Fathers Supprise

[simon ambridge]

I am hoping that this forum may be able to help.

I am planning my fathers 80th birthday surprise, and whilst he was recently away I came across his Seaman's Record Book & Certification of Discharge. Over the years he has told his grandchildren some old story's (one being he was the first person to go around the globe as a bell boy) but I never really new much of his time in the merchant navy. His record book is saying that he worked on the ASIA No 181080, SS Potosi no 185520 , Strathnaver (book marked Australian mail) no 162619, MV Port Wellington no 180911 MV Sugar Exporter no 187343 and Alsatia No 182833

My fathers name is Edward John Ambridge (but has always been known as John)

I am hoping that someone may have some old photos of either the ships themselves or the crews that I could electronically transfer to canvas

[robpage]

ASIA

153 'Asia' built by Laing in 1947.

181080
1947 A refrigerated cargo liner. Cunard LinE


480 ft. 0 in. long (146.3 metres) perpendicular to perpendicular, 508 ft. 9 in. long (155.1 metres) overall, speed of 15 1/2 or 16 knots, accommodation for 12 first class passengers.

Built for 'Cunard White Star, Ltd.', of Liverpool, for their London & Liverpool to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada trade. The first 'Cunard' cargo vessel it would appear, & the first of 3 such post-war cargo vessels (Arabia & Assyria are the others). Her maiden voyage was to Canada on Apl. 15, 1947.

On Aug. 25, 1948, the vessel was in collision with Ciclope, an Italian 7,207 ton cargo ship, in the English Channel. I have read no detail as to the circumstances, however Asia was extensively damaged & had to be dry-docked at Southampton to effect repairs. What happened to Ciclope, I wonder?

In 1949, the owner's name was restyled 'Cunard Steam-Ship Company, Ltd.'. In darkness, at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 19, 1956, with F. E. Patchett, known as 'Foggy Patchett' in command, in his last trip before retirement, Asia was in an almost head-on collision with the German Wolfgang Russ, 2,963 tons, in the St. Lawrence River, off the S. shore of Orleans Island, near Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. 4 tugs attended the scene. Asia had just left Quebec City bound for London with a cargo that included bagged dried peas in No. 1 hold - which peas expanded when soaked & created enormous pressures on the ship's bulkheads & hatches. Asia was towed to Wolf Cove, but soon had to be dry-docked at the nearby 'Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Company Limited' ('Davie') yard at Lauzon, Lévis, Quebec, to temporarily repair massive bow damage. Temporary repairs effected, & with winter fast approaching, Asia went down the ice covered St. Lawrence to Halifax where it spent 3 months in the Navy Dockyard being permanently repaired. Wolfgang Russ also suffered major hull damage in the collision. She was initially run aground so she wouldn't sink, but soon also ended up at the Davie yard for repair. She was repaired with speed so she could depart for Hamburg (on Nov. 28, 1956) before the St. Lawrence iced over for the winter.

On May 17, 1963, the vessel was sold to Waywiser Navigation Corporation Ltd., of Keelung, Taiwan, with Eddie Steamship Co., of Taipeh, Taiwan, the managers, & renamed Shirley. On Dec. 16, 1968, the vessel was paid off at Osaka, Japan, & sold for scrap. On Jan. 14, 1969, the vessel arrived at Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to be broken up.

asia1.jpg

[Keith at Tregenna]

Hopefully of interest Simon ?

Bellboy duties

A former bellboy describes what his duties and responsibilities were on board a liner and what a typical day on duty would have been like.

Bellboy duties - PortCities Southampton

[Jim Brady]

Nothing like when I was a bell boy,something similar but not quite,swimming pool even without Tarzan no chance.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[James Jones]

ss Asia
I was an apprentice on board Asia time of the collision. I was below at the time and spent the winter in Canada on board while she was repaired.
I have been trying to find details of the court of enquiry to see who was to blame etc.
How did you you get details of the collision etc ?