# captain cook



## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

i wonder if anybody had any tales regarding donaldsons captain cook when she sailed out of glasgow on assisted passages 1950-1960 my ex fath in law sailed her (frank brogan) he used to tell me it was pretty rough crew those days i used to watch her leave the clyde and ithought thats what iwant to do i think i got some aspiration from her is it true about hard crew? canny ask him he,s away to see davy jones cheers much obliged (bobby)


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Most of the crew on Donaldson's were from Glasgow and were named Glasgow Redskins by some seaman from other ports because they were a rough bunch,however I sailed on two of their ships and made six voyages and never saw any of the rumored knives and razors cutting. They were great seaman,worked hard and played hard,couldn't ask for a better crew,not that they were angels all the time, they would fight at a drop of a hat.
John.


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

John Rogers said:


> Most of the crew on Donaldson's were from Glasgow and were named Glasgow Redskins by some seaman from other ports because they were a rough bunch,however I sailed on two of their ships and made six voyages and never saw any of the rumored knives and razors cutting. They were great seaman,worked hard and played hard,couldn't ask for a better crew,not that they were angels all the time, they would fight at a drop of a hat.
> John.


thanks john pretty much what the old goat say,s nowt about razors&stuff thats no mean city crap regards (bobby)


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## jimmyc (Dec 28, 2005)

My Dad was a crew member in 1956
will ask him about it when he comes to Australia in march he is 85
and oddly enough teetotal
I think his trips to Australia were instrumental in us migrating here in 59
we came out on the Fairsea
Dad returned to Glasgow to live about 20 years ago


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

jimmyc said:


> My Dad was a crew member in 1956
> will ask him about it when he comes to Australia in march he is 85
> and oddly enough teetotal
> I think his trips to Australia were instrumental in us migrating here in 59
> ...


Hi Jimmy yeah i think the old yin was on her about that time

Thanks Bobby


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## jimmyc (Dec 28, 2005)

Did you know Captain Cook was also known as
*LETITIA * 1925 
*EMPIRE BRENT* 1946 
CAPTAIN COOK 1951
My Dad was also on Empire Brent 1949/50


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

jimmyc said:


> Did you know Captain Cook was also known as
> *LETITIA * 1925
> *EMPIRE BRENT* 1946
> CAPTAIN COOK 1951
> My Dad was also on Empire Brent 1949/50


Hi Jimmy yes i did thanks mate
Bobby


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## dom (Feb 10, 2006)

*dom*



bobby388 said:


> i wonder if anybody had any tales regarding donaldsons captain cook when she sailed out of glasgow on assisted passages 1950-1960 my ex fath in law sailed her (frank brogan) he used to tell me it was pretty rough crew those days i used to watch her leave the clyde and ithought thats what iwant to do i think i got some aspiration from her is it true about hard crew? canny ask him he,s away to see davy jones cheers much obliged (bobby)


was offerd capt cook a few times,going from leith through to glasgow was not my cup of tea.some good men on her,also a lot of D.R.s.ibelive the stwds were the roughest of the rough


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## tom e kelso (May 1, 2005)

*Captain Cook*

When attending a DEMS "gunnery course at the RNVR depot in Whitefiled Road, Govan, Glasgow about 1951, one of the others attending was a Captain (Donald) COOK , Master of the Tss CAPTAIN COOK (ex-Empire Brent)

Tom


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## KPC (Oct 7, 2005)

I recall running battles in the streets of Lyttelton between Crew of Captain Cook and other Home boats and that it was not a good time to be out and about while this ship was in Port


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## vix (Jan 2, 2006)

KPC said:


> I recall running battles in the streets of Lyttelton between Crew of Captain Cook and other Home boats and that it was not a good time to be out and about while this ship was in Port


The Captain Cook, Largs Bay, Dominion Monarch and later Northern Star & Southern Cross were names of ships that sent a tingling shiver up and down the spines of hard men (so called!!) Those days are gone, too!! Vix (Cloud)


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## kendaly (May 13, 2007)

*Letitia*

Hi,

My wife,s father was crew member of Letitia about 1940-1943 period.

How can I find out more about his service?

Records, do***ents?

Ken


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Greetings Ken and welcome to the SN site. Somebody on site will have an answer. Bon voyage.


