The Royston Grange and my bucket list of 1.

[David Rawstron]

Great message Frank -Thank you. I was an apprentice in the Royston for 4 round trips in '61 and, like you I was appalled to read of the River Plate collision. By this time I had got my 1st Mates' ticket and, following 3 years with Saguenay shipping of Montreal I was working as manager of the freight department in the offices of a Melbourne shipping company.
Like you, my very favourite ship was the Royston Grange, but I have to say that the old (1943) C1A cargo ship of Saguenay shipping came a very close second! I am now happily retired, following a 35 year career in Air Traffic Control in Australia and as an ATC training Consultant in the UK where I now live. Maybe one day I'll visit the Montevideo memorial like you have.

David R.

[j.sabourn]

#11 Just reading recently of your search for a Saguenay cap badge , now again just seen this post where you mention your career in ATC. Do you know the well known expert on civil airlines whose face is well known on the TV , his name once again beats me , but he is always picked up by the media for his take on any aircraft disasters .
His face if I passed on the street would recognise but his name beats me , however last month or maybe the month before he gave a talk at my Probus club. Believe he lives in Australia but was on his way the following day to London for some big AirLine conference. He started his career In the aircraft industry as a boy airplane spotting.
As regards your mention of the C1A. The Sunprincess was also the same built during the war as a Victory Boat capable of 18 knots an built with a gun forward and therefore classed as an armed merchant cruiser. Dates now sorted as my time on paper discharges was 27.12. 66 to 10. .10. 67. Will now get wrong for putting on a different post . Cheers JS....

[Frank Thorp]

Hello David. Thanks for this post.

This year I, and my wife went to All Hallows Church in London for the service of the 50th Anniversary of the Royston Grange disaster. This was also a moving experience knowing that most people attending were family members of the crew. Wives, Brothers, Children, Grandchildren. I was very glad I that I attended. Although I only spent four years at sea I wore (and do wear) my Merchant Navy badge with pride.

Frank.

[rohitkhan]

The run from Santos to Buenos Aires via Rio Montevideo sounds like an adventure worth cherishing. It's heartwarming to hear that you fulfilled your promise to visit the grave of the Tien Chee collision victims after all these years.

[rohitkhan]

The run from Santos to Buenos Aires via Rio Montevideo sounds like an adventure worth cherishing. It's heartwarming to hear that you fulfilled your promise to visit the grave of the Tien Chee collision victims after all these years.

Such journeys often carry deep emotional significance, and I'm sure it was a moving and memorable experience. As for sharing photos, it can be a bit tricky on some platforms, but it's the stories and memories you've shared that truly matter. Reading about top experiences like yours is incredibly motivating and reminds us of the richness of life's journeys.

[Bruce Morris]

The loss of the Royston Grange hit me very hard. The 3rd Mate Stewart Third was a Cadet when we sailed on the Gas Tanker HUMBOLDT/GYFR. A cracking lad and we shared a lot of fun during our 9 months together in 1968. Ex R/O Bruce.

[John Sturton]

Houlder Bros. Grange vessels. The very name rings a bell. I did my first trip as an apprentice on the Marquesa in 1945. A survivor of WW2.
Dirty old coal burner with a rowdy bunch of Liverpool firemen. A later, much more pleasant ship was the Dunster Grange. In 1946 when Peron and Evita were beginning their political aspirations, a strike occurred and Buenos Aires was shut down. I was on the Marquesa which
went tramping down the coast looking for a meat source. All the way down Patagonia to the wind swept bays of San Julian, Deseado,
Rio Gallegos and San Sebastian swinging on the anchor while the lighters came alongside and bit by bit we were able to head north again.
Somewhere inshore at Rio Gallegos there was a ghostly apparition of a ship upright through the mist hard aground. It was the
Beacon Grange which ran aground in 1921. We had previously run aground nearby at San Julian when the Marquesa took an alarming list
the great enjoyment of the firemen who started yelling "DBS DBS DBS".- Hoping to get a quick trip home as Distressed British Seamen.
That was not to be. We refloated a few tides later. Marquesa was scrapped and made no more voyages.
My next ship was a Liberty. What luxury compared to Marquesa. It was the Samearn, Somewhere during changes of ship as well as name
I was assigned to the Samtampa and the Samearn was renamed Clarepark. I was still aboard Samearn when the Samtampa tragedy occurred April 23 1947. All hands lost plus the crew of the Mumbles lifeboat. I had grown up in Mumbles and as a child I had visited the lifeboat house many times with my father.
The Royston Grange disaster came as a reminder that no one can remain complacent when all seems well.

John Sturton

[j.sabourn]

You probably know BA a lot better than me John, can you remember a black market photo doing the rounds of Peron, Gina Lollogibria, and two others , not Eva as she was dead by then, but the 4 figures walking arms linked down the main drag, naked,or near enough.the story was they were all wearing nylon clothing,which the camera lense could penetrate ???
JS

[John Sturton]

No. Unfortunately. I have no knowledge of the photo.
JS (Same initials)

R323681 (Dec 1945)

John

[Marian Gray]

You probably know BA a lot better than me John, can you remember a black market photo doing the rounds of Peron, Gina Lollogibria, and two others , not Eva as she was dead by then, but the 4 figures walking arms linked down the main drag, naked,or near enough.the story was they were all wearing nylon clothing,which the camera lense could penetrate ???
JS

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