Date: 28 Jun 2006

Thank you for bringing back some good memories of the Deck Boy School and YMCA where I stayed in the 70's then sailing Coastal with Elderdempsters and Glen Line moving on to the Far East with the Blue Funnel Line and Protesilaus. It was interesting to see she changed her name and was then hit by a missile in the Persian Gulf. Great site Thank You again Nick Wileman.

Hi Nick, Many thanks for your comments. Mr Gwyn Jones lent me the YMCA photographs, and much of the material for the Blue Funnel pages, for which I'm most grateful, so we can share them with like minded people. Regards Tony 

Date: 29 Jun 2006

I am trying to find a record of my uncle, Claude Campbell, who was a seaman with the Blue Funnel Line. He was last heard from in the 1920's. Thank you very much, Judy Balcombe, balcombe@netspace.net.au

Thanks for getting in touch Judy, we have left your e-mail address here, in the hope that someone out there might be able to help, Regards Tony.

Date: 01 Jul 2006

You have a great site I have found a lot of information regarding my family. Many thanks to you.  I was born in Bwlchtocyn and now live in Derby.  I am looking for any information you may have or can find regarding Griffith Griffiths born around 1809 in the parish of Llanengan.  I know he was a Mariner and that his wife Ellinor was widowed by 1861, I know he drowned at sea but that’s it.  I would be most grateful if you could find any information regarding this matter.  Diolch yn fawr ichi. Tom Griffiths

Many thanks for your comments. Sorry but we don't have much information before 1861. The only place that we can think of that may be of help is The Welsh Mariners website, which is a great source of knowledge. Regards Tony. http://www.welshmariners.org.uk 

Date: 07 Jul 2006

Great collection or as we say in US Navy BRAVO ZULU but I missed not seeing KING'S ARM in Kobe one of my favorites of 50-years ago on aircraft carrier port calls. Bud Hoff Capt USN-ret  Alexandria Va.

Thanks for your comments Capt, I did venture into the King's Arms once or twice, but it wasn't what you would call your average Far Eastern "Girlie Bar" but more like an English country pub. Quite out of place in down town Kobe!!! Regards Tony.

Date: 08 July 2006

Thank you for bringing back some good memories of the Deck Boy School and YMCA where I stayed in the 70's then sailing Coastal with Elderdempsters and Glen Line moving on to Far East with the Blue Funnel Line and Protesilaus I will see if I have any memorabilia you can use and email it to you Thanks again Nick.

Many thanks for your comments Nick, we look forward to hearing from you, Regards Tony

Date: 14 Jul 2006

Love your website...I am looking for working plans of Blue Star Line Ship.. Australia Star 1  1935...can you help me
Cheers Shane Doyle
Many thanks for your comments, please could you e-mail us, and we will put you in touch with someone, who may be able to help, Rg Tony.

Date: 15 Jul 2006

Very good website and I see one of my old Ships which I sailed on back in the 1960s " Plainsman " James Edgar Liverpool
Many thanks James, there was a lot of Llyn seafarers working on the Harrison line as well. I was never on one myself, but I believe they were good jobs. Rg Tony 

Date: 18 Jul 2006

I found your site while looking for information on Nevin.  What a great site!!  Really enjoyed all the information about the men of the sea and pictures of the ships.  A pleasure to visit with you.  Thank you for all the hard work and dedication it must have taken to put the site together. Heather Rouse

Hi Heather, Glad you found the website enjoyable, and we hope that you call again soon, Regards Gwenllian.

Date: 29 Jul 2006

Enjoyed the website of the Welsh Navy tremendously. Many thanks. I left Holts 40 years ago (as Mate) and now live on top of a hill in central Texas, 100 miles away from the sea, where there are NO ships and NO hurricanes. My father was on the Conway when anchored in the Mersey when it froze before the Menai straits had been colonized, and Deck Boys joined Holts who didn't speak English  More recently I lived near the lady from League City (12 July comment). Nostalgic Richard Dixon.

