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2nd April 2017, 03:20 PM
#31
Re: Hello
Another possible source of information in Hong Kong is the Royal Society of St.George,Hong Kong branch.
They used to have a charitable fund that helped pay some of the repatriation costs of British people who had fallen on hard times and would have worked quite closely with the Mission to Seamen.
Their email is stgeorge@i-cable.com
Hope this helps
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2nd April 2017, 04:45 PM
#32
Re: Hello
Originally Posted by
Dirk Lewer
Another possible source of information in Hong Kong is the Royal Society of St.George,Hong Kong branch.
They used to have a charitable fund that helped pay some of the repatriation costs of British people who had fallen on hard times and would have worked quite closely with the Mission to Seamen.
Their email is
stgeorge@i-cable.com
Hope this helps
Dirk, thank you for this. I sent an email to both contacts you gave me yesterday. I have heard back from The Reverend Canon Stephen Miller, he is going to pass my details to his predecessor, however he doesn't think they keep records longer than seven years, which is perfectly understandable. Seemingly my uncle was a larger than life character ! So maybe this person will remember him.
I will certainly contact the Royal Society of St.George to see if they have details of him.
Thank you so much for your help and taking the time to give me these details, it is so kind of you.
Valerie x
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2nd April 2017, 09:45 PM
#33
Re: Hello
Originally Posted by
Dirk Lewer
Another possible source of information in Hong Kong is the Royal Society of St.George,Hong Kong branch.
They used to have a charitable fund that helped pay some of the repatriation costs of British people who had fallen on hard times and would have worked quite closely with the Mission to Seamen.
Their email is
stgeorge@i-cable.com
Hope this helps
Dirk, just to let you know, I sent an e mail to Royal Society of St.George,Hong Kong branch, and got an automatic response back -
The Royal Society of St. George will no longer be using this email address. Kindly send you email to this address
info@stgeorgehk.com
Thankyou
I duly did that, this is just in case anybody else wants to contact them.
Valerie x
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26th April 2017, 09:50 AM
#34
Re: Hello
Hi Valerie
This is a copy of my post on your Ocean Tramping Company forum.
When I wrote the above post yesterday I did not realise you had also posted on the 'Welcome - Please say hello' forum. I have now read your other post and know that your uncle was indeed Alexander Charles (Sandy) Walker. I am so sorry to learn of his death through Alzheimers ... it was a sad way to go for somebody so full of life.
Although I cannot claim to be a close friend of Sandy and never sailed with him, I certainly met him at the Mariners Club many times when we both happened to be staying in Hong Kong in the early 1970's. He was indeed employed by Ocean Tramping Co., and I recall him sailing as First Mate in OTC's smaller ships plying the Asian routes. A vessel called "Wishford" is at the back of my mind as being Sandy's ship, but at this length of time I'm not certain. I seem to recall at some stage he had an apartment in Hong Kong and used to come over to the Mariners Club for a drink in the evenings. So began a number of delightful evenings (lasting sometimes into the later early hours!) during which we set the world to rights many times. There were usually a number of us Hong Kong based officers present, sometimes doing a pub crawl, other times just quietly satisfied with each others' company in the Four Sisters Bar.
Sandy was a gentleman. He was generous to a fault and always cared for those in his company. If someone was broke it was Sandy who offered him a drink; and if someone had had a little too much to drink it was always Sandy who would make sure he got back OK to his room in the Mariners Club. He was also a well read, well informed man who had an opinion and would quietly put it without loudness or rancour. You knew where he stood.
I am some ten years younger than Sandy, and found his knowledge of ships and the sea was unlimited. I picked up a lot of knowledge from him during those pub crawls! To the best of my knowledge Sandy only ever held a British First Mate's certificate. I heard that Ocean Tramping Company thought so much of him that they finally persuaded him to apply for a Panama Masters certificate, and once obtained he was put on OTC's larger vessels as Master, tramping around the world. You mentioned the "Jollity", and that was certainly one of OTC's ships. I do recall that he was often asked why he wouldn't get a British Master's certificate, and he only said he was happy sailing as First Mate. I certainly recall hearing that OTC kept him on the one ship for a very long time because the Master had a bad heart and they trusted Sandy to take over if needed!
There can't be many of us Hong Kong officers left now out of the dozens that had been there, and it is rather sad hearing that Sandy is no longer with us. I do hope this small amount of information will help fill in some of the gaps in Sandy's family history. If anything more about him comes to mind I'll let you know.
I will also post this on your other forum as it may fill in some blanks there.
Kind regards, Ted
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26th April 2017, 10:07 AM
#35
Re: Hello
Sorry to butt n Ed but when on th subject of people, you never knew a Leo McGowan did you he worked for Butterfield and Swires. Regards JWS
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26th April 2017, 11:03 AM
#36
Re: Hello
Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
Sorry to butt n Ed but when on th subject of people, you never knew a Leo McGowan did you he worked for Butterfield and Swires. Regards JWS
Hi JWS. I also worked for Swires for about 2 years. I have a vague memory of the name but not the person. Sorry I can't help you more. Perhaps you could contact the Swire Mariners Association Swire Mariners Association as they would be far more knowledgeable than me.
Kind regards, Ted
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8th January 2018, 12:16 AM
#37
Re: Hello
Hi Valerie,
Its me again: I sailed with Sandy and am sorry to hear he passed. We were shipmates in Ocean Tramping and I was the Chief Officer on the Jollity with him as I subbed when he went up to Sunderland... he came back with Tomasina! Great guy and so sorry for your loss.
Sincerely
William Mason
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12th January 2018, 11:07 PM
#38
Re: Hello
Hi Valerie,
I emailed you before but got no reply, so I'm trying again.
I was the Chief Officer on the Jollity with your uncle Sandy and sailed with him for 2 years. Please email me if you need anything more.
Sincerely.
Dave Mason
tstoppard@outlook.com
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13th January 2018, 01:02 AM
#39
Re: Hello
Possibly Doc / moderators can contact her ?
Keith.
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