the journal of the honourable company of master...

The Journal of theHonourable Company of Master Mariners

Issue 2/2017Volume XXIV No. 002

Livery Company of the City of LondonFounded 1926, Incorporated by Royal Charter 1930

The Honourable Company of Master Mariners

PATRONHer Most Gracious Majesty THE QUEEN

ADMIRALHis Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,

Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom, KG KT OM GBE

FOUNDERSir Robert Burton-Chadwick, Bt.

b. 1869 d. 1951

Contents

Contents

Company News Page 35

Latest News Page 48

Ports News Page 52

Features Page 53

Obituary Page 62

Merchandise Inside Back Cover

Court of the CompanyWardens and Court from 1 May 2016

MASTERCaptain M Reed FNI RD* RNR

SENIOR WARDENCaptain R B Booth MNI

IMMEDIATE PAST MASTERCaptain F K D'Souza FNI

WARDENSCaptain W J Barclay AFNI;Captain D Chadburn; Commander L A Chapman RN

COURT OF ASSISTANTSCommander P R F D Aylott MNI RN; Captain R W Barnes;Captain R F A Batt; Mr M F Burrow; Captain G Cowap FNI;Captain B A Cushing; Mr C S Dancaster; Captain G English AFNI;Captain I C Giddings FNI; Captain P T Hanton RFA; Mr J Johnson-Allen FRIN; Captain P J McArthur FNI FIMarEST MNM;Captain J K Mooney AFNI; Captain T Oliver; Commander D G Phillips MVO MNI RN; Captain M R Powell FNI;Captain M M Reeves MNI; Captain N R Rodrigues; Captain I Smith FNI FRNI; Mr T Starr MNI; Mr I P A Stitt FRIN; Captain S E Thomson; Captain J W Hughes FRIN FNI;Captain S S S Judah MBE FNI; Captain H J Conybeare

CLERK OF THE COMPANY – 0207 845 9871Commodore Angus Menzies MNI RN – [email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGER – 0207 845 9872Mrs Alison Harris BA (Hons) – [email protected]

FINANCE OFFICER – 0207 845 9875Mrs Penny Burningham – [email protected]

RECEPTIONISTPosition gapped – [email protected]

HONORARY CHAPLAINThe Reverend Reginald Sweet BA RN

CORPORATE MEMBERS*Birchtree Limited; J&J Denholm Limited; Fairdeal Group; FurnessWithy (Chartering); *International Maritime Pilots' Association;John Swire & Son Limited; Maritime Underwater SecuritiesConsultants Limited; P&O Ferries; PCA Maritime Ltd; StarReefers; Stephenson Harwood; The Baltic Exchange; Witherby'sPublishing Group; X-PRESS Feeders; Bentley Stokes & Lowless(*Tenant company)

HQS WELLINGTON, Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2PN

www.hcmm.org.uk Tel: 0207 836 8179 Fax: 0207 240 3082Email: [email protected]

Produced by Copyprint UK Limited. Unit 5a Canterbury Court,Kennington Park, 1-3 Brixton Road, London, SW9 6DE.

Published by The Honourable Company of Master Mariners, HQSWellington, Temple Stairs, Victoria Embankment, London WC2R 2PN.

Company News

www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2017 • 5

From the MasterCaptain M Reed FNI RD* RNR

I write this column three weeks in to myyear in office as Master of the HonourableCompany and must confess that I am stillastonished that I should have been accordedthis honour! However, I can take thisopportunity to thank Immediate Past MasterFlavian D’Souza for installing me on the29th April, and indeed to thank the Wardensand Past Masters for all their help andsupport over the past year as Senior Warden.I now look forward to a busy year workingwith our new Senior Warden, Rob Booth,and his fellow Wardens, the Court ofAssistants, and our Gallant Clerk to continuethe good work of the Honourable Company.

In my speech at the Installation Dinner Ipledged that in addition to fulfilling myLivery duties during the coming year, I willalso be reminding all who will listen of theimportance of our industry and the needfor a strong and vibrant Merchant Navywith a growing UK workforce. This I will doto the very best of my ability.

As a brief introduction, I was born inWickham in Hampshire and brought up inPortsmouth. Far from going to sea, I was tohave been entered from school to the MonsArtillery School to become an ArtilleryOfficer in the Regular Army, having beensponsored by the Honourable ArtilleryCompany. However, I spotted a Prospectusfor the Warsash School of Navigation inthe school careers office and promptlyaltered course.

Following a year at Warsash I was accepted

as an Apprenticed Cadet with thePeninsular & Oriental Steamship NavigationCompany (P&O), passing the AdmiraltyInterview Board at the same time to jointhe Royal Naval Reserve as a Midshipman.I continued through the ranks of both theMerchant and the Royal Navy achievingthe rank of Captain in both services. With the P & O I served in many cargo andpassenger ships, including IBERIA, CHUSAN,(where I met my first wife Sue), and the oldORIANA. In 1972, I was selected as FirstOfficer on the building team of SPIRIT OFLONDON, the first P & O purpose builtcruise ship. Her subsequent success inAmerica led to the takeover by P & O ofPrincess Cruises.Perhaps the highlight of my Merchant Navycareer came in 1982 when as Chief Officerof the ss CANBERRA my ship was taken upfrom trade to carry the majority of the 3rdCommando Brigade, and later the 5thInfantry Brigade, to recover the FalklandIslands after the Argentine invasion. In my RNR career, I served in HMS’ ESKIMO,HECLA and SHOULTON, and, on exchangewith the US Pacific Fleet in the GuidedMissile Cruiser, USS FOX. Following theFalklands conflict, I became an AmphibiousWarfare specialist, finally retiring from theReserves with the dormant appointment ofConvoy Commodore. I was awarded theReserve Decoration in 1972, with asubsequent Clasp in 1982.Retiring from P&O in 1997 I moved to SagaShipping as Master of the Cruise ShipSAGA ROSE until full retirement in 2000.Having swallowed the anchor, I was electeda Parish Councillor in my home village, andbecame Chairman of the Village Hall!Continuing the Falklands link however, Ibecame Chairman of the South AtlanticMedal Association where I wasinstrumental in evolving it into a highlysuccessful Charitable Company. I am now aLife Vice President of the Association. I amalso Trustee of the Falkland IslandMemorial Chapel at Pangbourne School,and as a staunch supporter of theMerchant Navy Association, I am also aPatron of the annual Merchant Navy DayService at the Tower Hill National MerchantNavy Memorial.I am a Member of the Royal Institute ofNavigation and have recently been made aFellow of the Nautical Institute.I joined the Honourable Company in 2011,becoming Senior Warden in 2016 andMaster in May 2017.I have two sons, Charles and Nicholas, bothwith my first wife, Sue, who died in 1998.

In 2005, I married Dee and we now live inthe lovely village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset.If I can find time I enjoy golf, sailing, andtravel; however, the Honourable Company,an allotment, garden, and several localgroups and societies keep me busy.Part of this year’s busyness will be thegranting of the first Chartered MasterMariner awards following the exhaustiveapplication and interview process. Havingsat in on the first two applicant interviews,I can assure you that the bar has been setextremely high for this most prestigiousaward. For those who have not yet seen thedetail involved, and for those wishing moreinformation, please go to our new websiteand click on the Chartership link.Dee and I have already attended Liveryfunctions and visits and are lookingforward to attending the Ironbridge Liveryweekend with the Lord Mayor and theother Livery Masters and Consorts. Lastweek, with the Gallant Clerk and Paula, Iattended a Reception onboard hosted bythe UK/New Zealand Society to mark thearrival in UK of the new HighCommissioner for New Zealand, HisExcellency the Right Honourable Sir JerryMateparae KNZM QSO KStJ, formerGovernor-General NZ and former Chief ofDefence Staff NZ. His post carriesHonorary Membership of our Company andyou might be interested to learn that HisExcellency arrived for his NZ Receptionwearing with, great pride, his MasterMariner’s Tie! Dee and I will proudly attendthe Royal Garden Party at BuckinghamPalace as your representatives.I do hope to see many of you onWELLINGTON through the year, especiallyat our functions catered for by The Cookand The Butler, whose reputation for finedining continues to illuminate our floatingLivery Hall, the good ship WELLINGTON, sowell looked after by the WELLINGTON Trust. In conclusion, may I again thank you allfor your support and encouragement, andI shall work hard to be worthy of thisgreat position.

We are sorry to re cord the death ofthe following members of theHonourable Company of MasterMariners:• Captain Rennison Shipley

1 February 2017• Captain Hugh Williamson

15 April 2017• Captain Bruce Cairns

30 April 2017

Company News

Page 36 • The Journal • Issue 2/2017 www.hcmm.org.uk

From the ImmediatePast MasterCaptain F K D’Souza

I am finally at my last column and, at theend of my year in office; I wish to say whatan honour and privilege it has been toserve as Master of the HonourableCompany. The year for Yasmin and me hasflown by with well over 200 majorengagements in the year. Some of thesehave been of extraordinary interest bothinternal and external. During one’s year, asthe dates of other Livery Company’sinstallation vary widely, it is possible tomeet 220 other Masters, two from eachcompany. I have not met them all, but havemet the vast majority and developed strongpersonal friendships with quite a few whichI am sure will endure. By now our newMaster Captain Martin Reed and his lovely‘Mistress Dee’ are firmly in the chair and Iam sure already enjoying their year.

Every Master must endeavour his bestpossible to hand over the Company to hissuccessor in at least as good shape as hefound it. Whilst it is for others to judge Ibelieve my Wardens and I have achievedthat. Our membership is stable and growingat 660, with a healthy increase inAssociates and Apprentices to 270. To thisgrowth both in stature and strength, I givecredit to our mentoring scheme and MasterMariners who have taken the responsibilityof being a mentor. There is need for moreMaster Mariners to take on this task notonly for greater growth but to reduce the

load on Master Mariners who have morethan 2 mentees to their credit. Ourmentoring scheme is now known in all thesectors of the maritime industry ashore andafloat and has become the envy of theLivery Companies of this great City.

Our initiatives and efforts to introduce thequalification and formal award ofChartered Master Mariner in collaborationwith The Nautical Institute have now beencompleted. As I write, the ProfessionalReview Interviews (PRIs) of the shortlistedcandidates are in progress. I give credit toCaptain Peter McArthur and our GallantClerk Angus who have taken on thisinitiative seriously and made it happen. Thefirst Chartership awards are planned to bemade during the London Shipping week inSeptember this year.

As most of you may have noticed, work onthe instalment of the new Companywebsite has been completed. You can lookforward to a much-improved service.Congratulations to our PDC Captain GeoffCowap, Business Manager Alison Harris andSenior Warden Captain Robert Booth fortheir interaction both with the Companyand contractors web design consultant atBrooks Bell.

Thanks to our Chairman, Finance and RiskCommittee, Mr Ian Stitt and our FinanceManager Penny Burningham, our financesare close to the guidelines laid down by thePassage Plan. Penny has done well incollecting various dues resulting in negligibleoutstanding. The good news is that on theaccumulated funds of the Company, wehave already achieved the goal set by thepassage Plan through to 2020.

On the social front, we have had a veryeventful last couple of months. Some ofthe major events have been the ElectionCourt Luncheons hosted by the WorshipfulCompany of Furniture Makers and Fuellers.The Worshipful Company of Carmencelebrated their 500th anniversary first atSt Paul’s Cathedral in the form of Evensongfollowed by a joint services dinner andmilitary awards night at the Great Hall ofMerchant Taylors graced by HRH ThePrincess Royal. The close relationshipbetween the Carmen (77) our Company(78) continues to flourish despite of thegap of 240 years.

Another of the highlights of the year forevery Master and Mistress is to be invitedto the Lord Mayor’s banquet at MansionHouse, where you meet so many friendsmade during the year and many other Citydignitaries. Apart from the excellent foodand wines the music by the Band of the

On being elevated from Member toFreeman: Captain Emmeline Payne; Lt Cdr Chris Gare, Danny-Lee DaviesOn being elevated from Associate toFreeman: Tom Feakins, Paul ShepherdOn being clothed as Liverymen:Captain Chris McDade

Congratulations to the following on being sworn in as:Freeman: Captain Stuart Edmonston,Captain James Brown, Captain David Hill,Captain John Strachan, Captain LeeJohnsonMember: Mr Steven Hunter,Mr Peter Holbrook, Mr Philip CaveAssociate: Ryan Graham, MatthewKenney, Ben Wilkinson, Ross Cleland,Katie Baxter, Michael Williams, DannyCleary, Nick Carne, Dan Cunningham,Joe DouglassApprentice: Ben Monks, Matt Banks,Sam Cooper, Charlie Edwards, Keeran Stephenson

Company News

www.hcmm.org.uk The Journal • Issue 2/2017 • Page 37

Royal Yeomanry was simply splendid. Theyplayed several age-old favourites whichwere enjoyed by all.

On the invitation of Admiral the Lord West,the Chancellor of Southampton SolentUniversity, I visited the new campus nowaccommodating the Warsash facilities. Itwas a good opportunity for the MasterMariner to witness the tremendous progressmade in Maritime training and education.

The WELLINGTON Trust Fundraiser andLivery Mistresses Lunch was yet againanother feather in our cap! It wasthoroughly enjoyed by all who attended.We had some 67 of the Mistresses andConsorts. From all the ‘thank you’ lettersand cards and all whom we met thereafter- there was praise for the Company, theShip, the Master Mariner Guides (JohnFreestone, Robin Batt, and Angus Menzies)each with their wonderful reconverting ofevents and history of the HQS Wellington.The day itself was bright, warm andwonderful. It made the perfect opportunityfor our guests to take pictures and enjoythe afternoon. The luncheon itselfsurpassed all expectations. Every course wasdelicious and the starter of venisonCarpaccio is still the talk of the Town! Mostof the comments were that they had neverexperienced this in all the year they hadbeen a Mistress or Consort! Thanks to allwho made it such a memorable occasion?

The other most prestigious and enjoyableduty was to attend the Cenotaph inWhitehall on ANZAC day and lay a wreathon behalf of the British andCommonwealth Merchant Navies. This wasfollowed by a service of commemoration atWestminster Abbey. The Master was treatedwith great honour seated next to the choirand opposite to the High Commissioners ofAustralia and New Zealand. This duty keepsus high in our external profile andmaintains the Merchant Navy’s presenceand contributions to the outside world.

I was invited to speak at an eminentgathering at India House by the HighCommissioner to commemorate IndianNational Maritime Day. As a past Chairmanof the IMA(UK) for 3 years, it was a goodopportunity for me to illustrate the goodwork of our Company. I thanked theGovernment of India for recognising theimportance of the Merchant Navy andhonouring the gallant men and womenwho not only man ships across the oceansbut also act as our second line of defence.

We can be proud of celebrating when ourCompany reaches its 100th year in 2026. Tothat end Wardens have already formed a

Centenary Committee to progress theoutline of events for that year. I encourageMembers specially of our youngergeneration to join this committee.

Before I close my appreciations and a bigthank you for the whole-hearted supportof my immediate Past Master Captain JimConybeare, Past Master Captain Sam Judah,my Wardens, Chairman of all committees,my Gallant Clerk Angus Menzies, ourManagers Alison and Penny, ChiefEngineers Martin and Joe, Shipkeepers Igor,David and Iryna, and last but not least, ourChief Steward Simon. Thank you also to ourCaterers Cook and Butler and their hard-working team who have consistentlymaintained a high standard of hospitality. Iwish them well.

Lastly, I want to thank my wife Yasmin whohas also worked very hard for the Companythis year. She has not only accompanied mebut also represented the Company in herown right as Master’s Lady at severalevents. She too has made many goodfriends whom she will cherish in the future.

Clerk’s CornerCommodore Angus Menzies RN

CentenaryOur Company formed on 25 June 1926.We have come a long way in the lastninety one years. We received our firstRoyal Charter in 1930 and in the sameyear our title of Honourable from HisRoyal Highness, King George the Fifth. OurCompany was granted Livery by the Courtof Aldermen of the City of London in1932. We have been privileged to have hadfour Royal Masters of our Company; HisRoyal Highness, The Prince of Wales (1928-

1936), His Royal Highness The Prince Philip,Duke of Edinburgh (1954-1957), His RoyalHighness, The Prince of Wales (1988–1990)and her Royal Highness The Princess Royal(2005-2007).