Thanks for your interesting addition to our guest book, glad you like the site, Rg Tony

Date: 29 Jul 2006

Thank you for an interesting and informative site. My gg-grandfather Daniel Davies (b 1813) was a mariner and came from the area of Tydweiliog. He sailed as mate on the vessel "Ellen" in 1860 was Captain of the "Sea Lark" in 1869 and his last vessel "Clara" was lost in 1870. I would like to hear from anyone with similar interest and I would especially like to trace him in 1841. Best wishes Chris.

We have a copy of the 1841 census for Llyn, but a lot of the villages are illegible. But we will look up Tudweiliog, to see if your family is on it, Rg Gwenllian.

Date: 31 Jul 2006

Unbelievingly the best blue funnel site I have seen.

Many thanks for your comments, we will be adding more on to the Blue Funnel pages shortly, Regards Tony

Date: 06 Aug 2006

Thank you for your site which brought back many memories of Blue Funnel.  I worked in India Buildings in the Inward Freight Department from 1968 and then Bills of Lading until the last Blue Funnel sailing from Liverpool which was a very sad day. My only trip on a Blue Funnel ship was a coastal trip from Liverpool to Glasgow and back to Birkenhead on Ascanius shortly after she had returned from a spell with Elders. Thanks once again for your site and all the hard work that must have been put into it. Bob Vague.

Many thanks for your very interesting comments Bob, I'm very glad you like you like my Blue Funnel pages, but it has been a labour of love, Regards Tony

Date: 18 Aug 2006

Capt Nick Bennett

Sailed on:- Clan Malcolm, Clan Maclaren, Clan Graham, Clan Ross - Nee Kinpurnie Castle, Clan MacGreggor, Clan Macintosh, Pendennis Castle,King James and Rotherwick Castle. I'm still afloat!!! Good to see there's still interest

Best wishes Nick.

Many thanks for your comments Capt.  Regards Tony

Date: 06 Sep 2006

Wonderful site, found images of my grandfather's vessel 'Centurion' he sailed from the UK in 1907 as ships carpenter, disembarked Newcastle N.S.W Australia in February,1908 with illness.  Never to return home. Would like to obtain copies of photo's
Sincerely
Spencer G Jones
Bellingen N.S.W.

Thanks for getting in touch Spencer. I'll have a look through the scans, and hopefully will be able to send you a large image of the "Centurion". Regards Tony

Date: 20 Sep 2006

Yr wyf yn cysidro a oeddwn yn adnabod Tony ar longau caergybi,a oedd o yn gweithio i lawr yr 'injan room'? Pob hwyl. Meirion.

Helo Meirion, Ar dec oeddwn i pan oeddwn ar longau Caergybi, o Ionawr 1979 dan Fehefin 1995. Mi oeddwn yn Q.M. ar y Stena Cambria, am y dair blynedd olaf. Hwyl Tony.

Date: 23 Sep 2006

Great Site and Credit to those responsible for creating. Brought back lots of memories of ships  and companies mentioned, having served with some of companies mentioned whilst serving in Merchant navy myself after leaving Gravesend Sea School 1952 thence left Merchant navy  1990
Colin Attey.

Glad you enjoyed our Maritime section, it certainly was a labour of love setting it up, and I hope to add more over the coming months. Rg Tony.

Date: 28 Sep 2006
349
Tracey Grimsley, Bangor.

My grandfather was Hugh Jones from Amlwch (Dempsey was his nickname) and he died after falling from the Kylebank in 1952.  I found an article in the local archives office when researching the family tree:

Amlwch Officer’s Fate: Swept Away By Sea

“Chief Officer Hugh Jones, aged 40, of the 969 tons collier ‘Kylebank’ was swept away and presumed drowned on Monday when he was endeavouring to free the ship’s anchor, which was fouled by a length of wood.  His home was at No.2 Council Houses, Burwen Road, Amlwch, and he leaves a widow and three children.

