# Common Brothers, Newcastle upon Tyne (1962-1977) Ken Madden



## gmad (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi, I'm looking to find out more information about the ships my dad sailed on and where they went. I have a notebook with some information my dad wrote, and the stamps from his passport and various vaccination do***ents. I have typed out the information below, so if anyone remembers my dad or any more information, I'd really like to hear from you.

My dad was Ken Madden, an electrician working for Common Brothers, Newcastle upon Tyne from between 1962-1977.

Thanks a lot,
Graeme


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Fina Britannia
November 1973
Relieved G Hay

Chief C Hinchcliffe, WH Hansen
2nd K Railton, W Douglass, J Gordon
3rd C Green, M Hoskins, J Hunter, D Stebbins
3rd D Walker
4th B Nelson, A Springett
Jnr E Middleton
Capt W Deasy
Mate N Samuel, M Cooper, G Barry
2nd J Bailey, Eddy K
3rd S O'Neil
App Deck	M McAbe, B Hudson, M Graham
App Eng	J Wiseman, T Liddle
Elect R Cole, G Hay
Purser	M Boughton

Duration: 4 months 3 weeks

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SS "Warbah"
August 1973
Relieved A Hodgson

Chief	T R Little
2nd	B Douglas
3rd	J Hunter
3rd	P Holmes
4th	A Fredriksen
Jnr	K Bell
Capt	J Collins
Mate	D Allen & Wife
2nd	G Haldenby
3rd	G Clark
Purser	E Wellings
R/O	G Charnick

Duration: 7 weeks
1973-08-26	USA
1973-10-09	Rocha, Portugal

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ST "Al Funtas"
December 1972
Relieved R Wood

Chief	C Kitchener
2nd	N McManus & Wife
3rd	L Beekmans
4th	C SMith, A Fredrikson & Wife, R Watson
Jnr	C Ritzema
Capt	N Peirson, James
Mate	R Larson, S Gamble & Wife, A Brown
2nd	T Howe & Wife
3rd	J McLashan, Abdul
App	A Todd, A McDougal, G Westgarth, Mohamad
Purser	R J Phillips, M Coulson
R/O	T Barnet, C Clarke

Duration: 5 months 1 week
1972-12-28	La Havre, France
1973-04-20	Kharg Island, Iran

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MV "Border Castle"
February 1972
Relieved R Wood

Chief	Bloomfield
2nd	G Canham
3rd	A Bowman, J Rutherford
4th	J Barber
Jnr	D Hassan
Capt	C Southcombe
Mate	J Bobbins, P Donnelly
2nd	C James
3rd	G Phillips, Bill Bates
Purser	H Dean
R/O	G Minay

Duration: 6 months
1972-02-24	Singapore

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MV "Border Shepherd"
February 1971
Relieved Les Davison

Chief	H Bright, M Little
2nd	W Nicholson, D Robson, M Allen
3rd	J Jardine, M Fidler
4th	T E Davison
Jnr	G Lambelle, G Taylor
Capt	G March
Mate	A Buchanan, A Jackson
2nd	T D Johnson
3rd	T R Nichols
Purser	S Thomson, T Wellings
R/O	J Ryan

Duration: 8 months
1971-03-02	Kharg Island, Iran
1971-06-06	La Plata, Argentina
1971-09-09	Tasmania, Australia

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MV "Border Pele"
February 1970
Relieved Nobody

Chief	E Nurse, D Sterret, G Herron
2nd	J Haswell, W Duffy, M Little
3rd	F Chatterton, G Tennick
4th	M Fidler, J Hellam
Jnr	M Harper, S White, G Ford, G Brewis, M Bohan
Capt	W Box, Twy Dowson
Mate	A Dalrymple, N Samuels
2nd	R Brown, J Talbot
3rd	D Hinchcliff, H Dean
R/O	Ron Burt, M Starmer

Duration: 9 months
1970-02-11	Bangkok Airport, Thailand
1970-02-12	Sydney Airport, Australia
1970-10-26	Valeta, Malta
1970-10-27	Malta Airport, Malta

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MV "Hope Peak"
March 1969
Relieved M Lydon

Chief	A Heimberg
2nd	J Winton
3rd	G Bainbridge
4th	T Mather
Jnr	G Brewis
Jnr	G Ireland
Jnr	R Hogarth
Capt	I Burton
Mate	F Shuttleworth
2nd	J Brebner
3rd	R Gray
App	I Henderson
App	R Donkin
Purser	E Lee
R/O	D Creighton

Duration: 7.5 months
1969-04-17	Antwerp, Belgium

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Other stamps in passport:

1962-12-31	Victoria Docks, London
? Abadan Airport, Iran
? Abadan Airport, Iran
? Karachi, Pakistan
1972-11-17	UK
1973-06-02	Rotterdam, Netherlands
1974-06-13	Heathrow Airport, London
1975-06-07	Singapore	
1975-06-25	Singapore
1975-08-21	Durban, South Africa
1975-12-21	Fornebu, Norway
1976-09-18	Canada


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## borderreiver (Oct 11, 2008)

I was with your dad on border castle.


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## gmad (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi, thanks for replying, did you know my dad well? I figured he must have flown to Singapore to join the Border Castle, do you know where it went from there? My dad passed away in January 2013. After finding the notebook, I wanted to find out more about his time at sea.
Thanks
Graeme


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## borderreiver (Oct 11, 2008)

Border castle was working out of Singapore to Ansty then picked up a cargo in the gulf for UK. Then dry dock at Barry were I left after nearly a year. Sorry can not remember your dad.


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## gmad (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi borderreiver, thanks for the info. Where is Antsy? I Googled it, but just found a village in Warwickshire, which I assume isn't right  Thanks


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## gmad (Jan 23, 2014)

Hi waffle-sproket, I can't reply to your PM as I'm getting this message:

"waffle-sproket has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her."

So hopefully you'll see my reply here. 

Thanks for your message. Yes I'd be very interested in the article on the Fina Britannia, Thanks
Graeme


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## waffle-sproket (Jul 10, 2007)

will switch off the private msg thing today FYI its an 8page scan
ws


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## TIM HUDSON (May 16, 2007)

Gosh so many names from the past. I knew many but regrettably am only in touch with Chris Hinchcliffe, a good mate. Thanks for all the memories your list brought.


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## borderreiver (Oct 11, 2008)

And me Tim


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## Trevor Johnson (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi,
I remember your Dad, I sailed with him on Border Shepherd. I was 2nd Mate Trevor D Johnson. An interesting one on the voyage from Persian Gulf to La Plata, I planned the voyage as Navigating Officers did, so that we passed very close, 3 miles North of the Island Tristan Da Cunha. Nobody had seen it before and we were the first ship to visit in 3 months.
I ran a Great circle from Cape Town to Tristan then another from Tristan to Montevideo, where you pick the pilot up for the passage up to La Plata.
Your Dad was on then and may even had mentioned it as its quite an extraordinary incident. We spoke all the daylight hours with people on the Island, by VHF and could see the most isolated town in the world clearly.
All the children on Tristan got a day off school for our sighting. Your Dad would have come up on the Bridge and probably spoke to someone on the Island.


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