Canberra

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART ONE


I have decided to compile a series about my time aboard Canberra taken from my diary. It was intended as a book. However, my writing skills are not very good, so decided to abandon my book idea compiling series of episodes similar to Arcadia.

I was fortunate, or perhaps unfortunate to witness that end of the ‘line voyage’ era, and the beginning of cruising. Canberra was still a liner when I joined her transporting passengers from the UK to Australsia stopping en-route to disembark or embark new passengers. We sometimes went out via South Africa, and back via the west coast of America and Panama Canal, or visa versa cruising from Sydney between 'line voyages', and Mediterranean cruises from Southampton during the British summer.

Being medical department, my diary is mainly about patients, but also other below deck stories on our outward voyage to Sydney, and cruising from Sydney before the homeward voyage.

It was my emotions as detailed in this series that led me to arrange the first ever Canberra Reunion in 2007 aboard Oriana where 289 paid for lunch aboard, although more turned up when we went back ashore ending up at the Wellington pub spilling out onto the street, just like the old days!. I arranged a second aboard Oriana on a two-night cruise to Belgium. Eastenders star June Brown who plays Dot Cotton(Branning) was in our party. Anyway, my story about Canberra is a true ‘Boys Own’, proof that miracles do happen because joining her was nothing short of a miracle. It could be said to be true soap opera, the only difference is that it was true.

When she made her maiden voyage in 1961, I failed to join the Merchant Navy having travelled to Southampton with my father from the Isle of Wight to join as a cadet. I failed not being able to pass a simple IQ test. We came home aboard the Red Funnel ferry Balmoral following Canberra down Southampton Water.

Tears were rolling down my face, my dream over. I had wanted to go to sea ever since I was five years old, it had become an obsession. We lived next door to Uffa Fox, sailing partner to Prince Philip. Uffa was both neighbour and family friend, but although he was primarily into yachts, we saw liners like Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth and many more of that era passing our home as they rounded St Catherines Point. Uffa built a ‘Lookout’, on to of his house like a ships bridge. When Canberra was built, she became my favourite ship, so I was even more upset when following her down Southampton Water knowing I would never work aboard her, but I was still daydreaming, and even dreaming I was steering her!



In 1968, I emigrated to New Zealand. All I knew was farm or building work going to sea was still as far away as ever. The closest I came was six wonderful weeks aboard the Shaw Savill liner Northern Star as passenger, giving me some idea of the life I so longed for. My father was worried about me going to sea. After his death is 1968, I decided to leave home, having no idea what awaited me in New Zealand. I paid my own way rather than going on the £10 Pom ticket. The idea was to work on farms, but I had no job lined up. My family and friends thought I was mad going so far alone, but I did not see it that way, only the thought of going to sea on a liner at last, albeit as passenger, and going to a new country and a new life. I was too excited to be worried. It was a true adventure enjoying every second of it. My voyage on Northern Star can be read in the Shaw Savill forum here on SH.


On arrival in New Zealand, the wife of the family I was staying with worked at a local hospital. Needing a job quickly to earn some money plus finding digs, I was taken on at the hospital. Unbeknown to me at the time, it was the start of a very successful medical career. When off duty, I went down to the docks in Auckland as often as I could seeing Canberra and others. I found out that P&O employed Hospital Attendants so I wondered if this could be my way into my beloved Merchant Navy by the back door having a trade by then that I did not have in 1961. So I came home on the P&O liner Iberia finding out as much as I could arriving home on Monday 9th August 1971. I wrote to P&O right away, receiving a telegram on Thursday 12th August 1971 to meeting the Medical Superintendant aboard Chusan at Southampton on Friday13th. It was lucky 13 because he took me on telling me to report to P&O's head office in London the following Monday for a medical. After passing that, I joined the Merchant Navy and Seaman's Union before returning to P&O to be given my ship. To my utter joy, it was Canberra.

Therefore, having failed to Join the Merchant Navy in 1961, when Canberra made her maiden voyage, ten years later, having travelled 12,000 miles to New Zealand, I was back on Southampton Water again, but this time aboard Canberra. Emigration had taught me a new trade in the medical profession, a trade P&O wanted. Ten years earlier tears were running down my cheeks, the dream over. Now, the tears were there again, but this time tears of joy standing on the open deck of my Crew & Isolation Hospital as Canberra made her way down Southampton Water on Sunday 22nd August 1971. My tears were also tears of sadness because my father passed away in 1968 so did not witness the greatest day of my life. And to make the story complete, the Red Funnel Ferry was behind us, just as it was ten years earlier. Not the Balmoral, she had gone, but it did not matter. I never thought I would see Southampton again let alone a Red Funnel ferry old or new.

[Dartskipper]

Thank you for sharing your memories, David. The impetuosity of youth indeed. I think that desire to go to sea was in many of us who didn't fancy buckling down to a routine 9 to 5 job.

Roy.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART TWO


As we sailed down Southampton Water, the events of the past 13 days were going through my mind. I had not been home long enough to see many people, and now off again, not due back in Southampton until 7th December 1971. I could hardly take it all in, thinking back to 1961, when my dreams seemed to be over, and then thinking about Northern Star that took me to New Zealand to make it possible.

My mind was doing overtime pinching myself making sure it was not a dream. Then reality soon hit me. My hospital deck came off an alleyway to the Crew section of my hospital where my cabin was. The door was open, so I could hear the phone ring. A member of crew was being admitted, my first patient.

The next day I was busy in both my own and the passenger hospital on D Deck starboard side My hospital was on C Deck aft port side. I had a lovely cabin with large window type porthole. This was the life and being paid for it! It was not all a bed of roses however. I would be on call 24 hours a day seven days a week for the next four months. In those days, Canberra was first class and tourist during ‘line voyages’ and cruising. When we reached Sydney we did two circle Pacific cruises, one short and one long taking us to the Far East and the west coast of Canada and the USA. In the British summer, we cruised to the Mediterranean. Canberra had just completed her summer season when I joined her.

With the introduction of the airliner, passenger shipping was being affected ships doing more cruising to make ends meet. It was in fact the beginning of cruising as we know it today, although cruising goes way back before then, but nothing like today. Also, rich passengers used a ‘line voyage’ as a cruise often going all the way with us, or spending time in Australia or New Zealand before joining us again for the homeward voyage.

Anyway, back to my diary. In my hospital I had Asian and European wards. European is a word we used for British crew. Within my hospital complex was the Isolation Hospital.
.
On 24th August 1971, Canberra docked at Lisbon. My diary tells me I had five hours off, and walked around the town. That evening, I had a seven-year old Fijian girl admitted to my isolation section with Chickenpox. The next day I gave out medicines to my patients and did observation, temps, pulses and BP etc. On Thursday 26th August Canberra docked at Tenerife. Again my diary tells me I helped a patient to a taxi and was given a £1 tip. I did not have time to go ashore.

On Friday 27th August 1971, we had a death this was sadly very common on ‘line voyages’ or indeed cruises today. The only difference to today is that in those days, we had to perform a post mortem, and bury the body at sea. No country would let us in with a body on board because we had nowhere to store the body. I was heavily involved with this along with the Surgeon today known as senior doctor. I had seen this done in New Zealand, but never took an active part. We performed the post mortem on my hospital deck. The Surgeon was not trained for this no doctor is it is a specialized field of pathology. I trained to do this properly after leaving the sea become a fully qualified Anatomical Pathology Technician working as a team with the pathologist sometimes performing the post mortem alone and teaching students. However, at the time it was very much a learning curve, in at the deep end as they say. It was my job to prepare the body after the Surgeon had found the cause of death or rather what he reckoned was the cause of death.
Looking back at it when properly trained what we did was very amateurish. Anyway, it had to be done to comply with international law at the time as far as I am aware.

