Following my dad's service record in the 50s

[Lauren Harris]

Greetings to all. The title says why i am here. I have been allowed to carefully copy my father's (Richard John Harris) Merchant Navy service record. I am tracking all the vessels he served on from 1950 to 1958. I found your site when looking for an image of SS Esso Birmingham. Not a flattering name for a grand thing like a ship; hope it looks better than it sounds. I was lucky enough to view a ships badge on Flickr earlier for Stirling Castle, so it has been a lucky day with that, then this site. Any help in how to search; what to search for would be much appreciated. All we have now are memories and some funny stories. I should like to know how he spent his young days before I knew him.

[Keith at Tregenna]

In the late 1950s when the Suez Canal had reopened and Israel and the Arabs were holding an uneasy truce, a constant stream of small to medium-sized tankers shuttled to and fro continuously from European refineries via Suez to various remote oil terminals in the sweltering heat of the Gulf region. This was the end of the golden age of shipping when 36,000 ton super-tankers were just coming on the scene, all the regular liner routes were operating and British-flag ships were to be seen in abundance.

The ESSO BIRMINGHAM above (ex MAUVILLE 8/1944) was built by Sun S.B. and D.D. Co., of Chester Pennsylvania. Her port of registry was London, SHP 6,000, net tonnge 6,203, gross tonnage 10,727 and DWT 17,000 approx.

LINK: TANKERS

LINK 2: Clyde Maritime | The one-stop resource for all Clyde-based shipping news

Would this be the correct STIRLING CASTLE ? UNION-CASTLE LINE

Uncertain as to what you would wish more info on ship wise exactly, glad to help, could you lead us on what you require ? Hopefully ! Others looking in may have known Richard or of him.

K.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Lauren,
Here are photos of two of your Dad`s ships,` Esso Birmingham` she is what is known as a T2 TANKER,
T2s were built in the WW2 in the USA. Her details are above in Keiths post
The other ship is the `Stirling Castle`.Union Castle Line running down to South Africa. Cape Town to Durban
Hope you like them.
Cheers
Brian

[Doc Vernon]

Hi LAUREN
Firstly welcome to the site,hope you have many good hours and find all that you require here!
There is a very good site for Pics of Ship,if you dont allready have it, here is the Link!

OLD SHIP PICTURES PAINTINGS PHOTOGRAPHS POSTCARDS IMAGES JPG WW1 WW2

When using the above site click on the 'Search for Pictures"
Old Ship Picture Galleries!
Then just click on the letter of the Ship and you will be given a page of Ships starting with that letter!

EG Sterling Castle (I know Gulliver has allready given you this Picture)

Oppps! Error in name! See next post!

(Stirling Castle-01)

That was one of my old Ships as well in 1958/59 a good Ship to work on with a great Crew!
Have you the eaxct date your Dad was on her!
I ask as i have the Crew Lists and he may be listed on one of them!
Cheers

Just at a guess was he Born in Saint Agnes?

[Gulliver]

QUOTE=Castleman
EG Stirling Castle (I know Gulliver has allready given you this Picture)




Not guilty this time,Vernon ! It was courtesy of Brian--Capt.Kong.

Cheers !

[Doc Vernon]

Ooppps! Sorry Gulliver!

That was meant to be Captain Kong!
Cheers Capt!
And thanks Gulliver!

Slip of the Lip haha
Cheers!