Mv medic

[stephen street]

Hi to any reader of this!
Although i was not a shaw swivel employee. The dubious honour of sailing to NZ and back on the above was mine, when she was used as a cadet training ship.In mid 1977 the MEDIC had a CO training officer Mr Miles Eden-Smith,he had(I think) been on the "Pangbourne". With this expirence he endevered to recreate the "flavour" of the quasi military training (shore base) of old.It was a bit lost on me,I'd had my fill of that life on a similar establishment( CONWAY) some years before.
I recall a few of S.S cadets that i knew back then,mainly,
The kelly bros (Mike and Ned?) and Roy(?) all from Hull.
In anticipation that someone will have some more knowledge to post on this subject,Many Thanks.
Steve.

[Petermax]

Hi Stephen,
I sailed on the Medic for the first three trips after she became a training ship.
I remember Miles very well. We had some good times with the cadets on board. Good football matches, great trips in NZ.
Which trip were you on. Two of them I did we spent the full time in Timaru. The middle trip was the best, Auckland, Whangarie and Tauranga.
Lots of photo's from all trips if you are interested. First and third tips had a female cadet.
I sailed as second lecky.
Regards
Peter.

[stephen street]

Hi Pete
The trip i was on,may to aug 1977.Skipper R Althen,Sheereness/Liverpool Via Timaru.One female cadet Jane Rilley,about ten guys.One of ME SMITH trips was to see the cargo being prepared(killed,really entertaining stuff.)(that would be lambs for any reader not conversent with the run.)The other was coach trip round a large park up around the Alps.
One memoir that you may have,a competion between the deck and the engine crowd.
For the spanner's Jnr/5/e Mally Tucker
for the deck Nick Rainsford(i shared a cabin with nick,christen him TRUNCH )
For several weeks Nick lived with a smug face with his new nickname,but the engineroom boys were not impressed,demanding a show of Tackle.Unfotunately Nick was not as big as his non-de-plume would sugest.Lost his reputation almost as quick as he got it.
Steve.

[Petermax]

Hi Steve,
I certainly remember that trip, it was my first on the Medic and the first with the cadets.
As soon as I saw the female cadets name I recognised it.
I also remember Mal, with envy!!! Unfortunately I think that was where most of his brains were!
The only coach trip I went on was the one you mentioned to MT. Cook. We had lunch at the Heritage Inn and it started snowing. The driver was concerned that we may get stuck.
I don’t know if you were involved, but on one night out two of the cadets had a drinking competition with Tequila Sunrises. Downing each drink in one, and getting through a tremendous amount. I remember visiting the gents after one of them, and it was a sea of red!! I met an American girl in there (the pub, not the gents!) who was visiting friends in Timaru.
I have some photo’s of crossing the line and a football team from a match we played. Would you have been involved in that? I will dig them out and post later.
Regards
Peter.

[stephen street]

Hi Peter,
We joined in Shereness,great few days before sailing.I ended up one night with a local bramaid,that got me in the good books with a senior engineer.(No names but he had dark curly hair and black tash or beard.)Got a bit deflatted when she told She'd only gone for a toy boy to get at him.Neadless to say I keeped that one to myself.I have(well some of it.)red hair so I tend to be remembered.Unfortunately" miles" rules kept his "cadets"fairly seperated from everyone else,ie out of the bar by nine etc.A bit of a sore point with some of use, being twenty plus years of age at the time.As for pictures,I don't have any. Would be intresting to see if I turn up on any of yours. My other real memory of Timaru was to have the pleasure of a wisdom tooth extracted.Haveing told the story many times it still sends shivers down my spine.The Quack ended up with his knee on my chest,one hand on my forehead the other yanking on the pliers that he'd clamped on said tooth.Like something out the wildwest.
Steve.