I did not worry too much about the why’s and wherefores, just getting on with the job. When the gory bit was done, the European deck crew, one usually a sail maker sewed the body into canvass with weights inside in the same way as the Royal Navy buries bodies they got a bottle of rum. A current member of SN did that very job! My job then was to arrange the funeral, which always took place at 2200. The captain took the service, so I had to erect the Lectern for him, with chairs and hymn books for all senior officers and relatives if any. The body was laid on a wooden stretcher and pointed at a half gun port door we had on my deck for this very purpose. It was mine, and the Boatswains job to lift the stretcher when the captain got to the part of the service: “Thou” shall cast the body to the deep”. The Boatswain and I had to be in full uniform by then. It was also crew drill that day, so I was very busy. Although. medical, I was also part the the deck department being a petty officer/.

At crew drill on Friday 27th August 1971, we began with fire drill. I was in charge of the stretcher party consisting of the U Gang. We usually had to take the Neil Robertson Stretcher to some part of the ship, often the engine room where a mock fire or accident had occurred often lifting the stretcher through a small hole with a crew member inside.

After crew drill, and recovering from my first post mortem, and arranging the burial, it was back to normal duties looking after my patients, the Fijian girl in the Isolation ward, and other normal stuff around the ship. Normal stuff in addition to looking after my patients meant going with Surgeon or Assistant Surgeon to passenger cabins or crew quarters, helping out in the passenger hospital, patrolling the galley checking hygeine. or helping the Dispenser make up drugs. In those days we made a lot of our own such as seasickness mixture. This is not allowed nowadays, but we sold a lot, and sometimes the Dispenser could not make it quickly enough. Saturday 28th August 1971 was also Captains Rounds, inspection of crew cabins. It was not always the captain. Thid time, it was the Purser. These inspections were every Saturday. It was also the day we leading hands and officers got our weekly fags and booze rations from the bar in the first class section of the galley. I smoked then, so it was the usual 200 fags, and a bottle of spirits, both being 75p. Passengers paid duty free, but crew got it cheaper than that. There was always a bit of bargaining going on, those who did not drink or smoke, so if we had more than our allowance, we waited until after captains rounds. Officers were allowed more than us, so bargaining going on there as well. All in a days life below decks!

Ratings who were not allowed spirits also tried to do secret deals. All of us were allowed beer, the most popular being Allsops larger. It was British made, but for export only. I always bought a box. I think there were a dozen in there.

We were all given subs from our wages to pay for on board goods or money to take ashore. In those days all purchases on board were cash. The Welfare Leading Hand had a shop in crew quarters for ratings including stamps. But I was able to use shops and the post office in tourist class.


I hope this brings back memories of life below decks. More soon.

[Farmer John]

A good read, and I wish more would follow this and write about routine. With 50 years seperating me from 3 deep sea and one round the land trips, that is what jogs the memory.

Thank you.

[pompeyfan]

Thanks John and Roy

There is more to come from Canberra, but I also wish more would follow and have said so in other threads.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART THREE


On Sunday 29th August 1971, I had a Goanese laundryman admitted to my hospital. The next day I had a European Pantry man, admitted with a fractured leg.

The Goan laundryman was discharged on Tuesday 31st August 1971, not much wrong with him. Many crew swung the lead to get a few days off. That is why we hospitalised crew because if they were swinging the lead, we soon found them out. On the same day a European waiter (Winger) was admitted drunk. He was put in my ‘Lock Up’ cabin. Within my Crew & Isolation Hospital was a ‘Lock Up’ cabin where were put drunk or violent crew or passengers or stowaways.

Wednesday 1st September 1971 saw a Goanese crew member who worked in the galley was admitted with Gastroenteritis. Yes, we had it in those days, both viral and bacterial gastroenteritis, so norovirus aboard cruise ships today was just as rife in my era. The only difference was that we did not call it norovirus, although the viral type was basically the same thing, same group, but we did not make a song and dance about it, and not plagued by the media. We found the source, usually crew as initial carriers, isolated passengers or crew in my Crew & Isolation Hospital, and got rid of it until the next outbreak. We found it better to isolate crew or passengers in my hospital rather than their own cabins, where they could go walk about. There was not the paranoia there is today over this very common bug which is as common as a cold or flu.

The waiter had sobered up, and discharged. He was logged that day by the captain.


Thursday 2nd September was crew drill. I assembled my stretcher party. We had the usual full drill taking my party to a mock accident or fire, then to the lifeboats. I also had to assemble my stretcher party for real, not an accident, but another death. We used my Neil Robertson stretcher kept in my hospital to move the body to my hospital deck for post mortem at 1430 that day with the burial at 2200 that evening. This was the second death of the voyage. We had to move quickly because we were in Cape Town the next day, and the South Africans would not let us into port with a body on board. Also that day, a PRS (Public Room Steward was admitted to my crew hospital.


On Friday 3rd September we arrived at Cape Town, but had to wait outside the port for port health to come aboard because we had the Fijian girl in my isolation section with Chickenpox. We had to inform the Cape Town authorities of Chickenpox on board port health were satisfied we had the girl isolated allowing us to proceed into port, so it was my job to phone the bridge to inform the captain. I felt as proud a peacock. My mind going back ten years when I failed to join the merchant navy seeing Canberra from afar in Southampton water from the Red Funnel ferry.
Now, the captain on the bridge of Canberra was waiting for a phone call from ME to proceed into port!

Our Surgeon was South African, and was friendly with Dr Christian Barnard famous for the first heart transplant. We were invited up to his hospital, and then for drinks in the Surgeons cabin with Dr Barnard. I also did a bit of quick shopping for myself, and a couple of nursing sisters.

I must make a quick mention of Cape Town. I had been there before on Northern Star. Cape Town had become second favourite port in the world. The first was Hong Kong, which I will come to later on, but Cape Town was my second favourite due entirely to the views, the crystal clear blue skies on sunny days, and of course Table Mountain seen from below, and above. The trip up the mountain on the cable car is a must, although fit people can take a path, being several I am told. Possibly the most hair-raising cable car ride in the world, something like 3,500ft sheer drop. But the views from the top is out of this world, looking down at the clear blue waters of Camps Bay, the entire vista utterly stunning. So if you ever get the chance to cruise to Cape Town, please do so. There are also other things to do like drive around to the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserves where the scenery on the way is equally stunning where you may stumble onto a beach full of penguins.

We left Cape Town that evening for Durban. The next day I bed bathed a male patient in the passenger hospital. As male nurse, I usually dealt with male passengers. It was also Saturday, so Captains rounds again, and a visit to the crew bar.

We arrived at Durban on Sunday 5th September. I stayed on board looking after male patient in the D Deck hospital was well as my own. We left Durban at 1830, but a new male patient had been admitted so I had to bath him.

The next day the Pantry man was discharged, able to hobble around going back to his own cabin. The Goanese galley man was also discharged meaning my crew section was empty but busy now in the passenger hospital as well as cabin visits. On Wednesday 8th September we were very busy doing the European crew Typhoid and Cholera jabs. Clocks were put forward every night for a week as we crossed the Indian Ocean until we reached Fremantle.

[Hawkey01]

David,

Great - I so often wish I had kept a diary during my sea time! So I have to keep the grey cells active. Thoroughly enjoyed all your posts here and the Northern Star.

Neville

[pompeyfan]

Thanks Neville. More here:

CANBERRA PART FOUR


I usually ate in my own cabin when I had patients. We were able to use the First Class menu. At other times I went down to the Leading Hands Mess next to the Crew Mess. We had the Tourist Class menu, but other crew had their own menu and not far away was the Goanese Mess. In crew quarters we had the Crew Bar, known as the Pig, and the Leading Hands Bar. Officers had the Wardroom. We had films shows in the Pig, Leading Hands Bar and Goanese Mess. These were the same films that passengers saw. If it was a good film, we would watch it in all three places. As a Leading Hand, I could go into all bars, but others could not come into ours. We could all use the Goanese Mess, which was used for Crew Shows.

