mnaguest
 276 February 20 2011 at 18:43:22Full Name: Colin Ball Email: colinball75@hotmail.com Home Town?: Bridgend, South Wales Message Text: I came across this site and organization after meeting an old shipmate of mine from 1969/70. I am particularly interested in meeting anyone who may have sailed on B.P. tankers from 1967-75. Can anyone tell me which tanker is on the home page? I know it is B.P. but cannot make out the name. 277 February 19 2011 at 01:11:42 Full Name: Cameron Diggle Email: cameron.diggle@gmail.com Home Town?: Melbourne, Australia Message Text: Hi, I am writing from Australia. I was looking to find information in regards to my great grandfather Frank Moreton Diggle born 1892. He joined the MN and apparently came to Western Australia in about 1926, never returned back to the UK. Where can I find any info in regards to his service records, medals awarded etc. I believe he was with P&O. I have been searching online for quite some time, and found this site. Any info would be really appreciated. Best Regards, Cameron Diggle 278 February 16 2011 at 13:53:52 Full Name: james barnes Email: barnesjimo1@msn.com Home Town?: sheffield south yorkshire Message Text: just to air a suspicion has this happened to any more of you ? i have recently joined this site 3 or 4 days now and have noticed a substantial amount of Junk mail from scamers offering me loads of cash from lost inheritences and windfalls or even money laundering. i am of a suspicion that some bad guys are using or monitoring the guest sign in email addresses. just a suspicion and not laying the blame on the site which i think is good otherwise. OLD SAILOR 279 February 15 2011 at 14:36:39 Full Name: Derek Overton Email: derek.overton2@ntlworld.com Home Town?: Billingham Message Text: thank's to this site i have found three of my ships,r.f.a. wave chief;harpalycus;tynewood 280 February 14 2011 at 20:35:38 Full Name: eric fisher Email: eric.fisher052@sympatico.ca Home Town?: Manchester, now Canada Message Text: re entry 1310, Convoy HX 348. I was aboard the Danish ship Asbjorn in that convoy when 2 ships were sunk.One was the tanker in the adjacent column.The ship was fully on fire at about noon on that day as B. McGee noted in his reply. You can find a list of the ships in many convoys from Arnold Hague's database as I have done for my biography. Good Luck. Will gladly oblige with any info I have. Had many years during and after the war in the M.N. Dis. Book R262245 Eric Fisher 281 February 14 2011 at 09:56:40 Full Name: Knut Weinrich Email: kw@knutweinrich.de Home Town?: Hamburg, Germany Message Text: Dear Sir or Madam, I am a German filmmaker working on a TV-documentary on war crimes committed by the German Navy in WWII, a documentary for the public broadcaster NDR (www.ndr.de). On kind of war crime the German Navy was involved in was obviously the attacking of ships of the Merchant Navy not escorted in a convoy. I am looking for veterans who served on ships which were attacked. Yours sincerely Knut Weinrich Butenfeld 40 22529 Hamburg 282 February 13 2011 at 09:04:53 Full Name: Robert Harland Email: rharland@mozcom.com Home Town?: Bacolod City, Philippines Message Text: I came across your excellent website quite by accident today. It brought back many memories. In the mid 60s when I was a student in Southampton, I had a summer-long break so decided to join the Merchant Navy as a steward. I had previously worked my summer holidays with Red Funnel Isle of Wight ferries. I was duly hired and joined Cunard's Franconia as a tourist class steward. Alas I was not very good. Old hands had a betting ring to see how many trays I would drop. Needless to say I did not have the makings of a career merchant seaman, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. To this say still dine out on my many experiences. Cheers! 283 February 13 2011 at 00:14:19 Full Name: Richard Quartermaine Email: zaz581@live .com Home Town?: Katoomba, Blue Mountains, Australia Message Text: I was delighted to find images of the SS Beltana. My father sailed on her prior to the 1st World War I have a photo of him in a group of shipmates whilst aboard. In 1924 my father crewed on her sister ship the SS Benalla where he met my mother and they both immigrated to Australia. I was in the MN from January 1947 to March 1953 with Port Line, Shaw Saville, Burns Philp, AUSN, Adelaide Steamship and Western Australia State shipping. Cheers, Richard Quartermaine 284 February 09 2011 at 22:00:39 Full Name: Phil Connor Email: hollysnan@gmail.com Home Town?: Dublin, Ireland Message Text: I left a few messages in Sept/Oct regarding a search for a Ray Luttman, who I was trying to trace for a friend of mine. I am very happy to say, thanks to the gracious help from Tim and Pat, that they have been reunited after almost 50 years. Thanks also to the kind members who e-mailed me directly and offered advice. In grateful appreciation, Phil Connor 285 February 09 