Ships list

[Russ Kennedy]

Hi Lisa,
So sorry to hear of your sad loss. I sailed with Palm Line around the same time as your Dad, although I left in 1968. Unfortunately his name dosen't ring any bells. I read the response from Chris Clarke and he mentions the "other" MN website "Ships Nostalgia", have you tried that one? There are quite a few ex Palm Liners on that site and I am sure you will find someone else that sailed with your Dad. There is one guy, Stan Mayes who worked the Palm Line ships in Tilbury, he may be able to help you.
Good luck, regards
Russ K

[Don Harris]

I was on the first Lagos Palm - first joined her February 1951 in London with Captain Imaz - as far as I remember he was originally from a Spanish family connection with the Larinaga Shipping Co. but I'm sure he was a true Liverpudlian! Lets say that Frankie as he was known to us under him on the bridge was then as you say - some skipper - I was with him for quite a while till I joined the old Takoradi Palm with Captain Roberts - quite a different style! Enjoyed Palm line till I left the sea !when my 'utility' discharge book was full and as you say the beer was so good after a day on deck - apart from the mozzies the West Coast was'nt that bad and the Company looked after us well.

[Neil Howard]

Thank you for welcoming me to the site. I have often thought were where all those old mates now who gave me their patience and time when I was junior. When I hit on the site I immediately saw in the window Ibadan Palm / Chris Roberts. I thought, well, after all this time a name I remeber very well. Many thanks to the site administators it looks well set up. I will now go about seeing if I can locate ships , names and dates

[Neil Howard]

Hi Russ,
I have just joined the site and I am having a little dificulty navigating around , but there again I was never a navigator. Your name I feel as though I know but a picture or an occasion would help. I joined Palm Line in 1961 and my first voyage was on the Bamenda Palm from Liverpool to Port Harcourt . The Chief Enginner was George Brand , Second Engineer Derrick Malone, Dick Burns ( the mighty Irish man) I stayed with the Bamenda for two years and saw many faces who became people whom I respect to this day, Russel Davidson, Vic Nelson. Jack Barclay ( elec) and many other which I will recall and write down
I then joined the Ilesha Palm and stayed with here for a few years. I did the odd voyage in the Matadi palm to the coast. I did a couple of years on the releif squad once I sorted out how to wangle that work from Mr Hayes in Liver Buildings and my last voyage was on the Kano Palm when she left Tilbury on way to Colombo via Poland. The voyage was interupted by the war in the middle east in which a number of ships got caught up in the canal.
I would never change those years in Palm Line and the guys were all brilliant. One face not to be forgotten was the shoreside electrician Alec Robb a wonderful character. Quite recently I met a Mr Bowers whose uncle was Brian Bowers ( Ilesha ). Brian has recently gone over the bar.

And we have not yet even started on the G.... Men if you ken what I mean in these days when a spade is not a spade. Lots of fun down the coast and I still know where the daughter of the Port Harcout Palm Line Manager lives

[Neil Howard]

Was any member aboard the Ilesha Palm when she was ordered to go into Conakry . On entering the port we sighted a large old ship painted white with the word HOPE in large black letters on here side. I asked an old hand about this and he said it was a hospital ship. It was about Chritmas Eve and our saloon was dressed for Chritmas including a tree. I was the entertainment officer that trip and it was left to me and Bob Rankin to see if the Hospital ship had nurses abpard. A letter was duly hand carried to the Hope and then Bob and I returned to the Ilsha to wait the outcome. At 8pm the third mate from ther HOPE entered the saloon and said he had been asked to check us out. He had a Harp larger ( Barcalys light and dark were also availabe !!) and after refreshing himself said he would give the HOPE's Chief Officer a clean bill of heath for the Ilesha. As acting Entertaimments Officer I had kept our guys without sauce until the hoped for guests arrived. Some 15 minutes later 80 american nurses came into the accommodation together with ten american officers. Christmas started with a bang

[Russ Kennedy]

Ref post #25
Hi Neil,
Welcome to the best site on the web!! It won't take you long to find your way around it.
Your note brings back some great memories, I remember George Brand, special memories of Russell Davidson, I sailed with him on the Ibadan. Dry docked in South Shields at Middle Dock for 4 weeks. As he had the same Christian name as me he was Russ and I was Russ Russ! Joan my wife, joined me at the start of one trip (she stayed on Newcastle to Tilbury), Russ banged on the bulkhead and shouted “your turn for the f******n beers” then remembered that Joan was there, I will never forget the look on Russ’s face when he came into my cabin to apologise to Joan. I now live not far from Russ’s local, and hoped I might bump into him, sadly he crossed the bar about 3 years ago. While you are on the website, have a look on the gallery find the photos I’ve posted "under onboard, people and places", you might see someone you know. Your name seems to ring a bell, but right now I can’t place you. As you say Neil, a photo works wonders. A few names I recall that may prompt a few memories, Norman Moat (Sen Elec), my best mate, friends for over 45 years. He stayed with Palm Line for 27 years, (crossed the bar 13th November 2007. Chris Roberts, Bob Beadle, Bob Metcalfe (crossed the bar last year), Bill Fisher, Capt Frankie Imaz, to name but a few. I also remember Brian Bowers, we brought the ex BP Tanker the Makeni Palm round from Immingham to Liverpool in January1965. I think it was the longest 4 days of my sea going career, what a "B" of a ship that was. Still happy days, I wouldn't change it one little bit.
Hope you enjoy the site.
Regards
Russ Kennedy

[malcolm doherty]

Yea i was on the badagry palm did a few trips on her (deck) 8 week trips
joined liverpool payed of tilbury, had some good laughs and the grub was o/k
got a book from them the life of palm line more happy days gone.

[Sylvia Grinham]

Stan Grinham aka Goolie, my husband was in Bamenda Palm in I968 too! I have a ship in a bulb he made . He wrote on the bottom of the wooden base he made it it on board that ship in 1968. I am looking for stories and photos and names of the ships he was in from then until 1979 when he came ashore.

[j.sabourn]

May of said before I had a cousin who was a number of Years with Palm Line as 2 and 3 engineer . He was drowned at the mouth of the Thames forget the port. However this was about 1980 and had left Palm Line by then so was on another ship. He was known by Tommy Kempster on ships, but by family his other name was Albert. Was all sad really as his father and mother both died not too long before this and he made up the trio , and they were all gone. He was supposed to have a bit of a reputation down the West Coast , Africa of course . JS

[Louis the fly]

Palm Line were a good company to sail for. Air conditioned single berth midships accommodation. You could sleep at night when on the West Coast without being crawled over by mozzies and all the other insects and bugs. At midday there was an issue of draught harp lager.
I was on the Ilorin in 68 and Ikeja in 70.