There was a much smaller entertainment department aboard passenger liners, but much of the daytime activity was exactly the same as it is today aboard cruise ships especially P&O Oriana and Aurora in particular being very typical P&O of the ‘line voyage’ era with bingo, quizzes, whist drive, deck games and competitions such as quoits, deck tennis and so on. There were not the lavish shows seen today or 24 hour dining, but still plenty to do, fully stocked library. I reckon we had as many if not more public rooms than cruise ships twice or three times our size. In Tourist was the Peacock Room, Cricketers Tavern, Pop Inn with a lounge next door, the William Fawcett, a huge room, Island room, Tourist Class Playground with open decks above, and a large Cinema. In first class was the Meirdian Room, Bonito, Stadium, stadium Well, Crows Nest, Dance Floor and many other smaller rooms, shops first and tourist Steiner hairdressing, the Bureau and much more. Public rooms had stages rather than a dedicated Theatre for acts that were on board who also did crew shows.

Our medical department was the same as a doctors surgery or hospital A&E. We had fully operational theatre, x-ray machines, did specimen tests, minor surgery, or even major at a push. After all, on this voyage, we were crossing the Indian Ocean, would not see land again for seven days. Couldn’t dial 999 for an ambulance. It tested the skills of us all. Our small team consisting of two doctors, three nursing sisters, myself and the Dispenser had to cope with it all 24 hours a day seven days a well including mass inoculation. Remember, we had over 900 members of crew in those days and around 2,000 passengers. Unlike cruise ships today who land passengers at the drop of a hat if ill, we treated them unless of course we had no option but land them, which was not often. I also had to learn Psychiatry double quick many members of crew feeling depressed being away from home, often leaving after a row, being worked hard on board day in day out, awkward passengers, but always having to smile even though deep down you want to thump them, not getting on with other crew, all sorts of below deck trauma that people shore side never get to hear about, and indeed some crew never got to know about because some only confided in us. Sometimes, medical professionals have a heavy burden because confidentiality forbid us from telling others, often to this very day as far as names are concerned. Suffice to say that I sometimes spent hours trying to persuade crew not to jump overboard. As my diary states, we were not even a month out of Southampton, but some crew were depressed and overworked, and we still had three months to go. I had never been so motivated despite run off my feet.

After crossing the Indian Ocean, not too busy in my hospital, but busy in the passenger hospital plus crew drills and inspection days to keep us on our toes, we reached Fremantle on Tuesday 14th September 1971. My second time there, but this time much busier my diary reminding me that we did passenger exemptions, and I took a passenger to a bus, busy in general, sailing the same day.

The next day, two South African children were admitted to my isolation section with Measles, and a member of crew, came in with Tonsilitis. As well as daily passenger surgery morning and evening, there was also crew surgery taken by the Assistant Surgeon or Baby Doc.

Both surgeries were for the normal ailments people go to their doctor at home for, and sometimes passenger and crew were admitted to hospital. In the case of some passengers, it was a case of overdoing it. This is why as the voyage progressed, so did the amount of patients in the passenger hospital often being full. And some crew were simply worn out. In those days cabin stewards made early morning tea or coffee for all their cabins. Each deck had several pantries.

The early cup of tea reminds me of one of several funny stories I will tell in these articles. After taking the tea or coffee to cabins, the steward returned later to pick up the empties. One passenger decided to keep one of the cups one morning to keep for soaking his false teeth overnight. When he came to put them in, the cup had gone, along with his teeth. The steward had mistakenly taken the cup with his teeth in as well. So this poor man had to rush to the pantry searching through hundreds of cups left by his and other stewards before being flushed down the sluice or something. Luckily he found them, and was able to smile again! This is one of several funny false teeth and other stories.

A remarkable thing happened as we were passing the port of Albany on the southern tip of Western Australia, Albany being the oldest town in Western Australia. It was dark as we were passing. I was walking along the port side of the Promenade Deck in full uniform on my way to crew quarters forward. Still in the tourist section, I stopped to speak to a male passenger. He was one of some 2,000 on board. He told me that the lights we could see were that of Albany his hometown. He had embarked in Fremantle heading for Sydney. I told him that a friend of father had migrated to Albany from the Isle of Wight, so this man asked me what his name was. When I told him, this man said: “Streuth, he is my next door neighbour”. I asked this passenger if he would mind taking a letter to him when he returned home which he duly did. Later on a lovely letter caught up with me amazed at the quirk of fate. He would have been an elderly man then. I lost contact a few years later sadly. The chances of me meeting this passenger must have been millions to one, more chance of winning the lottery, but of course fate had already played a part in my life travelling 12,000 miles to do a job I would have never dreamed of if I had stayed home that became my passport into the merchant navy.

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Thanks David for posting.
Items such as these often provide a reliable record of 'the way it was' for future generations.
Geoff (YM)

[pompeyfan]

Thanks Geoff. The next part includes Melbourne.

[pompeyfan]

Thursday 16th September 1971, my diary tells me it was a general days work up in both mine, and the passenger hospital. The next day we arrived at Melbourne. Orsova came in at 1500, so being a company ship I went aboard to visit her Hospital Attendant.

I never did like Melbourne, and I think it was because I had a bad experience on my first visit in 1968 aboard Northern Star. I walked along the sea front badly needing a loo, but could not find one. Unlike the seafront in all seaside resorts back home with loos along the esplanade, in Melbourne, I couldn’t find any. I will say no more other than both visits left a lasting impression!

Having said that. I liked sailing in and out of Melbourne, very scenic. This was the second of many visits including the Melbourne Cup.

We sailed the next day at 0630 for Sydney. It was Captains rounds, the Chief Officer coming round. We arrived in Sydney on Sunday 19th September 1971. The two South African children with measles left the ship to be quarantined in Sydney. My fiancés mother came board, my fiancé still in Auckland where I met her. She actually lived in Sydney, so her mother came aboard. In those days we could have visitors on board. I did not go ashore that day because I was too busy covering for colleagues. However, we were in port for three days allowing us all time off. The next day my diary reminds me that friends and myself went up the Skywalk Tower. We sailed for Auckland the next day at 1600. Although still having passengers heading for Auckland on board, we were now on a long Circle Pacific Cruise with a different type of passenger, although some were heading from Sydney to Auckland. But the ship was now basically a cruise ship changing trades until the home ‘line voyage’. Having said that however, passengers will still using the ships as transport, some not about for the entire cruise. This cruise would take us to Canada, USA, and the Far East. One of my patients was in and out with tonsillitis as was a Goan member of crew.

Friday 24th September was a very special day for me as Canberra sailed into Auckland. I was home again, and still regard it as home despite living there for a relatively short time. This was where it all began, the reason for making it into the merchant navy. My emotions were similar to those when I joined Canberra, and sailing down Southampton Water. Auckland brought back so many memories, all happy ones, and I miss it to this very day. That is how emigrating can divide families and indeed individuals. Part of you is always there, just as part of me was always back on the Isle of Wight when I lived in Auckland, and is why part of me is still sailing, the swish of the sea, the unpredictable weather, the wildlife, something always happening.

They can have all the entertainment in the world aboard ships, but nothing can replace that general feeling of being at sea, mother nature throwing up something totally out of the blue. A massive whale suddenly passing close to the ship. People who dislike cruising, miss all this

Having covered for my nursing colleagues in other ports, it was now my turn to have the day off. Mind you, they had an easy time because all the patients in the passenger hospital had left the ship in Sydney or now Auckland. I went ashore at 1200 visiting as many friends and hospital colleagues and patients as I could hiring a car to cover as much ground as possible. None were surprised to see me because they knew what my intentions were, and so pleased it came off, and Canberra too. I also still had money out there taking $80 out of my ANZ bank account.

