watts watts

[Tony Wilding]

HELLO TO EVERYONE, my interest is the history of this company, and other companies they owned, also ships owned, managed or chartered by Watts Watts, myself, my brother and father had experience of working on there ships, i have over 200 photos of ships of this company, allways willing to help if someone needs a photo if i have it, likewise allways grateful to receive photos and information, best wishes , Tony Wilding.

[Tony Wilding]

Just addittional information, i have many photos of Wattships under previous or later names, best wishes, Tony Wilding

[John Arton]

Hello
Another interesting side to Watts Watts was their involvement in Salvage Tug Management.
In 1950 my father (Capt.H.H. Arton) was employed by Watts Watt to deliver the "Hercules" from Barry to Gibraltar, where she came under the management of Bland and Co. of Gibralter. Looking at his contracts for that time it appears that Bland used Watts Watt as their manning agent as all his contracts have the Watts Watt logo on them.
We stayed in Gibralter for two years and I have a list of all his salvage work carried out then, along with the payments for such work, which he received in addition to his salary. He got a hissy fit with Blands after two years and the whole family was given 48 hrs to leave the "Rock".
rgds
Capt. John Arton

[Tony Wilding]

Hello, well i never knew that, i know they managed ships for federeal commerce montreal, and eastwater shipping co of canada, owned alexandria nav co. Egypt, also owned some coasters in uk, also supplied crews for many gulf oil tankers, i dont suppose u have any photos, or dociments regarding this, am doing a history of watts watts, best wishes, tony wilding

[John Arton]

Hello Tony
I have been going through my fathers stuff again and it would appear that Watts Watt engaged him and a crew to take the Hercules (ex. German Tug) down to Gib. where they transferred to Blands of Gibraltar.
I am unsure as to how Watts Watts came to involved. At the time my father was Master in OverseasTowage and Salvage on the sister shipto the Turmoil of "Flying Enterprise fame, indeed if it had,nt been for the fact that they were the standby tug at the time, his tug would have been the one to go to the Enterprise.
He learnt his salvage skills during the war when upon joining the RNVR after serving all his previous time in the Blue Star line, he was immediatley appointed Master on one of the Deep Sea Rescue Tugs based in Campbelltown in Scotland.
After the war he joined Overseas Towing and then took up service with Blands in Gibraltar before eventually returning to deep sea with the Blue Star line.
Watts Watts must have been employed by Blands to supply the initial crew to get the Hercules from her refit in Newport down to Gib.
I have a number of letters to him from a W.D. Wilson, Captain Superintendent in Watts Watts giving instructions on sailing etc., along with pay rates for the seamen on board. My fathers contract details giving salvage rates etc.
The 2nd Officer sailing from Newport is a H.H. Tully, again appointed by Watts Watts and also the Chief Officer whose appointment letter I did have but have mislaid.
The Hercules had a very long career after being sodl by Blands as I can remember when I first went to sea in the mid sixties it was by the a Tsvalos(think thats how its spelt) tug and its pictured always featured in their adverts in publications such as Almanacs etc.

rgds
Captain John Arton

[dave slater]

Hi Tony,
I have just joined this site having found it by accident.

I joined my first ship as a Catering Boy in March 1968 in dry dock in Piraeus.

This was for Watts Watts - then I was working for J & J Denholm - I can't recall what happened, did Watts Watts fold or was it taken over?

Regards

Dave Slater

[Gulliver]

Welcome Aboard Dave.
Over the years we've amassed quite a lot of info about Watts Watts-but Tony Wilding is the man for you, re all things Watts Watts !

I put a history in THIS thread(Click)

And another link HERE.




All the Best

Gulliver

[Anthony Wren]

Hi Tony, found your post interesting as I was on a Watts Watts ship in 1954 called the Wanstead and cant believe its not mentioned. It was state of the art ship in its time as it was just about the first British ship with single berth cabins for all the crew. Where ever we went reporters came and inspected us. I did a year tramping on it and would like to contact anybody who sailed on it.
Tony Wren AB

[Tony Wilding]

HELLO, I WAS ON THE WANSTEAD IN EARLY 60,S MY SECOND SHIP, YES SHE CERTAINLY WAS A WONDERFUL SHIP, 1 OF 3 IDENTICAL SHIPS, THE WOODFORD AND WENDOVER WERE HER SISTERS, I HAVE POSTED PHOTOS OF HER IN THE GALLERY, GO TO GALLERY AND TYPE IN HER NAME, I JOINED HER IN ANTWERP PAID OFF IN GLASGOW ABOUT 10 MONTHS LATER , OUR RUN WAS TO LISBON, VALENCIA, BARCELONA, GENOA, LIVORNO, NAPLES, PIREAUS, SALONICA, LATTAKIA, LISBON, THREE RIVERS, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, TORONTO, BUFFALO, SARNIA, DETROIT, THEN BACK AGAIN TO MONTREAL, AND THE MEDITERREAN AGAIN, FOOD AND CABINS OUT OF THIS WORLD, I HAVE LOTS OF PHOTOS OF HER AT LEAST 20 PLUS A PLAN OF HER, CAN SEND IF U WANT. ANYTHING U WANT TO KNOW JUST ASK, HAPPY NEW YEAR, TONY WILDING.

[Tony Wilding]

[QUOTE=dave slater;74860]Hi Tony,
I have just joined this site having found it by accident.

HI DAVE, EVENTUALLY WATTS WATTS WERE TAKEN OVER BY BIBBY,S THEN DISAPPEARED FOREVER, THERE LAST SHIP WAS WESTMINSTER BRIDGE, OWNED BY A CONSORTIUM OF COMPANIES, THEN ONLY BY BIBBIES, A SAD END TO A GREAT COMPANY. TONY WILDING.