# Call Sign Request



## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Hello to everyone. I have a request for some call signs, I am putting together the list of vessels I served on which is to go to a museum in Norway to be associated with my British Merchant Navy uniform. I donated my uniform, my original Browns headphones and several other R/O related items to a Norwegian museum dedicated to nautical memorabilia.

The curator set up the museum in memory of his brother who was a radio officer. After receiving my items he requested I provide a bit of history on the ships I served as radio officer.

I was GTZM from 1971 until 1986 and my memory fails me on the call signs of the following ships, I have listed the year I sailed on the ship the name and company.

1974
Tor Gothia - Denholm Maclay Co Ltd
Tor Belgia
Defender - Thos. & Jas Harrison Ltd
Scotspark - Denholm's

1975
Texaco Brisbane - Texaco Overseas Tamkships Ltd

1977
Texaco Hamburg

1978
Texaco Denmark

1979
Venture Brittania - no info on company, Monrovia reg Spanish crew


If anyone knows of the call signs of these vessels or where I might find the information I will be eternally grateful.

Bob Carswell (aka Rvator)


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Bob
Tor Gothia GPAB
Tor Belgia GQEU
Defender GTRT
Scotspark GZLE
Texaco Brisbane GHDQ
Texaco Hamburg GZPX
Texaco Denmark GNUB
I can't find any reference to Venture Brittania I'm afraid.
Regards
Tony


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Hello Tony

My thanks for your prompt reply and those call signs missing to my distant memory. Seeing them again returns each to my mind and the hours I spent keying them.

Can I ask for your expertise once more. I missed one off the list, I think I know it but would appreciate confirmation if you can.

1972
Hyria - Shell Tankers
GHSD (?)

Rgds
Bob


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## Tony Selman (Mar 8, 2006)

Sorry Bob it is GSDP.

Tony


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Tony

Thank you again, just goes to show how things fade with time although I was partly right. Who knows what ship GHSD belongs to clearly I was never on it.

I do however now you give me the correct call sign see clearly the nights I spent trying to raise GKB. The Hyria was on the Singapore to Saigon run and calling Portishead was never easy from out there.

Rgds
Bob


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## alastairjs (Feb 8, 2006)

Bob,

if I've got the right ship _Venture Britannia_ call sign was 5MXE. She was the ex _Conoco Britannia_ built by Astilleros Espanoles SA in 1972, tanker, 115,851 dwt. Name changed in 1978. Owners listed as World Wide Transport Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Continental Oil Co., Stamford, Conn. As Venture Britannia she was registered Liberia.

Regards,
Alastair


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Hello Alastair

Yes that is the vessel and I recall the call sign as 5MXE. I was the R/O on her joining 26/6/79 in Malaga along with a JR/O who arrived next port we both paid off on 21/10/79 at St James New Orleans. It was totally Spanish officers and crew and what sticks in my mind the most is that I've never drunk so much gin in my whole life as when I was on it.

I'm searching for an image of the ship if anyone reads this and knows of one I would be very grateful.

Rgds
Bob


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

Bob and Tony,

I was much more fortunate, being on GDSP "City of Lucknow" and well to the fore of the old Area Scheme traffic lists and broadcasts. 

Not so lucky with GXPX "Bretwalda" but on the plus side, the owners were very parsimonious and traffic from them was limited.(Jester)


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I'm pleased to hear Mimco were still putting men on them in 1979. I was one of the first on Conoco Europe (Capt. Celaya, Don Sixto). I have to say that from your experience of the gin it sounds as if they were still giving you as little do as I was. Decent people to sail with and best run steamship I ever knew.


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

I was on nights at GKZ around that time when the Conoco Europe lost power coming up to Tetney Monobuoy and 'sat' on her anchor rupturing a tank. The Pilot came on VHF and gave me the brief details for which I filed a 'May We Report Lloyds' with his permission. 

Were 'you there' Varley ??

David
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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

No, David. I had an uneventful voyage sailing between a Libyan SBM and off-loading vessels in the gulf of Mexico. No port at all in six months. Paid off in Malta with my junior K. P Ball. I'd have to look it up to be precise but it was my third trip after leaving Saudi Shields after AMEC (HM's Silver Jubilee when I was onboard also 7/7/77 - special significance for Pamplona, I can remember the tune but not the words).

Interviewed by Conoco on sign-off (briefing Marconi that this is what I had been asked to do) ripped up royally for giving honest opinion by one Tom Bridge in the forerunner of 'Meeting without coffee' only Elettra House, not the 'White House'. Me right. Him Wrong. Him eventually agreed. Sent to GTVs, always previously denied, as his penance so ended happily for me.

