gothic.

[happy daze john in oz]

Reading through this, my cabin was on the Port side, not the starboard.
Richard

So there we are, your left hand does not know what your right hand is doing!

[Richard Quartermaine]

Well Johno, my daughter is left handed, I'm right handed so together we're ambidextrous.
Richard

[Rodney Leaper]

As Doc reports:










All off the net, all facts not checked, but will be: Adding now in an attempt to help and for interest:

K.

Hi my name is rod leaper, I joined the M/N in 1966 as a fireman, came out training in liverpool, first ship was Queen Elizabeth, did two trips on her to new york, then on strike!!! after strike was over i joined the Gothic and sailed from the Albert docks London to Auckland where i sat up and listened to us winning the world cup in June 1966, i still remember a couple of our crew : John (cook) Vic (Steward) Pete (deckhand) and a drunken (always) ex aussie tankerman. was not aware of Gothics fate after that. I ended up on the Northern star until 1972/3. would love to hear from other crew members of both ships. rod.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hello Rod, you've no doubt seen #33 above. Here are some photos of my time on her from Jan, 51 to March, 53 and the shocking result of the fire that shortened her life. If you want to see more go to Royal Occasions . Richard

SS Gothic after Fire.jpgRQ 'Gothic' 1952.jpgSS Gothic pre RY.jpgGothic Saloon.jpgGothic Hobart 1952.jpg

[joseph connor]

# 35 , Oh yes it does , and I want two grand in used notes , or I'm telling mother ,!!!!!.

[Rodney Leaper]

Hi Richard, thanks for the photos, very happy memories. best wishes rod.

[Richard Quartermaine]

Hi Rod, thanks, a happy ship and and great memories. Best wishes to you too. Richard

[Tony Skilton]

The Gothic fire - I remember it well. I was an apprentice fitter & turner at Wm Cables in Wellington, and had started my apprenticeship the day the fire occurred - August 1st, 1968. But, as all the radio room equipment had been destroyed, the news of the fire didn't start filtering through until days after the event.

The vessel sailed from Bluff toward Sth America from memory. When we started getting daily reports in the Evening Post about the extent of the fire it made sobering reading. Captain Brian Agnew had to steam the ship stern-first for hundreds of miles, being conned from the emergency steering position down aft. And the weather was not kind either - high seas & gale force winds.
After they arrived back in Wellington and all the official activities and surveyor inspections had been completed, a gang of us from Wm Cables were put back on the ship to try and make her seaworthy again. The bridge was totally blackened and burnt out, as was most of the forward passenger area. I went into cabins on the passenger decks and the porcelain bath tubs were just molten blobs on the decks. It was all very sobering.

Our shipwrights proceeded to overlay the warped steel decks with framed false timber decks in those areas that were required to navigate and work the ship. I can remember tripping over numerous times due to the extremely warped decks, but was probably also my own fault as I was looking at something else that showed how ferocious the fire was. Virtually all of the burnt out passenger areas were just boarded off, with just a fore & aft access corridor through the accommodation.
Our electricians had to run hundreds of yards of new cables for essential systems, navigation systems, and for replacement bridge electrical equipment. The steering telemotor system pipework from the wheel had melted, so all had to be renewed. The extent of the damage was huge.

The seven who died in the fire had to be buried at sea.
Captain Agnew was presented with an OBE for his efforts in saving the ship.

While the ship was in port being made seaworthy again I somehow got the job of repacking the glands on the two main steam lines stop valves. I was sitting on a pile of sacks to stop the family jewels getting scorched, but still had to kneel on my knees every so often to let the jewels cool off. Can still remember looking down and seeing the shafts slowly turning all the time to stop any chance of the turbine shafts overheating and bowing.
We had this gang working on board for weeks, and eventually the ship was re-certified with all new radio & radar equipment and the bridge & nav equipment replaced/restored to working condition and tested.
We couldn't have done too bad a job, as the ship returned to England, then came back to New Zealand again for another round trip! It was a very thought-provoking experience to work on this ship as an 18-year-old apprentice.

Cheers,
Skilly

[Bill Morrison]

Today 1st of August 2018, it is Fifty Years since that fatal fire claimed the lives of seven people on the S.S. Gothic. Four passengers and three crew members. One crew member I knew personally and as previous posted #27 never forgotten. R.I.P. Eddie Skelly.

[Fred F Ravenscroft]

Hi Im looking for information on a Alfred Phillips who was on the Gothic when she caught fire I belive he was in the Catering dept.