# United Towing Shooting



## sam2182sw

Hi lads i am looking for help at 2.40 on the 29.12 2007 i was looking at the posting and one came up about a shooting on one of UTC tugs i went and got some info and went back into the postings to find it and it was no longer there can anyone help with the name of the member who wanted this info sam2182sw


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## trotterdotpom

Sam, see Eric Bennett's post "United Towing Company". Find it in 'Search' if it's not still on the New Messages forum.

John T.


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## sam2182sw

thanks john i will give it a go sam


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## Eric Bennett

Yes Sam that could be me. this is what I posted:- I was an Ordinary Seaman on the overseas Towage and Salvage Co tug Dexterous from 25th July 1947 to 21 October 1947 and had to pay off owing to an eye injury. About August/September 1947, one of our tow's with two LCM's took us to Bilbao, Northern Spain. whilst we at Bilbao, there was a United Towing Co; tug there with the usual "man" on the tail end of it's name. The First Mate had been shot by one of Franco's trigger happy police as he tried to cross a Spanish Naval craft to get to his own vessel. He was in hospital with five bullets in him and the tug was not allowed to leave unless they took the Mate with them dead or alive. Would any of you United towing Co; tugees know what the name of this tug was and if the mate survived?
Regards
Eric


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## sam2182sw

*utc shooting*

Hi Eric thanks for comming back on the web, your post was very interesting to me and did make me look at it i have been involved with utc for 50 years now and have 1000 of cutting from all sorts of press ect but never come across anything about that.I have an old friend who is still alive at the age 94 his name is captian Bill Hopper and he was one of utc top men in the towing world and he finished up been the marine super in the office and every thing had to go by him i gave him a call as soon as i so your report and he new nothing about that he had been with utc 55years. the only bad thing that utc had was when the Welshman ex GROWLER was towing from the USA to Hong KONG two of the deck hands had a fight on the aft deck and after a punch one of them hid his head on the tow rail and died,the other lad was found guilty of manslaughter and was locked up in H.K.for 18 mth captain TIM Bond WAS SKIPPER OF THE TUG AND WOULD NOT LEAVE HIS CREW MAN OUT THERE and got the ok from the office to stop out there and do his own thing and get as much work at his end and the office would look for work at this end this was done with a good out come to both partys the crew man did his time and Tim Bond picked him up when he came out of the jail. i do have a full report and paper cutting of it all names of people and the name of the ship been towed sam


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## sam2182sw

*utc shooting*

eric bennett sorry about this eric i have put it on nortic board sam


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## RayJordandpo

Eric Bennett said:


> Yes Sam that could be me. this is what I posted:- I was an Ordinary Seaman on the overseas Towage and Salvage Co tug Dexterous from 25th July 1947 to 21 October 1947 and had to pay off owing to an eye injury. About August/September 1947, one of our tow's with two LCM's took us to Bilbao, Northern Spain. whilst we at Bilbao, there was a United Towing Co; tug there with the usual "man" on the tail end of it's name. The First Mate had been shot by one of Franco's trigger happy police as he tried to cross a Spanish Naval craft to get to his own vessel. He was in hospital with five bullets in him and the tug was not allowed to leave unless they took the Mate with them dead or alive. Would any of you United towing Co; tugees know what the name of this tug was and if the mate survived?
> Regards
> Eric


His name was George (Daggy) Dee and as you rightly say he was shot by Franco's trigger happy police in Spain. I sailed with him when he was skipper with United Towing and he told me the story and showed me his bullet wounds. He was actually helping (well actually carrying) a sparky back who was worse for wear after a night out. Incidentally he just lives round the corner from me, he is knocking on a bit but still on the go.

He was shot by police in Spain


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## RayJordandpo

sam2182sw said:


> Hi lads i am looking for help at 2.40 on the 29.12 2007 i was looking at the posting and one came up about a shooting on one of UTC tugs i went and got some info and went back into the postings to find it and it was no longer there can anyone help with the name of the member who wanted this info sam2182sw


Sam. His name was George Dee. Capt. Hopper should remember that incident well
Ray Jordan


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## Eric Bennett

RayJordandpo said:


> His name was George (Daggy) Dee and as you rightly say he was shot by Franco's trigger happy police in Spain. I sailed with him when he was skipper with United Towing and he told me the story and showed me his bullet wounds. He was actually helping (well actually carrying) a sparky back who was worse for wear after a night out. Incidentally he just lives round the corner from me, he is knocking on a bit but still on the go.
> 
> He was shot by police in Spain


Yes Sam. We did hear that they had, had a few San Miguel's. Glad to hear that George survived. He would be knocking on now as it happened in 1947. Wouldn't know the name of the tug would you Sam? Thanks for all of the replies Guys.
Regards
Eric


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## sam2182sw

Hi Eric and Ray good to see the replys comming in Eric i do not know the name of the tug. Ray i was talking to Capt Hopper yestarday and he did not know ant thing about it sam


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## peteb

Eric, Ray, Sam.
I had a talk to my mate Gordon Petler who also sailed with
George Dee, he seems to think the U.T.C. tug in Bilboa 1947 was SERVICEMAN
Photo of George Dee in tug gallery.
Peteb