We procured, in 1947 and live in. the onlyfloating Livery Hall in the UK andintroduced a hugely successful ApprenticeMentoring Scheme, currently over 250strong. Our Joint Informal ProfessionalMeetings are highly regarded and ourCompany is in the final stages of awardingthe status of Chartered Master Mariner,which will be a most prestigious andinternationally recognised qualification. Insum, we have much to be proud of andmany outputs that merits celebrationwhen our Company reaches its hundredthyear in 2026. To that end the Wardenshave formed a Centenary Committee toprogress the outline of events for ourcelebration year. Members interested intaking part in that Committee’sdeliberations are most welcome to contactthe Clerk who can provide more detail.

LiveryFreemen are strongly encouraged toconsider taking the Livery of the Company.This is the senior Membership status andopens the door to wider membership ofthe Court of Assistants and indeed to thestructure and organisation of the City ofLondon and to take part in the election ofthe Lord Mayor.

To become a Liveryman. This is a three-stage process:

First: You have to be Freeman of theHonourable Company (i.e. not a Memberor Associate).

Then: You have to become a Freemanof the City of London.

And then: You can join the HonourableCompany’s Livery.

At a recent meeting of the centenaryCommittee is was agreed that tobegin the process of accumulating aCentenary Fund to support events in2026 a 100 Club should be started inwhich members, their spouses and kincan participate. The 100 refers to thenumber of years the Company willhave been in operation, not to thenumber of subscribers. The initialplan is for a monthly contribution of£5.00, by Standing Order, that asignificant draw would be made twicea year, as example 2 prizes of£500.00, £250.00, £100.00 etc. Moredetails to follow from the Clerk.

To gain Freedom of the City of London

• Option 1: Do it all yourself. Call theChamberlain’s Court (020 7332 1008) tomake a date to lodge your application.On that date, you should attend inperson bringing:

– Your Company Freedom (Membership)Certificate (or scan/photocopy).– Full birth or adoption certificate. [Shortened versions are not accepted].A scan/photocopy is sufficient.– A cheque for £100 payable to The Chamberlain of London.

• Option 2: Use the Clerk. Give the Clerk acall and ask for a Proxy ApplicationForm. Complete the form and send it tothe Clerk with the documents abovewho will lodge all for you, saving youthe effort.

• Then: The Court of Aldermen of the Citysits and reviews your application.

• You attend the Chamberlain’s Court forthe Freedom Ceremony in person (withfamily and friends).

Applying for Livery. Now that you are aFreeman of the City you can apply to jointhe Livery of the Honourable Companysimply by giving me a call. Then:

• You pay your Livery Fine (One-Off). £969or £650 for Members who have paid 7or more annual subscriptions.

• Present your Company and City FreedomCertificates to the Clerk.

• Make you Declaration as a Liveryman.Normally in the presence of the Court ata scheduled Court Meeting.

(Note: On joining the Livery you will payCompany dues as quarterage notsubscription. Quarterage for Liverymen is£267 pa (£257 if paid by Direct Debit)which is considerably less than thestandard Freeman’s subscription).

NB: For the £100 fee the recipients receivea parchment copy of freedom, handwritten by a calligrapher; a copy of theRules for the Conduct of Life andhopefully a memorable personalisedceremony which is of considerablehistorical interest. The funds in fact godirectly to Foundation Scholarships at theCity of London Freeman’s Schools.

City of London BriefingsFreemen and Liverymen are encouraged toattend the City of London briefings whichtell you about the City and its structureand are designed for all Liverymen, andindeed Freemen, Court Assistants, andWardens (as well as their spouses and

partners who are very welcome toaccompany). All are at 1700 for 1730 inthe Guildhall, and are over by 1930. arepreferred via the website:www.liverycommitteecourses.orgbut if this presents difficulties, pleasecontact the Course Administrator atGuildhall, Claire Holdgate:[email protected];telephone 020 7332 3176.

Monthly Livery BriefingsThese Briefings are produced monthly andcontain details of interest for CityLiverymen. They are posted on theCompany Website in the News Section.

CommitteesThe Company operates five StandingCommittees (this means permanent andreporting direct to the Court). Theygenerally formally meet four times a yearand cover the following areas:

• Finance - all aspects of the Company’s investments, subscriptions and accounts;

• Membership - policy on membership criterion, recruiting, and numbers;

• Education & Training - oversight of training standards and the Apprenticeship Scheme;

• Technical - oversight of professional practices in every area of maritime business and shipping;

• Treasures - management of all models, art, library and silverware collections.

Members are invited to consider joining oneor more of these committees and thereby totake part more in the day to day life of ourCompany. Membership will not take upmuch personal time and a great deal of thework is achieved by email. If interested, I amalways delighted to update members on theworkings of the Committees whose Minutesare published in the Member’s Area of theCompany website.Honourable Company of MasterMariners and Howard LeopoldDavis Charity Members are reminded that our associatedHCMM & HLD charity is focussed on thesupport of needy Merchant Navy DeckOfficers and their dependents. Anymember knowing of a mariner or widow inneed should contact the Clerk.

Our Charity also oversees our presentationat Christ’s Hospital School. Thepresentation covers all fees, uniform andequipment at the School for the fullsecondary course. This presentation iscurrently not filled and a suitablecandidate is being sought; details from the

Clerk. Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, WestSussex RH13 0YP; Tel: 01403 211293; Fax: 01403 211580;Email: [email protected]

The Royal Hospital School at Holbrookoffers generous bursaries to the sons ordaughters or the grandchildren of male orfemale officers of the UK Merchant Navy.The School also offers generousScholarships in four areas: Academic, Arts,and Sports and, Sailing. The Royal HospitalSchool, Holbrook, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP92RX; Tel: +44 (0)1473 [email protected]

Meeting RoomsThere are three bookable rooms forbusiness meetings available onboardWELLINGTON:– The Committee Room – seats 16 at

the table.– The Medals Room – seats 14 at

the table.– The River Room – seats 9 at the table.

All three rooms have large-screen wallmounted computer monitors (HDMI) andconference call facilities. All have roomfor additional seating round thebulkheads. Contact the Office for detailsand for bookings.

In addition, the Catering Company canoffer business meeting facilities in:– The Model Room – seats 20 at the table– The Court Room – seats 52 at the table

The Court Room is provided with full ITand sound facilities and both are bookedthrough the Cook & The Butler – Gwen,whose office is onboard WELLINGTON on0207 240 9888 [email protected]

AccommodationThere are two ensuite cabins one doubleand one twin in WELLINGTON for the useof members (£50 single, £60 doubleoccupancy). Both cabins have colourtelevisions, digital radios and full Wi-Fifacilities. Please let us know if you will bearriving after normal working hours tocheck in and collect your key.

If unable to book onboard, The Vintner’sCompany, Upper Thames Street, London EC4V 3BG (close to Cannon Streetor Mansion House District/Circle Line TubeStations) offers our members access totheir overnight accommodation; somerooms are en-suite and start at £60 + VAT.Contact:[email protected]: 0207 651 0748.

Members who are still serving, may make

Company News


Company News


use of the facilities of the Union Jack Clubat Waterloo Station, where a single ensuiteroom begins at £72.00 and a doubleensuite room begins at £126.00. Contact:Daiva Sobole, Advance ReservationsManager ([email protected]); Tel: 0207902 7379: Fax. 0207 620 0565; Union JackClub, Sandell Street, London SE1 8UJ.

Income Tax Relief on AnnualSubscriptions and LiveryQuarterageThe Honourable Company is approved byHer Majesty’s Revenue and Customs for thepurposes of Section 334 of the Income Tax(Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (whichreplaces the previous legislation). Where amember is employed in a marine or marinerelated occupation, the Annual Subscriptionand Livery Quarterage is allowable as adeduction from earnings for tax purposes(but not Freedom or Livery Fines). Section334 is limited to earnings fromemployment, but members who are self-employed receive relief under Schedule D.

Merchant Navy Senior Officer’sCoursesThis Masters and First and Second MatesCourse runs three times a year and isaimed at to foster relations between thetwo services; the programme is a mix oflectures, visits and practicaldemonstrations all tied together with astrong social thread. It includes briefs onthe Royal Navy’s ships, weapons, andworldwide operations. It also includes aday at sea in a warship during a ThursdayWar– a visit to Royal Marines Pooleprovides a slant on anti-piracy initiativesand indeed the UK Chamber of Shippingalso brief from their perspective. The wholecourse runs for 4½ days.

Briefs will be provided from NorthwoodHQ, the FCO Piracy Desk (Gulf of Guinea),DfT and the UK Centre for the Protectionof the National Infrastructure (CPNI) andEuropean Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR).Also, a brief and buffet lunch will beprovided by the UK Chamber of Shipping.

Numbers as ever are always tight, and ifyou wish to attend any of these Courses,please email to Lt Cdr David Carter RNR(formerly Shell Tankers) at: [email protected] or write to, RoyalNavy Merchant Navy Liaison Officer,Maritime Trade Section, Maritime WarfareSchool, HMS COLLINGWOOD, NewgateLane, FAREHAM, Hampshire PO14 1AS

SocialMembers will have come to recognise ourlittle Front of House lady, Ena. She has now

left us on long Maternity Leave and has beenreplaced by the very tall and dark gentleman,Mr Zdravko Lungarski; I know you will accordhim the usual Mariners welcome.

• Curry Lunches on: Friday 28 July 17[currently FULLY BOOKED with a waitinglist], the Extra Lunch on Friday 15September 17 [currently FULLYBOOKED], Friday 29 September 2017and Friday 27 October 2017 [currentlyFULLY BOOKED with a waiting list].Members are reminded that guests mustconform to our Curry Lunch dress codeof jackets and ties. A stock of maritimetype ties is held at Reception. Also, thatset tables and individual groups will becalled forward by the Catering Managerwhen they should rise to select theircurry lunch.

• Now an annual fixture, the fourth ofour Outport Ladies Lunches is on Friday21 July 2017. This Lunch is aimed at ALLmembers of the Company and their wiveswith a particular theme to attract OutportMembers and their Ladies and anopportunity for the Outports to gettogether and to meet the Master and theWardens and all our Members. Book earlyto secure a place.

• The Annual National Service forSeafarer’s at St Paul’s Cathedral onWednesday 11 October 2017 (1700),followed by our traditional Hot PotSupper onboard (1900 for 1930). TheService is usually attended by our PastMaster, HRH Princess Anne and by themajority of the maritime sector inLondon. Tickets should be ordered assoon as possible from the Office. Boththe Service and Hot Pot afterwards, arefor us, our ladies and partners andprivate guests. Members do not have toattend both events. Wardens will bewearing Mid-Morning Dress; CourtAssistants and members, who wish, mayconform, although lounge suit isperfectly acceptable.

• The Ladies’ Night Dinner on Friday 6October 2017 (1830 for 1900). This eventis for our Ladies and Partners; privateguests are also most welcome if there isspace available. The dress is Black Tie sothat our Ladies can outshine us!

• The Member’s Lunch on Friday 17November 2017 (1230 for 1300). This event is for us and private guests(not spouses or partners), where theguest of honour is the (new) LordMayor of the City of London. Wardenswill wear Morning Dress; CourtAssistants and Members, who wish, may

conform, although Lounge Suit isperfectly acceptable.

WardroomThe Wardroom is available for membersand their private guests from 0900 until1700 either to relax during busy visits toLondon or to conduct business. Youshould advise if you will be onboard, toprevent over-booking. The bar opens from1230 to 1430, when the Chief BarSteward, Simon, serves a full range ofdrinks and cold and hot food (hot foodshould be ordered 24 hours beforehand)and is available when Roy the chef is onduty; please check beforehand).

Members are reminded that during baropening hours any formal businessmeetings underway in the Wardroom mustbe put on hold and, that dress formembers and their guests in theWardroom is jacket (optional in thesummer) and tie. A stock of spare maritimeties is held in Reception.

Member’s Degree Course SupportFreeman Commander Craig Raeburn BScAFNI FHEA, Senior Lecturer BridgeSimulation at Warsash is conducting aresearch project and dissertation for an MScat Portsmouth University. In support of thishe is seeking to interview SeniorManagement, Commanding Officers orTraining Captains in the Cruise line industryto review research into, “the developmentsin leadership and management strategiesfor bridge teams in the cruise line industryto provide added reassurance avoidingimprovised and noncompliant actions?’ Theobjectives are to, determine the extent ofimplementation of leadership andmanagement change to bridge teams in thecruise line industry since 2012, understandthe driving factors behind changemanagement in the cruise line industry andestablish if these changes are appropriate toapply to the wider maritime industry.

Members are encouraged to assist Craigwho can be contacted on:[email protected]

Centre Page Booking SlipsMembers will be aware of the centrepage tear out booking forms forSocial events. These forms are beingused less and less as Members turn totelephone or Email to make theirbookings. Therefore, consideration isbeing given to removing them fromthe Journal to reduce weight andpostage and, printing costs. Anyviews please to the Clerk?

Company News


Wardroom NotesJohn Johnson-AllenHonorary Wardroom MessSecretary

I hope that you will be coming to the Ballon 14 July. If you haven't, and you wouldlike to come please contact Alison Harris andmake your bookings. As you may remember,we restrict the numbers coming to the ballto 100. This ensures that there is space toeveryone to have a good time. I'm sure thatit is less than a coincidence that there hasnever yet been rainfall on the evening of theball in our particular part of London.

We all hope that this will continue, thisyear and into the future. As a reminderthat this year's theme, as the ball is onBastille Day is red white and blue, thecolours of the tricolour. Every year theCook and Butler produce a wonderful mealfor the ball based on the theme. In the pastwe have had oriental food, Indian food andnow this year we shall have French food.The possibilities are endless.

At the installation dinner at the end ofApril, I was asked whether Father Christmashas yet come up with a dress theme forthis year's Christmas Lunch. Onendeavouring to contact that gentleman Iwas advised that he was away on annualleave. However, his office advised that thetheme would be advised in time for thenext issue of the Journal. At that time, thefirst line of the Limerick will also be underclose consideration. I shall endeavour toinclude a further reminder of the form of aLimerick as a guide.

Within the Clerk’s notes there will be areminder of the food that is available inthe wardroom, given due notice and thehours that the wardroom is open.

The Wellington TrustCaptain Guy Brocklebank RNChairman of the Trustees

Our 2017 exhibition, Abandon Ship –Survival in the Wartime Atlantic, opened onFriday 18 May 2017 and we had an excellentvisitor turn out on Sunday 20 May, of 300.This included some 50 descendants of theMV Richmond Castle, descendants ofsurvivors who had an excellent familyreunion as well as seeing the exhibition. Wewill be open on Sundays and Mondays untilthe beginning of November. We are still alittle short on volunteers and ship tourguides, so please Master Mariner volunteerswould be most welcome.

The Education programme is continuing todo well this academic year and we aremaking plans to improve further for thenext academic year, particularly with theSTEM Programme. As ever we are indebtedto generous funding from the Sir John CassFoundation.The work of refurbishing the tenant kitchento overcome potential food hygiene issues

and relocate the Reception Desk toimmediately opposite the entrance door forimproved security and monitoring ofvisitors is completed. The opportunity wasalso taken to improve the deck headinsulation in the immediate lobby area. On the future project we are still in limboawaiting the absolute final decision overthe Garden Bridge construction, thoughTrustees have now taken the precaution ofgetting a quote and allocating capitalresources to repair our current dolphins,should the Garden Bridge not happen.There is a mixed story in the press but theBridge project team continue to work on abuild plan for this year.

The Wellington TrustHeritage EveningLecturesGlyn EvansCo-ordinator - Wellington TrustHeritage Evening LecturesSeason 2017 – 2018Subject to final confirmation and anychanges that may be required, theWellington Trust Evening Lectures for theSeason 2017 - 2018 will be as per the tableon page 41.Currently under consideration is anadditional lecture, Women and ChildrenFirst - the loss of HM TroopshipBirkenhead to be given by Glyn L Evans inAugust 2017 (date to be confirmed) inconjunction with the Wellington TrustExhibition Abandon Ship.

PDC ColumnGeoff CowapProfessional DevelopmentConsultant (PDC)Mentoring Conference The annual Mentoring Conference (previouslytabled as a Seminar) was held on HQSWellington on Thursday 20th April 2017.The Master opened the conference bywelcoming the Mentors and invited guestsand gave an update on the currentstanding of the Mentoring Scheme whichcontinues to grow both in numbers and instature. The Master thanked all our 140+Mentors without whom the Scheme couldnot operate.