Ex A8NT


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Thanks Varley - the bit about the gin was that it was the first ship I recall that had no beer, plenty of red wine and spirits and of course water but no beer. The red wine was rough stuff and I didn't do spirits back then but we had to drink something so started on gin with loads of tonic ending up at the end of the trip all gin no tonic.

As I recall paying off in St James, the trip up the river was in done in darkness and me and the jnr went up to the bow with our remaining bottles of gin, drank the stuff and threw the empties down to smash them of the bulbous bow.

The exhuberance of youth.

I don't recall much of the officers or crew, I remember the old man painted pictures and was doing a copy of the Mona Lisa. The food was well peculiar, I managed the fish heads in the stew just about but the jnr gave up early and just ate omelettes.

I remember writing my monthly reports back to the Head Office and heading them 'A'Venture Britannia as memory reminds me we did have many issues to resolve including having to replace the main transmitter.

Brgds
Bob


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

Bob - We would most likely have been QSO when you were on Tor Gothia, Tor Belgia through GKZ. 

My introduction to Mr Gordon came as a recommended sleep medication when on a non air-conditioned Palm 'liner' up the creeks.

An enjoyable follow up to my 'May We Report' on thr Conoco Europe came a few weeks later when I was standing in for my O/C at a meeting in HQ. We were invited to lunch at Lloyds (before the new building), and toured the dealing floor. I got talking to a chap who turned out to be the Quill Pen writer, and Lutine Bell ringer for 'mishaps'. He was pleased to meet me as, already aware of the Conoco Europe episode, he was unsure how serious it was so was pleased when my MWR came in. We later had a tour of Lloyds' museum where they had the actualy cutlery made personally for Lord Nelson, which included a thick prong for with a blade edge. 

David
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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

Ah! the food, how could I forget that muck. The only bad feeder I was ever on.

After about a month Don Sixto came into chat and asked "Davith, how you like the tipicalaspanish cooking?"


"Quite frankly, Sir, I can't stand it I've been living off beer and sandwiches" I complained.

He looked at me in genuine disbelief, as 'though I had spat on his mother's grave.

"Davith! You do not think we eat this sheet when we at home do you?".

The ship's company were generally very used to the poor fare. Every alleyway locker had someone's cured ham or string of sausages ready for cook to have a particularly bad day. Every day the old man would have tab nabs before lunch which turned out to be the best meal of the day.

David V


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

david.hopcroft said:


> Bob - We would most likely have been QSO when you were on Tor Gothia, Tor Belgia through GKZ.


Hi David, I guess we must have participated in conversation at that time although I was only doing relief trips for the regular chaps. I remember my key work consisted mainly of QTP and QTO messages as we spent next to no time at sea on each crossing between ports.

As for the gin gave it up once beer was available post payoff however since retirement the memsahib and I have become quite partial to G and T before the evening grub. This habit not least brought on because a local village store stocks more that 90 different types at last count of the stuff.

Brgds
Bob


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## Rvator (Aug 27, 2012)

Varley said:


> Ah! the food, how could I forget that muck. The only bad feeder I was ever on.
> 
> 
> "Quite frankly, Sir, I can't stand it I've been living off beer and sandwiches" I complained.
> ...


Well you was lucky to have beer!

I concur on the standard of food best described as bloody terrible, 'muck' being a mild description. One of the better offerings as I remember was first food of the day (couldn't describe it as breakfast) which was mainly large biscuits that had a similarity to a rich tea as we know it on which we put copious layers of spread and lashings of a sort of jam.

To this day I steer clear of paella as the memory of fish heads still lingers.

Brgds
Bob


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

We certainly had beer (along with plenty of gin, as I remember it the old man was happy arranging whatever you wanted - he got me a case of port in the US - unfortunately it was some disgusting US old lady juice).

Breakfast was almost a good definition, eggs and bacon like ordinary people only swimming in oil. Squid baked it is own ink and bunny were the ones I remember with maximum retch. The tortilla was the one excellent meal in the week and ensalada Mixta was passable (without the anaesthetic).


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## david.hopcroft (Jun 29, 2005)

The Photoship site seems to be down at present, but I have found the Conoco Europe. This is Auk Vissers site.

http://www.aukevisser.nl/supertankers/part-1/id435.htm

David
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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

David, thank you for that. David V


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