We left Auckland that evening for Nuku’alofa Tonga. The next day one patient was discharged, and another European steward admitted also with Tonsillitis. We were having a lot of this. On Monday 27th September 1971, we arrived at Nuku’alofa Tonga. I did not go ashore.

Just for a bit of fun for those of you reading this, what was the next day on board?

[YM-Mundrabilla]

Not that keen on Melbourne myself despite having lived here all my life. Too old (and not game) to change now as given the choice it would be to some pretty isolated place. One becomes attached to the ready availability of medical facilities just in case!

[Tony Selman]

Good stuff David. Love the memories as per Arcadia as well. As an ex P&O R/O I really wish I had kept a diary and could rely on the written word as opposed to wine destroyed brain cells. I met my, still, wife (former WAP) on Oronsay in 1970 and we both knew your equivalent on her during the 18 months we were both on there before marrying but for the life of me I cannot remember his name. We had quite a lot to do with both the surgeons and the nursing sisters on there. Still meet Alison Ross annually at the P&O Pensioners reunion.

[pompeyfan]

Thanks Tony

I stood by Oronsay in port around 1974 as the onlly medic on board. I think the Dispenser during your time was Les Massey who later joined Arcadia. I went on a P&O pensioners reunion once. I think it was aboard a ship, but cannot remember the ship or who organized it.

[Jolly Jack]

Just seen your thread David - not read all yet but like it very much. I wish more members would post threads like this.
Regards, John. (JJ).

[pompeyfan]

Originally Posted by Jolly Jack

Just seen your thread David - not read all yet but like it very much. I wish more members would post threads like this.
Regards, John. (JJ).

John

Many thanks.

I agree entirely with your comments.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART SIX



I am surprised that no member have answered what the next day was at the end of part five. On Monday 27the September 1971 Canberra arrived at Nuku’alofa Tonga, so what was the next day on board? It was also Monday 27th September due to the international dateline,

A European crew member came back again with tonsillitis, as did a Goanese with Gastroenteritis, and another food handler. It was never far away, so we usually nipped it in the bud right away.

On October 1st October 1971 we arrived at Honolulu under the famous Aloha clock tower.

After leaving Honolulu, it was Captains Rounds and the captain himself came. He was one of the old school type masters, Captain W. B Vickers. You certainly stood by your beds when he came around. Masters of ships always command authority but Captain Vickers was more regimental than most, but only on board, and having known others in a position of hierarchy shore side, I was not bothered but none the less he commanded much respect. After all he could kick you off his ship. Some crew were petrified of him. I was not scared of him knowing that if I did my job, and behave he would have no reason to tell me off. And anyway, my boss the Surgeon was just as fierce as the skipper. I never called the captain or indeed any officer Sir, because none were knighted, so I called him by his rank as I did all merchant navy officers. And anyway, Captain Vickers had already commended me for spotting ships stores being smuggled ashore, so I was not too concerned about him, but he was not too keen on me that day however due to what was to happen next, but it was his own mistake rather than mine. He came in from the open deck, from Indian quarters aft, and the deck was wet. They always came that way. In those days Canberra had lino alleyways in passenger accommodation and my hospital. I always made sure my steward kept it highly polished so that you could see you face in it.

The ‘Old Man’ was wearing shoes with slippery soles, and because the outside deck was wet, as soon as he set foot on the polished lino inside he went down with a thud sliding along the alleyway on his backside. I was standing to attention in full uniform waiting for him to come in from the outside deck touching the peak of my cap slightly in a form of salute as he slid past trying desperately not to laugh. He was a very big man, and his weight carried him along. After dusting himself off, hobbling like mad, he suggested we did not polish the deck quite so much near the outside door. He could not say much because we were always told keep the alleyways clean and well polished. I suggested it might be wise to come to the hospital from the inside. A jumped up junior officer with him seemed more upset than the ‘Old Man’ calling me sonny. But I think I was older than he was. Anyway having made sure he was not bruised too badly (he had a lot of flesh there anyway!) or any broken bones, the captain hobbled out of the hospital to carry on his rounds. I went back to my cabin and burst out laughing still with the image in mind of this much feared man sliding along on his backside

I don’t know why it is that we always laugh when somebody has such a misfortune, but I do. That brings me nicely onto to another false teeth story. A set of false teeth landed on my deck from the Promenade Deck above, luckily not hitting the ‘Old Man’, that really would have rounded it off! The owner had been seasick. I washed them off then set off looking for the owner. Sadly many false teeth were lost this way. I went up on deck looking for a person who may have been able to touch nose with their chin. My Uncle and Grandfather were like that neither had any teeth. They looked a bit like one of the Muppet characters sitting in the balcony, Statler! Anyway, I found the person, a man. He was very grateful. I took him down to the passenger hospital where he was prescribed with medicines for his seasickness. The Surgeon praised my actions but not so happy that the ‘Old Man’ had told him about his sore backside, but it was a good job the teeth didn’t bite him as well

Quite a weekend that, two patients discharged, the ‘Old Man’ going flying, a man losing his teeth, and the next day, a Goan steward came in having been clobbered by an ashtray, according my diary. I can’t remember exactly what happened, but fights below deck were a common occurrence, myself having to patch them up. However, it rarely involved Asian crew. The Goanese are a very laid back race of people, very hard working, and rarely getting into trouble or causing trouble. In their quarters, many had sewing machines doing all our mending. They cut hair, and made little lifebelt things that they sold to passengers and crew, anything to make a few extra bob, which is why tips, were, and still are very important to boost their wages, which were very poor just as they are nowadays. They always returned because although their pay was bad, it was far better than at home. They also cleaned our cabins to earn extra money. We leading hands, and also some ratings had what we called a ‘Peak Boy’. This was usually a Goan steward. When we had an Asian crew change, they would come around touting for business. I also had a Laundry Steward or Dhobi Whalla. Just give him my laundry, and for an agreed price, he would take care of it.

We were much quieter now in both the passenger and crew hospital with less passengers than the ‘line voyages’, but I can’t remember how many there were on board. On Wednesday 6th October we arrived at Vancouver. When I lived in New Zealand I knew a nurse well. Her son lived in Vancouver, so he met me shore side and showed me around. The next day at sea was crew drill. I also had yet another member of crew admitted with gastroenteritis, and yet again one who handled food, and surprise surprise, a few passengers went down with it. Luckily we had already gone through the American inspection at Honolulu, our next port being San Francisco. But we had it well under control, and again unlike today, no media fuss. We arrived at San Francisco on Friday 8th October 1971. I had been there before on Iberia as passenger, so went down to Fishermen’s Wharf. Food on board was of course superb, even for crew like myself, but you have not lived until you have been to Fishermen’s Wharf San Francisco, well not in those days anyway. I sill have a menu at home, a huge thing, never seen such as massive menu in my life, but of course everything American is big. However the fish dishes was something else. We stayed there overnight, sailing at 1400 the next day under the Golden Gate.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART SEVEN


The next day we were at Los Angeles or rather San Pedro the port for Los Angeles. I did not go ashore, being too hot, 101f. When there in July that year aboard Iberia, I went to Disneyland. It was 88f that day. The area around the green bridge at San Pedro was used as location for the American television series Rockford Files starring James Garner. That bridge takes you to Long Beach and Queen Mary. Leaving at 1700, we headed back to Honolulu. On Wednesday 13th October, a European steward was admitted with gastroenteritis. I hope a pattern is emerging now as to what nonsense it is that they are banging on about gastroenteritis outbreaks today aboard cruise ships as if it is something new and blaming ships not being cleaned properly. We kept a close eye in the medical department on cleanliness, food handling, storage and so on. I cannot believe some of the stuff I read today where all the blame is put on not cleaning properly or passenger to passenger contamination. Of course it can be passed on once spread so once in the system passengers will pass it on because norovirus is very contageous, but my point is that it was exactly the same during my day. We nipped it in the bud early doors finding the source, but that did not mean it didn’t return on a regular basis. Nothing has changed, except the blame culture of a very common group of viruses first found in 1968.

