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Thread: The Harmattan

  1. #1
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    Default The Harmattan

    Just joined and posted ... found this forum when looking for information about The Harmattan which was hit in Karachi Harbour in 1972. MY father was Chief Engineer at the time. My dad passed in 1992 and recently for some reason this tragic event has been on my mind. I'm not sure there will be anyone around now who remembers this, but who knows. Best wishes.

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Hi Barbara,
    Just for interest the name Harmattan comes from Nigeria where the Harmattan season comes every year, lots of rain and mist and it drops a thin coating of sand blown from the Sahara. I experienced it for a couple of years, when the mist was thick choppers would not fly and we could be delayed getting to the oil rigs.

    Just looked on the Web and there quite a lot of stories of the inccident you mention, got to admit I had never heard of it.


    John
    Senior Member

    UK003715

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Thank you John for your post and sharing the significance of the name. I can understand you not remembering, such a long time ago and so much has changed in the world.

    I've tracked down some stories and of course I remember some of the conversations between my parents, though of course I was shielded from most, understandably. It wasn't a happy Christmas .... but so much worse for some men and their loved ones.

    Best wishes.

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Hasn't RLT Terry put a article about this on the site? some time ago or am I getting mixed up with something else. Rgds Den

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Indded he Did Denis,and sent me a copy of the PDF File .
    Very interesting read .
    Cheers

    Captain Houston's Original transcript, On the demise of his ship Dec, 1971 M.V. Harmattan. (merchant-navy.net)
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

    R697530

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Vernon?I never saw a copy of the Harmattan transcript by it's Master. As it is out of copyright,we are informed,would it be possible to send a pdf copy to myself,for my casualty databases?

    Regards Graham S.


    Amendment to above.

    S
    orry Vernon, I don't need that aforementioned report. I found I do have a lot of information,pics and reports re Harmattan-my search engine took so long and has finally 'spewed them out-,including a report by a Harrison family member-owners of the vessel. i think these reports were collated by me from RLT on this site and by posts on SN.

    Cheers
    Graham
    Last edited by Graham Shaw; 1st August 2022 at 09:44 PM.

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Hello Graham
    Will look and see if i still have it, which i am sure i do somewhere!LOL

    Will send it later via your Private Email when found Graham
    Cheers
    Senior Site Moderator-Member and Friend of this Website

    R697530

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Red Lead Ted was there on another ship when she was hit, he had pictures posted on site, can't remember how long ago. Havent heard from him in awhile , perhaps if he looks in hewill recale us.
    Des
    R510868
    Lest We Forget

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    #3. Just a long shot Barbara with ref. to your address being the NE. Dont suppose you are any relation to the Patterson family re. John and Keith in the Whitley Bay area of Percy Road originally , if dont ask will never Know ? JS

    Think I remember this post about the vessel , and even though I was in Karachi in 1970 knew nothing about the wafts of war in the air. I do remember going from Karachi down to Bombay in Ballast to load sugar. Any war airs at the time was with India and China and border disputes . The Chinese crew we had were arrested when some of them were caught measuring up one of the dry docks there . They told me when I went to see those who had been arrested that they had a bet amongst themselves if the ship we were all on would fit in it. I believed them as that is where the ship should have been, having a new propellor put on. India being India it cost the ship a lot of dash to the arresting officers to get the charges dropped. That was 52 years ago and nothing has changed .JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 2nd August 2022 at 06:34 AM.
    R575129

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    Default Re: The Harmattan

    Thank you for replying!
    No, I'm not a relation, different spelling of name ... but agree, if we don't ask, we don't know!
    Very best wishes.

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