Where were you on your 21st Birthday?

[Don Butler]

On the 12th May, 1957, I was a Siemens Bros radio officer serving on the Mobil Briliant, an 18,000 ton tanker.We had loaded a full load of crude oil in Ras Tanura, and had just entered the Red Sea when we got an urgent message from our HQ telling us that the Suez canal was closed due to the Suez war and we were due to proceed to Durban, where we would refuel and then onto Rotterdam where we would discharge our cargo. So, on the 12th May, my 21st birthday, I found my self at sea south of the Cape of Good hope (and Capetown). It was a very unexciting day for me, as I was on 2 hours on watch followed by 2 hours rest and then another 2 hours on all day, which made it impossible to meet up with my fellow crew members. Luckily, my mother had made me a cake so at least I had someting to celebrate it with,only problem that due to the heat in the Persian Gulf, the icing has set like concrete (we had no air conditioning on board), so I had to remove it in its entirety, thow it away and ate the cke inside it! After 28 days from leaving Ras Tanura, we arrived at Rotterdam but 18 hours later, we had fully discharged and we were back at sea again. This time, we were sent back through the Mediterranean to Sidon, another port where we could not go shore.

[Bill Wardale]

I had my 21st twice,crossing the dateline to New Zealand on the Adelaide Star,flaked out both times.

[Mike R868356]

At sea on the Andes mid Atlantic heading for the Caribbean, Bakers baked me a cake had a bit of a bash in the leading ratings bar totally trashed. Rallied for turn to head banging. Found myself in the loo singing for huey made it back to my bunk managed to avoid numerous search parties and disregarded tannoy calls. Final msg came should I attend the noon deck buffet no action would be taken. I arrived to find it all set out around 11.55 performed my duties to the best of my ability dutifully accepting Blueys (£5) from our discerning passengers wishing me a happy Birthday.

[Garry Larsen]

I was Assistant Purser on tsmv Matua, a Pacific passenger cargo vessel trading out of Auckland NZ to the Pacifice Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa. Each trip twentyone days Auckland to Auckland. My fellow Assistant Piurser organised a surprise party on onboard on our return to Auckland. Most, if not all the Deck and Enginweer Officers attended and I was presented with a Yale type key made by one of the engineers,fashioned in brass, I still have it today, the date 20 May 1955.

[Keith Wigglesworth]

My 21st was perfectly timed for Suez transit on our way to Odessa 1974 = the old man shut the officers bar unexpectedly and that was the end of that !! Had a belated 'bash' in Odessa serving Russian champaigne brandy cocktails by the gallon ( russian champers about the only thing worth buying with my black market rubels ) - definitely a piss-up with a difference )

[Noel Guina]

Hi All, I spent my 21st birthday as Sparks on the BI cargo ship SS Ormara. We arrived in Colombo early in the morning so I was able to get ashore to the GOH where I downed a few ! Happy days - Noel Guina

[John Bell]

I lost my 21st birthday crossing the international date line on that day, and that was the day we missed out. We made up for it with a grand p... up. Booze was laid on and the OM gave me a bottle of red wine which some of us had with lunch. The rest is a bit of a haze. The ship was the M/V Loradore of Maritime Shipping and Trading and the year 1965.

[captpsmith]

As £rd Officer aboard BenVrackie outward bound we left Port Said in Convoy at 0615 behind an old tanker, By about 1045 (LT) the weather had deteriorated considerably with a huge sand storm and 30-40 Knot gusts. The old tanker in front seemed to lose control and as we slowed and lost all steerage strong gusts blew us around and we ended up almost at right angles across the canal, and it was impossible to get the two bum-boats to get our ropes ashore. e tried everything we could sending out very long lines to heave the ship back alongside. Eventually tugs were called for and by 2000 ( and after I had been on the Bridge throughout my birthday) we were to resume our southbound passage. we were unsure of any damage to the rudder that had been firmly stuck in the West Bank and we had to stop at Port Tewfick for a Divers inspection! A very long day indeed, Both memorable and unforgettable! The chief Officer had calculated we had possibly 400-500 tons of sand on board which was up to the ports in the accommodation. When I came off the bridge at Midnight the Captain (Pride)
called me in to hand me a large stack of mail and gave me a small tot of whisky by way of a celebration!!

[JerryRose]

21st birthday was on the Esso Preston, December 1967, ferrying bitumen and black oil cargoes UK to Continent, short sea runs. At least the bitumen kept us warm! Christmas in Avonmouth docks.

[Terry Foskett]

I was a 3rd Purser on board Canadian Pacific RMS Empress of Canada on the Liverpool-Montreal run. We had champagne. I still have the cork with a coin in it to ensure I always had money in my pocket. Which I have had since then I am glad to say.