The Blue Funnel Line  1866 - 1986

These pages are not a history of the Blue Funnel Line as but reflect some of my experiences as an Engineer Cadet then Junior Engineer with the company from 1966 to 1972 together with those of others who sailed Blue Funnel Line, Glen Line and Elder Dempster Line.

Click on a link to see the first and last of the Blue Funnel Line ships, some of the ships on which I sailed and many more.

Notice Board (been lost for a while! )

New Link to Kerry Garland's Blue Funnel and Glen Line web site

M.V.Astyanax Engine room brass plate. Purchased by Andy Crespin from a Nautical Antiques shop in Southampton, roughly 12 years ago.

Many thanks for the picture.

Peter Mathot was 1st trip Middy on the Polydorus when she too got caught in typhoon Wanda.

Here is his report - frightening it must have been!!

also

Reflections on Wanda by Peter Mathot

 

 

 

More on the typhoon and Elpenor.

Capt Roger Meredith was a "middy" at the time.

Also Jonny Kaye's accident!

Melampus in the Bitter Lakes update - Junior Electrical officer found!

  

Publications

Starting with Avid Publications and of course Ships in Focus

MV Charon

Seen here at Broome.

Photo Bob Purvis

Many thanks to Rick Petrie who joined Ocean in 1978. Rick emailed me with some great stories and original photos. Thanks Rick. Click on the link "Ricks Trips" for his stories!

Also to Paul Swift, Don Burgess , Lawrie White, George Clark and all those who have contributed to this site with some great experiences and fantastic photos.

NSMO Nederlandsche Stoomvaart Maatschappij 'OCEAAN'

Melampus in the Geat Bitter Lakes - An Engineers story - The last chapter now added.

 

McNab's Masterpieces.

Peleus now added!

Glenfalloch

The search is not over.

Click here if you have any information.

Visit Glen Line for more on Glenfalloch

Ocean Pension Dept Liaison Officer David Browne can be contacted here: or contact: Exel plc, Ocean Oensions Dept. PO Box 214, Liverpool, L69 2BY

© Columbia Pictures Industries 1962

MELAMPUS?

When did filming start? The film was released in 1962.

Dick Tucker Was There!

Dick sent me this email:

I am fairly certain that it was the Melampus on its maiden voyage. We retuned through the Suez Canal round about the 20th November 1960 (because we arrived at Liverpool on the 29th) having seen a film crew in the dunes beside the canal. If you see the film again I was the small white figure on the starboard wing. There were two shots of ships at that moment in the film. The second was a new BI ship. While the ships in the bay of Aquabar in the film were of the right vintage these two clearly were not. I remember being at the first showing of the film in Liverpool and the audience hooting with laughter and derision at this very short sequence.

  
 

SS Dardanus

3rd RO Roy Warwick adds his personal account. He was there!

 
 

"Unknown" off north Portugal heading south. Spring 1976. Can you help?

 

Photo MVG Gert - Holland

 
 

Pembrokeshire in Hamburg 1970

Photo Kerry Garland

 

The Agamemnon and her two sister ships, Ajax and Achilles, were the first ships of the Blue Funnel Line. Built at Scott and Co, Greenock in 1866. They were scrapped in 1899

The last ship built for Ocean was the Myrmidon in 1980 also built at Scotts.

  
 

My thanks to John Clarkson of Ships in Focus for permission to reproduce some of the photographs from an excellent book titled The Blue Funnel Line.

Click hereto see my discharge book.

If you have any comments about these pages or can add something please contact me

Visit the Lairig homepage for a look at a typical Scots cottage.

Please come back to see the site develop.