Montreal's silver cane

[Geoff Bray]

John,
Seemed like some people did not like him Capt Aikmen was his name, I forget his first name, but really I thought him a Gentleman he was from Liverpool or there abouts but lived in Scotland and spoke with a bit of a put on scots accent, he used to roll his R's. He did damage the tempory repair on the England by putting the ship full away after dropping the pilot on the St Lawrence and had to turn back yet again to get it fixed. That was his last trip on the Passenger ships he was relegated to the Beavers for the rest of his career. In fact I sailed with him on his first demoted trip, they put him back to C/O with an old school mate for one trip, Basel Ford it was pretty embarassing.I think this trip was on the Beaver Elm.
But you know he was the only old man I ever sailed with that invited all the officer's to his cabin for a cocktail before lunch on a Sunday morning at sea.
When he got his rank back he used to get his tiger to make him a packed lunch in the summer in Canada and lower his bike down off the boat deck and off he would pedal. Peter Denham told me a story when they were on the Empy Boats that one day the Canadian Mounties
brought him back to the ship, they found him pedaling on the Trans Canada Highway( thats like being on the M1) and called the bridge on the phone and said "we have a guy here that claims he's the Captain on your ship" Do you know him? Peter said Na!!! but then admitted that he was, the cops could not believe it.
That trip when he got the golden cane on the Beaverpine was the trip he retired.
I was on the owl trip and I have a few other stories also later
Best Regards
Geoff Bray

[Alison S]

George Wood was my grandfather.

Bill Cameron Wrote
In 1958, I served as a cabin boy on the MV Dundee, of the Dundee Perth & London shipping company, the Captian George Wood (one of the kindest men I have ever met) received a silver topped cane from the Mayor of Detroit for being the Captain of the first salt water vessel to arrive that year, we travelled the Lakes until December that year, best 10 months of my sea going career.

[Doc Vernon]

Just of Interest as this was posted in News in 2020.?
Cheers

First past the port: Why Montreal gives out a golden prize to year's first ship | CBC News

Added This is later posted in 2022
Cheers

Quebec Express was the first ship to reach the Port of Montreal in 2022 | Montreal Gazette

[Ernie Ballard]

Hi Capt John I was on the Beaver boats may 1964 first as AB then as Bosun the ELM ASH PINE FIR I also was Bosun on the Oak while she was being built in 1965 and the maidon voyage to Montreal with Capt Ford .I then went on the beaver Ash as bosun march 66till she was sold sailed with many different Capt and officers one who stood out was JOHN DUNN I know he got at least 2 silver canes, on one crossing we got slowed down in the Bell Isle straits due to pack ice as i recall there were two Russian ships a head of us he called them up and we followed them up to Montreal JD some how got ahead of them and got the cane.JD and I kept in touch until recently sadly I have not been able to contact him his phone no longer rings ? reds Ernie Ballard

[j.sabourn]

Going back to #4 by Albie Bishop in 2011 . Does anyone know if Albie is still around ? Over the years when back in the uk made a point of going to see him .Think is the last time was about 3 years ago .Talked to him about the Warkworth being in the ice race there but was into Port Churchill I was mate on her in 64 .was relieved in Smith’s dock North Shields by Bob Storie who Albie knew, and 2 years later he went master there .The ice race every year consisted of 2 ships the other one being Norwegian. It was arranged by the 2 masters whose turn it was to win the inscription could be then put on the trophys beforehand believe the masters was a cane and as mate I got a piece of inscribed pottery. A whiskey jug with no whisky in had to put in myself . When I handed over as mate to Bob Story from S. Shields it was in the Jungle . Bob had been a deck boy during the war and torpedoed a week out of Halifax , his father unknown to him was master off another ship torpedoed and w the same time , he was dragged on board a strange boat by his father who was that shocked to see him gave him Clip along the ears for being there. Bob Storie was master there about 1966.on the Warkworth .
JS

[Doc Vernon]

No have not heard from Albie in quite some time JS.
But there are so many of us old Boys that have either gone to our Maker, or jumped Ship here for their own reasons??

