# PACIFIC UNITY and WESTERN TRADER and cadet officer MIKE HILL



## colin lodge (Apr 25, 2012)

Hello,

I am best man in August to an ex merchant seaman called MIKE HILL who started his seagoing career on the PACIFIC UNITY when she was moored up, prior to being sold, in the River Fal close to the King Harry chain ferry. He has told me that as a very green lad he had to take a small boat to fetch provisions and his route passed by the ferry and at which point the ferry departed and the chains went taught coming up under the boat and almost capsizing her and pitching him into the water. Can anybody tell me anything about the Pacific Unity that I could perhaps use, please.

Similarly I am interested in Mike's second ship, the WESTERN TRADER which he joined in Salford, on the Manchester ship canal I presume, and went on his first sea voyage in her.

I know this is a long shot but if anybody remembers Michael from his early days in ships I would be very grateful to hear any tales they can tell.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

colin lodge said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am best man in August to an ex merchant seaman called MIKE HILL who started his seagoing career on the PACIFIC UNITY when she was moored up, prior to being sold, in the River Fal close to the King Harry chain ferry. He has told me that as a very green lad he had to take a small boat to fetch provisions and his route passed by the ferry and at which point the ferry departed and the chains went taught coming up under the boat and almost capsizing her and pitching him into the water. Can anybody tell me anything about the Pacific Unity that I could perhaps use, please.
> 
> ...



View attachment 27799
PACIFIC UNITY & PACIFIC FORTUNE (Furness,Withy Co.)Laid up King Harry ferry WESTERN TRADER (Western Trans.Corp.)London Greeks
View attachment 27800
(Pint)


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## Wribbenhall (Mar 19, 2009)

colin lodge said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am best man in August to an ex merchant seaman called MIKE HILL who started his seagoing career on the PACIFIC UNITY when she was moored up, prior to being sold, in the River Fal close to the King Harry chain ferry. He has told me that as a very green lad he had to take a small boat to fetch provisions and his route passed by the ferry and at which point the ferry departed and the chains went taught coming up under the boat and almost capsizing her and pitching him into the water. Can anybody tell me anything about the Pacific Unity that I could perhaps use, please.
> 
> ...



s.s.PACIFIC UNITY (Official No. 182870)

Cargo ship built 1948 for Furness,Withy Shipping Co,London as Yard No. 778 by LaingShipyard,Deptford

Gross Tons 9,511
Deadweight 11,424
Length Overall 151.9m
Beam 19.3m
Steam Turbine 15.5kts

History 
With Furness, Withy Shipping from 1948 to 1964,including Lay Ups.


1964 Sold to Astroleal Cia Naviera SA,Monrovia,Liberian Flag.Renamed LAVRENTIOS
1969 Same Owner but registered Ithaka,Greek Flag
8/1970 Broken up for scrap Shanghai 

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WESTERN TRADER ?

Only your friend will know,but I have a feeling that since he was with Furness,Withy Co.then he may mean the ship whose name was *WESTERN * PRINCE-but from 1963-1969 she was named MANCHESTER *TRADER* (Manchester Liners was also part of the large Furness Withy empire and ships were freely transferred between constituent companies within the group)

If so,details are:

m.v. WESTERN PRINCE (Official No.186230) built 1955 at Harland & Wolff ,Govan as Yard No. 1508 g for Prince Line,London(part of Furness,Withy Group.)

Gross Tons 7,917
Deadweight 10,120
Length Overall
Beam
Diesel 14 kts.
History
1955-1957 WESTERN PRINCE
1957-1960 ZEALANDIC(Chartered to Shaw,Saville Co.)
1960-1963 Back as WESTERN PRINCE
1963-1969 MANCHESTER TRADER with Manchester Liners
1969-1971 Back as WESTERN PRINCE

1971 Sold to Saint Nicolas Sg.Co,Famagusta,Cypriot flag. Renamed MARINER
29/3/73 Foundered after leaking and abandoned in Pacific,east of Japan,whilst on voyage from Havana to Kobe with sugar.


Hope this may help.Some pics below.

W.B.H.

WESTERN PRINCE (Link)



W.B.H.


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## colin lodge (Apr 25, 2012)

Thanks A.D............Your post gives authenticity to Mike's story about Pacific Unity and the King Harry ferry. The photo may at least bring a tear to his eye. Your post also gives me hope for a few more stories.

Thanks again


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## colin lodge (Apr 25, 2012)

Also thanks to you Wribbenhall........your post confirms what I have been finding out about Western Prince/Trader


Is it possible to view crew list for either of these vessels around the time Mike would have been on them?


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## Keltic Star (Jan 21, 2006)

If your friend mentioned Salford, it was most likely the Western Prince/Manchester Trader he was talking about as she was based there on the Manchester - Montreal run (Halifax & Saint John in winter) from 1960 until she was sold by Furness. I was on her as Cadet then 4th. Mate from March 1961 to Feb 1963. The happiest ship I ever sailed on.

Bert Stevens (Yorkshire Stevens not Manchester Stevens) was Master, Jimmy Grey, C/O, Mike Bowen 2/0, Andy MacDougal 3/0. Tommy Adams was C/E and Jackie Pinder C/S.

She was certainly a party ship in every port we called at in Canada and a few impromptu ones when fog bound up the MSC.

Met a girl from Montreal when on her, which is how I ended up in Canada. She's actually coming to a family reunion here tomorrow along with wife two and three!


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## Wribbenhall (Mar 19, 2009)

colin lodge said:


> Also thanks to you Wribbenhall........your post confirms what I have been finding out about Western Prince/Trader
> 
> 
> Is it possible to view crew list for either of these vessels around the time Mike would have been on them?



Colin
I think now you can only get them from the Central Library at the Guildhall,London.I know of several researchers who have done this during the last couple of years. WEBSITE HERE



It will be a fee-based facility,and is said to be fairly quick. You would have to know approximate year/month of voyages I would assume.
SPECIFIC INFO HERE



Good Luck

W.B.H.


Sorry,Colin,I've just realised you meant CREW LISTS.The source I have just referred to means *Movements* of the vessels concerned.
Crew Lists are quite a tall order,as the only sure place they were recorded was in Official Log Books.These were contentiously dispersed to various archives around the world ,some of them lost,and many of them have ended up in an archive in a Newfoundland maritime archive....


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## TOM ALEXANDER (Dec 24, 2008)

Keltic Star said:


> If your friend mentioned Salford, it was most likely the Western Prince/Manchester Trader he was talking about as she was based there on the Manchester - Montreal run (Halifax & Saint John in winter) from 1960 until she was sold by Furness. I was on her as Cadet then 4th. Mate from March 1961 to Feb 1963. The happiest ship I ever sailed on.
> 
> Bert Stevens (Yorkshire Stevens not Manchester Stevens) was Master, Jimmy Grey, C/O, Mike Bowen 2/0, Andy MacDougal 3/0. Tommy Adams was C/E and Jackie Pinder C/S.
> 
> ...


Can't be sure, but I vaguely remember Mike Bowen sailing as 3rd. Mate on the Pacific Northwest - would have been around 1958. Was there any Pacific boat that wasn't a party boat??? Met my wife in Nanaimo in 1956, that's why I'm in Canada. She's still number 1 after 52 years.


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