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## ed glover (May 3, 2006)

Watch the Captain Cook slip down the Clyde just by Yoker ferry when I was a wee lad. Think it was part of my Yearning to go to sea. She was a beautiful site in thoses days.
Ed Glover
Controlled drifting


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## vangooler (Nov 7, 2005)

Hi Bobby, I can't vouch for the truth of this story but here it is as I heard it. I was in Montreal on the Empress of Australia Mar./Apr. 1955. The Captain Cook was along side due to sail next day. She was still there when we left. Seems a body was washed up when the tugs arrived to tow her out. The story was that some crew members got into a scuffle up in Joe Beef's bar, and it continued back at the dock. One of them went missing, and that was how they found him. It seemed real enough at the time as the police were all over the ship. Never found out the full story but often thought about the poor sod. Maybe JimmyC's Dad would know something about it.Ian


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## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

*lost info*



vangooler said:


> Hi Bobby, I can't vouch for the truth of this story but here it is as I heard it. I was in Montreal on the Empress of Australia Mar./Apr. 1955. The Captain Cook was along side due to sail next day. She was still there when we left. Seems a body was washed up when the tugs arrived to tow her out. The story was that some crew members got into a scuffle up in Joe Beef's bar, and it continued back at the dock. One of them went missing, and that was how they found him. It seemed real enough at the time as the police were all over the ship. Never found out the full story but often thought about the poor sod. Maybe JimmyC's Dad would know something about it.Ian


Hi Ian just happens after i swallowed the anchor i got divorced an stuff and old frank went to see davey jones so never got any more stories and i can still see it as i thought then very fast goin doon the water and all those immigrants waving like mad £10 trip Bobby(Glasgow)

PS ended up class 1 driver nyself


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

After being landed to hospital in Invercargill in 1953, I came home DBS from Wellington on the Captain Cook. She had no emigrants aboard, just a few DBS and some deportees. Pleasant passage home, good food, no complaints. They told me that outwards they had to close the bar at the end of voyage party the night before landing the emigrants in NZ, as with a combination of a few drinks and the skirl of the pipes the purser was being beseiged with homesick/semi drunken Scots changing their minds about leaving Bonnie Scotland.


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## tom e kelso (May 1, 2005)

Some time about 1951/52, I attended a "gunnery" course (for MN officers) at Whitefield Road, Govan, Glasgow. In fact, gunnery was hardly on the agenda, buit the course principally was concerned with DEMS equipment then carried by all British merchant ships.....use of one-time codes, convoy procedures et etc.
One of the others who attended this 5-day course was Captain Donald Cook, from the Isle of Arran. At that time, he was Master of the Captain Cook, and had been for a number of years before. when she was the Empire Brent

It must have been quite unique for the Master of a ship having the same name as the ship!

Tom


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## joesoap (Sep 4, 2005)

Having sailed and hung around the Broomielaw (Glasgow pool) I can vouch for the fact that if the stewards didn't get a regular dropsy the punters did'nt eat. I musst have sailed with a few who had been on her but the only name I can remember was the bosun Frank Mc Keague or could have been Mc Caig . Something of a legend even in his day.


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## Rob.Norrie (May 31, 2007)

*the Empire Brent-Captain Cook*

Captain Cook.
My brother was on her for 5 years, most of the time when Empire Brent, she was good ship as the Brent mostly on the Aussie run as wine waiter., then once changed to Captain Cook and also changed to the N.Z.run, she changed for worse, became a battleship, brother done 1,5 voyages, he jumped in N.Z. worked ashore in hotel, till one day got found out done 6 weeks in jail, though was easy, worked in gardens there to do his time , deported back to U.K. could not get back into N.Z. because of this offence, so saved up and went to Australia where he stayed.that was in 1952.
recently he suffered ill health and is in hospital just now.
I think that the master, Captain Cook lived in Dunoon on the shore road towards Innellan. He said once ship changed to Captain Cook, and the master with same name, he was very strict and against drink, she at that time became a battle ship and lots of fights onboard and ashore.
I was also at sea all my working life, and remember seeing her in Glasgow when she was Captain Cook, I was in small coaster for some time and passing up and down to Windmill croft quay every 10 days or so.
I am new to this sight, and enjoy reading of the many stories of past times, that todays youngters sad to say miss out on. I enjoyed my days at sea, and would have loved to continue, but is came to an end.
It is rather strange how we mostly remember the good bits and forget the weeks at sea running back and forth to the Persian Gulf, five trips on the trot to Aden. It is better to just mind the good bits. Regards Rob.


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## 216289 (Jan 4, 2018)

I to am new to this sight, and enjoy reading of the many stories in the Limey tongue. You "bloke's" sure talk "funny".


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## 216289 (Jan 4, 2018)

Captain Cook of the Captain Cook, --- Chief Kalani`opu`u went down to see how the cooking was. Chief Kalani`opu`u and his chief cook watching the first assistant cook being handed spices by the second assistant cook taken from the third assistant cook to add a tad of flavor to the cooking of Caption Cook. Chief Kalani`opu`u exclaimed, “too many cooks spoil da broth bra”. Hawai'ian,s also talk "funny". 13 latter's in their language, the w is pronounced with a v. So it is not "how are you" as Arthur Godfrey would use to "fun" the tourist. 

http://www.hawaiihistory.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=ig.page&PageID=266 

http://www.ukulelemag.com/stories/ukulele-evangelist-arthur-godfrey -- http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0323960/bio -- https://archive.org/details/Flyingwi1953_2


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