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## Eric Bennett

Peteb, Ray, Sam. Thank you for that. Serviceman does ring a bell but memory not too good these days
Regards
Eric


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## VI3077

*Captain Hopper*



sam2182sw said:


> Hi Eric and Ray good to see the replys comming in Eric i do not know the name of the tug. Ray i was talking to Capt Hopper yestarday and he did not know ant thing about it sam



Hello old seamates, would very much like to get in touch with Captain Hopper my father sailed under him for many years and they have lost touch, my dad is Charlie Noble many thanks Victoria


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## sam2182sw

HI victoriaI HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND YOUR DAD FOR SOME TIME NOW I WAS TALKING TO CAPTIAN Bill HOPPER AND HE ASK ME IF I COULD FIND YOUR DAD HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD LOST YOUR DAD TELEPHONE NUMBER IF YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL VIA THIS SITE I WILL GIVE YOU BILLS NUMBER. SAM 2182


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## VI3077

Hi Sam hope your well, my dad is looking for capt Hoppers address to send xmas card, could you please send message via this website many thanks Victoria Noble (Charlie Nobles daughter)


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## todd

*United Shooting*

I heard that story with the embelishment that after being shot he was still heard to be muttering "they won`t shoot you lads they have to buy their own bullets" Good pain killer San Miguel...I speak with years of experience with that particular brew.
The last time I saw Georgie he was Master of a tug in Dubai creek.I think it was a Gulf Coast Marine one but for the life of me I cannot remember the name. 

Regards Jim(Pint)


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## billyboy

Funny you shopuld say that Todd. I always maintain it is a pain reliever too!. Cant seem to convince "her indoors" of that though. fridge full of cold san miguel here for a thirsty passing sailor lads!


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## RayJordandpo

todd said:


> I heard that story with the embelishment that after being shot he was still heard to be muttering "they won`t shoot you lads they have to buy their own bullets" Good pain killer San Miguel...I speak with years of experience with that particular brew.
> The last time I saw Georgie he was Master of a tug in Dubai creek.I think it was a Gulf Coast Marine one but for the life of me I cannot remember the name.
> 
> Regards Jim(Pint)


George Dee lives just round the corner from me but I don't see much of him now, he must be a ripe old age. That story of him getting shot in Spain is definitely true, I've seen the bullet scars. I believe he went to work for Gulf Coast Marine with a few other guys from UTC. namely - Syd Hawkins, Fred Fletcher, Ken Bisho*****, Keith Leaming etc.


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## todd

Cheers Ray.
When I saw George last I was working for Gray Macs in Dubai Port (Port Rashid) July 1976.I doubt if he will remember me but if you do see him pass on my regards.(He might remember better if you mention his C/E was a `crazy` Geordie at the time`
Regards Jim.


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## RayJordandpo

todd said:


> Cheers Ray.
> When I saw George last I was working for Gray Macs in Dubai Port (Port Rashid) July 1976.I doubt if he will remember me but if you do see him pass on my regards.(He might remember better if you mention his C/E was a `crazy` Geordie at the time`
> Regards Jim.


Hi Jim
I will certainly pass on your regards if I see George. I had two brothers who worked on tugs in the middle East, Brian and Pete. I'm sure Pete was with Gray Macs at some point. I was out there on supply boats from 79 to 84 with QNNTC (Qatar Navigationl)
Ray Jordan


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## grem

*grem*



sam2182sw said:


> Hi Eric thanks for comming back on the web, your post was very interesting to me and did make me look at it i have been involved with utc for 50 years now and have 1000 of cutting from all sorts of press ect but never come across anything about that.I have an old friend who is still alive at the age 94 his name is captian Bill Hopper and he was one of utc top men in the towing world and he finished up been the marine super in the office and every thing had to go by him i gave him a call as soon as i so your report and he new nothing about that he had been with utc 55years. the only bad thing that utc had was when the Welshman ex GROWLER was towing from the USA to Hong KONG two of the deck hands had a fight on the aft deck and after a punch one of them hid his head on the tow rail and died,the other lad was found guilty of manslaughter and was locked up in H.K.for 18 mth captain TIM Bond WAS SKIPPER OF THE TUG AND WOULD NOT LEAVE HIS CREW MAN OUT THERE and got the ok from the office to stop out there and do his own thing and get as much work at his end and the office would look for work at this end this was done with a good out come to both partys the crew man did his time and Tim Bond picked him up when he came out of the jail. i do have a full report and paper cutting of it all names of people and the name of the ship been towed sam


he was fist sea captain i sailed with on the englishman


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## oozy55

Eric Bennett said:


> Yes Sam. We did hear that they had, had a few San Miguel's. Glad to hear that George survived. He would be knocking on now as it happened in 1947. Wouldn't know the name of the tug would you Sam? Thanks for all of the replies Guys.
> Regards
> Eric


yes eric the tug was the ex wimpey marine tug the andy mitchell


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## oozy55

yes it was the ex wimpey marine tug the ANDY MITCHELL


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