The morning session was chaired byWarden Robert Booth who has beeninstrumental in creating the MentoringGuidance document

Company News


The document contains 3 sections: 1. The process and management of the

Scheme2. Recruitment of Mentees and of

volunteers to act as Mentors3. Mentoring

ManagementHCMM has a duty and obligation tomaintain records of the progress of eachMentee within the Mentoring Scheme. TheMentee is expected to maintain regular andfrequent communications with his/herMentor and in addition is expected tosubmit brief quarterly reports to theMentoring management team givingdetails of current activity (at college, atsea) and when he/she anticipates obtainingnext certificate.

The Education and Training committeemaintains records of each Mentee. Themanagement of the Scheme is one of themain restraints on our ability to expandthe Scheme.

Recruitment of MenteesOver the years, the ProfessionalDevelopment Consultant (PDC) visited themain Nautical Colleges around the UnitedKingdom to promote our image to thecadets under training and to brief them onthe benefits of joining the HonourableCompany. These visits resulted in aconsiderable increase in young personswishing to join us. As a result, it becamenecessary to restrict the number of Menteesjoining the Company to 250. During theprevious 12 months, we have enjoyed areduced, but manageable increase innumbers purely from word of mouth.

It is envisaged that significant numbers ofour Mentees will have progressed throughthe Scheme and will be eligible to sit fortheir Masters CoC within the next two orthree years. This will leave a gap in ournumbers on the Scheme and consequently,it is suggested that the PDC resumes hisregular visits to the Nautical colleges, butwith emphasis on promoting HCMM andthe benefits of membership to thosewishing to progress their career within themarine industry, both ashore and at searather than on recruitment of newAssociate Members. Visits to colleges willstill attract new Apprentices and AssociateMembers even without the hard sell but ata more manageable level.

MentoringThere are currently 140 active Mentors inthe Scheme and an additional 20 who haveoffered their services, but as yet not beenpaired with a Mentee. The reason beingthat we have been unable to pair themwith a Mentee located geographically closeto the Mentor. In the past, geographicalproximity has always been consideredimportant so that the initial contact can bemade face to face. It has always beenaccepted that communication for the mostpart is going to be by email or otherelectronic means. Much consideration hasbeen given to using social media (Facetime,Skype, Messaging, Hangout, WhatsApp) forall communications including that veryimportant first contact. It was suggestedduring the conference, that electroniccommunications or E-Mentoring should bemore widely used. This concept will enablethe management team to pair Mentorswith Mentees without the restriction of

geographical proximity. Most, if not allMentees communicate with their peersregularly and efficiently using social media.All our Mentors are proficient at usingemail, but social media stylecommunication may not be quite asfamiliar to the more senior Mentors. Beforeassigning a Mentor to a Mentee withwhom that first contact would be by socialmedia, the prospective Mentor must bemade aware of and happily accept the useof electronic communication.That first contact of Mentor and Menteewas strongly emphasised by Captain Boothduring his presentation. It is the time todiscuss aspirations, ambitions, lifestyle, likesand dislikes and establish a foundation fora long-term friendship based on trust andmutual understand-ing. The new websitehosts videos for the guidance of both theMentor and the Mentee.Availability of employment afterobtaining OOWThis topic continues to be a major concernwith trainees. It was pointed out thatdifficulties in finding the first job, is notconfined to the maritime industry. It is aphenomenon experi-enced in mostprofessions and trades and not just UK.University leavers with degrees in manydisciplines are experiencing similardifficulties. The one advantage of thosetrainees who opt for a degree level entryinto the Merchant Navy, is that unlikeother disciplines, the university course ispaid in full. Despite the comparisons with otherprofessions, it was noted that traineeswithin the mer-chant navy trainingSchemes were becoming disillusioned by

Ian Dear

John Almond

Chris Roche

Stuart Lawrence

Rescue Tug Service in two World Wars

Wireless at Sea 1880 - 1950s

Cape Horn Sailor in Soren Larsen

Navigation & Seamanship in Ice11 December 2017

13 November 2017

09 October 2017

11 September 2017

Heritage Evening Programme 2017Date Speaker Subject

Heritage Evening Programme 2018

Geoff Hunt

Richard Woodman

Dave Brooks

Royal Society of Marine Artists

Ships of the Honourable East India Company

Voyages of the Thames Sailing Barge Cambria12 March 2018

12 February 2018

08 January 2018

Date Speaker Subject

Company News


the shortage of jobs for UK Na-tionalsmainly because they were being out pricedby newly qualified officers with equivalentcertificates from non-European countries.The following quote is an extract from aUK Chamber of Shipping report:• UK Shipping Industry

– worth £12.2bn to United Kingdom• 250,000 jobs• £2 billion in UK tax revenues

If cadets, after obtaining there COCaren’t given the opportunity to gainexperience they are a potential loss toour industry and a waste of years oftraining. Successfully gainingemployment in their chosen field is akey determinant of career choice. Lackof future opportunity will deter futureapplicants with resultant long termconsequences in our industry.

The recent Maritime Growth Study hasrecognised the importance of UK-trainedShipmasters and the need for such personsto continue the highly-respected professionswhich require the skills of our experiencedMaster Mariners. A new incentive is currentlybeing pursued by UK Shipping/MNTB inconjunction with the government. SMarTPlus will provide incentives to shippingcompanies to offer employment to newlyqualified OOWs so that they at least have theopportunity to get 6 or even 12 months ofwatchkeeping experien ce.Maritime UK, together with Seafarers UKhave undertaken the role of providingstatistics to determine the effectiveness ofthe Maritime Growth Study. This topic led to lengthy discussions at theConference with an observation fromCaptain Les.Hesketh that this topic hadbeen raised at the previous seminar in May2016 and expressed concern that theSMarT Plus initiative was introduced 12months ago with little to show for itsadvancement. It was stated by a delegatefrom MNTB that progress was being madebehind the scenesA curry lunch was available on thequarterdeck which provided an opportunityfor Mentors to meet their peers.The afternoon session was chaired by Lt CdrPeter Aylott, chairman of the Educationand Training Committee.Abuse and HumiliationThe Mentoring Working Group haverecently been made aware of severalincidents involving humiliation and abuseof trainees at sea. There have been reportsby a small number of Mentors whoseMentees have experienced verbal andphysical abuse and verbal harassment.

The HCMM take a very serious view of suchincidents and although the Company is notin a position to take action, the Companymust be in a position to advise the Menteeswhat action they must take as well as howand to whom they must report such abuse.The Mentoring working group will considerhow best to respond to Mentees when anyform of abuse or harassment is reported tothe Mentor. This will include the adoptionof a HCMM policy on abuse of Mentees atsea which will, when completed andagreed, be included in the Mentoringguidance documentAvailable publications on abuseat sea• Videotel have produced the document

and video: Say NO to Bullying, say NOto Harassment

• Nautilus International has welcomed theInternational Chamber of Shipping andInternational Transport Workers’Federation booklet: Guidance to combatbullying and harassment at sea.(Downloadable from: http://www.ics-shipping.org/docs/harassmentandbullying)

The European Community Shipowners’Associations and European Transport Workers’Federation agree that there should be:

A company policy on harassment andbullying – i.e. a code of conduct. Thecompany should draw up a clear writtenstatement of its commitment thatmakes it clear that harassment andbullying are not acceptable and that thepurpose of the policy is to eliminatethem from the workplace. The statementshould set out clearly as many examplesas possible of the types of behaviourthat will be classed as harassment andbullying. It should also identify thepersons to whom members of sta� canreport incidents.

Assessment of the MentoringSchemeThe HCMM Mentoring Scheme is aninformal Scheme. The principle ofinformality is and always has been thegoverning factor behind the Scheme. AMaster Mariner who volunteers his/herservices as a Mentor to one of theCompany’s Apprentices or Associates doesso in the knowledge that the way hecommunicates with, advises and encourageshis Mentee is very much of his/her ownmaking. Each Mentor will approach theMentoring process in a different way andwill be governed by his/her character,experiences, lifestyle and achievements. However, it is important that the Scheme isrecognised and appreciated by others,

individuals as well as both charitable andcommercial organisations. Theachievements of those who haveparticipated in the Scheme need also to berecognised. The Mentoring Working Group(MWG) consider that such recognition byoutside organisations can only be achievedby some sort of internal assessment. Theterm Accreditation is too strong andimplies a rigid formality within the Schemewhich must be avoided.A form of self-assessment is preferred, sothat individuals within the Scheme canjudge for themselves and gain personalsatisfaction from the knowledge that theyhave enhanced the lifestyle and possiblythe career of their Mentee.This form of self-assessment was discussedand was generally accepted as an integralpart of the Scheme. The most rewardingassessment will inevitably come from theMentee. A Mentee will rarely, if ever, give anegative report or assessment. If hisexperience with his Mentor has beenuneventful, then nothing will be said orrecorded. It is the positive reports from theMentee that give a true and reflectiveassessment of the Mentor’s achievements. The Mentor will then feel proud to add to hisCV the fact that through his role as a HCMMMentor, he has been able to add somethingextra to the wellbeing of his Mentee.

Ship affiliationsHMS SUTHERLANDCaptain Christopher LaycockHMS SUTHERLAND continues her activerole in the nearby English Channelprotecting our territorial waters, and hasrecently escorted two Russian warshipsthrough the English Channel.The Type 23 frigate located the two Russianships in the early hours of Friday morningof 14th April 2017 as they sailed throughthe North Sea towards the Dover Straits.The Steregushchiy-class corvettes,SOOBRAZITELNY and BOIKY, were joinedlater in the afternoon by a Russian supporttanker and an ocean-going tug. Royal Navy sailors on the Plymouth-basedfrigate keep watch on every movement ofthe ships, using state-of-the-art radars totrack the course and speed of the ships asthey pass close to the UK.Commander Andrew Canale, theCommanding Officer of HMS SUTHERLAND,said:

"As one of the Royal Navy's highreadiness units, HMS SUTHERLAND isrequired to escort warships that

Company News


approach the UK and this task isconsidered routine business for us."It is vitally important the Royal Navydemonstrates its presence andcommitment to the integrity of UKterritorial waters as we work aroundthe clock to secure the seas of ourisland nation."

As a high-readiness unit, HMSSUTHERLAND may be called upon at anytime to help prevent arms trafficking,people smuggling, conduct counter-terrorism operations, maritime search andrescue, or escort duties like those it isundertaking today.

We were fortunate in being able towelcome the new CO of HMSSUTHERLAND, Cdr Andrew Canale MVO RN,and the HCMM SUTHERLAND’s Sailor of theYear prizewinner, Petty Officer EngineeringTechnician (Marine Engineer) Darren Cox,aboard Wellington in early March to ourCourt Luncheon and prize giving asrecorded in these photos of the event.

It seems that the visit to Wellington was agreat success and has prompted furtherdiscussion as to what we might be able todo together before SUTHERLAND isdeployed later in the year to the SouthAtlantic. As an immediate result,SUTHERLAND is now booked to revisit thePool of London from 22nd to 24th October,during which time it is planned to celebratethe ship’s 20th anniversary of beingcommissioned into service.

It might prove to be a hectic few days andI am sure HCMM will be involved in waysof interest to all Members which will beadvised later. In the meantime, we wishSUTHERLAND all good fortune as she entersa demanding period of Operational SeaTraining until later in the summer.

Petty Officer Engineering Technician(Marine Engineer) Darren Cox HCMM Sailor of the Year Award 2016 Throughout 2016 POET(ME) Cox hasdemonstrated an exceptional work ethicduring what has been a challenging periodin support of the Defence of the UnitedKingdom. In charge of the Distributionsection of the Marine Engineeringdepartment he has led his team ofspecialists confidently and expertlyachieving the highest of engineeringstandards and availability of his equipmentas a result. Not content to simply lead hismen he has devoted energy into theprofessional and personal development ofthis team which is to his credit.In addition to his already busy primary role,he has been highly commended for runningnot only his own section but also that ofM2C during the absence of their SectionHead. Furthermore, whilst managing twosections for a prolonged period he alsostepped up to provide engineeringoversight of the entire Controls andDistribution group in the absence of hisGroup Head, a position normally fulfilled byan experienced Chief Petty Officer, and indoing so maintained maximum equipmentavailability across a complex subdepartment whilst battling with numerousdefects. Faced with a number of issues anda relatively inexperienced team, PO Cox has

displayed engineering prowess andtechnical management qualities far abovehis current rank by minimising the effectsof these issues on Operational Capability.Prioritising effectively and fully utilising hisavailable resources he has deliveredsuperbly for Command during thisdemanding period. In addition to his efforts across his groupPO Cox has been instrumental inmaintaining the tag out Safe System ofWork. His oversight of this critical safetyprocess has ensured that during twoextremely busy Fleet Time Support Periodsthere were no shortfalls in this safetyprocedure which directly contributed to themaintenance of a one hundred percentsafety record during these periods.Appropriately recognised during anexternal audit he was praised for the stateof the tag out system gaining the plauditsof being one the best run systems withinthe Fleet. Acting as training PO within the departmenthe has strived towards delivering a coherenttraining solution. His coaching andmentoring skills continue to develop and hedemands consistently high standards of theETs when being assessed for their watchkeeping qualifications. Also responsible foradministering switchboard certificates, heconsistently delivers high quality trainingwith regards to both technicalunderstanding and practical drill periods. Outside the ME department PO Cox is awell-liked and highly respected Petty Officer.Serving as the PO’s Mess Vice President hehas dedicated his time to ensuring the PO’sMess uphold the finest traditions of theNaval Service. Supporting the Mess Presidentfully he has ensured that the Mess nowstrives to achieve and maintain the highstandards expected of them.

Company News


POET(ME) Darren Cox has been a stalwartfor both the ME department and the Shipas a whole during a challenging operationalperiod. His professionalism, performanceand can do attitude in the face of genuinechallenges embody HMS SUTHERLAND’sSans Peur motto. It is clear that his leadership and personalethos are entirely consistent with the finesttraditions of the Naval Service and withthose of the men who fight below. He is a deserved recipient of theHonourable Company of Master MarinersSailor of the Year award for 2016.extra to the wellbeing of his Mentee.

Life on a CoasterJamie EdwardsHCMM AprenticeI graduated from Plymouth University inSeptember 2016 with an Officer of theWatch (Unlimited) CoC and BSc(Hons)degree. The time had come to start job-seeking and look for my first ship to beginmy career as a qualified officer. The majorproblem facing me was my experience, orlack of. Most companies, quite fairly,decided it was too risky to let a greenofficer learn and make mistakes on theirexpensive vessels. Jamie Edwards

After a month or so of searching I finallygot lucky, a small UK based company calledFaversham Ships ltd. took me in and offeredme a second officer position on one of theircoasters. The ships name was VITALITY a 90-

metre LOA bulk carrier that operated in andaround Europe. I joined her in Belgium on acold, November day full of both excitementand nervousness in equal parts.

After sailing I was given a handover by theChief officer and made to feel verywelcome. I returned at midday to relievethe captain; the ship happened to be in theDover Strait which immediately made menervous but despite the best efforts of aferry to make sure I was really comfortablewith the Colregs my confidence grew andin the end my watch passed uneventfully.

In the 2½ months that I sailed on her Ihave had some great experiences. I havebeen to many small, sleepy ports in Europeand given responsibilities that I wouldnever have dreamed of doing until muchlater in my career. The satisfaction andresponsibility of being a sole watchkeeperwas something I also grew to enjoy. Itreassured me that I was trained properlyand was able to do my job.

All in all, I have thoroughly enjoyed life oncoasters and I’m looking forward toheading back out. Life on board alwaysseemed a lot more rough and ready thanwhen I sailed on larger vessels but that onlyadded to the charm. The crew wasobviously smaller but we were more close-knit, we were more social and I like to thinkit was similar to the good old days that Iam so frequently told about.

So, if ever you are offered the opportunityto work on a coaster, take it because youmay never look back.

