Bannercliff

[Robin Singer]

Re; Bannercliff.
After 3 years as a cadet with Ben line, going to the far east at 21knots, it certainly was a shock joining Bannercliff. With the engine repaired setting of from East Germany round the Cape at 9 knots, the Capt
told us we had to ration the water, so washing was a 5 gallon drum from the galley pump. We stopped at Durban for food and water. Also anchored at Singapore as they would not let us dock due to our cargo.
On to shanghai brock down but made it. After unloading still had time on the charter so sent us north to load coal and back to Shanghai. After that to the laburarn Islands to load Copra. 4 weeks that took, and
the bugs all the way home were crazy. By this time nothing worked in the Bridge. The pilot was not to happy but we made it to Rotterdam and paid off. After that I was on the Victore going backwards and forwards fo
Bisco. Then Silksworth, back to shanghai. Those were the days. Robin Singer.

[j.sabourn]

It all sounds so familiar , even the Silksworth when in Dalglieshes I was sent over to Rotterdam to babysit her in Drydock in Rotterdam , on arrival I was told she had been sold so rejoined the next aircraft going back to Newcastle . It is very true reading your story confirms my belief there is no fiction in the word ScienceFiction , life is a repetition of events in the same universe but on different parallels . Cheers JS
Just as an afterthought when in Ben Line you didn’t come across a John Richie he would have been a Chief officer , I was mate with him for 4 years on a naval charter , he used to when reminiscing with me always say he was Chief Officer and I used to egg him on and say you mean Harry Tate don’t you. Away he would go explaining Ben Line was above such frivolities , he died with a brain tumour inoperable . They reckon the Navy gave him a Navy funeral but by that time I was back working for a living in the North Sea. Cheers JS ..
PS John Richie was an ex Bosun with Ben Line and had been with them all during the war years . Think he had also done time as a Singapore pilot. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
Have you heard anything from Graham since he moved ?
Des

[j.sabourn]

#13 No Des , it’s a pity because he was a good source of true information and put a lot into his posts . JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Re; Bannercliff.
After 3 years as a cadet with Ben line, going to the far east at 21knots, it certainly was a shock joining Bannercliff. With the engine repaired setting of from East Germany round the Cape at 9 knots,

I came from a 16 knot to an 8 knot vessel, you had to put a lot more thought into navigating an 8 knot vssl than a 16 knot vessel, tide, set and wind magnified your mistakes (if any )

[j.sabourn]

On the 4 knot ship Ivan it took us 3 goes going from Kaoshuing to Japan to get up the Taiwan Straits inside of a week it was embarrassing could nearly leave the pint on the bar counter and say “ I”ll be back “ with some certainty. Kaoshuing was needless to say a port of Refuge only .JS