Wilfred A. Nicholas
Part Two
"Mentor" - 1956
Single screw, 2 double reduction geared Westinghouse turbines, 15 knots
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on 5
Mar at |
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Passed 24 Jun |
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6 Mar |
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25 Jun |
26 Jun |
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16 Mar |
16 Mar |
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28 Jun |
29 Jun |
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Jeddah |
18 Mar |
22 Mar |
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3 Jul |
11 Jul |
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24 Mar |
24 Mar |
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? |
14 Jul |
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2 Apr |
4 Apr |
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15 Jul |
16 Jul |
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Port Swettenham |
4 Apr |
6 Apr |
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17 Jul |
24 Jul |
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Belawan |
8 Apr |
14 Apr |
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25 Jul |
26 Jul |
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15 Apr |
19 Apr |
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27 Jul |
28 Jul |
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21 Apr |
23 Apr |
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Passed 1 Aug |
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27 Apr |
29 Apr |
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9 Aug |
11 Aug |
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3 May |
5 May |
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12 Aug |
12 Aug |
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7 May |
7 May |
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31 Aug |
2 Sep |
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Masinloc |
7 May |
? |
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3 Sep |
3 Sep |
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12 May |
14 May |
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4 Sep |
5 Sep |
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15 May |
18 May |
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8 Sep |
10 Sep |
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19 May |
21 May |
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14 Sep |
19 Sep |
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25 May |
27 May |
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19 Sep |
26 Sep |
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27 May |
27 May |
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1 Oct |
4 Oct |
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28 May |
28 May |
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14 Oct |
16 Oct |
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29 May |
31 May |
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18 Oct |
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13 Jun |
15 Jun |
Dad signed off
19 Oct in |
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Notes: Voyage 22, Capt CBR Goodman,
commenced Voyage 23, Capt CBR Goodman
then Capt RG Ripon, commenced Dad paid £62 - £75 pm Between Feb 1955 and Dec 1957
(the extent of my records), March 1956 was the only time the “ |
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Dad was quite handy with his camera on this trip, below are some of the photos he took while on the "Mentor".
The ships cat - with Dennis Naylor, Chief Engineer and a good friend of Dad's.
Dad on board the "Mentor"
Working cargo, forward holds. Note the Chinaman squatting on the bulwark near the hatch beams.
Working cargo again, after hold this time.
Dad standing behind the forward holds as the "Mentor" waits for the 'Miraflores' lock gate to open. The 'Miraflores' lock is at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal, so the "Mentor" is entering the canal from the Pacific. Unfortunately, the quality of the photo is not too good.
'Miraflores' lock. This is one of the electric locomotives called 'mules' that pull the ships through the locks.
"Mentor" being pulled into the lock.
Here the lock is full. Also, you can better see the 'mules'.
Now the lock gates are open at the other end, and the "Mentor" can sail ahead into Miraflores lake on the way to the dug part of the canal, Gaillard Cut, then to negotiate another set of locks before entering the Atlantic.
Taken after passing through the Panama Canal, this is a view from the Castillo De San Felipe De Barajas, at Cartagena, Colombia.
I believe this to be a picture of the volcano 'Mount Mayon' in the Philippines. This is on the east, halfway between Manila and Cebu.
Dawn, or dusk, looking aft on the "Mentor".
The following are a couple of pictures showing a 'Victory' type ship in a floating dock. I don't know where these pictures were taken, but from the look of the scenery in the background of the left picture it does not look to be in Europe - possibly Hong Kong or Japan.
Records that I have do not indicate that the "Mentor" went into dock during Dad's time on her, so this may well be a sister ship that happened to be in dock when the "Mentor" arrived - on the other hand it might be the "Mentor".
When Dad spoke of his time afloat, the "Memnon" and "Mentor" were usually the first ships he mentioned, and Dad was particularly drawn to anything he came across relating to these ships. The "Memnon" was his first ship and was his home for 19 months, and in the "Mentor" Dad had his second longest spell. It is perhaps not surprising that these two ships were 'special' to him.
"Lycaon" - 1956
7 cyl 2 stroke single acting diesel, Kincaid.
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Dad signed on |
Dad signed off |
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The “Lycaon” would have sailed back from |
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Dad gets married, on the Wirral, in April 1957. The Blue Funnel links in the family now increase, as Mum's father sailed on the "Titan" in the 1920's and her brother sailed with Blue Funnel later, in the 1960's.
During this time ashore, Dad sits for and obtains his BoT 1st Class Engineers (steam) certificate.