Pilot AcquaintRelease SchemeCaptain C P BordasA number of pilotage districts within theUnited Kingdom have already hosted theRoyal Navy for familiarisation andexperience trips while their pilotsundertake the task of escorting vessels,both large and small, too and from theirberths. Last month saw a more formalliaison with Medway Pilots when we hostedLieutenant Daley Snell as the first entrantto a Pilot Acquaint Release Scheme which

Lt Cdr David Carter RNR and myself hopeto progress. David is the RoyalNavy/Merchant Navy Liaison Officer basedat HMS Collingwood and many of us havealready taken the opportunity to spend aweek at Collingwood with David to observein more detail what the Royal Navy do.The acquisition of Daley for a week was, forme, a chance to reverse roles. Rather thanseeing what the Royal Navy do with theirvessels on the occasions that I am the pilotof a warship, here was a very experiencedRoyal Navy Navigator seeing what we do asthe pilots of commercial vessels that have alarge variance in type, size, quality ofequipment as well as bridge team(s), if oneperson can be described as the bridge team.

This was not intended to be anobservational experience for LieutenantSnell either. “On the wheel please and takethe vessel tight around the next set ofbuoys”. Once the parameters of what tightmeans had been established Daley took tothis task like a proverbial duck and with alittle guidance was soon up to takingvessels through our bridges and around the160° bend in the Swale.Deliberately running ships aground toswing on the tide was also an experiencegap which we were able to fill. Theequipment package contained in the bowsof most warships would make this a costlymanoeuvre to practice. Daley tripped with a number of Medwaypilots in day and night time conditionsand found the experience engaging aswell as enlightening to see differentskillsets being used to navigate vesselssafely and effectively.


Lt Daley Snell with Captain Bordas

“The pilots have a substantial history ofnavigating merchant vessels so they arewell aware of their capabilities andlimitations” said Lt Snell when writing forNavy News.There is no doubt that the Royal andMerchant Navy’s practice their trades quitedifferently and in a manner that is bespoketo their different functions. We both do thiswhilst adapting to a changing maritimeworld, technically, politically and financially.The RN/MN Pilot Release Scheme willcontinue to bring us closer together to apoint at which there will be a greaterharmonisation between us and to a pointwhere I hope that pilotage does not have tocast its net so wide to find recruits. A debatewhich I believe is overdue for consideration.As a Merchant Navy Master and Pilot whois nearing retirement, a return invitation toFaslane awaits. I shall report on thisexperience later.If there are other pilotage districts thatwould like to partake in this scheme thenplease contact myself or David Carter formore details: [email protected];[email protected]

The HonourableCompany LibraryG M PepperChairmanTreasures CommitteeSince the very early years of its existence,the Honourable Company has been thefortunate recipient of many books whichhave been donated by members andorganisations including other Liverycompanies, marine-related companies andpublishers. This resulted in a large collectionwhich, as no offer had ever been turneddown, was rather like the curate’s egg -some parts were good and other parts not

so good. As in all areas of Wellington, spacein the Library is at a premium and coupledwith a suggestion that the Wellington Trustmight wish to redevelop part of the space,in 2014 the Treasures Committee proposed amajor overhaul of the Company library witha view to disposing of volumes that werenot of relevance to the HonourableCompany and, at the same time, re-cataloguing and re-arranging the collection.

Broadly, the parameters were toconcentrate on the history of the BritishMerchant Navy, British shipping companies,the Merchant Navy at war, the relationshipbetween the Royal and Merchant navies,Polar exploration (about which we hold anenviable collection) together with technicaland text books relating to the craft ofmaster mariners.

This work has been carried out slowly asexhibitions, with the consequent storage ofmodels and pictures in the Library, havemade access difficult for much of the time.However, we have disposed of severalhundred volumes and re-cataloguing isalmost complete. Additionally, we havereceived a donation of about 300 bookswhich are primarily shipping companyhistories and fit well into our corecollection. Relocation of shelving and thekind donation of glazed cabinets from theWorshipful Company of Shipwrights andthe Southampton Master Mariners Clubhave provided protection for some of ourolder volumes and the small collection ofsailing ship log books, etc.

A number of marine-related organisationshave been disposing of or severely cullingtheir book collections in the last few years(hence the donation of cabinets and booksfrom the Shipwrights) and two years agowe became aware of a large collection thatmight be needing a new home. We arepresently in discussion with the owners andhope that we may be able to take on thecollection on a permanent loan basis. Ourenhanced collection would almost certainlybe the major maritime library in London.

All this work has been and is being carriedout by members of the TreasuresCommittee on a voluntary basis and hasnot proceeded rapidly. However, we believethat the end result will be an enhancedfacility for members and the intention isthat the Library catalogue will eventuallybe accessible on the Company website withbooks available on board for reference.

We are also working on a scheme wherebymembers might borrow books but theadministration of such a scheme has yet tobe finalised.

An addition to thecap badge collectionG M PepperChairmanTreasures CommitteeWe have recently added a ManchesterLiners cap badge to the display of badgeson the Main Deck of Wellington. Thebadge has come to us through theReverend Dr W P (Peter) Povey, who wasMaster of the Worshipful Company ofCarpenters when I was Master of theHonourable Company in 2010/11, andbelonged to his uncle, Herbert Smith.

Herbert was an Apprentice withManchester Liners from July 1923 to July1925 when he was taken ill withosteosarcoma of the leg (a form of bonecancer) from which he died in 1927 at theage of 20 years. Herbert was not first drawn to the sea,having worked for the Richmond Gas Stoveand Meter Co Ltd before joiningManchester Liners. Sadly, his seagoing career and life weretragically cut short and we are indebted toReverend Povey for both the gift of thebadge and the story behind it, ninety yearsafter Herbert Smith’s death.

The Master’s Dilemma– 100 years agoCaptain Robbie MiddletonFormer Pupil of Robert Gordon’sCollege, AberdeenOn the 10th of March 1017, thirty-eight-year-old Captain Archibald Bisset Smithwas in command of the New ZealandShipping Company vessel SS OTAKI when itwas attacked in the North Atlantic by theGerman raider MOEWE, which was said tohave been responsible for sinking 96,000tons of allied shipping to that date. OTAKIwas ordered to stop and be sunk. Instead ofdoing so, Captain Bisset Smith opened firescoring a direct hit on the MOEWE with hissingle 4.7” gun. This was the first of several

Company News

Company News


very successful shots. However, after atwenty-minute battle between the twovery unevenly matched ships in fire power,the OTAKI was mortally wounded andCaptain Bisset Smith ordered a general“Abandon Ship”. The MOEWE in turn burnedfor the following three days but survived.The crew of the OTAKI, all but five, wererescued and taken prisoner by the Germanvessel and were to spend the rest of thewar as POW’s in Germany.

Captain Bisset Smith’s dilemma was, “to stayor to go”. In the confrontation, he had lostfive crew members including a 15-year-oldmidshipman on his first voyage to sea. Bothhe and the midshipman, William EssonMartin had attended Robert Gordon’s Collegein Aberdeen, a school that in future yearssupplied many a cadet and midshipman tothe Merchant Navy through its ownNavigation School. This number includedmyself and many others of my generation.I ponder as to why Captain Bisset Smithshould have stayed on board. Could thishave been perceived as the thing to do?Was the Master expected to go down withhis ship? Were some of his casualties stillbarely alive? Or would he simply not beparted from them at their ending after hisdecision to engage the MOEWE? We willnever know, but he decided to remain withhis ship and his men as SS OTAKI sunk withits colours flying.After the crew members were repatriatedat the end of the war, the true story ofCaptain Archibald Bisset Smith came out,and it was decided that in order to allowhim to be awarded the Victoria Cross (notallowable for Merchant Seamen), for what

was described by the German Commanderas, “a duel as gallant as naval history canrelate” he would be posthumously giventhe temporary honorary rank of LieutenantRNR in order that King George V couldpresent the Victoria Cross to his widow.100 years later to the day local Outportmembers Captain John Campbell andmyself were invited to attend thecentenary memorial of the eventrepresenting The Honourable Company ofMaster Mariners and the Nautical Institute.The celebration was also attended by theMaster, the Clerk and now Senior WardenCaptain Rob Booth and their ladies the dayafter they had attended the Outport lunchin Aberdeen as well as members of the NZSDurham Society. The event was held at theCollege on March 10th and all presentfound it to be a very touching ceremony.Captain John Campbell & Captain RobbieMiddleton at the College event

The school has a special Otaki corridorwhere the Otaki shield is displayed. Theshield is awarded to the best all roundstudent every year and, in the past, theytravelled to New Zealand during thesummer on board an NZS vessel. Part of thevoyage was to attend the Otaki College inNew Zealand. Sadly, travel is now taken byair. The award was donated to the Collegeby the Bisset Smith family.Captain Smith and his ship featured in anexhibition held onboard WELLINGTON lastyear entitled Medals and Martyrs of theFirst World War. OTAKI is due to featureonce more in an exhibition openingonboard in May 2017 entitled AbandonShip – Surviving the Wartime Atlantic, theexperience of being cast adrift in lifeboats.

To remain on board or not toremain?That was my original question, and duringthe centenary commemoration the pupilsproduced an excellent video depicting theaction and reality of the encounter. Theywere also given the challenge of writing apoem about Captain Bisset Smith and hisfinal decision and this was read out by theHead Girl.

I include the winning entry written by EllaSkinner, a girl in the first year. I find it verytouching but I also have to add that theempathy and understanding of the situationby a first-year pupil at Robert Gordon’sCollege in 2017 is in my view outstanding.

The Waves, They Carried a MessageI touched the edge of glory.My life, a story to be remembered,My ship, my faithful friend.The ocean it spoke to me.

I heard the sound of sorrow,Those people who I cherished,My tears, my scars of battle.The life I sadly lost.

His citation reads:For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when in command of the S.S."Otaki", on the 10th March,1917. "At about 2.30 p.m. on 10th March,1917, theS.S."Otaki", whose armament consisted of one 4.7 in. gun for defensive purposes,sighted the disguised German raider "Moewe", which was armed with four 5.9 in.,one 4.1 in. and two 22 pdr. guns, and two torpedo tubes. The "Moewe" kept the"Otaki" under observation for some time and finally called upon her to stop. ThisLieutenant Smith refused to do, and a duel ensued at ranges of 1,900 - 2,000 yards,and lasted for about 20 minutes. During this action the "Otaki" scored several hitson the "Moewe", causing considerable damage, and starting a fire which lasted forthree days. She sustained several casualties and received much damage herself, andwas heavily on fire. Lieutenant Smith, therefore, gave orders for the boats to belowered to allow the crew to be rescued. He remained on the ship himself and wentdown with her when she sank with the British colours still flying, after what wasdescribed in an enemy account as "a duel as gallant as naval history can relate”.

Company News


I saw myself sink with the ship,I am the Captain, I sacrificed myself,My dreams where I found courage,My shipmates, who would tell the story.

I could taste the salty water,A voice, it spoke to me,This was my chance to do the right thing,I am only a man, but I am the Captain ofthe SS Otaki.

I felt the rush of panic,The shouts that were full of strength,The fear, the vulnerability of us all,I gave the order, that I would not follow.

I knew what I had to do,Fear raced through my body,My hopes, my dreams for the futuresuddenly ceased,My crew who I had to save

I thought of what would come of mydecision,My bravery, chosen for me,My family, the people who l miss every day,My fate was sealed.

I could smell what lay ahead,I relaxed, this was my choice.I thought of stories, where there were heroes,The waves, they carried a message.

Ella Skinner -S1 pupil at Robert Gordon's College

Taking the high seasto high schools –and beyondWe still have work to do in educatingyoung people about shipping, but acampaign that brings seafarers intoclassrooms and careers fairs is growing inpopularity and has been nominated for amajor award that recognises its efficacy.Over 310 volunteers are currently involvedin the Careers at Sea Ambassadorscampaign, which provides informationabout careers in the Merchant Navy toschools and careers fairs across the UK. Thevolunteers, all of whom are current orformer serving seafarers, are able to sharetheir personal experiences with would-bemariners, and aim to raise awareness ofmaritime industry and the career prospectsit offers.What is more, the scheme is growingrapidly. Ambassador visits more thanquadrupled in the first two years of thecampaign, from just 23 visits in 2015 to109 in 2016. It looks likely that this figurewill be exceeded this year – Ambassadorshave already made 88 visits during the first

four months of 2017 and the number ofrequests for visits looks set to surpass lastyear’s figure too. The campaign’s success has led to its beingnominated for the Effective Voice award atthis year’s International and EuropeanAssociation Awards in Vienna. But moreimportantly, Careers at Sea Ambassadorssay the scheme is having a positive impacton prospective seafarers. “I think it’s really effective at providingyoung people with careers advice andopportunities in a career that spans theworld – some of the amazing skills youlearn, the tuition that you can have paidfor,” says Graham Fisher, a Trinity Housedeck cadet, who has been a Careers at SeaAmbassador for over a year now.Graham usually visits schools about once afortnight and sometimes has multiple visitsin a week, especially during the busy timebetween October and April. The reception,he says, is usually good and the scheme isbreaking ground. “Some schools you get few people who willcome and speak to you, but then at otherschools – like the one I visited in Liverpoollast week – a countless number of peoplewill come and speak to you. It really justvaries, but we get quite a good number,”he says. “There’s always one or two who are reallyengaged and really thinking about it, andyou feel like you’ve made a difference tothat person’s life – especially when they’rethinking about their options after schoolor a career change,” says Graham. “Even ifit’s just one person, who you speak to forten minutes, you feel like you’ve made apositive difference.” The jobs market can be challenging forgraduates and school-leavers, and tuitionfees are becoming increasingly expensive,which is making maritime careers more andmore appealing to a wider range of people. “I’ve never had to pay a penny for mytuition,” says George Belcher, who is aboutto complete a foundation degree in MarineEngineering at South Shields Marine Schooland visits schools as a Careers at SeaAmbassador. “I’m 25 now, but my friendswho went to university have about £30,000in debt and maybe no job and are nowasking me about a Merchant Navy career!”George says that being virtually guaranteeda job after maritime college has made a jobat sea particularly attractive for 16- to 18-year-olds, especially those who haven’tdecided on whether they want to go touniversity. “You learn while you’re earning,”he says.

Graham agrees. “A career at sea is sorewarding and at the same time you canget almost guaranteed employment, youcan get your tuition paid for, you can getsome amazing transferable skills taught byindustry experts – there aren’t a lot ofopportunities like that out there,” he says.“Speaking to young people about theopportunities, it really does make themthink how it could be for them in later life.”That being said, the scheme’s Ambassadorssay they still have to battle againststudents’ lack of understanding about howshipping and trade works. Confusionbetween the Royal and Merchant navies isanother barrier.“When someone asks you what you do andyou say you work in the Merchant Navy,people automatically assume you’re part of theRoyal,” says Graham. “I’ve spoken to a lot ofyoung people and maybe only one or twoknow what the Merchant Navy is and howreliant the UK is on the Merchant Navy. Peopleare always amazed at how vital it is to theeconomy and people’s lives.”The Ambassador scheme is also helping toshift people’s perception of what makes aseafarer, according to Emily Fowles, a thirdengineer officer in the Royal FleetAuxiliary (RFA).“I recently took part in a presentation toprimary-aged children where they had toask yes or no questions to guess myoccupation, and they weren't even close.As I walked back into the room with aspanner, wearing a hard hat, the childrenwere stunned,” Emily says.“I am a female engineer and I work onships, at sea, away from home. It is just soamazing to see young people breakingdown stereotypes and learning aboutopportunities that they didn't even knowexisted,” she continues. Careers at Sea helped Rachel Arnold, a thirdofficer with Celebrity Cruises, find out moreabout jobs in the Merchant Navy – but ittook meeting a female cadet to convinceher she was on the right path. Rachel says she first became interested inworking onboard ships while on a familycruise aged 14 and began her career researchas soon as she got home. The Careers at Seawebsite was the first result that came up onGoogle when she searched for informationon how to become a deck cadet.“By going through the website and readingabout it, I started getting so excited – Imean, I was only 15 at the time – I wasreading all of this information thinking‘Wait, this is an actual job that I can do?’”Rachel says.

