# Radio & Electronic Services



## radioman1969 (Dec 12, 2010)

I was with RES 1975-1987. Anyone know if Bill Curry/Angus Macdonald/Ken Fawcett/Thelma Walsh/Mike Norton/Dennis Williamson still around ?

Also:
Pursers Les Flockhart/Alan Richardson.
Capts Twomey/'Ginger' Leonard Brown.

Many fond memories of the fleet and trips.

Regards
Ken


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Bill and Angus long since crossed the bar, also Captain Lionel Brown.

i would hazard a guess that you were also an Act2/Act6 R/O.

Regards......

S2182


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## radioman1969 (Dec 12, 2010)

*Sad reflections*



sparkie2182 said:


> Bill and Angus long since crossed the bar, also Captain Lionel Brown.
> 
> i would hazard a guess that you were also an Act2/Act6 R/O.
> 
> ...


Many thanks for replying and with sadness note the passing of all three. I sailed with 'Ginger' Brown for several years on ACT2.
I also have been on ACT3/6, ACL's Conveyor/Causeway, Moss tankers,Cunard Cavalier and 5 of the fruit boats - many fond memories.

I went freelance in 1987 with Norwegians/Italians and also 2 years on Furness Withy's 'Andes', and finally left sea in 1992.

Now retired from banking/trust admin.

How about you ?

Ken


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Hello Ken..........

I sailed on the Act2 and Act6, Conveyor, Port Liners, Brocks and Cunard Chieftain.

A whole book could be written of "Ginger" and his legendary exploits both at sea and of course, in the air.

Those who knew him will know what i mean........... 

Best regards,

S2182.


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## radioman1969 (Dec 12, 2010)

*Greetings*



sparkie2182 said:


> Hello Ken..........
> 
> I sailed on the Act2 and Act6, Conveyor, Port Liners, Brocks and Cunard Chieftain.
> 
> ...


I sent you a private email, no worries if you don't want to reply.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

QSO established.


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## mkitt (Jun 21, 2006)

*R&es*

RE&S 1980-87 unfortunately have no updates on any of the folk mentioned.
This seems a very unsubscribed thread - there must be more of us left?


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Joined Liverpool 1973 left Lisbon 1979:
Act 3	Mike Twomey 1975 St John, NB - MANZ x 2 - St John, NB
Eric Chapman 1976 St John, NB - MANZ x 2 - Liverpool (Seaforth)
Act 6	Eric Chapman 1976 St John, NB - MANZ x 2 - Tilbury
Andria	John Oldfield/John Hart/GDB Thomas 1977-8 (JO) Iquique - Dieppe
(JH) Dieppe - Casablanca
(GT) Casablanca- Casablanca
Cunard Cavalier	Larry Crump (sold to Niarchos at Wallsend) 1978 Damman -
Wallasend
Cunard Chieftain	Dave Kissane 1975-6 Bandar Shahpur - Inchon
Oloibiri	Brian Nuttall 1979 Ras Tanurah - Lisbon
Port Alfred Vic Hunt (renamed Masirah, Durban 1978) 1978-9 Dubai - Jeddah
Port Brisbane	Fred North (Ginger Brown 1st mate) 1963-4 (MIMCO) Hull - 
London
Port Nicholson	Dave Kissane/Ralph Wight/John Hart 1973-4 (DK) Middlesbrough - Tilbury
(RW) Tilbury - Avonmouth
(JH) Avonmouth - Cardiff
Many names to be conjured up in next episode.


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Amendment to Andria: the captainwhen I joined in Iquique was John Oscroft not Oldfield. Had sailed on ACT6 (or it might have been ACT3) with John when he was the mate. A good man.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

More likely ACT 2.

S2182.


