Edward Ernest Roberts (Matty)

[Lisa9]

Dear Friends

I am writing to let you all know that sadly on 17th March 2010 my father Edward (always know to family and friends as Matt or Matty) passed away.

He was loved by everyone and I will miss him with all my heart.

Please get in touch if you knew my father as I would love to find out more about his life in the merchant navy.

Kind Regards,

Lisa

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Lisa
First of all i must say i didnt know your Dad,but can say that i know how you must feel in loosing him!
Its always so sad at the loss of a loved one and we must just take Heart that he has now gone to rest and will i hope be taken by the gentle winds to places that he remembered during his great sailing days!
May he rest in peace!
Please accept my sincere condolences on your loss!

Now also welcome to this great site,and i hope that you will come across someone who may have known and sailed with him!

May i ask where he was Born! and the Year was it perhaps 1941?? Just wild guesing by listings at Kew!

Take care Lisa and be strong!
All the best!

The Sailor's Farewell


Twas on a dark and stormy night, the snow lay on the ground
A sailor boy stood on the deck, his ship was outward bound
His sweetheart standing by his side, shed many a bitter tear
And as he clasped her to his breast, he whispered in her ear.

Farewell, farewell my own true love, this parting gives me pain
You'll be my hope, my guide, my star, till I return again
My thoughts shall be of you my love, though storms be raging high
So fare thee well, remember me, your faithful sailor boy.

So with a gale, this ship set sail, he kissed his love goodbye,
She watched the vessel out of sight till a tear bedimmed her eye
She prayed to God in heaven above, to guide him on his way
But still her lover's parting words, re-echoed o'er the bay.

Farewell, farewell my own true love, this parting gives me pain
You'll be my hope, my guide, my star, till I return again
My thoughts shall be of you my love, though storms be raging high
So fare thee well, remember me, your faithful sailor boy.

But sad to say that silip returned without her sailor boy
For he had died while outward bound and his flag was half-mast high
And when his comrades came ashore and told her he was dead
A letter he had sent to her and this is how it read.

Farewell, farewell my own true love, on earth we'll meet no more
But we shall meet in Heaven above on that eternal shore
I know that in that land so bright, that land above the sky
We'll meet, we'll meet to part no more from your faithful sailor boy

[Chris Clarke]

Lisa
Very sorry to hear the sad news about your father. I sailed with Matty when I was 2nd Mate on I think the Makeni Palm probably 1967. I think he was 3/E at the time. We did email each other a few times up to 2007 via ShipsNostalgia. I remember him very well partly due to an accident when he came off a scooter along the Appapa Quays. It's a good story actually.
The Master Captain Hughie Bunker had allowed us to buy 2nd hand Vespa at Bromborough to scoot about when ashore in West Africa. We were loading palm oil at Apapa and I was on cargo watch overnight. Earlier I'd ferried a number of the crew including Matty to another Palm Line ship which had air conditioning (we didn't). I left it to our R/O to ferry our chaps back to the Makeni. About midnight the young Irish R/O rushed up the gangway and blurted out there'd been an accident and Matty was hurt.
We ran down the quay. Matty was on the ground very groggy, bleeding from a chin wound. I'd warned Sparks to keep wheels out of the crane rail lines - but of course being Irish it just wasn't possible for him to do this, so poor Matty went like he'd been ejected from an aircraft over Sparks onto the quayside with inevitable results.
We go an ambulance to turn up at last. I found and woke A&E doctor asleep on hospital bed. About 0230 by this time.
After a lot of hargy-bargy doctor reluctantly called in a radiologist instead of waiting till day shift. No broken bones but nasty gash under his chin. They stitched him up and I went back aboard.
We were due to sail to Freetown about 1100 so I went back to the hospital where they said they wouldn't let him out in his condition. Matt couldn't speak very well, just kept mumbling through clenched teeth "Get me out of here Chris, don't leave me". They refused so I signed disclaimer for him. We got back on board with about 15 minutes to spare.
Whole incident was great subject of amusement. On passage to Freetown where stitches were to be extracted we took it in turns to tell Matt jokes. He kept mumbling "No, no more jokes"!! Heartless lot we were.
I remember Matt as very popular, a good ship-mate, hard working and always ready for a laugh, except on above occasion of course!
So sorry at your loss.
Kind regards - Chris Clarke

[Doc Vernon]

Well there you go Lisa allready someone who knew your Dad!
Great site this!
Cheers

good on you Chris i am sure this will make lisa happy!

[Lisa9]

Chris thank you so so much for your reply, i dont think i could ever get bored hearing about my dad and anything else or any other stories would be gratefully received! In response to Castleman my dad was born in 1938 so you were very close.
Many thanks for all your kind words. Lisa x