Latest News


But although her heart was set on aseafaring career, Rachel says she still hadsome reservations that, as a self-describedgirly-girl, she wouldn’t be the right typeof girl for the role. Meeting a femalecadet at Warsash Maritime Academy’sopen day showed her that she hadnothing to worry about. The internet is a powerful tool in promotingmaritime careers, but, as Rachel’s storyshows, personal interaction makes aninvaluable impact on would-be seafarers.Careers at Sea has a big online presence andpromotes Ambassador visits to schoolsthrough its social media channels, but it’smeeting with students and jobseekers thatis really making a difference – even to theAmbassadors themselves.“Even if I only inspire one person toundertake a career at sea then I feel like Ihave made a difference,” says Emily Fowles,“because I have also explained to a lot ofpeople that we are an island nation thatrelies on shipping so greatly that we havecome to take it for granted.” To find out more about the Careers at SeasAmbassadors scheme, go to:http://mntb.org.uk/careers-at-sea-ambassadors/or contact [email protected]

Latest NewsLondon voted world’stop maritime cityLondon has been voted the world's leadingfinancial maritime city, according to areport published by Menon Economics.

The report's authors said London had a"special position in the financial industryglobally and was in 2017 again ranked asthe leading financial city in the world."According to the report, launched on 26April 2017) in Singapore, London is numberone for both law-related services andmarine insurance. "The city is home toworld leading institutions such as Lloyd'sfor insurance, and English law is the mostwidely applied in shipping disputes."The report's authors assessed theperformance of 30 maritime cities againstfive categories:Shipping; Finance and Law; MaritimeTechnology; Ports & Logistics; as well asAttractiveness and Competitiveness. Together with heading the Finance and Lawcategory, London was voted by the report asone of the world's top five maritime cities,after falling to sixth place two years ago.The full report can be downloaded from:http://www.menon.no/wp-content/uploads/2017-28-LMC-report.pdf

All you need to knowabout shipping butwere afraid to askThe International Chamber of Shipping haslaunched its latest Annual Review. Providing an insider’s view of the key issuesaffecting shipping, the ICS Annual Reviewprovides a unique insight into the globalshipping industry and the complexlegislative and economic landscapecurrently faced by ship operators.It explores the challenges presented by theneed to reduce CO2 emissions in line withthe ambition set by the Paris Agreement onclimate change, the worldwide entry intoforce of the IMO Ballast WaterManagement Convention in September2017, and the implementation in 2020 ofthe global 0.5% sulphur in fuel cap, whichwill each have profound implications forthe economics of shipping. The Review also covers developments withrespect to the wide range of other issues in

which ICS is involved on behalf of the globalindustry, ranging from legal and insurancedevelopments, seafarers’ employmentstandards and the maintenance of free tradeprinciples, to the resurgence of Somali piracyand the continuing migrant rescue crisis inthe Mediterranean. “While much of our work is aboutpreparing for the future, the AnnualReview reflects the sheer volume anddiversity of issues being addressed by ICS”said Chairman, Esben Poulsson.The ICS Annual Review can be downloadedfrom: www.ics-shipping.org/ics-annual-review-2017

Centenary ofintroduction ofmerchant shipconvoying inWorld War OneNational maritime charity, the ShipwreckedMariners’ Society, is marking the centenaryof the introduction of the ocean convoyingof merchant ships in World War One bylaunching a video detailing the history andimpact of the convoy system.

Latest News


By the beginning of May 1917, Britain hadlost over a thousand merchant ships and6,000 lives. It had only six weeks’ supply offood left and was facing the prospect ofstarvation as well as losses of goods andraw materials that could not be sustainedand risked us losing the war.The video, produced by the society, exploreshow convoying had been rejected by theAdmiralty and Ship owners as late asFebruary 1917 but dire circumstancesforced a change of policy. Following thesuccess of an experimental convoy fromGibraltar to Plymouth in early May, the firsttransatlantic convoy of 12 vessels leftHampton Roads, Virginia. With theprotection provided by the Royal Navy andthe United States Navy, only one ship failedto reach its destination.In addition to food, raw materials,manufactured goods, oil, military equipmentand munitions, more than one millionAmerican troops were transported across theAtlantic in convoy. It was found thatmerchant ship losses in convoy were ten percent of those suffered by ships makingindependent passage, and the number ofGerman submarines sunk increased.During the First World War, theShipwrecked Mariners’ Society assistedmore than 50,000 merchant mariners,fishermen and their dependants, passengersand military personnel by providingclothing, food, accommodation and railwarrants, while also supplying financialassistance to widows, orphans and agedparents of lost mariners.Now in its 178th year, the charity continuesto support seafarers in need and last yearprovided assistance in over 2,000 cases offinancial hardship at a cost of £1.4m.Chief Executive of the ShipwreckedMariners’ Society, Commodore MalcolmWilliams, said:

“The introduction of the convoy systemwas a late but vital decision whichensured the war was prosecuted to asuccessful conclusion and the countrydid not starve. It saved many lives too.This is something not a lot of peopleknow about these days and we arehopeful our film will go some way toraising awareness of the sacrifice of ourmerchant seamen and the importanceof convoying, without which theoutcome of the war could have beenvery different.”

The decisive role and sacrifice of the menof the Mercantile Marine in World War Onewas recognised by King George V inconferring on them the title of theMerchant Navy, the fourth service.

Viewable from:http://shipwreckedmariners.org.uk/world-war-one/centenary-introduction-merchant-ship-convoying-world-war-i/

New mental healthand welfare leafletlaunchedHuman Rights at Sea, the independentmaritime human rights charity haspublished a new mental health welfareleaflet Remaining Resilient after TraumaticEvents for the benefit of seafarers,fishermen, their family and friends tacklingthe issue of how to remain resilient after atraumatic event at sea.

Authored by Professor Neil Greenberg, onbehalf of Human Rights at Sea, the leafletfollows on from the Managing TraumaticStress guidance that was publishedthrough The Nautical Institute in 2016:

The new leaflet has been sponsored bySeafarers UK through its grant to thecharity, and it is supported and to bedisseminated by The Fishermen’s Mission,the National Federation of FisheriesOrganisations, the Apostleship of the Sea,Thomas Miller P&I (Europe) Ltd, the Mission

to Seafarers and the Sailors Society.Deborah Layde, Director of Grants,Seafarers UK commented that:

“The stigma of mental health is slowlybeginning to decrease in UK society. Asa consequence, we are seeing manySeafarers UK supported projects whereseafarers feel more able to discuss theirmental health issues, with projects thatlook at both preventative and palliativemeasures. For seafarers internationally,that is not necessarily the case andSeafarers UK continues to encourageand support work to help seafarers inneed, whether it be as a result of piracy,or kidnapping or those suffering fromhuman rights abuses”.

From the welfare sector, MartinFoley, National Director, Apostleship of theSea said:

“Apostleship of the Sea welcomes thisguidance. When our chaplains meetseafarers with mental health problems itis enormously helpful to be able to referto expert guidance such as this HumanRights at Sea leaflet. I am confident thisguidance will contribute to improvingthe mental health of seafarers.”

From the fisheries sector, RobertGreenwood, Safety and Training Officer,National Federation of Fishermen’sOrganisations stated that:

“The UK Fishing Industry has had its shareof traumatic events, and whilst we focuson reducing the chances of accidentsoccurring it is comforting to know thatshould an accident occur we can relate tothis leaflet to support all those that maybe affected by it. Our crews are made upof not just UK crew but European,Commonwealth and Non-EEAnationalities, and some crews may cometo the UK with problems that this leafletmay also help with, we often forget thateveryone has a past. Our work withHuman Rights at Sea over the last fewyears has helped us to take stock andmake sure we are doing our best insupporting all crews on UK vessels.”

From a P&I perspective, SophiaBullard, Crew Health ProgrammeDirector, Thomas Miller P&I (Europe) Ltdcommented that:

“Mental health enquiries are the mostcommon of our member questions yetwe are aware although there are amultitude of articles produced onphysical ailments and illnesses very littlehas been produced as a positive andconstructive aid to mental health.”

She went on to say: “Seafarers, the life blood of the shipping

Latest News


industry, can be at increased risk ofhealth issues due to the stresses of theirwork, long work hours and the distance itoften puts between them and their lovedones. This is why the UK P&I Club CrewHealth Programme proactively encourageseducation and support for seafarers tocombat the possibility of mental healthissues. Information such as the PostTrauma leaflet produced by Human Rightsat Sea is an excellent guide and point ofreferral for anyone experiencing, or thosesupporting others who are suffering frommental health issues.”

David Hammond, CEO, Human Rights atSea rounded up by stating that:

“I am very grateful for all the peerreviews and superb cross-industry engagement with ourlatest publication covering mentalhealth and welfare for the seafaringcommunity. This leaflet isfreely available to all who come intocontact with persons who may havesuffered traumatic stress and theconsequences of such incidents, and ithighlights key signs and symptomspost-incident to be aware of, along withhelpful tips and hints for copingstrategies. Should other organisationswish to become formally engaged withus on this topic and specifically withthis guidance, please do get in contact.”

Remaining Resilient after Traumatic Eventsis downloadable from:https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/HRAS-Remaining-Resilient-After-Traumatic-Events-LeafletSECURED.pdf

Managing Traumatic Stress isdownloadable from:https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Managing-Traumatic-Stress-dps.pdf

Opinion poll confirmsSeablindness is a mythUK politicians and the general public havedemonstrated overwhelmingly that theyrecognise shipping as the biggest mover ofthe nation’s imports and exports, accordingto a new study commissioned by the UKChamber of Shipping.

Leading pollster ComRes surveyed 2,026members of the British public and 127 UKMPs during the first four months of thisyear. Respondents were asked to name themode of transport that carries the largestproportion of import and export cargoto/from the UK.

Some 87% of MPs and 84% of the publicknew that the answer is shipping,disproving the belief that people do notunderstand shipping’s importance to theUK’s trading economy.

The UK’s major ports handled 473.5 milliontonnes of freight during the year 2016,according to most recent statistics fromthe Department for Transport (DfT). Some95% of the UK’s international trade ismoved by sea.

Results from politiciansPoliticians from Labour and the ScottishNational Party (SNP) are the most likely toknow that shipping carries the greatestproportion of the UK’s import and exportfreight, according to the study’s findings.

All of the SNP politicians surveyed showedfamiliarity with shipping’s role, followedclosely by 91% of Labour respondents.Perhaps surprisingly, a smaller percentageof Conservative MPs demonstrated thisknowledge (82%).

Younger politicians (those born since 1960)and those who have recently taken officedisplayed the greatest proportion of sea-awareness, the data shows, coinciding withthe UK Chamber’s recent efforts to raisethe shipping industry’s political profile.

Results from the general publicMen displayed slightly more familiarity withshipping than women, with nearly nine in tenmen (87%) answering correctly, in contrast toaround four in five women (81%).

The findings, however, highlight that morethan can be done to increase sea-awareness among young people. That beingsaid, three-quarters (73%) of those aged18-24, the youngest group in the study,knew that shipping is the UK’s mostimportant cargo-mover. In contrast, justover nine out of ten people (91%) in theoldest group of respondents (aged 65+)were sea-aware.

UK Chamber’s responseGuy Platten, CEO of the UK Chamber ofShipping, said of the study:

“The findings confirm that we can forgetabout so-called seablindness – it justdoes not exist. It is clear that the publicand our politicians have a deep-rootedsense of shipping’s importance to ourtrading economy.

It is for us – not just at the UK Chamberbut the whole industry – to turn thatgoodwill into tangible change that willmake the UK a more competitive placeto do maritime business before and afterthe UK leaves the European Union.”

David Dingle CBE, chairman of MaritimeUK, added:

“This opinion poll shows without doubtthat shipping is in the minds of thepublic and our politicians. The publictrusts us with everything from theirfood to their clothing to their holidays.Our challenge is to ensure that whenthey think of UK industry, they think ofmaritime business as much as they dofinancial services or car manufacturing.

The more they understand the UK’sreliance on shipping, the moreopportunity we will have to work withgovernment to deliver a world-classbusiness environment, encourage moreinvestment and more jobs for thecountry as a whole.”

Sailors' Societyinvites seafarers toshape the future ofwellness at seaGlobal maritime charity Sailors’ Society isinviting working seafarers to participate ina survey exploring seafarer wellness andthe root causes of illness and injury.

Conducted by Yale University, the researchstudy will look at seafarer health relating tothe work environment and job tasks.

Sailors’ Society supports seafarers and theirfamilies around the world in times of need.The results of the anonymous survey will beused to inform Sailors’ Society’s worksupporting good health.

Sandra Welch, Sailors’ Society’s deputy CEOand director of programme, said:

“Positive mental and physical health isvital to maintaining a rewarding andsecure working life on board.

Sailors’ Society wants to continue toprovide the best support possible and we

Latest News


would be grateful if working seafarerscould take a few minutes out of theirday to complete the survey. We’ll use theresults to further our understanding ofthe issues that can arise and help us toimprove our welfare services for thehundreds of thousands of seafarers thatwe reach out to each year.”

The survey can be completed in confidenceand can be accessed at: www.sailors-society.org/survey.

The research study forms part of Sailors’Society’s wider Wellness at Seaprogramme, which promotes on boardhealth and well-being.

Other elements of the Wellness at Seaprogramme include a coaching course anda free app for seafarers. Sailors’ Society willalso be launching an e-learning platform tomake the Wellness at Sea coachingprogramme accessible to a wider audience.For more information visit: www.sailors-society.org/wellness

Meanwhile…As part of Mental Health Awareness Week(8-14 May 2017), The Mission to Seafarershas taken the opportunity to highlightthe many health challenges faced byseafarers and calls on the industry to offerwider services that could help safeguardtheir welfare.

Much of the work undertaken by theMission to Seafarers globally involvesmental health support, from offering theability to contact families, to being on-hand to support seafarers struggling withdepression and fatigue, and even providingsupport after cases of attempted suicide.

It’s not uncommon for merchant seafarersand cadets to spend between six monthsand a year working away from home,unable to see their families. During thistime, the majority of seafarers are unableto rely on access to the internet to useplatforms such as Skype or WhatsApp tomaintain contact with loved ones.

A recent survey by the Seafarers Trustreported that as many as 77 per cent of

seafarers have their internet access limitedto email or text, or have no access tointernet on board at all.Tim Tunley, a port chaplain coveringScotland, noted that, despite industryefforts, incidents of fatigue, poor internetconnectivity and a lack of shore time arestill prevalent, placing a huge strain on themental welfare of seafarers Moreover, it is not uncommon to see crewmembers suffering from cultural isolation,considering the multinational environmentwhere seafarers are working. There areoccasions during which seafarers can sufferfrom cultural isolation. The happiness andmental welfare of a crew often depends onhow well that crew gets on and workstogether, and if there are language barriersand a lack of shared cultural references, itcan be very difficult for crews to form astrong bond.The Mission to Seafarers support seafarersthrough many ways, for example chaplainsact as companions when the seafarer leavesthe vessel, and provide somebody for theindividuals to talk to, they signpost themtowards help from online resources such asthe Big White Wall, or ISWAN (InternationalSeafarers Welfare and Assistance Network -http://seafarerswelfare.org/). All of theirchaplains are trained to respond to a rangeof mental health issues and help seafarersdeal with the stresses and strains of life at sea.Big White Wall is a safe online communityof people who are anxious, down or notcoping who support and help each other bysharing what’s troubling them, guided bytrained professionals -www.bigwhitewall.com.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary’snew tanker arrives in UKThe first of the newest support ships forthe Royal Navy, RFA TIDESPRING, arrived inCornwall in April 2017, for customisation,helping to sustain 300 UK jobs.The 39,000-tonne tanker, which can carryup to 19,000 cubic metres of fuel and1,300 cubic metres of fresh water, will jointhe Royal Fleet Auxiliary, a civilian-mannedfleet which provides support for warships,helping the Royal Navy to maintain itsoperations 24/7, 365 days a year, aroundthe world.TIDESPRING is the first of a fleet of fourTide Class tankers which will all be takenthrough customisation in Falmouth. Shewill now undergo an intense programme ofwork at the A&P shipyard, and is expectedto enter service before the end of the year.The new Tide Class tankers will provide keysupport to the Queen Elizabeth Classcarriers when they come into service,alongside the wider fleet.The arrival is a significant milestone in theYear of the Navy which will also see thedebut in Portsmouth of the first of theQueen Elizabeth-Class aircraft carriers, thestart of construction for the fleet of newType 26 Frigates and the opening of thefirst permanent Royal Navy base east ofSuez in more than half a century. Minister for Defence Procurement HarriettBaldwin said:

“RFA TIDESPRING’s UK arrival is a keymilestone in 2017, the Year of the Royal

Ports News


Navy, which will also see the MODdevelop world-class ships andsubmarines in support of Britain’s roleas a leading naval power.