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Ref. nr.10: No it isn't at all likely. I never sailed on ACT2, just ACT3 twice (M H C Twomey x 1.5 and E E Chapman x 1) and ACT6 (E E Chapman). John Oscroft was 1st mate under E E C (1976) I remember his wife came to Seaforth to collect him when we signed off - so it was ACT6. After my second spell on ACT3 with E E C I remember signing off in Tilbury and I told R & E S I didn't want ACTA again, that was 1977 and I went to the Cunard Cavalier afterwards, until she was sold to Niarchos at Wallsend that year (summer). Then I joined Andria in Iquique in early autumn and John Oscroft was skipper. Incidentally just before I left the ACT3 in Tilbury D Williamson came to the ship, I don't remember the reason, and so I at last met the third musketeer. Ken Fawcett I met just after I joined R & E S, Mike Norton was on a Gyrocompass Techniques course they sent me to in Fleetwood and later came up to the Cavalier in Wallsend. I know Ken was ex-Brock and Mike wasn't and I assume Denis was because he told me that he didn't think R & E S provided as good service as the Brock system had. That's a memory that came to mind when I was trawling another Thread a few weeks back. Someone commented thereon they didn't know why Brocks had carried two sparks when their ships were H8. I felt I knew why - I could see D Williamson, short in stature, hirsute facially, hyper-opinionated.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"I never sailed on ACT2"

That would prove your point.



Ken F. was the only one worth a light............lovely guy...........ended up shoved in "stores" or somewhere........wasted.

John Oscroft lived fairly close to GLV..........The town of Kendal in ***bria.


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Yes I knew John lived in Kendal though I don't think he was originally from the north. It seemed to me as if he had to 'suffer the north' so it might as well be in the environs of the Lake District. The rest of the North of England did not seem to suit him at all. From our time on ACT6 I think he thought I was a bit bolshie. He was the mate (and RNR), perhaps ex-Port Line and we were both stuck with EEC. We were all stuck with EEC. I was more than pleased to meet up with John again on the Andria. He must have felt we hadn't hit it off well together when in ACT6 because he had had misgivings when I was appointed to Andria but then surprised to discover I wasn't antagonistic towards him in any way. I liked him. I was used to Port Line long before getting near ACTA. I'd served on Port Brisbane 1963-64 then when I joined Cunard Brocklebank I was in Port Nicholson 1973-74. I first met Ken Fawcett while I was on Port Nicholson. I only met him briefly and probably only three times in all my R & E S career. He was comfortable to be with, wry and wise in that characteristic Scouse manner. That is not an interment I can apply to the other R & E S luminaries, other than Bill Curry. But I didn't really have much to do with any of them save when summoned for 'Executive medical'. And we both seem to have unlocked Angus's _nom de guerre_.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

Yes Harry, I'm in broad agreement.

The "luminaries" such as Norton,Williamson and not forgetting "Sparkie" Mullarkey are to be forever veiled in my memory.....mercifully.

Ken F. was just as you described........ and the only one to be of practical value.

You will recall Arthur Orum, no doubt..........He was the Manager when i joined.

Quite a "rum" crew when one looks back on it all.......

Did you ever work out what the rather odd whiskers which adorned Angus Macdonald were all about?

Best regards.........

S2182


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## harryredvers (Jan 17, 2012)

Though his name is familiar I don't know if Arthur Orum was still around when I was with R & E S (1973-79). I don't remember meeting him but I seem to remember Bill Curry introducing me to someone who was the manager, and I don't think it was Angus. Nor do I remember anybody called Mullarkey. In 1973 and before my contract began Bill Curry asked me if I would attend an Erricsson SSB course in south London, which I duly did. The course was held somewhere at the bottom of the Northern Line, Morden probably and there was about half a dozen of us. Two names stand out - Mike Norton and Larry Climo. I'd forgotten about it till I remembered I had shared a room with Mike in a semi-detached house which was an annexe to the hotel they had put us in. Larry Climo was quite an oddball as I remember. There was a QE2 R/O who lived in Norwich as well. So I seem to have attended two courses with Mike Norton. It is possible he was still sea-going at the time of the Erricsson course.
Reviewing my nr.8 above I seem to have got a couple of things tangled:
(1) Port Brisbane 1963/64 the captain was Fred White not Fred North. Capt. White came from Wellington, NZ and it was a different period. He was a nice bloke. Thirty years later, after a career change, working in the east-end of London, a Kiwi called Charles White joined us as a temp. He turned out to be his nephew. 
Capt. North I once met at a Senior Officers Seminar. I nearly sailed on Atlantic Conveyor c.1978. I stood by her at Seaforth Terminal while he and my old friend Charlie Pratt had had to go to see Entwistle over something or other, but then got cleared in time to sail. 
(2) ACTS 3 or 6: ACT6 - I left at Seaforth Terminal, ACT3 2nd time at Tilbury. I have reasons to remember them both. ACT6 touched the wall when entering Seaforth. The tug blamed the ship, the pilot blamed the ship, and Chapman blamed me. Why not – easy target. It was probably a bridge repeater – nobody had reported anything to me – or said anything afterwards. I didn't even know until I got a phone call from Angus two weeks later. Williamson came to ACT3 at Tilbury, and again Chapman was skipper, I don't remember why he came. Because he came I had to stay until late in the evening. As a result I took a taxi from Tilbury to King's Cross Station and incurred R & E S displeasure.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"and my old friend Charlie Pratt"

