How it changed

[Des Jenkins]

Just finished re reading the story of the passenger who fell overboard off the SS Vaal, formally the Transvaal Castle, went over at night and not missed until the next day, the ship was turned around in a Williamson turn and just as they where going to call off the search the man was seen a few feet from the ship, brilliant bit of seamanship. He reckoned that he had fallen asleep while floating around.
Des

[Fred Saunders]

A few weeks ago, came across a photo of my first ship s/s J.Duncan of Cardiff, sailed on her September till late December 1949.
She was built 1914, Used by the Navy through to 1919 then Sout Wals Ports to France i.e. La Rochelle Nantes. October 1939 taken over by the Navy as a Navy collier, handed September 1945, 1946, short trade U.K coastal France etc. April 1956 sold to British Steel, broken up Milford Haven. She had a tall skinny funnel. sailors forward in the bow, Mates,R/o, Master, Engineers, Ch, Cook/Steward amidship, firemen and catering lads aft over the screw, real modern suites, plain steel bulkheads, and some complain about today's accommodation.
Fred Saunders

[Des Jenkins]

Hi Fred.
You where a month after me on the Vindi, I got a better start than you, a Hains boat to Galveston for as cargo of wheat to Hamburg, then back to Tilbury, did four trips two years on her.
Hope it is not been to hot out there in West Wyalong.
Cheers Des