About Us

Memories and current activities from Liverpool’s Retired Merchant Seafarers.

Our Contributors:

TIM BRUNSDEN
Tim is a Film and Video Maker creating films with a focus on community culture, capturing events and helping people to share their stories. He is really interested in the maritime history of Liverpool and has been involved in the Liverpool Ships and Sailors website since 2012.

TOM HUTCHINSON
Tom has grown up around Merseyside and has always been fascinated by the region’s rich maritime heritage, and the unique seagoing culture of Liverpool. He currently runs a blog on the bygone age of ocean liners and, having studied Liverpool’s maritime legacy, he will be bringing some unique stories and little-known tales of Liverpool’s ships and sailors to this site!

JAMES R HART
At sea in the Merchant Navy since 1972 (and still here!).  A wide list of shipping lines dating back to the old ‘Pool’ system of supply, plus all the places worldwide which ships traded, and keen to sustain the primary sources of MN knowledge thereof. Especially interested in seamen’s welfare and support organisations.

CONTACT US
email: info@liverpoolshipsandsailors.com
Mobile: 07871570576
Twitter: @LiverpoolShips

This Post Has 17 Comments

  1. Username* says:

    In the early part of 1955 I was in Melbourne, Australia on a Blue Star cargo ship. Across the dock from us was the Blue Funnel Ship ‘Helenus’ and at that time the English cricket team (they then toured as the MCC) were in Australia defending the ‘Ashes’ that they had won at home in 1954. The test match in Adelaide finished in a draw which meant that the MCC retained the ‘Ashes’.
    The ‘Helenus Dressed Ship’ with flags from Stem to Stern and a flag message that read ‘The MCC Hold Yet Again’ and ran a bag (ashes) to the top of the mast. This infuriated the Aussie Dockers who demanded that unless the flags and ‘ashes’ were taken down, they would stop work. I heard from a crew member of the Helenus that the Captain’s retort to their threat was ‘if they couldn’t take it then the shouldn’t dish it out’ (which they did regularly) and that the flags an ‘ashes’ were there for the day.
    The Dockers walked off the ship but after a time when they were told that they wouldn’t be getting any pay they returned to work Flags and all flying above them.
    I had a little camera and I took a photo of the Helenus, flying her flags and although it was only a little Black and White one it always brought a smile any time I looked at it. Thirty five years later I was to meet someone who made models of ships and told me that he had just made a model of the Helenus and when I told him the story he asked me if he could borrow the photo to have it copied. Unfortunately I let him borrow it (silly me) and was to never see it again as much as I tried to contact him.

    The above story of the Helenus was just one of two stories about her. It was usual when discharging and loading cargo around Australia that one saw the same ships in the different ports as we moved around. As well as the Helenus the first German ship
    to visit Australia since the end of WW2 the ‘Wesserstein’ was also one of the ships we encountered around the ports. After Melbourne we went to Sydney and both ships were there. After Sydney we headed for Brisbane and on the afternoon before we were due in Brisbane we found that the Wesserstein was slowly overtaking us on our Starboard side even though our captain had us steaming full out at 18 knots. It was only then we noticed that the Helenus was overtaking the Wesserstein on her Starboard side (national pride?). As the day moved into night both ships disappeared over the horizon but when we arrived at the mouth of the Brisbane River early next morning both the Helenus and Wesserstein were hove to waiting for us because it transpired that as we were berthing further up river we would go first (The Hare and the Tortoise comes to mind).

    Michael Lappin

  2. Good afternoon

    I have just been speaking to my Mum here in Jersey who is now 85 yrs old,her father George Hairon worked on the Blue funnel line in the thirties. He moved house here in Jersey just before the Germans occupied and his papers went to his old address and he missed his ship and spent the war in the occupied island. Could someone please let me know if there is a list of serving seaman of the Blue Funnel line I would love to be able to show something to Mum.

    Many thanks

    Gary Le Marrec

  3. Davy says:

    What a fascinating site this is.I joined Blue Funnel line as a catering boy in 1952. I trained on the Conway just before she came to a sad end in the Menai Sraits.I am not a scoucer I lived in a small Somersrt village,my urge to go to sea was so great that my parents got in touch with a friend in Birkenhead who knew a blue funnel captain Ffoulkes who in turn spoke for me and before I knew it I was on my way to Liverpool to start my career with Holts.Reading this site I am surprised to notice that there is no mention of the Conway training ship and Aberdovey.I sailed on Ixion, Elpenor and Alcinous and would love to here from any catering lads from the 1950s that I sailed with.

  4. Roy Stokes says:

    Dear Administrator,
    I am seeking information on the ‘english steamer, Lancaster’ 790 tons, commanded by Richard Brickley, and sailed Mediterranean routes, UK & Ireland etc., possibly New York, in the 1860’s. It seemed to be still around in the 1870’s, and may have been a Cunard Co. vessel. Can anyone help with information about her please.
    Regards,
    Roy Stokes, Dublin

  5. I am the Volunteer Manager for the Daniel Adamson Preservation Society. The Daniel Adamson (the Danny) is the last remaining steam powered, passenger carrying, tug tender in the UK and she has been lovingly restored by a team of dedicated volunteers.