Canberra arrived back at Honolulu on Thursday 14th October 1971 leaving the same day bound for Yokohama Japan. I still had a few crew in my crew section, European and Asian, but it was getting busier, all types of illness including fatigue and personal worries. As male nurse (Hospital Attendant) in charge of the Crew & Isolation Hospital, I was responsible for all members of crew except officers who were treated in the passenger hospital, although I sometimes had them in my hospital still keeping in contact with one, a former engineer. I obviously knew the medical condition of all crew I looked after physical or mental some that I can never tell for confidential and other reasons that could identifythem albeit it in the past. Because I was responsible primarily for crew, I worked closely with the Welfare Leading Hand who looked after European crew, along with the Chief Pantryman in charge of Goan crew, and the Serang, Indian and Pakistan, and other department heads etc. The Assistant Surgeon (Baby Doc) was the doctor responsible for crew, but of course it all came under the umbrella of the medical department, and the Surgeon. We worked as a team. Today, there are no Welfare Leading Hands or Chief Pantryman aboard cruise ships. Not too sure about Serang’s. My position is also gone, as has a Crew & Isolation Hospital.
Also, the medical department is smaller today on ships far bigger than mine, some over three times bigger than Canberra. There are male nurses today of course, but could not cover what I did having no crew hospital to keep a close eye on vulnerable people.

European crew signed on articles before each voyage or cruise the articles on this voyage was for four months. Asian crew were on board for much longer, nine to ten months. It is the same today on P&O ships, very long articles for Asian and other nationalies, but some European crew at least have more leave, although on world cruises, I think the medical department are on board for the entire trip as we were. Some crew find it hard to be away from home for so long, they also get very fatigued working seven days a week for the entire articles. I was on call 24 hours a day seven days a week again for the entire four months. The Surgeon and Baby Doc took turns at being on call, as did the nursing sisters, but I was not so lucky. We did get time off in port covering for each other, and all crew had some time off in port, but stewards got very limited time off. We also had afternoon siestas, so important when on call day and night.

With the above in mind, it never surprises me when I hear a member of crew has gone missing. Some fall overboard accidentally, others not. I have sat for hours talking to crew who wanted to jump overboard. None ever did during my time, but they were very depressed some their first time away from home, left after a row, fatigued by work, all kinds of below deck activity people shore side never get to hear about, and indeed many aboard were unaware of the full details. Some were sent home at the next port. There were lots of fights below deck, and various crimes, but nothing that did not happen shore side. It seemed worse aboard ship because of such a tight community, and the fact we were at sea. Crew also jumped ship, Australia and New Zealand being the favourites. Others simply went missing, went ashore, never to return. Not always jumping ship, but other reasons such as going ashore alone in dodgy ports. Some members of the ships company was brought back on board by police, and some were very violent. Not the crew, the police!

It is the fact that there does not seem to be the close supervision of vulnerable crew as my era my job gone and no Welfare Leading Hand to whom his job title says it all is very worrying. He like me spent hours talking to crew who had become suicidal. Those jobs were there for a reason, crew welfare being no different today than my era.

Anyway, back to Canberra. I was now very busy in my hospital alone. Crew admitted and discharged every day with a variety of problems including psychiatric which increased as the weeks rolled by. We also had Bell Boys on board in those days. At 18 they became ratings, stewards. Below that age they were very much under the wing of the Welfare Leading Hand.

On Sunday 17th October we crossed back over the international dateline heading west. That meant that Monday 18th October never existed for us, because the next day on board was Tuesday 19th October!. On Thursday 21st October Canberra reached Yokohama Japan. I friend of mine, Mori who I met in Auckland met me. He was Japanese, working in Auckland, but had returned to Japan, to Tokyo where he lived. He showed me around the city in his car. In the evening I took him aboard showing him around the ship.

Tokyo was an incredible place, the amount of people alone. But the thing I liked best about Yokohama was a place called the Silk Centre near to the ship. At this place you could buy all the latest technology the Japanese had become famous for, Cameras, Hi Fi Systems, the lot. And due to the value of the Yen at the time buying this stuff was cheap. I bought the latest Sanyo Music Centre. When I arrived home on leave for a few days in December, I took it home with me. I then went into our local store to see how much it would cost back home. I think it was about £80, but I paid nothing like that. But the model they had was the model before mine. I asked how much the next model would be. They said they had no idea because it was not in the country, and not expected for a long time. Their jaws dropped when I told them I had one at home!

This was my first time in Japan, and was very impressed, not just at the sheer size of Tokyo, the millions of people, the entire place, and the port of Yokohama, absolutely huge, never seen so many ships all the way into port. And of course the latest gadgets. We left Yokohama the next day at 1400 for Kobe reaching our second Japanese port on Sunday 24th October 1971. I only went onto the terminal, but quite a terminal with more Japanese made gadgets. I had patients in hospital, so could not venture too far. We left Kobe at 0800 the next day for Nagasaki arriving at our anchorage on Tuesday 26th October 1971. We could not go alongside in those days. The port was full of shipping, a huge amount of shipbuilding going on. I went ashore going to the epicentre of the second atomic bomb dropped on August 9th 1945 killing 40,000 people and destroyed 40 per cent of the city.

We left Nagasaki at 1800 a very humbling place, very eerie at the epicentre of the bomb, knowing the damage it made, and the number of people killed. Yet they were rebuilding the city and building ships like I have never seen before. Yokohama was alive with shipping, anchored outside the harbour, Kobe was busy, and now Nagasaki.

Next stop Hong Kong, which became my favourite port. I was impressed with Japan, but the best was yet to come. We stayed in Hong kong for three days. The ship had a wash and brush up painting the entire side after chipping the rust off driving us mad all night banging away hundreds of Chinese hanging onto flimsey looking boards held in place by ropes, entire families, parents grandparents children the lot, I have never seen people work like it. They did in three days what it took shipyards here to do in a month or more. But we had a wash and brush up too. Clothes made to measure, shoes, suits the lot. The passenger terminal was like a mini city, I had my eyes tested, new glasses, teeth seen to, and the best shave you will ever have. We bought electrical and other items without even going into town. Junks followed us in, scaling the side the the ship like ants, setying up their stalls on the Prom Deck before we even tied up. They even had stalls in crew quarters, selling boxer shorts(or Hong Kong Skids as we called them) before they were even invented here, five pairs for a pound. And who remembers Hings?! What an amazing place, and people. More to come later.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART EIGHT(HONG KONG)

I have mentioned Hong Kong in the last episode, but having already written this part, I will repeat some of what I said, adding more about this wonderful place.

On Thursday 28th October 1971, Canberra arrived at Hong Kong. This was to be the most amazing experience of my life to date. I had already had a taste of Japan, opening up a new world I had never seen the like of before, and still could not get over what I had seen. But Hong Kong was to really take my breath away.

It was a superb passage into Hong Kong what I had time to see of course in between working. Passing Kai Tak airport (as it was then) into our berth at Kowloon on the Chinese mainland also passing the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong on Hong Kong Island, the most noticeable being HMS Tamar naval base, but the Army and RAF also having bases there.

Hong Kong Island was one of three territories, which made up the Crown Colony of Hong Kong, the other two being the peninsular of Kowloon and the New Territories. Britain acquired the island under the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, as a base from which to provide protection for British traders operating in Chinese waters. Hong Kong Island is separated from the mainland by Victoria Harbour the island is very hilly. Hong Kong was returned to the Peoples Republic of China in 1997, but throughout my many visits after this first one, it was very much under British sovereignty.

