PWSTS Forum for Old Boys, Family and Friends

I have just been toldthatKen left the Merchant Navy in 1960 somy dates were a bit out. So any time in the 50's if you remember Ken

Hello john

thank you so much Ken will love looking at these do you know him?

do you know where I can get a crew list for when he was on board the port Victor?

Hello Jeanette,

I was deckboy on the Port Victor in 1960/61 and I too remember her as a good ship with a good crew. I don't remember Ken himself as deck and engine room didn't mix too much back then and as a first-tripper I was all agoggle with what was over the horizon as well as trying to keep my nose clean pretending I knew what I was doing. I only did one home coasting and one deep sea to Australia and Tasmania with her but remember her coming back over the Indian Ocean giving a cough and a splutter from Ken's domain with a perfect smoke ring blown from the funnel almost every day at noon, to lie wallowing for an hour or two while Ken and his like worked the oracle down below. Luckily it was bright and sunny up top with no sea running so we didn't mind a bit, apart from getting a bit anxious about the delay in getting home.
She was getting old by then though and had had a hard life as she was built during WW2 and whilst building was taken over by the admiralty as an auxiliary aircraft carrier and named HMS Nairana and sailed on the Arctic convoys amongst others. At the end of hostilities she was passed to the Dutch navy as the Karel Dorman I believe before being handed back to Port Line in around 1947 I think.

As a know-nothing junior deckie I wasn't too pleased at times as I then had to polish two ships bells and remember HMS Nairana on one and Port Victor on the other but they did look good after applying a bit of elbow grease in requisite proportions. She was twin screwed with space for reefer (cold storage) cargo so Ken had plenty to do and I remember picking up a cargo of apples in Tasmania which were timed to ripen on the way home to be in perfect condition when they hit the shops in England so I guess those delays were a worry to someone and no doubt passed on to Ken and his mates down below.

Best of greetings to Ken and I'm sure he'd love to curl your hair and make you laugh with tales of his time on board and many thanks to you and yours Jeanette for looking after an old sea dog in his time of need.

Best regards,
Mike

 

Port Line have a Yahoo Groups site called Vintage Port,,there is a lot of information on it.

 

Regards

Dave

Good one Dave mate vintage port is great site lots of names of ships and crew lists deck engine room and catering staff
Am member of it myself and few off this site who sailed with Port Line
Am sure if you check site out Jeanette look for crews through out the 50s

Ken may be remember of same names

Good luck

Hi again Jeanette,

You can get more on Port Line if you Google Red-Duster.co.uk/PORT4.htm or Port Line-Merchant Navy Nostalgia by Ian Coombe and if you go on to You Tube you'll find Port Line Ships and Port Line Ships 2 by Malcolm Wyatt with Port Victor at 8.50 on Port line Ships. (Hope you like Rod Stewart!)

For serious research most MN records are kept in the National Archives at Kew and called Merchant Navy "Pockets" but it can get a bit confusing trying to find your way around.

Hope this is not too much information so good luck with it all.

Mike