Your friend and his.......... Mine too.

I took over the Cunard Chieftain from jazz loving, gout suffering Charles.............

A character.



The manager was indeed Arthur Orum in 1973..........he died in '75 and Angus took over.


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## R798780 (Oct 27, 2004)

sparkie2182 said:


> "and my old friend Charlie Pratt"
> 
> Your friend and his.......... Mine too.
> 
> ...


Ah! Charlie Pratt; a character indeed - and one time wrestler. Sailed with him sometime last century, either Lumiere or Luminetta, probably Lumiere 1975. Smashing chap.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

"and one time wrestler".........The list goes on.


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## Willum (Feb 20, 2012)

Lot of familiar names there, Arthur Orum interviewed me originally. Yes Ken Fawcett was a gent and when he retired we bought him a banjo! I sailed on C.chieftain, campaigner, Mahsud, Oloibiri and then 10 yrs on GBTT. 
GWZM was the collective call if I recall correctly. I was at college with Larry Climo in Plymouth - unique. There are lots of others of course. 
Phil Williams (aka Willum)


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## Martin Bushnell (May 1, 2012)

Just to say hello! I knew most of the folk to whom you refer though lost track of them all many years ago. Very sad to hear Bill Curry has gone. Happy to hear that Ken Fawcett retired to take up the banjo! Where is he now? Charlie Pratt ... Pratt by name and pratt by nature .... his boast, not an insult I assure you, is he still around? Port Line, Moss tankers and Cunard Carronade would have been where you saw me.
Is Captain Pem still with us, or Bugsy Skulberg (C/O) ?

Martin Bushnell.


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## sparkie2182 (May 12, 2007)

G'day Martin.......

We met on more than one occasion in the 70's..........

Nice to see you here.

Captain Pem sadly "Crossed the bar" some years ago.......i sailed with him on Markhor on the Red Sea/Gulf run.

Best regards.........

S2182.


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## GM4CAM (Aug 20, 2007)

Does anyone have any internal photos of ACT 2 / ACT 6 - Radio Room, Bridge, Saloon, Bar, Cabins ...that sort of stuff?


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

radioman1969 said:


> I was with RES 1975-1987. Anyone know if Bill Curry/Angus Macdonald/Ken Fawcett/Thelma Walsh/Mike Norton/Dennis Williamson still around ?
> 
> Also:
> Pursers Les Flockhart/Alan Richardson.
> ...


Hi Ken
Served from 1973-81 with R&ES.
Port Alfred, Port Nicholson, loaned to Marconi on America Star, Mahsud, Luminous, ACT2/6, Cunard Adventurer/Countess and QE2.
Mike Twomey unfortunately crossed the bar about 4 years ago. Stroke. Lived near Beverley, Yorks.

