I was serving as Second Officer on the Southampton Castle when the Good Hope Castle caught fire between Ascension Island and St Helena. We were the second vessel to arrive on the scene, but by then, a passing tanker had already rescued the entire crew. The ship was a heartbreaking sight.

As Second Officer on the Clan Robertson, I was involved in another incident when the Zulu crew walked off while we were docked in Gothenburg. We set sail for Antwerp without a crew but were “blacked” before our arrival. The crew eventually rejoined us in Antwerp.

Service Record

From

To

Kinnaird Castle

Cadet

7/1966

1/1967

Clan MacIlwraith

Cadet

2/1967

10/1967

Clan MacGowan

Cadet

2/1968

6/1968

Good Hope Castle

Cadet

4/1969

9/1969

King Charles

3rd Officer

10/1969

1/1970

Clan MacGregor

3rd Officer

10/1970

6/1971

King Charles

3rd Officer

10/1971

1/1972

Clan Robertson

2nd Officer

12/1972

3/1973

Southampton Castle

Extra 2nd Officer

4/1973

7/1973

Reg Mercer

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