As we made our way in Victoria Harbour opened up a very large harbour as we turned to Kowloon full of ships anchored and hundreds of junks. As we were coming alongside the passenger terminal, junks had come alongside on the seaward side. I looked on from my hospital deck totally dumbstruck as the people in these junks scrambled aboard scaling the side of the ship like ants setting up stalls on the Promenade Deck, and other decks as well as inside the ship. In no time, decks were teaming with goods like market days in towns around the UK, yet even more variety everything under the sun including cameras and radios. If only I had sense enough to take pictures. But this became such the norm on future visits, I did not think about taking pictures. Can you imagine that today with the security surrounding cruise ships?!. These stalls were everywhere including crew quarters. Like the Japanese, the Chinese people were way ahead of us. Even in 1971, they had what we today call boxer shorts, years before they were sold here. I could buy five for a pound . Also in Hong Kong we bought Hings, gents briefs. I was visited in my cabin by a Tailor who asked if I needed any made to measure suits, trousers, jackets, shirts, the lot. We were in Hong Kong for three days, and these people came to your cabin, measured for suits etc, and brought it on sailing day one of these Tailors was Mr B. Smith from Kowloon, I still have his card another came to measure for shoes, one to put a photo onto a plate. His name was S.H. Chan also from Kowloon, an artist who specialized in porcelain, art photography, charcoal portrait, and oil painting. I still have his card also. You name it they came calling right to your cabin, and delivered to your cabin.

If what was happening on board was an eye opener, so was what I found on the terminal. This was not just any old passenger terminal. It had everything you would find in a town, shops of all types, opticians, dentists, barbers the lot. Glasses were really cheap so I always had my eyes tested on the terminal, and new glasses. I had the best shave I ever there. You did not have to leave the ship or the terminal to find everything you needed. What a place. And it was not only us who had a wash and brush up. The ship had one as well. The entire family turned up chipping away at paintwork like woodpeckers, driving is mad all night. They would scrape and paint the entire side of the ship in three days. Grandparents, sons daughters the lot turned up totally taking over the ship. Most seemed to live in the junks, and those not selling goods were hanging on the side of the ship on a dodgy looking board that looked like it may give way any minute as they chipped away at the paint work doing in days what it would take shipyards at home weeks to do. I have never seen people work like they did. On day three, the ship was painted, often the funnel too. My tailor came back what I had ordered, all made to measure. When I was there in 1972, 31st October to 3rd November to be precise, this man made my wedding suit, measuring me on the 31st, and delivering on the 3rd November. It cost me £20. Everything I wore at my wedding in 1973, suit, shirt, shoes were made to measure in Hong Kong measured on day one, delivered to my cabin on day three. Underwear was bought there, as was my socks and tie.

Shore side, well, what can I say about that. Downtown Kowloon selling everything you needed. I like James Last, so record shops would record just what you wanted onto cassette. If you didn’t like every song on one LP, no problem they would stick the songs you wanted onto a tape from each LP going back to pick it up. No doubt it was illegal, but they didn’t seem to care. I think all their cassettes that were on open sale were recorded from LPs anyway, copying the cover as well as the songs.

Then there was Hong Kong Island. A trip on the Star Ferry was a must, and down below with the locals. Those who have been on these ferries will know what I mean, in those days at least. For those who don’t know, the ferries were first and second class the first class about 25 cents in those days (HK dollar), second class 10 cents. We loved going second class with the locals. If you missed a ferry, which was almost continuous, you could go across with a ‘walla walla’, motorised sampans, which again operated continuously between Kowloon Public Pier and Queen’s Pier Hong Kong Island they took 6 to 10 passengers at about $1 per person. If no other passengers, it cost around $10 to take you across alone. Even today, I would prefer to cross by ferry, not tunnel. We went up to the Peak on the Peak Tram.

Wonderful Hong Kong, there was nowhere in the world to come even close to this amazing place and amazing people. We sailed at 1300 on Saturday 30th October bound for Sydney. I picked the sound of our whistle up with my new Sanyo Music Centre dangling the microphones out of my cabin window. It was the old steam whistle, very deep and loud, better than any I had ever heard, even Queen Elizabeth and Mary. I also picked up the tugs engine, and blowing her whistle. We carried on blowing out to Kai Tak airport as airliners roared over us, the very transport taking our ‘line voyage’ trade away from us.

[tony allen]

if you thought that was good can you imagine 1955/1960 .a dream world for a young lad.. all my hong kong gear was left with my twin when I sailed again for the next trip.I also got lots of clothes for him .joined with one suitcase,came back with 2 .memories ..went back in 1970 with my wife .nothing like before ..Progess

[pompeyfan]

FIRST TRIP ON CANBERRA PART NINE

I was still thinking about Hong Kong days after we left, new clothes, all made to measure better uniform white trousers(when in whites), not those starched things that stood up on their own, better white shoes, glasses, the ship looking smarter, and all in less than three days. What a place. We were now heading back south.

On our way back to Sydney, we stopped at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, port and capital of East New Britain province. It was founded in 1910 at the northern tip of the Island of New Britain as a German colonial headquarters, but was destroyed by Allied bombing after the Japanese occupied it during the Second World War. We always anchored at Rabaul. This was an interesting place not only because of its history, but because we filled our water tanks from an old submarine that itself was filled with water.

Australian Aerogrammes was used on this cruise, and at this port, New Guinea stamps. Both were bought in the Bureau, known today aboard cruise ships as Reception. There were eight passenger excursions in Rabaul including Kokopo and Bita Paka, Scenic North Coast, morning and afternoon, Rabaul and Native Mumu Lunch, Vuvu Youth Sing Sing, and four car excursion visiting the same places.

As I have mentioned before, when we reached Sydney after an outward ‘line voyage’ either via South Africa, or the Panama, we did two cruises from Sydney, one short, one long. This was one extra long. Back in Sydney before our homeward voyage I visited friends some of whom became my in-laws as well as my fiancé visiting the ship. We were in Sydney for three days. On later voyages, I stayed with my in-laws who lived north of Sydney as a place called Tumbi Umbi. I travelled there by train over Sydney Harbour bridge to a place called Gosford.

I was pretty busy in my hospital after we left Sydney on the homeward voyage crew getting all the usual ailments, fatigue, depression you name it they were getting it. Oddly enough however, most of them were okay in port, some not returning, jumping ship others were returned by burly Australian police who stood for no nonsense. We had stomach bugs, deaths, passengers or crew falling over breaking limbs, all in a days work aboard a passenger ship, and all in a days work aboard cruise ships today which is why I always smile when such a fuss is made about gastroenteritis as if it were a new disease. That of course applies to all ailments and accidents. It is no different now, than my day. I was worked off my feet, and loving every minute of it. On 8th December 1971 we arrived back in Southampton. I signed off articles, and paid in cash. I have never seen as much money in my life. If memory serves me right, that was one of the last time we were paid in cash later being paid into a bank account, so this was my first cash pay off, and last. We could still obtain cash for spending on board and in ports or on board, known as subs(as many of you will know) taken from our pay. But when we reached Southampton, I was only going home on leave, back again to sign on articles on 17th December, my birthday. These articles were until 17th May 1972. I was freezing having been in sunnier climes, so glad to be on my way back to Australia and New Zealand, this time via the Panama. I will give a full port listing in another episode, two full line voyages, and two cruises from Sydney.

Having left the British winter, we were sailing south again to summer in the southern hemisphere. After stopping at Nuku’alofa on a short cruise from Sydney, a stowaway was found. He was a big Fijian, very tall, a very large man. He was put into my Lockup Cabin in my Crew & Isolation Hospital. I was not allowed to go in alone, always with a European member of the deck department with me. I got to know this man quite well he was very nice, and just wanted to get to Australia. Canberra could not dock at Suva, too deep a draught, so this man had travelled to Tonga. When living in New Zealand, we knew called people from Fiji, Tonga and other Pacific Islands people, Islanders. And although their languages different to Maori, it was similar, so I could have a limited conversation with this man, so much so he trusted me, although I thought he did, and I was not scared of him. He was forever pushing his bell, and the bridge was getting fed up sending a man down each time.

