH AND LOOK OVER HER. I THOUGHT SHE WAS THE GREATEST SHIP I HAD EVER BEEN ON, SO MY NEXT COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO GET OFF THE MV GOODWIN TAKE MY BIKE, CATCH THE FERRY OVER TO HOLLYEAD AND RIDE DOWN TO LONDON TO P & O OFFICES AND SEE IF I COULD BECOME PART OF THE CREW AND THIS I DID, I JOINED HER IN SOUTHHAMPTON AS SOON AS SHE ARRIVED THERE. WHILST THERE P & O LAID ON A SPECIAL TRAIN THAT BOUGHT A LOT OF THE FAMILIES DOWN TO LOOK OVER THE SHIP. THE FIRST VOYGE WAS THE GREATEST WITH ALL THE PORTS WE VISITED AND IN LONG BEACH THE INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY CONTEST AND PARADE WAS ON, WHICH SOME HOW MY CABIN MATE AND MYSELFE SORT OF GOT MIXED UP IN, HE WAS NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN. MR BOSLEY I REMEMBER YOU WE SERVED IN THE SAME RESTURANT.
KEITH MOODY
CANADA

[Bob Sendall]

I cannot remember many people, it was so long ago and I was only a young lad (17 years).

Bob Sendall

[Keith Moody]

Bruno, were you on the ACADIA when a br steward called "SANDY" diapeared of the ship on the high seas? and were you on her when she hit that storm between Las Palmas and Gibralter? when she nearly turned over.
and yes Max Pearch did join the Canberra and was on there for the maiden voyage,
keith moody.
Ruahine 1955-56
Acadia 1956-59
btc 1959-60
mv England 1960
MV goodwin 1960-61
RMS Canberra 1961

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Hi.Keith
have just picked up your posting about the Arc. I was on her from Sept.57 to October 58. I don't remember the incidents you mentioned. I am sure I would have remembered someone disappearing at sea because I was a BRS myself. The only time I remember someone doing that was on the Himalaya. Your name seems vaguely familiar, where did you work on the ship? I'm glad that Maxie Perch made it to the Canberra.
Cheers
Pete
ps.I managed to drop the Bruno nickname after I left the Ranchi in 1951, but I left it in my avatar in case there was anyone out there from that ship.

[Keith Moody]

hi Pete. the arcadia was my secound ship and at that time in 1956 i was a bell boy later dinining room steward , other names who were on there at the same time were John (tag) Taylor, Dennis Holttum, Ginger Safry, i beleive he was BRS. Ginger Clarke. were you on her when we carried that Fijjian prince on board coming over to see the queen, anyway he got sick and a couple of us were detailed to look after him, unfortunatly we didn`t do a very good job and he died, he was kept in the freezers until Bombay then flown back to Fiji. I also looked after Lord Nuffield (Bill Morris) of Morris car fame, and Menzies PM of Australia, it`s still nice to know that some of our generation are still around. keep in touch,
keith

[Pete Leonard (Bruno)]

Hi.Keith
I don't remember the incidents that you mentioned, but they were still talking about Bob Menzies so I joined just after that. I joined her on the last Med.cruise of that year, and took over one of the de-luxe set of sheds up on B deck. My mates on there were George Mc.Gregor, Bomber Mills,George Bowater al BR's also Charlie Harrison the butcher. I wiil try to attach some pics. The only person of any note that I remember as a passenger was Spike Milligan. He would often come down to the crew bar in the foc'sle and have a chat. He was quite a normal guy,very friendly even if he was not that funny in himself. Everyone expected him to tell jokes but as he said "I dont do jokes ,I create situations". If you remember the queens always had a fancy dress competition and a fancy hat competition each trip. He was asked to judge the hat competition which he did, and made the funniest remark when asked for his verdict he said " I have seen lots of hats tonight but haven't seen a brown one" it brought the place down.
Cheers, Pete

Pic.1 George Mc.Gregor,Joe Sullivan,Charlie Harrison,Winchy,Jim French(standing)
Pic.2 Me, Mac.& Taffy Crocker. Pic.3 Mac. & Bomber Mills
Attachment 4213[ATTACH]4213Attachment 4214

Attachment 4215

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates, I help bunker all the great ladys in Southampton so I have been on them all? but never sail on one passenger ship. I have a tie from the Canberra which I wear down the club sometimes, and many odds and sods from the others Q.E 2 badges' e.tc. I was working on the tall ships. race in southampton a few years ago, When the new one came from germany .The Aurora that the only one I have not been on today. A modern lovely looking ship.