    In April the Danny will begin her first full season of sailing which will mainly be along the Manchester Ship Canal and the River Weaver as well as opening to the public at Ellesmere Port, the Albert Dock and Salford Quays. She is crewed/staffed by volunteers and I was wondering whether any of your members would be interested in any of our volunteer positions. We are looking for skippers, stewards, chief engineers, assistant engineers, firemen, trimmers and deck crew.

    If anyone is interested then please either go to http://www.thedanny.co.uk and download our application form and role descriptions, email me for further info on volunteering@danieladamson.co.uk or ring me on 07983 653692 (Wed, Thurs or Fri)

    Thanks

    Sally

  6. PopsH says:

    Can any one help … one of my family ..Ethel Hammett was a nurse on the Blue Funnel line in the 1920/30’s, would she have needed to hold a merchant marine ticket, and can any one suggest how I could trace her. Many thank in advance Peter Hammett in UK

  7. Hello I’m trying to gather information about my dads ships he sailed on when he was in the Merchant Navy, sailing out of liverpool , I’ve managed to get a picture of a ship he sailed on to Austrailia i believe was called ” Helenus” My Dads Name was John Rossiter, he sailed Threw the Suez canal threw the china sea and to aussie land, I’ve seen another ship that looks identical to this ship nut its name is different. i would be really grateful if anyone could help me find some info and history on this ship.

    • mydad also sailed on tin the 50’s and 60’she blue funnel boats in the 0’s and 60’s he belongs 2 the blue funnel association u may get some info from them. i never chk my e-mail but am on facebook moost days send friend request

  8. al53amazon says:

    I am a X coal burning fireman and sailed out of Liverpool on three coal burners as well as the Cunard(Ascania) Harrisons (Settler) C P R (Scotland and Canada)Holder Bros (Ledbury)Blue Star (Imperial Star)Booths (Hilary) also coasters for Savages Everads. I was involved in a life saving incident in the Amazon . I am a member of The Eldonians retired seamens club and have yet to find another coal burning fireman to swop a few yarns with,anybody out there??? Albert Martin

  9. Nigel says:

    Hi started o a R f A ship then on the empress Canada till she was sold the 6 ships the word was a tank called the Elobo a shell tanker finishing on Po liners. Stated of at the indefatigable with Capta Wade purser was Mf Snape Pe instructed was a Mr Willams he had a beared

  10. neville says:

    I,m a bit late in replying , I may have many memories of my sea days and growing up in Liverpool 1938 to 1965 ,10 years in the merchant navy on 21 ships 11 cargo boats and 10 liners , then emigrated to NYC spent the next 21 years there .am now in central florida .have 3 kids and 8 grandkids . and me and the wife love to go cruising on the ships out of port Canaveral.

  11. Allen Jones says:

    Like Ian I came across the “Empress of Ireland” report in the Maritime Museum in Victoria, BC, Canada. I have had a lifelong interest in shipping having been brought up in Bootle. On leaving school I went to sea working for Ellerman and Pappayani out of Hornby dock. Later sailed for Johnson and Warren and Athol tankers. I left seafaring and joined the army serving in an armoured regiment. After leaving the army I moved to New Zealand. That was in 1965 and now in my 70s I still have a major interest in both ships and Bootle history. At present I am reading a library book “The real Cruel Sea”. This is a must for anyone who has family history in seagoing and is (in my opinion)the definitive book on WW2s battle of the Atlantic.

  12. Empress says:

    My name is Ian Kinder and I have been researching the Empress of Ireland and the Empress of Britain for the last 25 years. Currently I have just returned from Victoria B.C. for the Memorial Services for the Empress of Ireland. While I was there I was approached by several descendants who had relatives aboard the Empress of Ireland on May 29th, 1914, if I could find any more information about their love ones, whether they had survived or perished.

    I was discussing this with several of my friends that we should start to try and contact as many people who had relatives on the Empress. In the group we are historian, authors and archeologist would want to do research with any family member to find out as much as we can about their relative. Eventually we would like to see this information given to all participants and to be given to several museums to be preserved.

    I saw your web site after I saw your video that had been recently made about the services for the Empress of Ireland and the descendants who were showing their respect after 100 years. I knew that I had to write and ask if there is any way we can connect with those family members and others, before the information slowly fades away.

    Regards,

    Ian Kinder

  13. neville roberts says:

    I just found this site through an EM of an old shipmate . I was at sea out of l,pool from 1955 to 1965 on 11 cargo boats and 10 liners

    • admin says:

      HI Neville – apologies – we’ve only recently started the site and somehow missed your comment. Do you have any stories you would like to share?

  14. Brian Johnson says:

    A long overdue site that should become popular. I have fond memories of my teenage years wandering around the docks, looking at and around ships.

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