2011 at 13:55:56 Full Name: Frazer Irwin Email: teamkissoff@gmail.com Home Town?: Ilkley, West Yorkshire Message Text: Hi, I'm making enquiries/looking for help for a young chap in Harare - Zimbabawe - who wishes to join a Merchant Navy. First as a 'cadet' but leading to further things. He's twenty and very keen to join a ship. Whatever you can offer will be a great help. For myself, the nearest I came to serving in any Navy was a week on TS Foudroyant in 1959 (now renamed HMS Trincomalee) an experience I have never forgotten. For good reasons I may add. Great website btw. 286 February 07 2011 at 15:20:29 Full Name: greg maclean Email: gregorm7@aol.com Home Town?: leith,scotland. Message Text: i was a vindi boy (deck) in 1964, i then 34 years deep-sea, am now on the pilot boats on the firth of forth, been off sick for the last few months and i`m expecting to be forced into early retirement soon, dreading not being a seaman anymore. 287 February 06 2011 at 03:55:46 Full Name: jim barnes Email: barnesjimo1@msn.com Home Town?: sheffield Message Text: Indefatigable trained 1967 left merch 1975 married.sailed tankers general cargo oil rig supply deep sea salvage (OTS) deck hand to EDH.never got rid of the salt in my veins. still miss it but passed it now.Any one remembers me get intouch. Jim 288 February 06 2011 at 00:15:03 Full Name: paul hagan Email: hagan114@hotmail.co.uk Home Town?: leicester Message Text: hi , i joined shell tankers in 1977 the first ship being the super tanker lanistes then a three castle floating rust hulk the acavus, other ships being alinda,achatina,lapeta,lyria,pomella.paladina,isocardia,isomeria,eburna, erodona, ervilia,and a few more, i ended up as po deck, even now i wish i was still serving my biggest regret was coming out, you just cant beat the life and the comraderyship, not to mention the weather, i guese once youve been to sea it stays with you. since coming outin1987 ive done a few yacht races ie the fast net 2009, the caribean r.o.r.c 600 in 2010 and cowes week in 2010. i would love to hear from anyone who also served with shell tankers from 1977 to 1987. gravesend my god what a place, magorron in life boat drill what a man ha. my e mail address is hagan114@hotmail.co.uk 289 February 02 2011 at 15:57:53 Full Name: george knight Email: gknight960@gmail.com Home Town?: shrewsbury Message Text: hi all engineers on Silverline please mail if known 290 January 23 2011 at 16:31:30 Full Name: john ellis Email: jdellis45@hotmail.com Home Town?: penicuik/st.john's nfld Message Text: george gordon tried to email you re cairngowan with no success i would like to here from you 291 January 21 2011 at 22:45:01 Full Name: karl crook Email: karlcrooksnr@xtra.co.nz Home Town?: hamilton Message Text: was a member some time ago but lapsed forgot my password trying to contact seamen who sailed 59 60 and were at the fireman,s training school newcastle england nov 1959 292 January 18 2011 at 19:17:43 Full Name: Sandra Daniels Email: daniels605@aol.com Home Town?: W. Yorks Message Text: Any information would be more than appreciated regarding my Grandads background who'm I never knew or met.He was Samuel Roberts Pretoria McKenzie a merchant seaman who served in WW11, maybe before and after. His discharge no:R.187713 He was born in 1900 in Stockton on Tees. At some point he worked at the chemical plant and had a brother Robert McKenzie and a sister Isabella McKenzie. His father was Robert Harper Mckenzie and his mother was Isabella (knee Russell). In 1935 he was maybe living in Billingham with viola Richardson (knee Smith)from Tynemouth. They had a son Robert where he was born in 1935 at 49 Mill Lane Billingham. No matter how small the information is it will be treasured as I myself am 50yrs.Thank you for taking the time in reading this. 293 January 17 2011 at 15:37:33 Full Name: Michael Fleming Email: pauline.hamish@btinternet.com Home Town?: Bristol Message Text: Just to let you know that at long last I have updated the Bristol web site - www.bristolmerchantnavy.com Yours Michael 294 January 12 2011 at 18:53:16 Full Name: James McVeigh Email: jamesmcveigh@btinternet.com Home Town?: Brighton Message Text: I was an engineer cadet at South Shields Marine and Technical College from 1975-9 and served on Tate and Lyle and CP Ships until 1985. 