Elder Dempster Lines Ltd

[Michael Boyd]

I joined ED in Nov 1959 after completing my apprenticeship.
Initially stood by on the MV Eboe in Toxteth Dock, Liverpool.
After a few weeks told to report to the SS Cargill a Liberty boat built in 1944 in Montreal.
Quite a transformation from a modern Doxford engined ship.

I was on alternate nights for a few weeks until a crew from Hong Kong arrived to sail the ship back to the new owners.

The engineering superintendent gave me a travel voucher to join the MV Perang in Hamburg.
Boat train Harwich to Zeebrugge train to Hamburg.
All very exciting for a young engineer who had hardly been abroad before.

Arriving in Hamburg met by ED agent who drove me to the British Embassy to sign on.

Then to Afrika Hoft in Hamburg docks.Shown my cabin and you are on nights tonight !

Sailed next morning for Rotterdam and Antwerp.

Then to Tilbury, 4 days leave, rejoined the ship and sailed Xmas Eve after loading bagged cement at Blue Circle cement works now Bluewater shopping centre.

Bay of Biscay, rough, couldn’t cook Xmas lunch on the solid fuel stove, Perang was Doxford main engine , but steam auxillaries, compressors, generators, steering gear.

West coast of Africa, then USA, Canada, Denmark, Avonmouth, six months .

Leave, 3 weeks, promoted to 4th Engineer, that’s another story.

Mike Boyd

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Michael
Nice opening Story there and i am sure it was a real Eye opener for a young Lad, as many here as well have experienced!

Thank you , and i hope we get more Stories of later Years at Sea.
Enjoy the site
Cheers

[Alec Kenney]

Hi Mike,
Really interesting.
I joined mv Perang in Liverpool 1959 for west Africa as Cadet Purser. I remember 6 months West Africa, USA, Canada. Unless my memory fails me, and it often does, we did the the Med, Italian ports before heading for Hamburg etc.

[James Curry]

Sailed on Perang my first trip as 4/eng. Hard working and great social life and good crowd. Did 3 trips on her West Africa.
Most interesting part of those trips was going up the creeks to the likes of Sapele. Always a football game against the Sapele Club.
A few beers after the game and listening to the CLUB MEMBERS was enough to turn a 21 year old into a Socialist for life.

[Geoff Bray]

I Like this story. In 1964 I made the mistake of joining Brockelbanks after leaving Bowater's, who had been taken over by British & Commonwealth. I did a few coastal's on Brock ships, and the Superintendent sent me to join a Guinea Gulf Line ship, that was managed by Brocks. The "Rose of Lancaster" was her name, I had such a good trip down the West coast of Africa, and as you said sailing up those creeks was exciting, we spent Christmas Eve in a place called Buruto, and then went on to Sapele, and played football against a team of youngsters, we all played in our engine room boots and the kids played in their bare feet HAPPY DAYS

Geoff Bray

[Captain Kong]

I only did one trip on EDs, the TARKWA, in 1953
I did a `Flash for Dash up Sapele Creek to a Mamio by dropping a 7 pound tin of Greengage Jam which went through the bottom of her canoe.
As she swam ashore she shouted, "Ju Ju man he go fixam good for you"
The following day I fell off the mast table while rigging the Jumbo and broke two legs and my right arm,

i think he is still "fixam good" for me,.

Never sailed with EDs again
Brian

[j.sabourn]

She must have wanted strawberry Brian, no pleasing some of them , now if Ivan had been around with his 44 “ bra could have lowered it to her and maybe she would have given you good karma , you didn’t have to also visit that brainch of the hospital in Liverpool where all the patients were called Smith or Brown did you. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned so they say. Cheers JS

[happy daze john in oz]

Greengage jam, no wonder you are in such a mess, the ju, ju man must have got to you.
No one eats Greengage jam, not nif they have sense

[Ivan Cloherty]

.
No one eats Greengage jam, not nif they have sense

Greengage jam was great, the tins were just the right size for cleaning and soaking paint brushes

[happy daze john in oz]

You are saying Ivan that you actually cleaned the brushes??
Much easier over the side and get a new one from ships stores.