Backed by a rising Defence budget, thedelivery of the Tide Class tankers is acrucial element of the Government’s£178 billion plan to ensure our armedforces have the equipment they need.”

The customisation work is helping tosupport around 300 jobs at A&P Falmouth.The UK work content in the wider TideClass programme is worth around £150million, sustaining further jobs at 27 UK-based companies. The project is beingdelivered well within budget by the MOD.

Systems to be installed in Falmouth includethe communications equipment, self-defence weapons and armour needed toallow the ship to operate in the mostchallenging environments.

Vice Admiral Simon Lister, who ledprocurement of the Tide Class at DefenceEquipment and Support, said:

“RFA TIDESPRING will be a familiar andreassuring presence for Royal Navy shipsas they undertake missions in defenceof the UK’s interest.

The continued successful delivery of theTide Class programme, meeting allrequirements and under budget standsas a testament to the excellent workingrelationships which DE&S has builtwith suppliers in the UK and aroundthe world.”

The Tide Class has a flight deck able toaccommodate the large Chinookhelicopter and offer significantimprovements over previous RFA tankerssuch as double hulls and greaterenvironmental protection measures.

Ports NewsTeesport craneinvestment supportscontinued containergrowthPD Ports has welcomed the delivery of anew ship to shore crane which will supportgrowing demand from shippers usingTeesport to serve northern UK markets.

The £6M crane was delivered earlier thisyear to be assembled at the Port afterbeing manufactured by Liebherr ContainerCranes Limited in Killarney, Ireland andRostock, Germany.

Co-financed by the European Union'sConnecting Europe Facility, the new ship toshore crane will be situated in TeesportContainer Terminal Two (TCT2), boostingthe Port’s ability to service greatercontainer volumes which have grown 12%year on year for the last seven years.

Arriving less than a year after Teesportintroduced three new rubber tyred gantrycranes (RTGs), the addition of a fifth ship toshore crane will enable PD Ports to deployadditional resource onto vessels calling atTCT2, which will become criticallyimportant as larger container vessels joincustomers’ fleets.

Frans Calje, PD Ports’ Chief ExecutiveOfficer, commented:

“We have been gradually building ourcontainer platform over the last 10 yearsand we have continued to see year onyear growth as a result of our investment.This increase in volume has beensupported by our wider portcentriclogistics offer and direct rail links to theNorth and South of the UK. This hasenabled us to support our customers inachieving greater flexibility in theirsupply chains, cutting costs, saving roadmiles and reducing emissions.In line with our volume growth we’recommitted to developing, upgrading andenhancing capacity to meet thedemands of our customers and topositioning Teesport as the northerngateway for containerised goods servingNorthern UK markets.”

Latest PLA safetycampaign targetshuman errorThe Port of London Authority (PLA)launched its latest safety campaign,focused on the Human Factor, at its AnnualStakeholder Forum on 9 May 2017.

The PLA decided to target human error afteranalysis of incident data showed that it was

the leading cause of navigational incidentson the tidal Thames in the last two years. Itdrew on Maritime & Coastguard Agencyguidance highlighting the deadly dozen, thetwelve Top People Related Factors, indeveloping the campaign.

Speaking to more than 150 stakeholders atthe annual Forum, PLA chief harbourmaster, Bob Baker, said:

“Over the last two years, human errorwas linked to more than 40% of theaccidents on the river. Often it’s thesimplest of things that trip people up,whether recognising that their mind’snot on the job or suddenly thinking ‘Iwasn’t clear in my instructions’.”

The campaign highlights the Deadly Dozenthings to watch out for:• Habits – Don't confuse efficiency with

dangerous short cuts• Unity – Do you work well together?• Mindfulness – What have I missed?• Attentiveness – Are you multi–tasking

or dangerously distracted?• Notifying – Do you speak up when you

should?• Fitness for duty – Are you fit to carry

out your duties safely?• Ability – Is your crew capable?• Communication – Do you understand

each other?• Tensions – Are you just busy or

dangerously overloaded?• Overtired – Are you just tired or

dangerously fatigued?• Routine – Just because things are going

well now, doesn't mean they can't gowrong.

• Safety Culture – Do it the safe way, doit the right way, do it every day.

“Our campaign is aimed at raisingawareness of the Deadly Dozen. Over thenext twelve months we will be giving hintsand tips to river users on a variety ofelements, including best practice,communication and avoiding distractions,”added Bob Baker. “Our statistics show, forexample, that as the winter nights close in,

Features


the risk of accidents increases. October,between 5 pm and 6 pm, is a real accident‘hot spot’ people need to be alert to, forexample.”For more information, visit:http://www.pla.co.uk/Safety/Human-Factors

MS NATIONALGEOGRAPHICEXPLORERvisits Port of Ipswich One of the finest expedition ships on theseas, the MS National Geographic Explorer,visited the Port of Ipswich on Tuesday 2May 2017. Having commenced its voyage,operated by Lindblad Expeditions Ltd, atthe Port of Edinburgh it passed throughIpswich on the way to its final destinationat Bergen, Norway.Built in 1982, the expedition passenger shiphas toured some of the planet's mostremote destinations, from Norway’s idyllicfjords and snow-capped mountains to thestunning icebergs of Antarctica. It wasvisiting the Port of Ipswich for the firsttime ever.

Around 120 passengers arrived on boardthe ship and explored the delights of theTown of Ipswich and its culturalsurroundings. One of the highlights of theirstay was a visit to the 255-acre ancientburial site Sutton Hoo, which houses awealth of archaeological artefacts fromAnglo-Saxon times.Patty Disken-Cahill from LindbladExpeditions, said:

“We have chosen the Port of Ipswich asa stop-off destination due to itsproximity to the ancient burial site of

Sutton Hoo, which is a great localheritage attraction. With a reputationfor providing excellent facilities, thestaff at the port will no doubt make ourstay run as smoothly as possible.”

Paul Ager, ABP Divisional Port Manager –East Coast, Short Sea Ports, said:

“We are very proud to be welcoming thisfine expedition ship to our port and wehope its passengers will find their stayat Ipswich most enjoyable.Attracting cruise ships of this high calibreis important to us. That is why we arecommitted to the continued improvementof services at our ports, which is part ofan extensive and ongoing programme ofinvestment by ABP to keep us at theforefront of the industry.”

ABP Southamptonwelcomes world'slargest containership The Port of Southampton recentlywelcomed the largest container ship in theworld – MOL TRIUMPH. At 400m long, that’s the equivalent of 27double decker buses or 7 jumbo jets laidend to end.She can carry up to 20,000 containers at atime. On her deck, she has containersstacked 11 high and the same numberbelow the deck. If all the containers werelaid end to end they would reach fromSouthampton to London or 76.4 miles.And her eco-credentials are impressive too,with energy saving technologies leading tofuel consumption and CO2 emissions beingcut by up to 30 per cent.

ABP Southampton Harbour Master MartinPhipps, explained MOL TRIUMPH is just oneof many giants due to visit the port thisyear. He added:

“MOL Triumph is the largest containership our pilots have brought intoSouthampton. Our pilot joined the shipat 1015 this morning south of the Isle ofWight and ensured she travelled safelythrough the Central Solent andSouthampton Water to DP World.With a vessel of this size it is importantto ensure that other smaller vessels andleisure craft are keeping their distance.Our Patrol launch ensured any sight-seers were kept at the correct distance toallow MOL Triumph to continue safely.”

The new 20,000 TEU-class containershipsare equipped with various highly advancedenergy-saving technologies including lowfriction underwater paint, high efficiencypropeller and rudder, Savor Stator as astream fin on the hull body, and anoptimized fine hull form.

FeaturesJotting Monthly Glyn L Evans

A Cadet’s Log 1909An old suitcase in a horsebox that hadstood unused for ten years was the unlikelyresting place, discovered in 2009 during achildren’s game of hide and seek, for acadet’s log book dated one hundred yearsbefore, in 1909. Via the modern wonders ofthe internet and email, I was contacted byMrs Mary Bingham at whose farmhousehome in Surrey this find had been made byher great-grandchildren while playing inthe farm yard. Among many dusty tomes ofseemingly little importance was the journalkept by Kenneth D Shoesmith, a 19-year-old uncertificated deck officer, recordinghis first voyage in the RMSPMonmouthshire (Voyage VI) from RoyalAlbert Dock, London, sailing at 2.10am,13th February 1909 for Far East ports viaSuez, to return on 19th July that same year. Shoesmith went on to become a greatpainter of maritime posters during the1920s and 1930s after swallowing theanchor in 1918 as Chief Officer.

Features


RMSP Monmouthshire was built in 1902 forJenkins & Co., entering the RMSP Co. fleetfive years later as part of its purchase ofShire Line. She was of 5,097 gross registeredtons with a single screw and havingdimensions of 400 ft length x 52 ft beam.I travelled deep into the Surrey countrysideto meet Mary and we had a great timediscussing the various scenarios by whichthe journal might have come into thefamily possession. Eventually, and a littlereluctantly, we deciding it was not throughany blood relationship but rather the factthat Mary comes from a long line of artists;the walls of her home being adorned withbeautiful examples of her own paintings.One of Mary’s relatives was the artist,George Goodwin Kilburne R.I., and it ismore than likely Shoesmith met himthrough their membership of the RoyalInstitute, or when attending life drawingclasses at the Hampstead Garden SuburbSketch Club. It is possible too that, as both

Kilburne and Shoesmith lived inHampstead, the former would have beeninvited to one of the latter’s At Homes, forwhich he was renowned. The invitation, Iam sure, would have been reciprocated asKilburne, though described as almostretiring in manner, was very companionableand a genial host.: Having established this connection, theprobability is that, following Shoesmith’sdeath in 1939, and on packing up hisLondon studio with the help of his artistfriends for the move back to her nativeBelfast, his widow, Mrs Sadie Shoesmithdonated her husband’s old cadet journal tohis good friend, George Kilburne, as amemento. Kilburne’s style of paintingdiffered greatly from Shoesmith’s maritimeart as will be seen from this exampleForewarned is Forearmed. He possessed alarge collection of arms, mainly swords,which often figured in his paintings, thisbeing no exception.

Mary readily agreed to my borrowing thejournal to assist in my research into the lifeand work of K D Shoesmith and for mypart I promised to make enquiries to enableMary to consider where the journal shouldbe best kept; a maritime museum perhaps. Iwas, therefore, rather surprised to say theleast, to be told by Mary in a telephoneconversation a week later “We have had afamily meeting and unanimously decidedyou should keep the journal.” Havingrecovered from the shock I now have theresponsibility of keeping safe such a rarepiece of maritime and art history. The book,as they say, stops here. I did considerdonating it to a maritime museum,Greenwich or Liverpool perhaps. However,my experience of such institutions over theyears has led me to conclude that, whilethe book might be in safe keeping, it wouldbe unlikely to see the light of day. Here athome I am at least able to enjoy dipping into it from time to time and to share acadet’s adventures on his first Far East tripwhich include such entries as “June 16,2.15 Fireman overboard. 4.25 Search givenup. Proceeding.”

The Journal itself is a marbled, hard-backnote book measuring 8.5 inches x 5.5inches with feint ruled lines on yellowedpaper, and shows all the signs of havingsailed the Seven Seas. That it has survivedat all is one thing, but in such relativelygood condition is amazing. It shows, morethan any other document I have comeacross, that Shoesmith was first andforemost an officer in the BritishMercantile Marine, an indentured cadet ona career path leading to Chief Officer, acareer that would bring with itresponsibilities and obligations. FormerRiver Mersey Pilot, Barrie Youde tells methat cadets in most major British shippingcompanies were obliged to keep a journaland that he still has his from his BlueFunnel midshipman’s days of 1959. While itwas not an official requirement to produceone’s journal to obtain a Board of Trade2nd Mate’s Certificate, nevertheless thepractice stood one in good stead for theday when, on first becoming an Officer ofthe Watch, one would be making entries inthe ship’s official log.

This is not the diary of a young manrecording the events of his first run ashoreat a foreign port or the treatment metedout to him by senior officers; it is adetailed, working record of Voyage VI madeby RMSP Monmouthshire. It shows eachday her position by latitude and longitude,her daily run and speed, cargo loaded andunloaded, ports visited, lighthouses sighted,

RMSP Monmouthshire

George G Kilburne - Forewarned is forearmed

Features


ships passed and signalled, breakwaterscleared, pilots picked up and dropped off,in fact everything of importance affectingthe safe navigation of a merchant vesselgoing about its business in deep waters.

21st century sea life– in the VikingtraditionMichael GreyIn the world of ship design, the crew “justfits in where it can”. If you are enthused bymodern references to the human element,such a statement might seem downrightdisgraceful, but it has largely been realityfor at least the past thousand years, if notsince man first floated a craft on water. If you doubt this, take a trip to the ancientDanish town of Roskilde, home to acollection of fantastic Viking ships,discovered sunk in the mud of the fjordand lovingly restored. In the museum, youare lost in admiration at the lovely lines ofthese craft, but also at the hardiness oftheir crews, sheltering in what was a largeopen boat, when they were not toiling attheir oars. A crude shelter of flax canvas inthe bows was all that was on offer,although they could probably have lurkedin the lee of the loot or forced the slaves tosit to windward, on the voyage home. Down through the ages, from the Hanseaticcogs to the ships of today, the comfort ofthe crew has been something of anafterthought for designers, if they ever

thought about the subject at all. Aboardthe Mary Rose or the Vasa, fished out ofthe harbour in Stockholm, the archaeologyreveals the need for often hundreds of mento be accommodated, in whatever spacewas not needed for guns or stores. Yearsago, I watched one of the de-rigged dhowssetting off from Dubai Creek on a voyageto Pakistan, her crew of about twentysettling down among the deck cargo asbest as they could. A couple of well-usedpick-up trucks had been lashed down ontop of all the crates and drums and aboutfour of the sailors had staked out theirberths in each. They were the lucky ones.

Hundreds of volumes have been writtenabout the great days of the liners, with lavishillustrations of their luxurious interiors, withpublic rooms redolent of the bestcraftsmanship which money could buy. Fewerfeatures focused upon the frightfulaccommodation where the hundreds ofstewards and firemen were squeezed into thefew spaces available after all the stores andcargo had been found room. Up in the eyesof the ship, or beneath the waterline, wouldbe found the airless spaces where forty menwere slotted into their allotted berths.

I know I am getting on a bit, but I sailed asan apprentice aboard a ship built in 1925,which was the first to ever appear on theAustralian coast with separate two-berthcabins (albeit in the forecastle) for herratings. People had flocked down to theship to view this amazing modernity on hermaiden voyage.

People speak of the 50s and 60s as the

“golden age” of seafaring and it is true thatthere was a brief period when there was anattempt to provide decent accommodationfor the crews of cargo ships. It was mostlyamidships, away from the violentaccelerations of the forecastle and thevibrations above the propellers and some ofit was very good, with single berth cabinsfor all except the very young, recreationrooms and decent facilities. It wasn’t onlythe crack cargo liners which offered theircrews this more pleasant lifestyle. Peoplepointed to companies like Watts, Watts &Company, and some of the Scandinavians,as exemplars of what owners looking forthe best seafarers felt able to provide. Andit all lasted into the 70s, when the shortageof crew then gave way to the crash, to vastover-tonnage and a return to the prioritiesof the past, with seafarers just fitting inwhere they could. There were fewer of them of course, in thelean-manned ships which had driven theelegant vessels of a more generous age to apremature retirement. Henceforth, theabsolute priority was a vessel’s earningcapacity and all manner of ingeniousdesign devices employed to maximise cargointake, to minimise tonnage and other duesand to reduce the cost of construction.If most of the ship’s length was required forcargo and propulsion machinery, the onlyspace available for the smallest possiblecomplement of seafarers was in a sort oftower block perched abaft the stern frame,where it would spiral around in a quarteringsea, inducing feelings of nausea. On theother hand, if cargo care was even more ofa priority, the crew could be accommodatedin a sort of breakwater/island as close to thebow as possible, where all the joys offorecastle accommodation could be re-lived,forty years on. In the container age, people made way forboxes, so the space available for humans wasrequired to be no more than forty feet long.In ships never long in port, modern marinerssaw more sea than land, but soon with boxesseven or eight (even nine) high on deck, allthey ever would see out of their cabinwindows was the front or back end of a box.It seemed curious that while sociologistswere agreed that tower-block life wasundesirable for the public good, navalarchitects pulled all the stops out to pile thecrew, as high as they could. There is even aJapanese idea where the crew live in a sort ofportable pod, that can be shifted out of theway to get even more boxes aboard, makingthem feel like an optional extra. But perhaps times are changing again, asdesigners wishing to make their name in

Extract from K D Shoesmith’s Journal

Features


the world contemplate autonomous orsemi-autonomous ships. The latest excitingdevelopment is a 1000TEU containershipwhich at first glance appears to have noaccommodation at all. In fact its small crewlive right down aft, under the containerstow, from where they will also controltheir ship, using CCTV instead of eyes, anda battery of other useful sensors to wardoff marine disaster. It looks a bitunattractive, but if you asked the designersthey would surely reassure you that in theirship, the Viking tradition was beingmaintained and the crew were being “fittedin where they can”.

