The Royston Grange and my bucket list of 1.

[Frank Thorp]

My time at sea was from November 1964 until November 1968. During this time I took various ships to various places, mainly cargo but a couple of passenger ships also.
I do not recall having one bad trip, but of course some ships were much better than others.
The one ship that I always considered "my best ship" was the "Royston Grange". She looked good as you first see her in the dock. Once aboard you found that she was Single berth, Air conditioned,
A great feeder, and a terrific working atmosphere. The crew from all departments got on well. And then there was the run. Santos, Rio Montevideo, and about a week in B.A. and then back the same way.
What more could you want. I did two trips and moved on but she was a ship that had people at that time that stayed trip after trip.

After giving up the sea in 1968 I had been home about 4 or 5 months, I was itching to give it another go when I met my now wife. we married in 1970.

In 1972 I was stunned and shocked when I heard on the radio the terrible news of the collision with the Tien Chee , I said then to my wife "One day I will visit that grave.

On November 6 2016 I finally made it. We did a cruise from Chile to Buenos Aires, only because it called at Montevideo. The cemetery is kept up in beautiful condition and I was made most welcome,
especially as I had been a crew member.

I am very pleased that I made the visit. It was a very moving day for me.

Please note. On "my Ships" (on my albums) i have a photo of me at the grave. I hoped to add it on at the end but I can not find how to do it.

Thanks.

Frank Thorp.

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks for that i is always nice to read of others memories,brings back memories of ones own as well.
Our Mike Hall as i recall was on the

"Royston Grange" he has a nice Article on his Trip on her plus other Trips and Ships.
Cheers

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/a...mike-hall.html

[Frank Thorp]

Thank you Doc for getting the photo on for me.

Regards.

Frank.

[j.sabourn]

Very nice post Frank and a big 1 off your bucket list. In 1962 I was 2nd. Mate on a ship that was in collision in the Plate with the Dutch passenger vessel the Rhuys. I have a picture taken of me looking through what was left of the port bow, it is a black and white photo and wouldn’t even know how to put on the computer. Fortuanetly there was no explosion and no loss of life , so just remains one of the items of a past life at sea. There are always certain disasters in shipping and the Royston Grange was one that I think every British seaman at the time had a lot of feeling for. Regards JS. As to BA at that time there was a photo going the rounds of Peron and three others including Gina Lollobrigidia walking arms linked down Corrientes , nothing unusual about that except they were naked , and the story was they were all wearing nylon clothing fairly new at the time which was erased from the negative . Probably a hoax and the prints were doctored . However they were selling at a good price. Don’t know the terms of imprisonment though if you were caught with one. Cheers JS

[Shelagh Macdonald]

I was pleased to hear the memorial is being kept well ,my husband Alastair MacDonald was a crew member and was lost with all his shipmates in May 1972.

[Frank Thorp]

Hello Shelagh.

As i said in my thread, this was something I had made up my mind to do when I first heard of the loss of the Royston Grange. It took
a long time to achieve it but I made it in November 2016.

I can assure you that The British Cemetery in Montevideo is kept to a very high standard.

Regards.

Frank.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Memorial Window

Church of St Paul, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan
south wall of the south aisle

I am attempting to find out more on the future of an almost identical window to that of the Church of All Hallows-by-the-Tower in London.

Dedication: 'Remember Captain George Boothby and crew of the "Royston Grange" lost with all hands in the River Plate. 1972. R.I.P.'


The church has recently closed and may go in total.


K.

[DeepSea]

Royston-Grange-Memorial.jpg

[j.sabourn]

As some may probably know, I made my pillgrimage last July. It took 30 years but had to be done. It’s like
putting the turf on graves and arranging the flowers. Now I can talk about it more freely and when someone asks answer , knowing that those who perished deserve to be remembered. By remembering them they are still with us. And not forgotten as.so many are today. JS.

[Keith at Tregenna]

IN MEMORY OF:

Captain George Boothby of Barry and the crew of the "Royston Grange" lost with all hands in the River Plate 1972.

RIP.

S.T.V. Royston Grange

Worse things happen at sea they say, worse things happen at sea,
In `72 this came true with the tanker `Tien Chee`,
Within dense fog near the River Plate, she collided with a freighter,
Crude Oil gushed from shattered tanks exploding seconds later.

The other ship the `Royston Grange ` in fatal rendezvous,
Lost seventy four razed on her - all passengers and crew,
Full cargo holds of butter ignited overall,
Fused in mighty fireball that left no chance at all.

Ten thousand tons of vessel went up in lethal blaze,
No time then for rescue or warning sound to raise,
Montevideo close at hand, bodies still entrapped,
The Houlder`s ship towed away and later on just scrapped.

By the Tower of London in All Hallows Church,
There is a stained glass window - if carrying out research,
In commemoration colour with burning red repands,
Depicting Royston Grange in memory of all hands.

Worse things happen at sea they say,
Worse things happen at sea.

Capt J S Earl
2005


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