As we entered Sydney Harbour, about to come alongside at Circular Quay, opposite the Opera House, this stowaway kept ringing his bell. I could speak to him through a small hole. He seemed very urgent, wanting water. I phoned the bridge, but they were too busy bringing the ship in, and could not spare anybody. So like a fool, thinking he was in trouble, and trusting him, went in alone. He overpowered me, fled out onto the open deck, and dived into the water. My hospital deck was on C Deck, so it was quite a height. A police launch was near to us, so picked him up. He was brought back to me, dripping in water until the police returned to take him into custody. I had my knuckles wrapped, but did not get into too much trouble, not logged or anything because I had asked for help, but refused. So that got me out of the mire. I can look back on it now with a big smile on my face. It was a perfect dive

[pompeyfan]

FIRST TRIP ON CANBERRA PART TEN

As I continue my Canberra diary, I will jump forward.

On Tuesday 22nd August Canberra left Southampton for a ‘line voyage’ to Sydney via the Panama Canal. Once at Sydney we would do a two-day cruise to nowhere, two Pacific cruises one short and one long before the homeward voyage via South Africa arriving back home on 12th December 1972. So this was another four month trip.

An elderly lady was travelling to Sydney to live with her family. She was in a wheel chair. It was my job to help her aboard. Taking the back, we proceeded up the gangway, the steward in front of me walking backwards. Half way up, I was losing my grip, so rested the wheelchair on my knee to get a better grip. I always wear my watch the wrong way round, the face on the inside of my arm. As I moved my arm around the back of the chair the buckle got caught in the lady’s hair, and as I lifted my arm up hoping it would untangle, the hair came with it. She was wearing a wig. Suddenly, in total horror, I had a wig dangling on the end of my arm looking like a dead rat hanging there, but my horror turned into a nightmare as the wig dropped off in the pretty strong breeze swirling around the ship. And because it was an open gangway, there was a slight gap between the ship and the sea, and this wig was heading for it. But the steward behind me, as quick as a flash caught the thing before it ended up in the sea. Breathing a sigh of relief, I placed the wig back on her head, and we proceeded up the gangway. Luckily, the lady did not realize what was going on other than saying in a very shaky voice: “Its getting a bit cold isn’t it?”. She did not have much of her own hair underneath, in fact she was as bald as a coot, and could feel the cool breeze. When we got to the top, the Assistant Accommodation Steward was there which his clipboard. He whispered in my ear with a straight face asking: “Is this a passenger, or an Old English Sheepdog?”. I had put her wig on the wrong way round, coming right over her eyes. I thought I could see more neck than before!

She was a lovely lady. I got to know her well during the voyage, sadly spending a lot of time in the hospital. She had a great sense of humour, and we all had a good laugh later on when she realized what had happend. However, on the day, I was too worried to laugh wondering what would have happened had her wig gone into the sea!

The next day, Wednesday 23rd August 1972, Canberra arrived at Cherbourg. We then headed for Port Everglades, where we arrived a week later Wednesday 30th August. I hired a car in Port Everglades, so a few of us went for a spin. It was more like a bus than a car, a huge thing. I could never get used to left hand drive cars not to mention driving on the right hand side of the road. Having driven into the Everglades, we thought we had better get back to the ship. I was bombing along at high speed loving the huge freeways, when I was told I was going the wrong way, so moved into the right lane changing gear at the same time forgetting it was an automatic, and stopped almost dead putting my foot on the break thinking it was a clutch. Luckily we survived this little mishap!

Next stop was Nassau on 31st August 1972. I always like it there. I went ashore there when aboard Iberia as passenger, but did not go ashore this time.

On 2nd September 1972 we reached Cristobal (Colon) at 2359. Unlike cruise ships today who usually sail straight through, we stopped either end of the Panama Canal. Cristobal on the Atlantic side, and Balboa (Panama City) on the Pacific side.

Below is how the port notes read:

ARRIVAL. Alongside Cristobal at around midnight on Saturday 2nd September 1972.

DEPARTURE. Canberra is expected to leave Cristobal for the Canal transit very early on Sunday morning 3rd September. A broadcast will be made when time is known.

Passengers finally landing at Cristobal and Balboa are requested to see the Immigration Officials at the Bureau at approximately 11.30pm on Saturday 2nd September. Baggage should be packed and placed outside your cabin by 6pm.

Passengers in transit should carry their Passage Tickets.

Overland tour departure time will be confirmed on arrival. Usually departs 5.30am from the quayside, each passenger receiving a call at 4.45am.
The Bureau will be open for one hour on arrival at Cristobal, and the First Class Bureau only for one hour before departure on Sunday morning.

Incoming letters and telegrams will be announced shortly after arrival and mail will be distributed for one hour as follows:- First Class from the Stadium. Tourist Class from the Alice Springs Room. Any mail not collected will be sent to cabins the following morning.

British 5p, and 6p Air Letters may be posted up to one hour before arrival.

Bars will be open as usual

BALBOA

Arrival during mid-afternoon Sunday 3rd September 1972 depending on Canal conditions.

Departure 6pm (1800) the same day for Acapulco.

Meals will be served at the usual times with seats reserved except at Luncheon which will be served without reserved seats. A special Panama Canal self service Buffet Lunch will be served during the transit of the Canal in the Stadium (First Class Passengers) and in the Island Room Tourist Class Passengers)

Mail boxes will be close one hour before sailing.

SECURITY. Passengers are specially requested to peep their cabins locked in port, and take particular care of their valuable especially handbags, when ashore.

AGENTS. Norton Lilley & Co Inc, United Fruit Company Building, Cristobal, and Pacific Terminal Building, Balboa.

As you can see from the port notes, in those days at least, passengers could go overland watching the ship go through each lock picking us up in Balboa.

The next day, we had a lot of gastroenteritis on board, but it was bacterial, passengers eating and drinking water shore side including ice in drinks. It happened every time we were in Panama ports. The same in the next port Acapulco. Passengers were warned not to drink tap water, or have ice in drinks, but of course many ignored that warning, and suffered. We arrived at Acapulco on Wednesday 6th September. Canberra could not go alongside, so anchored in the harbour.

Next episode will feature all the ports to Sydney, and the cruise to nowhere from Sydney.

[pompeyfan]

FIRST TRIP ON CANBERRA PART ELEVEN

After leaving Acupulco we headed for Los Angeles or rather San Pedro, the port for Los Angeles. Going out to New Zealand and Australia via the Panama was a ‘line voyage’ and a half, but a line voyage it was, a working voyage. When we arrived back in Southampton on 12th December 1972, Captain Vickers told us that Canberra had ceased to be a liner, and would become a full time cruise ship.



Anyway, back to her ‘line voyage’. San Pedro was a great port to go into loads of interesting places close by, Queen Mary at Long Beach which we visited on an earlier visit, Disneyland, Universal Studios and Knotts Berry Farm. Never been to the latter, but I have the others. The green bridge at San Pedro was the setting for the Rockford Files starring James Garner. A lot of their location work was done in that area.

Next stop was San Francisco where we arrived on Sunday 10th September 1972. We stayed there overnight, leaving at 1600. sailing under the Golden Gate. I have been lucky enough to sail under it, drive over it, and fly over it. Another bridge in San Francisco Bay is the Oakland Bay Bridge, eight and a half miles long. And not forgetting Alcatraz Island of course in the bay between San Francisco and Sausalito, one and a half miles from the mainland, until 1963 was a Federal Prison.

On 13th September Canberra arrived at Vancouver. A passenger gave ne a $10 tip for helping her ashore. From there was headed for Honolulu where was arrived on Monday 18th September 1972. The following is the Port Information for departure from Honolulu.