The collier was anchored in Barry Roads, outside the dock entrance, and Mr Jones went over the side in the bosun’s chair, watched by several members of the crew.  He was trying to clear the wood when the chair swung out and he fell into the sea.

A witness said Mr Jones was wearing a heavy overcoat and was seen struggling to get it off.  He grasped lifebelts which were thrown to him, but was swept away.”

I would be interested to hear from anyone who worked alongside Hugh or knew Hugh.  Also his brothers Colin McLeod Marshall who drowned in Hamble and John Norman Marshal (Johnny).  Ant information would be gratefull received.

Hi Tracey, If you e-mail us we will try our best to help you with this very sad account, Regards Gwenllian.

Date: 29 Sep 2006
350
Hi, stumbled across this site and very interested to read about Capt. Roberts, I sailed with him in 1966 and would love to have more details about him today  many thanks   by the way .  Is the page available in English   regards   Maurice Day

Hi Maurice, Yes the page is in English, in the Llyn and the Sea section. Rg Tony

Date: 07 Oct 2006

Dear Tony,

My compliments for this brilliant site about Blue Funnel. My father sailed on many of the "Dutch" blue funnel ships as a chief officer and master. This gave me the opportunity to sail on a number of coastal trips from Liverpool to Hamburg and Amsterdam on blue funnels "Laertus" "Eumaeus" "Polydorus"and "Adrastus". Greetings

Dirk 't Lam - Zoetermeer - Holland.

Many thanks for your comments Dirk. Regards Gwenllian.

Date: 26 Oct 2006

I would like as much information as possible about the Reina Del Pacifico - more importantly from the years 1957 when she ran aground off bermuda.  My Father George Quilliam was at the wheel of the ship at the time and would love to hear from anybody who was around in this period.  Many Thanks - Christine Quilliam (christinequilliam@hotmail.com)

I think shipsnostalgia would be a good place to try and get some info, there's a link on our maritime links page, which you may find helpful. Regards Gwenllian

Date:        05 Nov 2006

maynard (manny)smith, mn. ret.  at sea. 1950.-1960.
then instuctor' 1960-1966 vindicatrix .tsharpness.glos.training ship.
just found your very enjoyable site. my father was. welsh. from ton pentre, rhonda valley.will be looking at your site often. I live in the forest of
dean. gloucestershire

Many thanks for your comments Manny. Regards Gwenllian

Date:        05 Dec 2006

maynard (manny)smith, mn. ret.  at sea. 1950.-1960.
then instuctor' 1960-1966 vindicatrix .tsharpness.glos.training ship.
just found your very enjoyable site. my father was. welsh. from ton pentre, rhonda valley.will be looking at tour site often. I live in the forest of
dean. gloucestershire.

Thanks for getting in touch and glad you enjoyed the website. Regards Gwenllian

Date:  8 Dec2006

Hello
I have just come across your excellent web-site and thoroughly enjoyed searching through it. My own connection with Blue Funnel was as travelling to Hong Kong as a child aged 10 in 1956. It remains the most exciting time of my life and I often think about the Ascanius. I have collected, from various web-sites, pictures of many of the ships for my personal enjoyment but have yet to come across any interior photos, particularly of the A Class ships, of which the Ascanius was, I believe, one. Thank you so much for your entertaining site, I shall visit it often.

Mike Downing
(mdowning@toucansurf.com)

Hi Mike, Thanks for commenting and hopefully an interior photo will  turn up soon. Keep looking in, we have a few more Blue Funnel pages to add in the next few weeks. Regards Gwenllian

Date: 17 Dec 2006

I have spent another extremely pleasurable hour trawling through Rhiw.com. It gets better and better,anhygoel.Meirion

Thanks for the comments Meirion, the New Year should see a few more Blue Funnel memories, so keep looking in. Regards Tony
 

