Bannercliff

[John Johnston (2)]

Hello, MY NAME IS jOHN jOHNSTON. I Was Radio Officer on M/V Bannercliff for about 4 years in the mid/late 60s. This ship was a cargo tramp owned by London Greeks with Brtish Officers and Hongkong Chinese crew.Would be interested in contacting anyone who served on the Bannerclff. I Was also on B.P. tankers fron 1960 to 1964, Then after the Bannercliff was on Union Castle passenger ships such as Pendennis Castle after which joined P&O General Cargo Division and served on ships such as Amra and various Strath boats before leaving the sea in 1982 and joining British Telecom to work at shore to ship radio stations for about 10 years.Thanks.

[j.sabourn]

#1 John I was in a similar set up in 1969 . The ship had a postal address of a PO Box number in Dublin under the Gibralter flag at that moment in time but owned by one of Harley Mullions sons of Hong Kong. This was the ship recently described as in the need of Thistlebond patches . She had been under numerous flags including North Korea, so her name really doesnt matter, but she started life as the Irish Elm. Are you sure the vessel you are asking about was owned by the London Greeks ?. A sister ship to the one I was on in that same era with a yugoslav crew was arrested in Montreal and sold to pay off all debts , the crew wages being the first debt payable.
JS

[Graham Shaw]

m.v.BANNERCLIFF(182924)

12/1948 Completed as SCOTTISH TRADER by Lithgows,Port Glasgow for Trader Nav.Co.Ltd;London.Cargo vessel of 7,328grt
60 became NORTH CAMBRIA for North Shipping Co.Ltd;Newcastle (Hugh Roberts & Son)
63 became BANNERCLIFF for Bond Shipping Co.Ltd;London (Adelphi Vergottis Ltd)
70 became SILVER COAST - Famagusta,Cypriot
73 became GRANIKOS - " "

1/111/73.Granikos,whilst discharging a cargo of urea fertiliser at Nuevitas,Cuba,suffered a fire and Engine Rm.explosion.Towed from berth and beached.Extensively damaged,Constructive Total Loss.Sold to Spanish shipbreakers.Broken Up Santander 4/74.


(Photo of Bannercliff taken on 25/5/67.Courtesy Malcolm Cranfield)

182924 BANNERCLIFF.jpg

[Graham Shaw]

JS #2 John- yr ref IRISH ELM.

400098		5426235	1953	IRISH ELM	5828		V1953	#449	Irish Sg Ltd	IRL Dublin
316357	5426235	5426235	1953	ARDROSSMORE	5828	1963	V1953	#449	Mullion & Co Ltd	GBR Hamilton
316357	5426235	5426235	1953	ARDROSSMORE	5828	1967	V1953	#449	Mullion & Co Ltd	GBR Gibraltar
316357	5426235	5426235	1953	MEADOW COURT	5828	1968	V1953	#449	Meadow Court Sg Co Ltd	GBR Gibraltar
316357	5426235	5426235	1953	GLENDALOUGH	5828	1970	V1953	#449	Ardee Investments Ltd	GBR Gibraltar

BU San Juan de Nieva 18.3.72 [Jose Eres]

[j.sabourn]

Thanks Graham or as they say in Liverpool Ta La . The glendalough as was as I knew. The Ardee Investments I have never heard of. They used the title Irish ship Management when I was there. But as you know most shipowners split their fleets up to different titles to minimise any claims against theirselves. She was under the Gibralter flag when I was there and think the GBR for the other names is wishful thinking. But there you go, we all get brainwashed sometimes in life. Thanks .. JS

[j.sabourn]

If you have a picture of the Glendalough there is one on site , as was in a quiz one time of name this ship. That particular ship was engraved on my memory as so much happened on her and not of a good nature either. The funnel marking DR was of my design and was appreciated by the owner, I should have taken out a patent on it. Anyhow it was quiet appropriate as it turned out. Cheers JS. The funnel sign I sketched, drew it out on funnel and painted it myself , watched by the Chinese crew. The Mullion name on your list is true however and Hong Kong was her home port for her Articles of Agreement . JS.

[Robin Singer]

Hello John.
I was on the Bannercliff in 1968 I think. WE were docked in Liverpool undergoing engine repairs, then off to Rostock. Sailing round the Cape to China. Then to Indonesia, back to Rotterdam.
8 months of great fun with a very "wonky" ship. were you on that trip? Robin Singer.

[Marian Gray]

#7, Good Morning Robin, Welcome to the forum. John Johnston [2] has not been on site since his last post #1 of July 2021. Therefore, you may want to send him a private message [pm] or email to keep in touch that way.

Feel free to share your own memories which are always appreciated by members here who have posted theirs in various threads and well worth a read....enjoy.

[j.sabourn]

Ref. #7 . Robin if addressed to me,? The ships photo on this thread edited by Graham Shaw is not the Glendalough which I joined in Rotterdam via Mizz Silver in Liverpool , she was discharging Copra and closed all the bars in the dock as she was awash with Copra bugs which even got in to the peanut machines . She was a disaster and was one port to the next with ports of refuge in between started off loading coke in Gdańsk for Karachi top speed was 4 knots with a following wind , half the blades on the propellor were missing , no safety cert. as boats were condemned , I finally got off in Japan 10 months or so later only by threats of stopping the ship. Believe she went to the scrap yard not too long after. Never took another job from Mizz Silver
again . Cheers JS. She was a steamer and burned Bunker C , with a following wind however ever so often had to go off course 20 degrees each side to see if traffic ahead as continuous smoke out of funnel , reckon she was the possible cause for climate change. JS

[James Curry]

Never had a bad job from Silver marine services. Always well looked after by Brenda, Betty and later on Sue. Also any job they got me the wages were in the bank on the day and never short.