DEPARTURE. The ship will sail for Auckland at 11pm. Passengers should be on board at least Thirty Minutes before sailing

PASSENGERS WHO EMBARKED AT VANCOUVER are requested to attend the U.S. Immigration Inspection which will take place at 8am in the Meridian Room (First Class Passengers) and William Fawcett Room (Tourist Class Passengers). Please brig your Passport or other means of identification.

PASSENGERS FINALLAY LANDING Please present your orange Landing Card and Baggage Declaration form to the Customs Officer on the wharf.. As much baggage as possible should be packed ready and placed outside your cabin by 6pm Sunday, the remainder by 7.30am Monday. You are reminded that baggage takes some time to to land and arrange for Customs Inspection. You should not expect to disembark and pass through Customs immediately after arrival alongside.

PASSENGERS IN TRANSIT Orange U.S. Landing Cards must be produced at the gangway when proceeding ashore and returning on board. Those passengers who embarked in Port Everglades, Los Angeles and San Francisco are asked to produce their passage tickets.

FRESH FRUIT U.S. Quarantine Regulations prohibit the retention of fruit in cabins during the ship’s stay in port. In order to comply with this requirement cabin stewards have been instructed to collect all fruit from cabins on Sunday evening.

VISITORS will not be allowed on board until a clearance has been obtained from the Collector of Customs, which may be some hours after arrival. Passengers in transit may obtain passes for their friends from the Bureau. Under Customs Regulations it will not be possible for friends meeting passengers finally landing to come on board on arrival.

BRITSH AIR LETTER (AEROGRAMMES) may be posted up to one hour before arrival.

U.S. POSTAGE STAMPS are available at the post office on RICHARD and QUEEN STREETS.

MAIL BOXES will be cleared one hour before arrival. The boxes will re-open for posting of letters bearing U.S. stamps only, and these will close half an hour before departure Honolulu.

INCOMING LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS An announcement will be made shortly after arrival and mail will be distributed as follows:- First Class from the Stadium. Tourist Class (Initial A-L inclusive) from the Peacock Room. (Initials M-Z inclusive) from the Alice Springs Room.

SURGERY Open 9am to 9.30am

BUREAU Open in port

Please note before I continue with the Honolulu Port Notes that passenger liners had a Bureau, certainly P&O ships anyway. Shore side lingo used in hotels such as Reception was not used aboard passenger ships in those days.

LAUNDRY AND PERSONAL ACCOUNTS Passengers finally landing are asked to
pay these at the Bureau as soon as possible.

MEALS IN PORT

Children’s Breakfast……………………………………………………..7.15am
Breakfast………………………………………………………..8.00 and 8.45am
Children’s Dinner………………………………………………………..11.30am

Children on excursions who missed the 11030 am sitting will be accommodated with their parents on the adult sitting,

Luncheon………………………………………………………12.30 and 1.30pm
Afternoon Tea……………………………………………………………..4.00pm
Children’s Tea……………………………………………………………..5.30pm
Dinner…………………………………………………………….7.00 and 8.00pm


BARS Bars will be open at the usual hours with the exception of the Crows Nest, the Island Room and the Peacock Room. No visitors from ashore may be served at any time.

THE SHOP AND HAIRDRESSING SALONS To comply with Customs regulations, the Shop will be closed in port. The Hairdressing Salons will be open until noon.

BUDGET RENT-A-CAR The representative will be in attendance in the Bureau soon after arrival.

LIBRARY BOOKS Passengers finally disembarking are requested to return their Library books before leaving the ship.

CHILDREN’S PLAYROOM Open in port but we regret ship’s staff cannot be responsible for children while parents ashore.

QUIET ROOM For the comfort and convenience of through (transit) passengers , the Writing Room (First Class) and the Peacock Room (Tourist Class) will be reserved for their sole use, as a quiet room, during and after the period of embarkation when there maybe visitors on board.

CABIN KEYS Passengers finally disembarking are reminded that they should hand their cabin keys to the cabin steward before disembarking.

SECURITY Passengers are especially requested to keep their cabins locked in port and to take particular care of their valuables especially handbags when ashore.

AGENTS Davies Marine Agencies Inc.

We left Honolulu at 2300 for Auckland arriving on 26th September 1972. I always liked going back having lived there so always visuted friends, and the hospital where I worked. Leaving Auckland at 2300, we arrived at Sydney at 0700 on Friday 29th September leaving the same day for a 2 day cruise to knowhere. This cruise was a disaster, which I will explain in the next and last episode including a letter to all crew from the captain.

Therefore, if you are getting fed up with this series, the next will be the last. I have spent hours putting this together because it is pure nostalgia of an era sadly gone, and one that I hope will never be forgotten kept alive by those of us who were there.

[deckie71]

Great reading. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[pompeyfan]

CANBERRA PART TWELVE


This is the final episode. Before two Pacific cruises from Sydney, Canberra left Sydney on a three day cruise to knowhere. Below is a message from the captain concerning this cruise.


SS CANBERRA MESSAGE FROM THE CAPTAIN VOYAGE 38

As you are all aware our weekend cruise was marred by the behaviour of some groups of passengers in Tourist Class. I should like to thank all members of the Ship’s Company for their patience and tolerance during that weekend and particularly for the way the ship was cleaned up and made ready for the cruise by noon on Tuesday. As you probably know the Press and Radio in Sydney were commenting on the behaviour of those passengers and I am sure you will be interested to read a statement issued by our Sydney Office to the Press and Radio. It reads as follows:

“Canberra’s Weekend cruise was marred for some passengers in the Tourist Class section by acts of sheer vandalism and hooliganism by some groups of young passengers.

Glasses were smashed, dozens of cigarettes burns were left in the lounge carpets which were laid only a few months ago, lifebuoys were thrown overboard, and fire extinguishers were set off.

Some passengers have complained that the culprits were members of football clubs(rugby). Although several such groups were travelling it is not known whether or not they were responsible for the damage.

At one stage the passengers started to rip the cricket bats and caps from the bulkheads of the Cricketers Bar. One autographed Test Match bat is missing and so is the English County Cap.

The Ship’s Company stripped the bar of every moveable item to save irreplaceable cricketing souvenirs. These are being replaced for Canberra’s ten day cruise beginning at noon to Nuku’alofa, Auckland and back to Sydney.

P&O’s Director of Passenger Services, Mr Kevin Mitchell said today: “We deplore the behaviour of a minority of passengers who behaved like animals and who showed complete disregard for their fellow passengers and property. Attempts were made to quieten them down but they made little effort to respond. Senior Officers patrolled the public rooms and decks until the early hours of each morning but as soon as their back were turned the trouble flared.

Our three-day cruises have been very popular with the Australian holidaymaker. They give an opportunity to those with limited resources to experience a P&O cruise. This is the first time in the history of P&O Cruising that we have had such a problem to this dimension. Because of the events of the weekend we are seriously considering discontinuing these weekend cruises as we would not wish to give the impression that this behaviour is characteristic of P&O cruising. We are determined to maintain our high standards. It is regretted that so many people were deprived of such an opportunity to go cruising but we shall not tolerate this kind of behaviour aboard our ship’s”.

Footnote: The Canberra sailed on Friday night and retuned to Sydney last night. She cruised off the Northern NSW Coast and turned east to Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid.

W. B. Vickers
Captain

There was a funny story concerning a night watchman steward who was a former marine. A large man, certainly not one to mess with. He was carrying a plate of sandwiches to a cabin, when one of the drunken passengers told the steward to hand them over. The steward told he could have one sandwich, but not all of them. The passenger punched the steward who did not flinch, dusting himself off before knocking the passenger out whilst still holding the plate of sandwiches. The passenger muttered something like Pommy so and so before hitting the deck. I was called to pick him up. The steward was logged by the captain for hitting a passenger, but on his way out, the ‘Old Man’ said:”Well done” !

I brought my ex wife back on the homeward ‘line voyage’ from Sydney arriving in Southampton on 12th December 1972.