John Bradshaw
I was recently looking at my old papers and found this site. I did a long trip on the Great City, discussed on the forum, From Manchester via Houston Texas onto Calcutta and the Australia and the ship sold in Hong Kong. We had a long flight home via Karachi and paid off in London.
I was an SOS on deck for the trip. I had been a deep sea trawlerman in Fleetwood for a couple of years. did about 3 or 4 trips on Merchant ships, and then the Great City. It was eventful from start to finish, with the flight home a nightmare. I was about 18 or 19 at the time. I remember one A/B went doolally in Calcutta, climbed up a water tank and demanded to be sent home...I think he was. I was also fined by the Indian customs for smuggling..Id sold my watch. Skipper fined me as well, and I had no money left after 4 months at sea
I left the merchant navy after another trip, and got a proper job! I moved into a new house in Manchester, and the guy came to read the meter. It was Frank ? cant remember his last name who was an AB. We both remembered each other!
I now live in Australia, and went to Thevenard, where we loaded Gypsum for about 3 weeks. Got at the old ships log in the harbour master office and checked it out. Thevenard hasnt changed at all, an Ozzy one horse town.
It feels real good to talk to people who actually lived the merchant Navy life so long ago! I loved my time at sea, First as a fisherman, then Merchant Navy, later back in the UK in my 20's I signed up into the Royal Navy Reserve and did 5/6 years part time (weekends and some days and 2 weeks full time Navy every year in Plymouth) as a radio officer on the minesweepers out of Liverpool! I think the discipline really did me good for my future career.
Gold Coast Australia October 2014.