From: Richard Pocock, Elizabeth Bay, Sydney, Australia

Thank you for the article on the French transatlantic liner Ile de France. I enjoyed it immensely, in large part because my grandfather, Captain W.E.L.S. Pocock, was appointed by P&O to command her from 1940 until 1943. His was a story of courage and achievement having joined P&O later in life with an Extra Masters in Sail. He took command of Ile de France in Singapore where she had been left by the French. His officers were both English and French. Her luxurious accommodation for 1,200 passengers was immediately converted to house some 4,000 troops. She was further converted in Port Elizabeth a year later, to carry 7000 troops. Living conditions led to at least one significant mutiny by Australian troops. By virtue of her speed, she sailed either on her own or in convoy. On one occasion she sailed in company with Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, Mauretania and Nieuw Amsterdam. Grandfather likened it, together with the host of protective warships, as the Spanish armada. Throughout the war, Ile de France zig zagged her way across the globe avoiding convoy collisions and attacks by U Boats as they sailed between South Africa, Suez, India, Australia, Hawaii, and America. On one occasion they led a sail out from Sydney Harbour followed by Aquitania, Queen of Bermuda, New Amsterdam and Queen Mary with just three warships to protect them. By any standards it remains quite remarkable how the Merchant Navy rose to the occasion of war.

As a boy this proud mariner would sit me on his lap and regale me with stories of life at sea. One was of a large shark that they caught whilst at anchor off Bombay. They cut the stomach open to find a straw hat and a wellington boot. Another explained a serious knife wound to his hand which resulted from trying to prevent a lascar from jumping off the top of the foremast on Viceroy of India. At the age of 14 I went to HMS Worcester and at 16 I joined my first P&O ship, “Salmara” under Captain F.F. irons. At the age of 29 I left P&O and “Canberra” which was under the command of Captain E.G.H. Riddlesdell RD RNR, who had in turn sailed under grandfather. I settled in Australia.

At the end of the war my grandfather was awarded the Cross of Chevalier de l ‘Order du Merite Maritime by a grateful French government. Together with that order, I still have a war time telegram of encouragement that he received from ‘Free French’ – the pseudonym for Charles de Gaulle.

From: JD Filer, Kidwelly

Thank you for including the fine article on the Stanhope Steamship Co. in the March edition.

The photograph of Stanloch brought back memories of my first tanker, Vivien Louise.

I signed on as EDH at Stanlow on the 31st October 1947 for a voyage to the West Indies. Sadly the Master died after a few days at sea. Two Maltese abs did the necessary and we stopped the vessel to commit the body to the sea.

After returning to Stanlow, I signed on for a second voyage, but it was not to be. After 16 days I was paid off with acute bronchitis. Two years later I revisited the vessel at Port Said and found the same 3rd Mate and a greaser were still crew members.

Your photograph shows what can be achieved by removing two sets of goalposts (Norwegian type tanker), replace them with masts, plus build a larger funnel and re-position it more centrally over the stern accommodation block.

I hope to see more similar stories and histories of Trampship owners in the future issues of your excellent magazine.

From: James Souter, Aberdeen

If I may make a small correction to Norman Midlemiss’s interesting article on the anchor Line trio of Circassia, Cilicia and Caledonia. Mr Middlemiss writes that they were powered by twin eight cylinder Fairfield-Doxford opposed piston oil engines. Propulsion was in fact by two four cylinder Fairfield-Doxford opposed piston oil engines of 725 mm bore and 2250 mm combined stroke. The Doxford engine design up to the introduction of the J-Type in 1962 was limited to a maximum of six cylinders.

Mr Middlemiss is not alone in this error as the website “Clydebuilt” while correct for Caledonia gets Circassia wrong in the same way by stating 2 x 8 Cylinder Fairfield-Doxford.

From: Ron Galliers, Auckland, New Zealand

The letter concerning the Bencruachan and the accompanying photograph which was in the December 2014 issue of Shipping Today and Yesterday brought back many memories from when I lived in Durban as a child.

I remember seeing the Bencruachan lying against what has now become the major container wharves in the bay. The way the ship was bent in the middle was a very clear example of how solid the sea can be. The two damaged holds were unloaded and the contents were displayed in a warehouse nearby with all manner of items for sale ‘as is, where is’. I went along with my mum to see what was for sale and remember seeing coir door mats, very water damaged tape recorders and nests of stainless steel bowls, a few of which we bought. I still have one of those bowls in the garden shed.

The southern coast of Africa with its opposing current/wind flow and shallow continental shelf has established itself as a place where a number of ships have experienced the power of the waves. Perhaps the best known of these was the Waratah, a passenger liner which disappeared without a trace ever being found while on a voyage between Durban and East London in 1909. The fact that the Bencruachan survived made people realise that these rogue waves were a reality and not just the figment of a sailor’s imagination. When living in Cape Town, I recall seeing tankers which had lost their bows or suffered other damage when they had hit such waves.

From: John Whitwell, Maryport Maritime Museum

I was interested in the article in March 2015 issue No 301 about the early Japanese ships, it’s about 2 brothers who went to Japan in the 1860,s and settled there, and later the N.Y.K. shipping company was formed.

Robert Neil Walker was born on 27th April 1851 in Maryport, second son to Ann & William Walker. Robert’s father & grandfather had both become master mariners, William eventually going on to become a ship repairer and chandler and one of the most prominent businessmen in Maryport.

Captain Wilson Walker emigrated to Japan and was followed by Captain Robert Walker.

Their goal was to aid the Japanese in the art of shipbuilding using their experience gained working in the busy Maryport shipyards.

In the 1800s Japan had little knowledge of global navigation and shipbuilding. Steam ships were beginning to take over the shipping lines and the Walker brothers experience was much needed.

The Japanese Embassy was contacted and Mr Matsumoto of the Nagasaki shipyard researched the vessel Nilgatu Maru which was commanded by Captain Wilson Walker.

The Birkenhead vessel built in 1855 named Behar, was launched and had a gross tonnage of 1,603 & a 300HP engine. She was built of iron, had bark sails & a screw propeller. The vessel was purchased by the Meiji government who owned it for 20 years until 1875 when it was loaned free to the Mitsubishi Company for a period of 2 years until 1877. Mitsubishi then purchased the vessel due to its deteriorating condition and converted her into a sail powered boat, her name now being Nilgatu Maru.

Captain Walker was appointed to oversee the construction of his first command under the Japanese rising sun flag. It was the Nilgatu Maru which was being converted to a full-rigged sailing ship under his supervision.

On 11th March 1878 she sailed from Yokohama and arrived in London, the first Japanese ship to do so.

In London new engines were installed and her gross tonnage increased to 1,910.

Having sailed from Japan as a sailing ship she returned to Yokohama as a steamer on 25th November 1878. On board were students of the Mitsubishi institute of Mercantile Marine, now Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine who were using the journey as a training exercise in all aspects of seamanship.