Date:  18 Dec 2006

Enjoyed the web of the Blue funnel line ships,I sailed with them for 11years, first ship Menelaus,( football posts), perseus on maiden voyage, then on a number of A boats, Jason, helenus, last ship was the Pyrrus, this web brought back lots of memories, thank you for that,   sincierly  pete rodgers, (ex A.B )

Thanks for your comments Pete, if you have any photos of the Blue Funnel ships you sailed on please let us know. Regards Tony

Date: 31 Dec 2006

I had the pleasure of joining the Jason in Melbourne in 1966 as a junior engineer. After several voyages I joined the Nestor on the Singapore Aussie run, we took her back to the UK where she became the Glenafric. I did a trip on the Calchas to the Far East then a quick trip down to West Africa on the Oti. Deciding to return to Australia I shipped out to Singapore on the super P Priam then flew home from there. My father sailed with Blue Flu as a leckie and my grandfather was a mate that was torpedoed during the war. I am still working as an engineer and over the years have met a lot of ex Blue flu people working in Aussie.Within our industry ex Bluies engineers are held in high regard although there aren't many of us left working these days. I enjoyed my time with the company. I think at the time there were about 8 Aussies working in the company.
My name is Ian Berry and I can be contacted by Email, thank you for the web site and photos.

Many thanks for your comments Ian, I'm glad you like our Blue Funnel pages, and all the very best for the New Year. Regards Tony

Date: 21 Jan 2007

Good day to you all.
I was a Midshipman from October 1964 till September 1969 and my first trip was on the Autolicus from Liverpool to Hong Kong and back. Your web site is very well presented and I will return to search and read the full site with many memories being recalled.

Paul J. Baxter
Living in Perth WA

Thanks for writing in our Guest book Paul, and I'm glad that you found my pages interesting.  Regards Tony

Date:   29 Jan 2007

Hi all
my name is Ernest Cowan Taylor, and i was a chief engineer with blue funnel from 1948 until retirement in 1983, then office working until 1986, now living in Spain, would love to get in touch with old shipmates! please email me at gerry@landofolives.com, and congrats on fantastic site

regards
Ernest Taylor

Hope you get loads of response Ernest. Regards Gwenllian

Date: 31 Jan 2007

Hi
My name is Tony Brand and I am currently Chairman of the Liverpool Pilots. I was a cadet with Ocean Fleets from 1975 - 1979, when I was made redundant. On passage out of the Mersey to Point Lynas on Sunday I spotted what appeared to be a familiar vessel alongside in Seaforth. The name "Expert" did not mean anything to me but my wife used her internet search skills to discover that the ship was built as Menestheus at Nagasaki in 1977. She was in fact my last ship as cadet. Love the site
Regards
Tony Brand

Many thanks for your comments Tony. Regards Gwenllian

Date: 20 Feb 2007

Hallo Rhiw.com
Greetings from Norway!! You have a great website.
Extremely impressive  well done!! My interest is specially your great picture from offshore and the D.S.V. Seawell.
I'll be back again soon!

Kindest Regard from Bjarne http://home.online.no/~bjaholte/

Hi Bjarne, Thanks for getting in touch, and glad you like our pages on the Seawell. Regards Tony

Date: 08 Mar 2007

Hello, just found your excellent site. I joined Ocean Fleets in 1974 as a deck cadet and stayed in Aulis in Liverpool. I sailed on a few Blue Funnel ships namely- Agapenor & Melampus, when they both came out of the Suez Canal in 1975, Atreus in 1976, Lycaon in 1978/79, Phrontis in 1979, Melampus in 1980/1/2(8 trips) Other ships served in include, Dalla, Forcados, Pegu, Daru, Liverpool Bay, Dolphin Point, Sherbro and Studland Bay (ex Maron, I think) My cousin was Hugh Griffiths whose photos you have on your site and it was because of him I joined the Merchant navy.

Many thanks for the memories, Gareth Griffiths, Tudweiliog.

