Maurice98

[maurice98]

Hello to all, hope you dont mind me joining the site as i was never in the MN but my father and two brothers went to sea all there lives and it must be in the blood as i always wanted to be at sea, unfortunatly it never happened as when i read some of the posts on this site it is like as though it is a big family.
I have my father's and brother's discharge book's and i would like to share there ship details withyou if that is ok. It would take me a while to give all the ships etc. as im going back from 1932 to about 2006.
I would just mention that my father was a Donkeyman, one brother a Chipy, and my youngest brother Ass. Steward, sadly they are all deceased.
My Father's last ship was the Collier, Sir Johnstone Wright believe it or not he joined her brand new at Sunderland he signed on the 12/11/1955 and paid off on the 12/11/1975 exactly 20 years to the day, yes he loved that ship called it his second wife.

Well take care all, sorry ive been so long wind'ed but i do tend to babble on, good night and safe trips to all.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Maurice
Thanks for joining the site,and we would be delighted to have more info on your Family that were ex Seaman!
Please do enter their names and details on the Crew Lists ,that would be nice!
We will look forward to your input here as well!
So Welcome and have a happy stay!
Cheers

[maurice98]

Thanks for the welcome Doc, i look forward to posting my family's ships etc. and hopefully more posts.

All the best.

Maurice.

[Gulliver]

Welcome Maurice.
Just something to start you off with re your' Dad's second wife'.

If you didn't already know it there is quite a lot on the Sunderland built site about the SIR JOHNSTONE WRIGHT.

　
(O.N. 186331) s.s.SIR JOHNSTONE WRIGHT,cargo vessel(collier )launched 18/8/55, completed 11/55 as Yard No. 340 by Pickersgill of Southwick,Sunderland.
103.3 metres length overall ,14.3 m.beam;single steam turbine giving speed of 11 knots.
Built for 'Central Electricity Authority', which in 1957 became 'Central Electricity Generating Board', of London, for use on spring tides to Shoreham (Power Station in Sussex), otherwise to stations on the Thames estuary. Shipped coal from the north of England to power stations in the U.K. south, it would seem. The vessel was sold, in 1976, to 'Christincoast Cia Naviera SA', of Piraeus, Greece, & renamed Fanis. On Nov. 22, 1984 the vessel arrived at the 'Chalivdemporiki EPE' ship breaking facilities at Aspropyrgos (20 miles NW of Athens, Greece) to the broken up. An e-Bay item (probably the ash tray below) indicated that the break up period ran from Dec. 12 1984 thru Feb. 15, 1985.
The vessel was, it would appear, named for Sir Johnstone Wright (1883/1953), previously President of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.


Re C.E.G.B.

Formed in 1948 by the nationalisation and amalgamation of the fleets of London Power Co, Fulham Borough Council and Brighton Corporation to supply coal from the coalfields to U.K. power stations. The fleet was operated under the management of Stephenson Clarke Ltd. The company began life as the British Electricity Authority, but in 1954 became the Central Electricity Authority and in 1958 was again renamed as the Central Electricity Generating Board. The fleet declined in size during the 1970s due to the change to oil powered generating stations and in 1983 management of the CEGB fleet was taken over by Salvesen of Leith. By 1999 only two ships remained in the fleet to supply coal from Holland to Kingsnorth Power Station.






　
　
　

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

Collier Wright.jpgI sailed with your dad, when I was 2nd Mate on the Sir Johnstone Wright.

[Trader]

Thanks for your post Maurice with your dads history. 20 years on one ship is some record, she must have been a good job, it must have broken his heart when she was sold. I saw her quite a few times on the Thames when I was sailing out of London, she was a good looking ship.

Alec.

[Colin Hawken]

She was a good looking ship indeed. Most of them were as I remember,even the "Flatties." I did a year with Stevie Clark(MV Hayling) in 1956.I was the only non-Geordie in the crew. They were a great bunch. She was the only ship I sailed on that had single berth cabins.We had our own interpretation of the N E Coast Agreement.In a Northern port I stood in for one of the watch aboard,London or the South Coast I wasn't expected to be aboard before sailing time.It all worked very well.

[Allan Pugh]

This is interesting. I joined the flatty "Brimsdown" (Captain George Gibson) at Jarrow - brand new sparky with 6 months sea service. I had my first pint of Ex in the White Lead. I was seasick for the whole 6 months I spent on her! A wonderful bunch on board - the Mate was Bill Slimmin - and all from the NE coast. I was the only foreigner being Welsh. After a couple of months on board I stood in as general dogsbody - so that everyone could go home when we reached the NE, I slackened and loosened moorings, saw to the lights, started and stopped the jenny, kept the coal fired galley fire going etc.! I remember Lampton Drops, Tyne Commissioners Quay, Dunstan Staithes, going foreign to Methil and of course, Minnie Beck's. A very happy time of my life.

[maurice98]

Thanks Gulliver for that info. the photo of her being completed is interesting as i have seen photos of the old girl in the water but never on the stocks.
Im certain to spend quite a bit of time reading the info regarding the Sir Johnstone Wright.
As so as i get a chance i will list all my fathers ships.
Thank you to all the other members who have posted on this thread also.
The ash tray was an added bonus.

---------- Post added at 08:23 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 PM ----------

What a result never imagined someone would turn up so quickly who my dad had sailed with, how long did you spend on her.

[Red Lead Ted]

Cant get any more a flatty than this signed on her in Swansea late 70s. I think we use to get a step ladder when we sailed to see were, we, were, navigating. Regards lads Terry.