Regards

Peter


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## ernhelenbarrett (Sep 7, 2006)

Sailed with Ian North when he was 2nd Mate on Port Vindex 1952, Hazlewood was Master. Ian played the Northumberland bagpipes much to the Masters disgust, as a Scot I didn't mind at all. Was saddened to hear Ian was lost during
the Falklands War when the Atlantic Conveyor was hit by missiles.
Ern Barrett


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## Cunarder (Oct 19, 2005)

I was originally interviewed by Arthur Orum when I joined Brocklebanks in '68. Started with two trips on Mawana/GWWZ with Phil Marriott as Chief R/O. Spent another 7 years in the cargo fleet on - Samaria, Lucigen, Dilkara (Ian North was the old man and delighted in drawing monkeys over everything), Mahsud, Mahout, Port Nicholson, Oloibiri (fitout in Livorno) ACT2, ACT6, Concordia Manipur (ex Ivernia), Atlantic Causeway and, finally, Cunard Cavalier (anchored for 90 days off Bandar Abbas!). Moved to the pax fleet in '76 and did the next 5 years on Cunard Adventurer, Cunard Countess and Cunard Princess. Gave the whole game away in '81 and emigrated to Aus. I have a pic posted in the Gallery somewhere of the RES office crowd. Cheers. Alan Marsden


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## Cunarder (Oct 19, 2005)

*Bill Curry's "Topical Notes"*

So this little gem surfaced during a recent clean out of the attic... Lost a little of the text due Bill always produced his notes on Foolscap sized paper...
View attachment Side a.PDF


View attachment Side b.PDF


Cheers to all

Alan Marsden


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## Willum (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks for that Alan, I'd forgotten about Bill Curry's notes. Interesting to browse through the list of names and ship names. I'd forgotten about the 'Dilkara' though I served time on the 'Oily Boily'.

Hope alls well,


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## Harry Nicholson (Oct 11, 2005)

Cunarder said:


> So this little gem surfaced during a recent clean out of the attic... Lost a little of the text due Bill always produced his notes on Foolscap sized paper...
> View attachment 168362
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, Alan. I was interested to read that Don Butterworth was posted to QE2 in 1979. A ginger-haired, straight-backed man as I recall. He must have been close to retirement -- I was his junior on Mawana's maiden voyage 1958. Every afternoon he would exercise by pacing the deck with JF Eggleston, the master. I could hear them as I tried to get some kip.


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## Willum (Feb 20, 2012)

Hello Harry, Don - I think I'm right in saying - Joined QE2 shortly after launch ie early 70's and remained until his retirement around 1981. Plenty of stories, but possibly not for this medium, but over a pint!


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## Smiley (12 mo ago)

harryredvers said:


> Yes I knew John lived in Kendal though I don't think he was originally from the north. It seemed to me as if he had to 'suffer the north' so it might as well be in the environs of the Lake District. The rest of the North of England did not seem to suit him at all. From our time on ACT6 I think he thought I was a bit bolshie. He was the mate (and RNR), perhaps ex-Port Line and we were both stuck with EEC. We were all stuck with EEC. I was more than pleased to meet up with John again on the Andria. He must have felt we hadn't hit it off well together when in ACT6 because he had had misgivings when I was appointed to Andria but then surprised to discover I wasn't antagonistic towards him in any way. I liked him. I was used to Port Line long before getting near ACTA. I'd served on Port Brisbane 1963-64 then when I joined Cunard Brocklebank I was in Port Nicholson 1973-74. I first met Ken Fawcett while I was on Port Nicholson. I only met him briefly and probably only three times in all my R & E S career. He was comfortable to be with, wry and wise in that characteristic Scouse manner. That is not an interment I can apply to the other R & E S luminaries, other than Bill Curry. But I didn't really have much to do with any of them save when summoned for 'Executive medical'. And we both seem to have unlocked Angus's _nom de guerre_.


Hi,
I realise this chat stream is from 10 years ago but wondered if any memories of my father, Captain John Oscroft still remain? He is finding it hard to remember and retell stories like he used to but as we sailed with him on a few trips over the years we can help jog his memory but his work mates are much more equipped to fill in the gaps. He started as a trainee cadet on the Worcester and then Port line, Cunard, White Star and finally P and O. My main memories are the Act boats and the Prosper, Project and Conveyor (new one had Captains Cabin done out like a Barbie House-it was awful!)
He has a condition that will mean his time is limited so any memories -good, bad or naughty will help me put together a book of information that he can look at and enjoy remembering his time at sea.


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