HMS Dolphin at thesiege of SuakinProfessor Gordon S. MilneAt Gosport. Hampshire on September 301998, the name Dolphin ceased to be usedfor the former Royal Navy SubmarineDepot Ship, school and shore establishmentwhen it reverted to Fort Blockhouse underthe control of the Army. That datecoincided with the hand-over of thepainting of HMS Dolphin in action atSuakin in I885. The painting wascommissioned from Mr Thomas H.Shuttleworth of Liverpool. The officialsigned print went on display early in 1999in the Royal Navy Submarine Museum,Haslar Jetty Road, Gosport.

HMS Dolphin - SpecificationDesigned by Sir Nathaniel Barnaby, Chief-Constructor to the Admiralty, the Dolphinwas built by Sir William Raylton Dixon atMiddlesbrough and launched on December 91882. She gave her name to the Dolphinclass of vessel being a repeat of the previousWild Swan class. Her complement was 113.

The Dolphin was a composite screw sloopand carried sails as a barque, includingstudding sails. She was constructed of four-inch mahogany, sheathed with two inchesof teak and covered below the waterlinewith heavy gauge copper plating built onwrought iron frames, the hull being heavilyreinforced at bow and stem. Herdisplacement was 925 tons, she had alength of 157ft, a beam of 32ft and a draftof 14 ft. Her machinery was a single shafthorizontal compound steam engine (HCE)by R. & W. Hawthorn and which developed720 ihp. giving her a speed under steampower of 11.3 knots. Under power she wassteered from midships, whilst under sail shewould have been steered from aft and forthat purpose the funnel would be loweredby means of the gaff. Her provisions

included ten and a quarter tons of water,90 days' supply of salt and ships' biscuits.

The armament of the Dolphin comprised oftwo six-inch Breech Loading Mark IImounted amidships firing on each side. Twofive inch BL Mark I, one mounted forward asa bow chaser, the other in the captain's cabinto fire astern and on the broadside. One lightgun and three machine guns (MGs).

The Dolphin and her class were the firstsloops to benefit by the Admiralty's re-armament policy of replacing muzzleloading (ML) guns with modern BLs. In1892, the Dolphin exchanged her originalguns for two six-inch Mark IV and twofive-inch Mark V guns which were amixture of one-inch Nordenfelds and 0.45-inch Gardners.

HistoryLittle is known of the service of theDolphin from her launch in December 1882until May 1884 when Commander SydneyM. Eardley-Wilmot RN, later Rear AdmiralSir Sydney M. Eardley Wilmot, wasappointed to her command. The Dolphinwas then lying at Sheerness preparing forservice in the Mediterranean (Red SeaDivision of the Mediterranean Fleet).

In his book An Admiral's Memories,Eardley-Wilmot writes of the Dolphin:

She had not powerful engines butcarried sails as a barque, even studdingsails. Knowing the latter would be oflittle use I applied to have them removedand to have their equivalent weight in atwo-barrel Nordenfelt machine-gun.

The sail mania still prevailed. Even theInflexible when first completed had a brigrig with huge lower yards though shewould hardly move under sail - I onceasked a Yankee sailing ship skipper if hisship was fast. “Fast", he replied, “Shegoes about as fast as you could flog atoad through a barrel of tar.” The answerwould apply to the Inflexible under sail -so my application created quite asensation at Whitehall. “Fancy this officerwants to get rid of his studding sails.” Anegative seemed likely and theapplication was referred to the First SeaLord. Fortunately, we had in Sir CooperKey a very able and progressive officer.He approved and I got my extra gun.

Another innovation of CommanderEardley-Wilmot, and which was to prove ofsome value in the siege of Suakin in 1885,was a searchlight. Again, to quote from theAdmiral's memories:

Small ships had not hitherto been givensearch-lights and I asked for one,proposing to remove the spanker boom

as equivalent weight, and set the sailwhen required in another way. Againmany mutterings at the Admiralty. ‘Thisofficer is getting a nuisance’, but againSir Cooper Key supported me, the boomwent ashore and a projector took itsplace on the poop, while the dynamo, anexcellent Victoria Brush with aBrotherhood three-cylinder engine tookup little space in the engine room. I alsolit the after part of the ship withincandescent lamps.

Because of her searchlight, the Dolphinbecame known as the Moonshine Ship.

On June 26 1884 the Dolphin left Sheernessand called at Portsmouth, Plymouth andGibraltar, arriving at Malta on July 21 1884.Commander Eardley Wilmot was thenordered to leave for Suez where theDolphin arrived on August 11 1884. Due toa previous leg wound which was givingtrouble Eardley-Wilmot was taken tohospital and the Dolphin left for Suakin inthe Red Sea where he rejoined her onJanuary 30 1885. The Dolphin was in thecompany of HMS Sphinx (a paddle vessel),Condor (a gun vessel) and Starling (a gunboat), later joined by Carysfort (a corvette).

The SudanOnce embroiled in Egyptian affairs in 1882,Britain found it difficult to extricate herselfand also became increasingly involved inthe vast Egyptian Dependency of theSudan. In 1883 a religious leader called theMahdi began a religious war against theEgyptian overlords and their British allies.His operations were so successful that, in1884, the British Government decided onan evacuation of the Sudan and GeneralCharles Gordon was sent to Khartoum toorganise the withdrawal. Exceeding hisinstructions General Gordon remained inKhartoum concerting resistance to theMahdi whose force had begun to seizecontrol of all the Sudan.

British Sailors under the command of LordCharles Beresford who commanded thesteamer Safieh had acted as soldiers formost of the campaign and only took totheir native element in its closing stages.The tradition of naval brigades, wheresailors actually fought alongside their red,or khaki-coated colleagues had beengrowing during the early Victorian periodand reached its peak between 1870 and1900. Sailors fought in the Ashantee war of1873, the Zulu war of 1879, the Egyptiancampaign of 1882, the Sudan campaigns of1884-5, 1888 and 1889, the Boer wars of1880 and 1899-1902, the third China warof 1900 and in the numerous smaller-scale

Features


campaigns in the same period. Aremarkable record.

Sometimes the sailors and Royal Marineswere used simply as foot soldiers. Forexample, during the 1884-5 Sudancampaign. the Mahdi's victorious forcesreached the Red Sea coast where theythreatened the British-and-Egyptian heldtown of Suakin. The defence of the townwas organised by the C-in-C East Indies,Rear Admiral Sir William Hewett who, infact, was given overall command of all theforces in the area - including Egyptianarmy units. Needless to say he landed anumber of seamen and marines who tookpart in several sorties during one of whicha force of some 3,900 men (including anaval brigade of 115 men and 400 RoyalMarine Light Infantry) was surprised at ElTeb by a Dervish force of more than10,000. The British force formed a squarein the time honoured fashion andrepeatedly repulsed the enemy withmachine-gun and rapid rifle fire. Suddenlya corner of the square gave way and theDervishes began rushing through the gap.Into the breach stepped Capt ArthurWilson who happened to have marchedout with the square that morning, purelyas an observer. He laid about him with hissword until its blade broke, and thencontinued to belabour the tribesmen withfists and sword remains, receiving a scalpwound in the process. His furious attacksaved the day and the gap was closed.

Wilson thinking nothing of his escapadewrote home. "I have just got back from avery pretty little fight". He wasrecommended for the VC, probably to hisannoyance, for he was an extremelymodest man. When the award wasannounced he blamed it on the fact thathis scalp wound had bled profuselyappearing more spectacular than in fact itwas. "If I could only have got a basin ofwater and washed my face, I should haveescaped notoriety", he wrote to a friend.Presented with the Cross on SouthseaCommon on June 6 1885, his laconic diaryentry that day is typical. "Docked ship,received the VC".

Suakin or SouakimAncient Egypt might have been penetratedby the route to Berber on the Nile fromSuakin on the Red Sea. The position ofSuakin is: Latitude I9°17' North, Longitude 37°20' East.

In 1885 there were three passages throughthe reefs. The north was the shortest fromSuez being 90 miles in length but was themost difficult. The south was the most

direct from India and was 60 miles long.The mid passage was the easiest and was30 miles in length.

It was this mid-passage that the Dolphinused to enter Suakin on a very hot morningwith the air thick with a hot haze. Thebuoyed navigation channel to the harbourwas very hazardous. It was three quartersof a mile in length and opened into alagoon or bay on which are two islands.Quarantine Island which was a depot andwas the starting point of the railway (seelater). Vessels of up to 400 tons could mooralongside. On the second island stands thetown of Suakin which is connected to themainland and the Arab town El Geyf by thecauseway built by General Gordon.

As can be seen from the accurate depictionin the painting the town comprises low,flat-topped houses of ordinary Easternstyle built right up to the water's edge.There not being any wheeled traffic, therewere no roads.

On the mainland the buildings includedmosques, other buildings and barracks,beyond which was the native town madeof huts fashioned out of coarse grassmatting spread over a framework of stoutsticks. Outside of this were the earthworksand defences around the entire area andbuilt between 1881 and 1885. In parts,high walls of coral had been built.

The Siege of Suakin 1885Her Majesty's Government approved therecommendation of Admiral Hewett andGeneral Graham to land a force at Suakinto give effect to their Proclamation callingupon the rebel chiefs to come in, otherwisethe force would march on Oman Digna'scamp to dispense the necessary force if theProclamation was ineffectual.

Dawn broke on Sunday March 8 1885 andas the military marched along the fieldrailway, leaving Suakin behind, the Dolphinopened fire at groups of the enemy fivemiles away in the desert. The Carysfortlent supporting fire.

At night terrific fire opened up all along theline of British troops and to add to the weirdappearance the Dolphin, which was lyingtwo miles from the front line, threw theelectric light from her searchlight far andwide across the country, making everythingwhich came under its rays as bright as day.There was a certain downside to that use ofthe searchlight as the Army commandersfound that not only did it illuminate theenemy positions it also lit up the Britishtroops and made them easier targets.

The British troops were encamped outside

Suakin whilst a large force of hostile Arabsof the Hadendowa tribe had assembledsome few miles away. Small parties of theArabs raided at night and sniped at thetown, the ships and the British camp. It wasin this theatre of activity that Eardley-Wilmot 's searchlight came into its own.Instructions were sent from shore to ship todirect the light, first in one direction thenin another as Arabs were sighted waitingthe chance to rush a tent.

One noted Emir was a fatality of thegunfire accurately aimed under the lightfrom the Dolphin. So effective was theaccurate firing by the Dolphin that OsmanDigna who was then directing the enemycampaign ordered his chiefs to capture theship. However Digna did not lead theexpedition for that purpose and the attacknever came off. On March 15 1885 Digna'scamp was burned and the victorious Britishforce returned to Suakin.

Eardley-Wilmot recalls that in the additionto his searchlight being of significantmilitary use it was to prove of value in thesearch for good water:

Want of good water was a source ofgreat anxiety at Suakin in view of theconsiderable army now there. A fewwells existed with brackish water onlysuitable to supply the animals. We hadto rely on distilling ships, and locatedepots of water in different places. TheCommodore placed me in charge of this,and as much of the filling of cans, skins.etc, took place at night. I lit the depotwith electric light, using my dynamo anda cable to the shore. Then about athousand camels were made to lie downclose together to be loaded. To facilitatethis I turned the searchlight withdivergent lens on to the mass ofanimals. It was a curious sight to see allthe camels turn their heads towards theship as the light came on them. Thiscollection of water carriers was for anexpedition starting at daylight on March22 to go to Tamai some miles off. Theships provided a small Naval Brigade ofGardner machine guns and thirty-fourmen. I contributed two of these gunsand nine men under my First-Lieutenant,Seymour. They landed the evening beforeand started the next morning under thecommand of Sir John MacNeil.Curiously enough that morning mysignalman from aloft reported a largeforce of Arabs proceeding to the left inthe direction the expedition had taken. Igot off two shells, the first shots firedthat day. ·The battle of Tofrik has been fully

Features


described. It nearly led to a disaster, asthe Arabs attacked in great numberswhile many of our men were cuttingbrushwood to form a zariba. My menwere placing the two guns in a smallredoubt and removing some of thesandbags when a horde of Arabs cameover the top with the result thatSeymour and four men were killed. Imuch regretted poor Seymour's death.He had kept the ship going so wellduring my time in hospital. I hoped thisservice, if he survived, would have givenor helped to his promotion. Riderlesshorses coming into Suakin gave us thefirst intimation of an attack butparticulars reached us later.The Government having decided toconstruct a railway from Suakin toBerber, steamers kept arriving with theplant. Messrs Lucas and Aird obtainedthe contract, but the line did not get farbefore the project was abandoned, andportions of the line remained on theground while others went home toWoolwich. Egypt in those days cost usmany lives and much money.

Note: 1. The Naval Brigade rejoined their ships

and this terminated the last serviceashore or afloat which the sailors as theBrigade have been called on to renderto their country.

2. Other reports indicate Seymour and sixmen were killed and many were wounded.

Contracts for the railway between Suakinand Berber having been given out, officerswere sent from Egypt to England toascertain by protracted experiments atAldershot whether it would be possible topump condensed water from the Bay ofSuakin to the top of the land between thatplace and Berber a distance of nearly onehundred miles and some three thousandfive hundred feet above sea level. It wasfound that water could indeed be pumpeda considerable distance but two things

were discovered which also put a stop tofurther researches into this interestingquestion - the water came out at the endof the third or fourth mile at a temperatureof boiling point and it was also seen thatbetween condensing and pumping throughpipes, water delivered at the height of landbetween the Red Sea and the Nile would"cost per quart about the price of thechoicest brands of celebrated vintages”.In addition to the actions in which theDolphin had been engaged she was also tofeature in other activities again reported byEardley-Wilmot:

At, the end of April I was ordered toMalta, and arrived there at thebeginning of June. Here I met thepresent King George, then a Lieutenantin the Thunderer. After a refit I joinedthe Admiral, Lord John Hay, at Corfu.and carried out an evolution whichearned his approbation. I turned my shiptemporarily into a mine layer. All largeships carried two 70 pound mines forexercise. or by combination to form amine field. They were exploded oncontact, the battery being on land withan electric cable to the mine, or eachhad its own battery inside with anappliance called a circuit closer forconnecting the battery when the minewas struck. So prepared they could bedropped off an enemy's port to catchhim if he came out. We usually calledthem blockade mines, and I proposed todrop a line of them. Each ship fitted twoand sent them to the Dolphin. I hadthem arranged outside, six on each side,having a distant line to release them atthe right time. When all was ready Isteamed full speed on a given bearingand dropped the mines in succession.The Admiral followed me up in his bargeand kept saying: “He will foul his screw,I know he will." But I did not, havingtaken the precaution of stopping theengines as each mine dropped, and

going on again directly it was clear ofthe stern. On return to the flagship theAdmiral signalled to me "mines werevery well laid". It was the first time Ithink mines had been dropped from aship under way. I also ran two lines ofcounter mines, towing the launches withthem from the foreyard lowered on tothe netting and prolonged with spars togive greater breadth between the lines.

In November I returned to the Red Seato look for slave dhows. In one harbour,now Port Sudan, a girl swam off to theship and asked protection from herowner, an old woman, who followed herin a boat. On my explaining to her thatthe slave was free under the British flag.she indulged in some strong languageand departed. Freed slaves were sent toAden, trained and educated there. Thisone wanted to stay on board and be mypersonal servant. Quite impossible!

