Michael Burt
After browsing the site a few times in the past, I finally decided to post a few notes about my service having recognised a couple of photos of myself in the bars on Maria Elisa and Port Alberni City!
I commenced my service as a J/E on Cardiff City, joining in April 1970 in LA and paying off 15 months later in LA in June 1971. It was a great ship on a TMM charter and I recall that it was a mainly unchanged engine room staff, we just did not want to pay offf! I can recall the 3rd engineer being Ken Green and the 2nd 0fficer George Parker, maybe others can recall their service aboard during that time, the old memory is not as good as it used to be!
After that trip, I went on to to do voyages as J/E on Wilkawa, 4/E in Indian City, Dave Litson was the chief, 2 trips on Maria Elisa, another fantastic ship and officers, the chief was R Charlesworth on one of the trips, Port Alberni City, the Chief was Malcolm Rayner, and my last voyage was on Prince Rupert City in 1979,the chief was J Fitzsimmons.
My one regret was that I did not take enough photos or keep a diary as a lot of memories have faded now after all these years!
The trip on the Indian City from 8/1/73 to 19/6/73 was my first trip as 4th Engineer after a previous trip as junior on Wilkawa, I think that the 2nd Engineer was Nick Shilstone who was medically evacuated from the ship off Acapulco after losing part of a finger in a nasty encounter with one of the Ruston generators turbo blowers.
That voyage was one of the most event filled that I ever undertook and I almost did not return to sea! I will start another thread on that later. January 2012.
Indian City Officer list February 1973. Captain: J.D.Lloyd, C/O: M.E.Jones, 2/O: P.G.Thompson, 3/O: E.J.Dunk, J.A.Challacombe, R/O: B.A.Stagg, C/E: D.W.Litson, 2/E: N.B.Shilstone, 3/E: E.Hume, 4/E: M.J.Burt, J/E's: D.O’Brian, R.Maw, W.C.Evans, Elec: C.Villa-Landa, C/S: J.L.Sanday, Nav Cadets: P.A.Ward , I.Cowan. There were several individual changes made during the next few months: both Ken Milburn and Wilf Carr joined, whilst Nick Shilstone left in Acapulco with a hand injury. Vaguely thought Mo Green might have replaced him at a later stage. MikeJones |
After my last voyage on Prince Rupert City, I returned to Devonport Dockyard as it then was, working in Yard Services mainly on Main Dock Pumps and Drainers, air compressors and capstans, then specialised in HP and LP air compressors for surface ships and submarines.
When the Dockyard finally went into private ownership, I took redundancy and did the last 20 years of my working life on the railway servicing and maintaining High Speed Trains at Laira Depot here in Plymouth.
I retired in 2010 aged 62 years and now spend some real quality time with my family.I am the proud owner of a 21 foot 2 berth motor boat built in Norway in 1969 and at present am working on complete refurbishment at our local marina boatyard.
I often think of my service with RSL and try to fill in the gaps, I remember that I sailed with some great officers but most of the names escape me at the moment.
Michael standing by his boat Dusky Lady as she is being positioned on the marina boat hoist ready to be lifted out and taken to the yard for her refurbishment project. |
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I had never heard of Reardon Smith prior to joining the Merchant Navy here in Plymouth in 1969, I had read and seen adverts for Andrew Weir a.k.a. Bank Line and decided to give them a try. I did all my pre joining bits in the B.S.F. office in Plymouth then went up to Liverpool for an interview, joining Fleetbank in Liverpool a few weeks later as a Junior Engineer. What a voyage that was! I paid off 9 months later back in Liverpool having voyaged through a number of South Pacific Islands to load copra and palm oil for the return leg.
It was during a drinking session in port with the professional 3rd Engineer, a Scouser, who mentioned if I wanted to continue on tramping runs in better ships and good food (no copra bugs in the custard!) to try Reardon smiths of Cardiff which I did after my voyage leave. I joined Cardiff City in Long Beach and never looked back! Posted on forum 29 April 2013.