"Glenlochy" - two trips, 1957, 1957 - 1958
Twin screw, 2x 8 cylinder 4S.SA Burmeister and Wain 1, 295NHP
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on |
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13 Sep |
15 Sep |
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6 Sep |
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15 Sep |
17 Sep |
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Holyhead |
? |
7 Sep |
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18 Sep |
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10 Sep |
11 Sep |
Dad signed off
18 Sept at |
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Note: Lloyds records indicate the “Glenlochy” was
delayed at Holyhead on 11 Sep for engine repairs. |
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on |
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4 Dec |
7 Dec |
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27 Sep |
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10 Dec |
13 Dec |
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Cliffe |
27 Sep |
1 Oct |
Zamboanga |
16 Dec |
20 Dec |
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10 Oct |
11 Oct |
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23 Dec |
28 Dec |
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15 Oct |
15 Oct |
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30 Dec |
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Port Swettenham |
25 Oct |
? |
1958 |
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28 Oct |
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1 Jan |
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31 Oct |
2 Nov |
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10 Jan |
10 Jan |
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5 Nov |
6 Nov |
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14 Jan |
16 Jan |
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10 Nov |
12 Nov |
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20 Jan |
23 Jan |
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17 Nov |
18 Nov |
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29 Jan |
6 Feb |
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Otaru |
20 Nov |
21 Nov |
Dad signed off |
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Hsinkang |
26 Nov |
1 Dec |
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"Glengarry" - 1958
Twin screw, 2 x B & W d.a.2 stroke 6 cyl diesels, 9,000 hp.
Built Burmeister & Wain, Copenhagen, 1939. Seized incomplete, renamed Meersburg as target ship. Used as a depot ship for U-boat flotillas 25 and 27, based at Kiel. Converted to raider, renamed Hansa. The most heavily armed of all the raiders. Never sailed as a raider due to delays in fitting out. Used as refugee ship during Hela evacuation in 1945. Siezed by the British on 4th May 1945 at Kiel she was renamed Empire Humber. Reclaimed by Holt's 1946 and refitted as cargo ship. Renamed Glengarry.
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on |
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20 Apr |
23 Apr |
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5 Apr |
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24 Apr |
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5 Apr |
9 Apr |
Dad signed off
24 Apr at |
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10 Apr |
19 Apr |
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"Atreus" - 1958
Single Screw, 2S. SA, 7 Cylinder by John G. Kincaid & Co, Greenock, 6, 800 BHP, 15.5 Knots.
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Dad signed on 9
May at |
Dad signed off 1 Jun at |
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This was a
coasting or near continent voyage. |
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“Glenlochy” – 1958
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on 20
Jun at |
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7 Jul |
9 Jul |
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26 Jun |
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10 Jul |
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27 Jun |
5 Jul |
Dad signed off
10 Jul at |
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The "Glenlochy" was another ship that Dad mentioned frequently when speaking of his time at sea. He sailed on the "Glenlochy" for three trips on two occasions and these trips must have been particularly significant for her to have stayed in his memory the way she did. The "Glenlochy" also seems to have stayed in the forefront of Mum's memory. I guess the significance is the fact that the "Glenlochy" was Dad's first ship after they were married.
Dad said that up to the time he got married, he was allright at sea. It was only after getting married that he started to suffer from 'mal de mer'.
H.M.S. "Activity"
"Breconshire" - 1958
Motor, 2 shafts, 12,000 BHP.
Built in 1940 for Holt's Blue Funnel. February 1941 taken over incomplete by the Ministry of Transport and renamed Empire Activity. Requisitioned in 1942 by the Admiralty for conversion into an escort aircraft carrier and commissioned as HMS Activity on 15th September. 1946 returned to Holt's. Reconverted and renamed Breconshire for Glen Line.
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Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
Port |
Arrive |
Sail |
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Dad signed on |
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24 Aug |
27 Aug |
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6 Aug |
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28 Aug |
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6 Aug |
8 Aug |
Dad signed off |
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9 Aug |
23 Aug |
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Dad obtained a 'Motor' endorsement to his BoT 1st Class Engineers Certificate.
"Ulysses" - 1958
Single screw, 3 double reduction geared turbines.
Ulysses and her sisters were originally being built for the Silver Line when they were taken over by Blue Funnel on the stocks. Hence the untypical profile for a Blue Funnel ship. She was to have been Silverholly.
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Dad signed on |
Dad signed off |
Go to Part Three