After various other duties Eardley Wilmotwas promoted to Post Captain at the age ofthirty-nine and on August 6 1886 hereturned to England having handedcommand of the Dolphin to CommanderHedworth Lambton, later to becomeAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Hedworth Meux.

Throughout the period 1886 to 1891 theDolphin was in the Eastern Mediterranean.She revisited Suakin in 1888 and 1891 andwas in action again. Osman Dignacontinued his skirmishes with the Britisharound Suakin from his headquarters atTokar. Colonel Holled Smith, the Governorof the Red Sea Littoral, decided to attackDigna and on January 27 1891 Smithcaptured Handoub. He then advanced onTokar and in that operation he was assistedby officers and men of the Dolphin whichwas then under the command of HoratioNelson Dudding.

On December 19 1891, Osman Digna wasfinally defeated and fled.

The siege of Suakin in 1885 was the singlemost important and significant action inwhich the Dolphin appears to have takenpart. She remained in the MediterraneanFleet until 1896 when she was paid off atSheerness having been stripped of hermachinery and guns.

From l896 until 1906 she was attached tothe Sail Training Squadron.

In 1906 the Dolphin became the SubmarineDepot ship at Gosport. In 1912 she becamethe flagship of the Flag Officer CommandingSubmarines at Fort Blockhouse.

In 1924 the Dolphin was put up for saleand was eventually purchased by Sir

HMS Dolphin at the siege of Suakin (Thos. H. Shuttleworth)

Features


Donald Pollock and Lieut Commander J.M.Robertson. a Glasgow shipowner. Thefollowing year she left Portsmouth undertow, but during the latter part of thevoyage to Leith extremely bad weather wasencountered which caused her to shipheavy seas and to prevent her from sinkingshe was beached near Fisherrow, only someseven miles from her destination. There shelay, partly awash, for five months beforesalvage operations were successful and sheeventually was berthed in Leith.

Having been dry-docked. cleaned andrepaired at Leith, Sir Donald had her towedto Rosyth where she was extensivelyrefitted at his Metal Industries yard, largelyusing material taken from the 1914/1919battleship King George V, which was beingscrapped there. For instance, all thepanelling in the dining saloon and captain'squarters came straight from the officers’quarters on the King George V. By 1928 re-fitting was completed and she was towedback to Leith.

In her time at Leith she was berthed inWest Old Dock and from 1928 to 1944 wasused as a boys' club, but in 1944 LeithNautical College took over the Dolphin aspart of the college and she remained atWest Old Dock until 1965 when she wastowed to East Old Dock. In 1977, she wastowed to Bo’ness for demolition in the yardof P. & W. Maclellan.

So ends the history of that HMS Dolphin.

(This article was originally published in SeaBreezes Vol. 73 No. 645, September 1999and is reproduced with the kind permissionof the editor of Sea Breezes, CaptainHamish Ross).

Gervèse, encore Gervèse?Robert Bruce-ChwattFor those of you who thought that theGervèse JHCMM saga was all over, it mightbe now. However, a little like Mark Twain'spremature Obituary, which he read withsurprise and was quoted erroneously ashaving said: "I’ve never wished a man dead,but I have read some obituaries with greatpleasure," it might not be. In a letter toFrank Bliss in May 1897 he wrote: "...thereport of my death was an exaggeration".Like the above, my valedictory article toGervèse in the Journal in 2015, though notan exaggeration, was certainly premature.These eight large-sized, 14 x 43 cm Pochoirtechnique prints are more than just biggerpostcards as they allow more of apanoramic view.

"L'inspection du commandant", 1, wasfirst published in 1908 by F. Champenois, asecond edition by both Raffaéli and L. L.Lorenzi in 1914. The formal inspection,from the expressions of the sailors and nota few of the officers, appears to have beeneither unforeseen and a snap inspection orthat they got the date wrong.At least two have the wrong trousers onand once again someone has got brownshoes. The bo'sun is struggling with hiswhistle and the officer taking names issweating, whilst the sailor next to himappears to be filling his pipe. The bugler isshowing two fingers to the drummer andthe fact that most of the cap ribbonsindicate that the ship's name is "Liberté", isprobably the last thing that they are goingto get after the inspection is over."Le canon de débarquement", 2, firstpublished in 1908 by F. Champenois, asecond edition by both Raffaéli came in1914. The details here are the tail-end-Charlie sailor reaching into his pocket formoney as he eyes up the wine, bread

and sausages in the woman's basket. The sub-Lieutenantwith drawn sword appears to still bewearing his dancing pumps with Petershambows at the toes and red stripped sockswith a fleur-de-lys. The third sailor fromthe front has also got the wrong boots on..."Le défilé du 14 juillet", 3, first publishedin 1908 by Champenois, a second editionby Raffaéli in 1912. The few details are theright marker with his foot pointed downlike a ballet dancer and the fourth matelotfrom the left in the front rank who is outof step. His friend on his left is pointingthis out to him, though to little effect.Their rifles are the Chassepot M1866, butthe usual Yataghan sword bayonet has herebeen replaced here by M1874 T-back swordbayonet which is straight.The term Yataghan derives from theTurkish for one who lays down to describethe downward-sweep double-curve bladewhich added strength and rigidity. Ratherthan matelots they may be fusiliers-marins, the French equivalent of our

1. "L'inspection du commandant"

2. "Le canon de débarquement"

3. "Le défilé du 14 juillet"

Features


Marines. The French Navy is informallyknown as La Royale and its motto:Honneur, patrie, valeur, discipline.

"Le bal a la Prefecture Maritime", 4, waspublished in 1912 by Raffaéli and also laterby L. L. Lorenzi, Quai Kronstadt at Toulon. Itshows the jejune young officer bowing tothe maitre-d', having mistaken him for hishosts, who are in fact just round the cornerwaiting. As a reminder of past etiquette,the sailor, roped in for the evening, ishanding out dance cards to the ladies asthey arrive with their escorts, the multi-coloured cards hanging down on matchingcoloured ribbons attached to a little pencilso that they can remember to whom theyhave promised which dance and at whattime. The sailor is in his best dress blueswith a maroon long service chevron on theleft sleeve.

"En reconnaissance" is 5, first published in1915 by L. Lorenzi having first appeared in"Le Rire" magazine under the title of NavalManoeuvres. It is one of only threecartoons that Gervèse drew with anaviation theme. The other two are of M.Blériot heading for the briny followed byhis aeroplane with a broken propeller andthe other of a pusher biplane with a hulllike a boat. Usually excellent on detail,similar to Hergé the creator of Tintin,Gervèse appears to have either little respectfor or little knowledge of aircraft. The extraordinary monoplane with pilotand observer, the latter probably anunwitting sailor-airman who didn't let goin time, appears very Heath Robinson withwhat appear to be torpedoes as floats, anelectric desk fan for a propeller, the wingson backwards, and a ship's wheel andnavigation lights amongst other bizarredetails. To be fair it was only twelve yearssince the first flight by the Wright brothersat Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, but Gervèseappears here to be making his feelings andviews on the future of French Navalaviation clear."L'Abordage" is 6, first published in 1916by L. Lorenzi, is one of the less busy anddepicts a collision at sea, the term boardoriginally referring to an accidental

collision and shock between two vesselsand then the shock that two ships undergoin a collision, usually stem to side. There isa Naval distinction between a belligerent

voluntary and a benign involuntarycollision, an error of omission notcommission, though it will be up to theFrench Admiralty Board of Enquiry tosettle... It appears in this case, however, tohave been a clear case of French navalsteam, not giving way to French civilian sail.

"L'Alerte" is �7, and was published by L.Lorenzi in 1917 and is interesting in that itis clearly on board l'Algol of which Millotwas the captain. Named after the DemonStar, she was an English built sloop of theFlower class built in 1916. A total of 112were built for the Royal Navy and a furthereight for the French Navy of the Arabisclass. Built by Barclay Curle, launched 17June 1916 she was commissioned 1 August1916. She served in the Mediterranean inFirst World War, operated off Syria in 1921and in the Far East and was scrapped atSaigon in 1935.

Typical Gervèse touches to note are the anti-shrapnel mattresses around the bridge, theshell hoist and the long, flexible speakingtube of the sailor next to the 140mm gun.However, a sailor is red-leading the mast

4. "Le bal a la Prefecture Maritime"

5. "En reconnaissance"

P73645 Mre d'Armes de St Etienne, Mai 1879

Yagathan, P33022 Ste Etienne, O'tbre 1872

Book Reviews


with another on the end of the rope to hisseat, one of the gunners is bare-foot andno one has anti-flash overalls on. Ratherchaotic and wonderfully Gervèse. "Salonique 1915" is � 8 and featured in aprevious article on Gervèse in a 2015edition of the Journal with its multiplicityof people, uniforms and costumes;civilian, military, naval, nursing, religiousand child newspaper vendors in full colour,with others in silhouettes in thebackground. From left to right; a BritishStaff officer - the red cap band is there,but Gervèse has missed out the collar redtabs, a Greek pope, a peasant woman fromSalonika, a Serbian Captain, a FrenchOfficer with inverted chevrons for war

service on his left arm, if on the right armthey would be wound chevrons. His rank insignia is indistinct, but from themonocle and collar tabs he is probably athree striper, a captain. There is a Serbianpoliceman, a French matelot, an EnglishNavy quartermaster, a Russian officer, anold Montenegrin man, a Muslim elder, aScottish sergeant with rather bizarre candystripe or barber's pole socks and a nurse ofthe QAIMNS in her distinctive red-borderedcape and hat. The Army Nursing Servicewas first established in 1881 and providedNursing Sisters for all Army hospitals of atleast 100 beds from a relatively smallnumber of nurses in its employ. In 1897, in order to have a nucleus of extra

nurses available in time of war, the ANSwas supplemented by Princess Christian'sArmy Nursing Service Reserve (PCANSR). Bythe start of the First Boer War in 16thDecember 1880, the reserve had around100 members, but volunteers increased thenumbers to over 1,400 during the briefconflict, which ended in 23rd March 1881.

The PCANSR evolved to became the QueenAlexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Serviceand in March 1902, as seen here, wasestablished by Royal Warrant. In 1949, theQAIMNS became a corps in the British Armyand was renamed as the Queen Alexandra'sRoyal Army Nursing Corps, the QARANC, butbetter known as the QAs. In 1992 men werefinally allowed to join the QAs.

"6. L'Abordage"

7. "L'Alerte"

8. "Salonique 1915"

Obituary


The HonourableCompany of MasterMarinersEditorialThe views expressed in articles or incorrespondence appearing in the Journalare those of the writer and are notnecessarily endorsed by the HonourableCompany of Master Mariners.

Items appearing in the Journal maynot be reproduced without theconsent of the Editor.

The Editor will be pleased to receivecorrespondence from Members intendedfor reproduction in the Journal.

CommitteesEducation and Training CommitteeChairman: Commander Peter Aylott RN

Finance and Risk CommitteeChairman: Mr Iain Stitt

Membership CommitteeChairman:Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh GCB Vice Chairman:Commander L Chapman

Technical CommitteeChairman: Captain Ian Giddings

All correspondence, books, documentsor enquiries relevant to the work ofthe Technical Committee should beaddressed to the Secretary, Mrs AlisonHarris c/o HQS Wellington.

Treasures CommitteeChairman: Captain Graham Pepper, FNI

Joint Informal MeetingsHonorary Secretary: Mr Matt Burrow

Wardroom Mess CommitteeChairman: Mr John Johnson-Allen

The JournalEditorCommodore David Squire, CBE‘Trees’, 45 Esp Lane, Barnoldswick,Lancashire BB18 5QQ

Tel: 01282 815354

All correspondence, articles andreports for the Journal should be sentto the Editor’s home address, or byemail to [email protected]

Copy for Issue 3/2017 of The Journalshould be sent to the Editor by Friday, 18 August, 2017

ObituaryProfessor Richard Goss(1929-2017)Freeman of the HonourableCompanyI met Richard Goss when I was researchingmy dissertation on the Rochdale Report,the Committee of Enquiry into MerchantShipping of 1970, of which he was theEconomic Adviser. I went to his home inPershore and interviewed him, extractsfrom the interview appearing in thedissertation.

His later career is well documented; briefly,he went from Economic adviser to UnderSecretary at the Board of Trade. After beingawarded his PhD in 1979, he went toUWIST, subsequently Cardiff University asProfessor of Maritime Economics, where hestayed until he retired in 1995. Amongstmany achievements in that period, he wasone of the founders of The NauticalInstitute.

It was his early life that was less known,whilst he was at sea. The followingaccount, in his own words, is taken fromthe interview in 2007:

I took and passed the First Matescertificate first time then I did a voyagewith Buries Markes as second mate on aship called La Cumbre, which had beenbuilt as the Clan McAlpine, a merchantaircraft carrier during World War Two.She was a very wet ship. She was theonly ship that I have sailed on where Ihad two inches of water in my cabin inbad weather; not nice. I decided that Ididn't like being a second mate becauseof the 12-4 watch but also because bythat time I had got interested instudying economics and was doing sounder Ronald Hope at the College of theSea. The 12 to four watch is no watch tokeep if you are studying, on the otherhand the eight to 12 watch is an idealwatch because you had every afternoonoff and you can have a little bit of a kipafter lunch and then get down toreading books and writing essays, whichis what I proceeded to do.

I was the first student to take GCE 's ona merchant ship; it is now fairlystandard and several dozen people do itevery year, but at that time it hadn'tbeen done before and I had to go toSenate House, the office block ofLondon University. I did advanced levelGCE economics, I did economic history, Idid British constitution and English

language as well. Most of this was alittle like falling off a log because in thefirst place it was very easy. I was usingSamuelson as a textbook, which Ithought was marvellous andCairncross’s book but I can’t rememberwhat textbooks I had for economichistory. All the time that I was doingthis I was third mate. I used to studyvery hard at sea, literally, whenvoyaging, because there was peace andquiet and I could write two or threeessays in an afternoon; oh, it wasmarvellous. On economics, Ronald Hopeacted as my tutor and very nicely toobut I can't remember who were thetutors on the other subjects. I wanted toget my master's certificate before goingto Cambridge. I had to be in Cambridgein the first week of October 1955 andthe Schedule was getting extremelytight. I reckoned that I had time for onlyone attempt at masters and that wasvery nearly true. I can claim that I amprobably the first and probably the onlyperson to become a master marinerwhilst an undergraduate at Cambridge.That takes us to October 1955 when Iwas settled in Cambridge. in the firstlong vacation, I wrote to Prince Linesaying that I need to earn some moneyand I was remembered at Prince Line byone of the people in the office who fixedme up with a job as a first mate, so inthe summer of 1956 I sailed as chiefofficer around the coast for two or threeweeks and they made me do everything;discharge a ship, dry dock a ship, andload a ship. It was quite hard work but Idiscovered the wonderful things thatpeople will do for being offered a glassof gin; it really was marvellous.

After that he did not return to sea.

We talked for some 2 hours; some of hisopinions on the members of the RochdaleCommittee were somewhat scurrilous; hewas a man of strong opinions, which hewas happy to share. His knowledge of theRochdale Report proved invaluable, even if,at the end of my dissertation I quotedJulian Parker, whose final words on thesubject were “there were no greatdifferences at sea”.

Two years of research, hoping for athunderclap of a result, and that wasthe result.

John Johnson-Allen

Merchandise

A selection of our merchandise products. Please contact the Business Manager if you wish to purchase.

There are additional items available that not displayed here. Please contact the Business Manager for more information

Anchor Cufflinks£ 12.00

Engraved Notepad & PenSize: 86mm x 66mm x 8mm£ 10.00

Engraved Compass/PaperweightSize: 56mm Diameter£ 6.50

Engraved Mirror CompactSize: 76mm x 63mm x 6mm£ 7.50

Polo ShirtColour: White/Navy, Various Sizes£ 15.00 each

CummerbundsVarious sizes and designs£ 28.00

HCMM Crest PlaqueSize: 140mmW x 185mmH£ 25.00

Ship-Shaped Memory StickUSB 4GB£ 10.00

Engraved GlassesWhisky Glass or Tumbler£ 14.50 each

HCMM Label Champagne£ 25.00

Crest Cufflinks£ 20.00

Ladies Brooch£ 5.00

ISSN 1476-3575 Printed on recycled paper

the journal of the honourable company of master...

Documents