Elbe Ore

GWME

The entry into the bulk carrier trade by B&C was perhaps a reaction to the Company's malaise.

Clan Line was facing increased competition on their Indian routes from indigenous Indian shipping, passenger numbers on Union-Castle mail ships were greatly reduced and falling, they simply could not compete with air travel.

In fact, the whole B&C empire had either lost, or was in the process of losing their trade.

Hector Whaling, South American Saint Line, Bowater Steamships, all either defunct or simply names used for trading.

Purchase and Entry into Service - 1967

B&C Review - October 1969

Engine Room Automation - 1969

At Narvik - November 1974

Elbe Ore loading at Narvik, November 1974.

The berth wasn't quite long enough, so the centre and after hatches were loaded first, then the ship shifted astern to allow the pourer to access the forward hatches.

Ian 'Corky' Bennet was the OM, came from one of the mini-mails and found ship-handling was a bit different !

Jack Isbester was the C/O, he had to get back home for a family emergency which involved a long taxi ride to a Norwegian airforce base, then helicopter to the nearest civil airport, to Oslo then to the UK.

Narrative and Photo by Andy Skarstein

Renaming as King Richard - 1975

Clansman - April 1975

Master	Date	Left	Destination
G A Russ	5/1967	Narvik	W Africa
	7/1967	Rotterdam	Tubarao
	11/1967	Rotterdam	Port Etienne
D Lockhart	1/1968	Rotterdam	Hampton & Japan
	5/1969	Rotterdam	Tubarao & Ymuiden
S Hay	1/1970	Ymuiden	Hampton Roads
G Thomson	6/1970	Rotterdam	Ymuiden
P N Rewell	6/1971
	9/1971
	11/1971
G Thomson	1/1972
	3/1972
P N Rewell	5/1972
	7/1972
	9/1972
P Byrne	11/1972
	1/1973
B S Biggs	3/1973
P Byrne	5/1973
	7/1973
	9/1973
B S Biggs	11/1973	Antwerp
	1/1974
P Byrne	3/1974
	6/1974
B S Biggs	8/1974
	10/1974
I W Bennet	11/1974