295 January 02 2011 at 00:16:16 Full Name: Peter Mulvany Email: mulvanypeterie@yahoo.co.uk Home Town?: Dublin, Ireland Message Text: Hello Shipmates, Concerned that the history of individual seafarers who were killed as a result of belligerent action while serving on Irish registered vessels during world war two will be lost through historical amnesia, and to preserve their memory, a new project has been inaugurated to invite relatives of those who died on Irish ships during the emergency and who wish to have their own personal family experiences of that time recorded for posterity, to write up their own story and forward same to the email address below. It is intended to publish in due course a compilation of all articles submitted on our website and in book format. Articles submitted by relatives of Irish born merchant seamen captured while serving on British or Allied vessels and who were imprisoned in the Arbeitserziehungslager/Slave Labour Camp in Bremen Farge 1943-45 will also be included. Any photographs, documents etc loaned will be returned. Contact Peter Mulvany Chairperson http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org 296 December 30 2010 at 11:25:04 Full Name: Billy McGee Email: Billy1963@ntlworld.com Home Town?: Stockton-on-Tees Message Text: It is with deep sadness that I have just been informed of the death of Bill Short 29/12/10. Bill spent four days in an open boat in temperatures of –10. after his ship the SS Induna was sunk in 1942. After being rescued warm water had to be siphoned into his stomach as ice crystals had formed. He then had both legs amputated without anaesthetic due to frostbite. At the time he was just 22 years old. Cargo ship Induna, 5,086grt, (Maclay & McIntyre) loaded with war materials and cased petrol at New York for the Russian port of Murmansk left Sydney, Cape Breton in the 35 ship Convoy SC-63 on the 3rd January 1942. 10 days out the after being hampered by severe storm, which forced ten ships to return to port, the Induna left the convoy and set course for Iceland where the ship would join up with the 21 ship Convoy PQ-13, sailing from Reykjavik on the 20th March. Three days later as the temperature dropped the convoy encountered a full arctic gale and during the evening of the 25th March, the Induna became detached from the convoy and as daylight approached, the ship was sailing all alone. Later on during the day, the ship encountered several more ships from the scattered remnants of PQ-13. By the 28th March, the weather subsided and apart from the occasional snow squall, the weather remained fairly clear. By the evening, the Induna had entered an ice field and took the escort vessel HMS Silja in tow who was running short of fuel as well as taking onboard sixteen survivors picked up from the SS Ballot by the escort ship. By the 29th, the weather once again blew up and the towline to the escort vessel parted and the Induna lost touch with the ship and had no choice to battle onto Murmansk. On the morning of the 30th March in rough seas North-East of the Kola Inlet a torpedo from U-376 detonated in number five hold containing the cased petrol and blew up setting the ship ablaze. The order to abandon ship was given and the lifeboats were launched as the ship settled by the stern. U-376 then fired a second torpedo which detonated in number 4 hold and the ship started to sink stern first with the bow rising high into the air the ship plummeted to the depths in position 70’ 55N 37’ 18N. The two lifeboats became separated and for four days, the survivors battled the seas in temperatures as low as –10 degrees, a number dying along the way and their bodies being committed to the deep. Finally, a Russian minesweeper found both lifeboats and the men finally arrived at Murmansk on the 3rd April where a number of men died from severe frostbite. Other survivors had to have limbs amputated without anaesthetic. Fair winds and calm seas Bill. 297 December 29 2010 at 22:43:28 Full Name: Ann Hansen Email: Home Town?: Tweed Heads Australia Message Text: Does anyone have a photograph of the MN ship Empire Dryden who was lost in April 1942. The ship was builkt at Doxfords in Sunderland. 298 December 28 2010 at 17:49:58 Full Name: Paul Douglas Email: Paul@MinervaTraining.com Home Town?: Gerrards Cross, England Message Text: I would like to get in touch with John Harold Thorne-Booth who posted a message in this guest book on 9th June 2008 giving a home town of Nelson Bay, NSW and an email address of thorne@exemail.com.au. I believe that he is the cousin of my son-in-law's grandmother. I have tried the email address given but have received no reply. Will John or anybody who knows of him please send me an email. Thanks Paul Douglas 299 December 24 2010 at 19:29:03 Full Name: Tim Brant, MNA National Secretary Email: mna.national@virgin.net Home Town?: Message Text: World War II Uncommemorated War Dead. A tremendous effort put into this project with its completion by Billy McGee. The next step is for acceptance by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The project was started by Peter Sharpe but he was unable to continue with it due to a heavy workload and Billy very kindly took over the project in which he has done sterling work. 300 December 24 2010 at 19:04:56 Full Name: Tim Brant, MNA National Secretary Email: mna.national@virgin.net Home Town?: Message Text: A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. Tim Brant National Secretary, MNA << 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 >>
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