Hi Gareth, Thanks for comments. If you have any photos or memories you'd like to include on our Llyn Seafarers pages please get in ouch with us. Regards Gwenllian

Date: 09 Mar 2007
419
Bore Da!  I sailed with Blue Funnel in the fifties; Memnon; Myrmidon; Mentor; Euryades; Patroclus; Perseus; Neleus and others. I have just found your site and like the looks of it. Although born and bred in England I am half Welsh and now a resident of the United States.
  Thank you for this site; Gorau dymuniad   Keith BRanton

Hi Keith, Many thanks for your comments. We hope you find the website interesting and that it'll bring back a few memories of your seafaring days. Regards Gwenllian

Date:  09 Mar 2007
420
Wonderful site and keeping our old memories of Blue Funnel and Glen alive.

I would like to hear from anyone who was a crew member of any M or N class vessel who traversed the Suez Canal  and may think they were the ship in Lawrence of Arabia.

I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR FROM J. HUGHES WHO WAS A CREW MEMBER OF MELAMPUS. PLEASE E MAIL ME AT CLYTONEUS@SYMPATICO.CA. OR BLUEFUNNEL@SYMPATICO.CA.

Take care everyone and thanks for helping in trying to PROVE which ship it was in the goof shot of the film.

Capt. John Bax. BELLEVILLE. ONTARIO. CANADA

ex Blue Funnel and Starits Steamship. Singapore.

Hi John, Let's hope that J Hughes looks in and gets in touch with you. Many thanks for your kind comments. Regards Tony.

Date: 16 Mar 2007


Just looking in following a trail for info on m.v. Lycaon with Dutch Flag.

Interesting site and will return for a longer look later.

Mark V. Colman
(Port Line  66-81)

Date: 19 Mar 2007

Hi - just found your website.  Brilliant!   I did 3 trips as a cadet with Blue Funnel in 1951/52: s/s Melampus (built 1924); Aeneas; Hector.  I wonder if there are any former shipmates out there.  Does anyone have a wartime history of the Melampus?
David Hadfield, Talybont, Ceredigion

Date: 22 Mar 2007

Hi just came across your website, looking for blue flue websites after a nostalgic trip to Liverpool last week. I joined in 1968,sailed on Theseus, later onto bay boats, finishing on Peisander for chief`s combined motor time. Would like to hear from any past shipmates. Keep up the good work
Geoff Brant - gbrant@btinternet.com

Date: 25 Mar 2007


Fantastic web site of MN nostalgia.
Ex Junior Electrician
Melampus Suez 1967

Date: 13 May 2007

There is much more to see - so will return later. Meantime I was very interested to see the photographs of coastal vessels from the collection of John Griffith Jones. In your introduction to his collection you refer to Liverpool - others may have been in contact and you may now know that the majority, I am confident, were taken at Preston. Many of the Preston photos show vesssels entering or leaving the outer lock or passing through the half tide basin which were always popular locations for photography. Others show vessels within the dock at Preston, coming alongside or at berth, and in many ways these are more interesting as I have seen fewer of these. Do you know if Mr Griffith Jones had any connections with Preston? Was he a seafarer or involved in the shipping industry? Am I right in concluding this is only a part of his collection? If it is, the chances are his collection includes more photographs taken at Preston. In his lifetime the Diversion Quay would still have been open and as far as I can ascertain photographs of shipping at this wharf are rare - I have never seen one. It would be interesting to know more.
I grew up overlooking the Ribble Estuary which sparked my interest in the sea. This developed into a career - initially shoreside with Ben Line and then moving into shipping agency and ship broking.
With kind regards
John Knight

Many thanks for getting in touch John. I knew that some of them were taken in Liverpool, but had no idea that most were taken at Preston. The three albums that we borrowed from Mr Jones's son gave no indication of the locations, only brief descriptions on some of the ships e.g. if they had called at various quarries around Llyn, or were lost around our coast. And I assume, that this was his only interest in these vessels. This is the complete collection, as far as we know.

Thanks once again for passing this interesting information on to us. Regards Tony