Hostile Waters

[Brendan Philip Roberts]

Morning All

Do any of you know of any ships that sailed to or through the Vietnam waters between 1967 and '71. I'm doing some research for a family friend ;looking for details of a relative who served during those years.

Thanks in advance

Bren.

[john walker]

There were several British Shell oil tankers that were sailing to South Vietnam on a regular basis from from Pulau Bukom in Singapore during those years including the Hyria which I was on. If you think the family friend might have sailed on one of Shell's ships then google Helderline.com Which is probably the best site for ships and crew lists to do with that company. There were probably thousands of ships that sailed through those waters over that period of time so if you want help in narrowing the ship/company/person down a name might be useful.

[Tony Taylor]

I sailed on the Hemisinus (aka The Saigon Flyer) in 74, usual trip was Pulau Bukom, Nha Trang, Danang, Miri backload for PB, then back up again.
We had two large LPG tanks on the foredeck and carried mixed cargo of mogas, gas oil, JP4 and other aviation grades.
Captain Eric Charles was the master, excellent chap under all circumstances.
I recall one night after leaving Danang we were well away from Vietnam, on watch in ER, second mate calls down and says, can you hear gunfire?
How the F--- CAN i HEAR ANYTHING DOWN HEAR IN THIS RACKET. He says I can hear gunfire but cant see anything I am getting the old man up.
A subsequent delegation round the ship finds two sailors with a machine gun, firing it off the poop. Turns out that they bought it for a couple of cartons of fags.
Same trip, galley almost sets fire to his cabin by leaving an iron on desk top; once smoke had cleared we found a live grenade (souvenir ) on the desk top.

[Captain Kong]

I was told that the Gibraltar Registered ship, “ Glendalough “. was on that run in the Second Viet Nam War.

I was in the First Viet Nam War.
Brian

[Colin Wood]

In 1971 ,when I was HM in Wyndham in WA the Shell tanker @HYRIA@ did occasional R & R trips to ozzie as a release from the Vietnam trips. Had some great parties.My wife worked at Wyndam Hospital and the first indication of the ships schedule used to come from the 2nd mate who new a sister st the hospital. So I would notify terminal and agent of ships schedule.
Master was a Gordon Scarfe. He invited the WA Governor for afternoon tea, which was much appreciated. The Governor left the ship over 2 hours behind schedule as they were old friends from Welsh Rugby days.

[Martin Stapley]

Hi. Shell tankers regularly sent clean product tankers up from Singapore with jet fuel for the American forces in 68/69. I was on the Eastgate on charter to Shell and we did one of the last runs up into the Saigon river.

[Keith Bodman]

[QUOTE=Brendan Philip Roberts;334919]Morning All

Do any of you know of any ships that sailed to or through the Vietnam waters between 1967 and '71. I'm doing some research for a family friend ;looking for details of a relative who served during those years.

Thanks in advance

I had a friend who sailed on the Trecarrell that traded between North Vietnam and China during that period.

[Howard Wallace-Sims]

Texaco Glasgow (ex Caltex Liverpool) a few times in 1968 when I was 4/E. I bought a radio in Singapore with my ‘danger money’ after the first trip and had it stolen in Vietnam on the second. One night the Second Mate appeared in the engine and told me to prepare for sea as the tank farm was on fire. Apparently the VC used to fire recoilless rockets at the radar controlled gun nearby and then lob there last couple of rockets at the tank farm. We didn’t sail in the end. On the third trip we tied up alongside a number of barges due to the jetty being destroyed. Texaco Saigon (Jumboised T2 also did at least one trip in early 1968 when I was 5/E.

[George Lill]

I sailed on the Shell tanker Hemisinus from June 1969 until January 1970 as 5th engineer and did a couple of runs to Vietnam from Singapore. On one trip we finished in Saigon discharging JP4 etc and during the night a shore battery opened fire firing rockets, also remember in Danang at anchor stun grenades being dropped by the Americans from a motor boat, shrapnel hitting the ships side. At the time thought nothing about it, after all we were on double pay. happy days great ship and crew.

[Fred F Ravenscroft]

You will find that Shell ships was in these waters during this time I myself was on the Amoria and Vibex from Feb 67 till Aug 67 (i was transfer from Amoria to Vibex in Singapore) around this time one of Shell A class ships came under attack with a loss of life of a crew member.