[Steve Frankland]

I sailed on the Medic in 1978, one of 12 cadets. I remember Miles very well, very different to what I'd been used to with Manchester Liners. Joined in Liverpool then coasted to Avonmouth to complete discharge before sailing in ballast to Whangarei and Bluff. Did the slaughterhouse tour, Queenstown trip and a few games of football, one against a team called Queens Park Rangers in Invercargil. I think it may have been the penultimate voyage of the Medic before it was sold. Some good memories from those days.
Steve Frankland.

[Neil Jeffery]

I think I was on the same trip Steve. I think we got beaten by the football team 10-1. I was on my second trip when I joined the ship, first trip was Zealandic. I sailed again with Miles again at the end of 1980 on Roebuck when he was Chief Officer - completely different person (although that was probably me as well). He was the one that stood in the bar and congratulated me on a posting to Chiltern Prince as uncert. 3rd Mate. Looking back, he never really got the recognition he deserved

[Kenneth Thorpe]

Your thread has prompted me to pull out my old discharge books. I Checked the late 70’s and having sailed on the Drina as cadet & 3rd off, which SS&A sold underneath me!.
I next shipped out on the Medic as 3rd off. I Joined in Avonmouth May 78 then Whangarei and Bluff returning to Liverpool July 78. The old man was “Robby” E Altham. With Miles Eden- Smith as the Mate/TO, sorry cannot remember other names other than the blonde female cadet as Susie Smith (no relation to Miles).I did the UK coastal and left the ship in Avonmouth; where it loaded munitions for Melbourne? with the next batch of 12 deck cadets which included a Local girl Louise Holman.
[Our Paths crossed again...... Louise joined VTS on the Tees later in her career, when we chatted as I brought my ship into Teesport]
back to 78….I did and passed Mates in Hull.
I Re-joined Medic in Jan 79, promoted 2nd Mate.
The Medic had done the Aussie/Kiwi trip.
Then it was all change for all of the next lot of cadets:They were engineers cadets: with an engineer TO who came with his own landrover as a runabout.
The old man was a real gentleman ;- Willy Newport , and the mate [with golf clubs] Alan “lets get the show on the road” Turner. If I recall it was a Bluff only Trip???
But can recall on one or other of these two voyages visiting:- The Meat works at Invercargill, including playing football, cannot remember the score but we defiantly drunk more beer than the opposing team! A visit to lake Manapuri? And the Aluminium Smelter at Tiwai Point. We returned to Avonmouth July 79, where SS&A sold Medic underneath me.
Later in 1980 Zealandic, and 1981 Riverina also sold underneath me and disappear from the Furness books.
I eventually left Pacific Patriot and Furness .1985 and went to Uglands as 2/O >Mate>Master. 24yrs.
Also mentioned in the thread The Kelly Brothers from Hull, Jeff and I sailed as Cadets Drina/Durango?
Jeff Did work on the Humber sea Terminal, North Killingholme 12 years? Ago. when we discharged cars there.
Brother Mike was a Trinity Pilot on the Humber. Before ABP pushed Trinity Pilots out.?
where they are now ???
Perhaps our Paths will cross again outside the Minerva Jeff?

Hope Ugland/UECC old Boys can resume our meetings there 1st thursday Feb/Apr/June/Aug/Oct/Dec.
once jabbed up and Covid free. Ken

[Christopher Miles]

I can imagine what it was like with a Pangbourne training officer, I went there. It put me off joining the RN which had been my long term ambition.

I joined T & J Harrison (2 fat and 1 lean, Liverpool). Reading all those posts it seems the apprentices had a great time on a training ship. I envied all the stories told in college where groups of a dozen spent such times together. And girls too! But to be fair T & J were a great company to serve with back in the day. 15/20 island ports around the Caribbean, then loading sugar in Central America for weeks at a time. I was lucky enough to sail on the 'MV Craftsman' (Heavy Lift) getting stuck down in Cape Town because the shoreside guys weren't properly prepared for a 300 ton lift. Would things like that happen today, I doubt it!

Chris.

[Alan Briggs]

Remember Miles well from the Ocean Monarch where he was first officer, good sense of humour and could take a bit of ribbing.