A pity that as at one stage we really had a large Motley Crew aboard here!

Possibly with time some may return , well those that can!

Cheers

[Bill McAlister]

Hi Capt John I was on the Beaver boats may 1964 first as AB then as Bosun the ELM ASH PINE FIR I also was Bosun on the Oak while she was being built in 1965 and the maidon voyage to Montreal with Capt Ford .I then went on the beaver Ash as bosun march 66till she was sold sailed with many different Capt and officers one who stood out was JOHN DUNN I know he got at least 2 silver canes, on one crossing we got slowed down in the Bell Isle straits due to pack ice as i recall there were two Russian ships a head of us he called them up and we followed them up to Montreal JD some how got ahead of them and got the cane.JD and I kept in touch until recently sadly I have not been able to contact him his phone no longer rings ? reds Ernie Ballard

Good morning Ernie
Don,t believe we've sailed together but I served on the England and Canada and my last ship was CP Ambassador back at end of '72. I did Just the one voyage on her after the Canada was sold. I did both the maiden and last voyages on the Canada and was on her for over seven years altogether with a break from late '63 to early '67 when I sailed with other company's, I sailed as R/O so was with Marconi's. I used to attend both the CP dinners and the reunions, all now sadly defunct. I'm still in touch with a few ex CP and John Dunn was one of them and used to phone me. Marshall Christie gave me some CP memorabilia when the 'Timelink' finished, Marshall published Timelink for a while before its demise. There was an article from a Montreal paper among the memorabilia reporting John's award of the cane which I duly sent to John. Sadly John died some years ago. I still have a couple of the old CP chequered house flags but my most prized possession is the plaque presented to the Empress of Canada on her maiden visit to St. Thomas VI on December 26th 1961. After her last trip the wardroom presented it to me as the only wardroom members at the time who were on the Canada on both her maiden and last voyages were the 'old man' Bill Williams (Chief Officer on maiden voyage) and myself. Dave Greenhalgh was the C/O on her last voyage with CP so kindly presented me with the plaque as Bill Williams got the ships bell according to Dave.
I sailed as 5th, 4th, 3rd, 2nd and Chief R/O altogether on the Empresses.
All the best.
William McAlister

[Geoff Bray]

Hi Ernie,
I just returned to this site after many years and saw your article. I sailed with you a few times on the Beaver boats, I was third and second engineer. I remember the day you bought the stuffed owl onboard, to play a trick on BootsieI met you walking up the gangway, and you had this owl in a glass dome
When you tied the owl to the rail on number two deck housing, then after he banned every one off deck for a day, because he thought the owl was resting, the next morning after a storm, it had slipped around on the rail and was hanging upside down, like a bat. He nearly went off his rocker when he looked at it the next morning through his binoculars.

Happy Days

Geoff Bray

[Ernie Ballard]

Hi William No i never got to sail on the empress after they sold the Beaver Ash i went to the Beaver Pine 1 more trip to Montreal when we arrived back to Liverpool we were told the Pine was going on charter to another company when i enquired i found out it was going tramping, first port was some where in the med and could be away for a long time.5 months after she left Liverpool I got a phone call from the carpenters wife asking if i knew where they were she couldn't quite under stand why i was home. i phoned Charley Thomson to say i wouldn't be joining the Pine. Capt Smithe told me that they wanted me to join one of the empress boats as Martin Quinn was retiring and to call wen my leave was up i decided to take some time ashore and got a job March 1970 and never looked back till now when i wonder were all the crew are now. i got a lot of info from Marshall re some of the guys who have past on .so im quite lucky to be here still but under going meger repairs, all the best to you and yours. Ernie

[Ernie Ballard]

Hi Geoff great to hear you are still out there the beaver boats were the best many happy times ,are you still in Hawarden/deeside. we are now in essex . Ernie Ballard