# Ellermans Job Advert 1971



## Tony Drury (Apr 23, 2007)

They make it almost seem an attractive job. Then there is reality and reality - young men of good character and sound physique! Really! But then I did have a good time.
physique


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## JoeQ (Jan 8, 2009)

They got the "play hard" bit right!!


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## mikeharrison (Aug 8, 2008)

I was very envious of my pal in Ellermans - he used to tell me of marvellous runs ashore in exotic Ports whilst all I had experienced up to that date was runs ashore from BP Tankers in Kharg Island (onion beer!) and Isle of Grain.
The guy in the photo is holding that Sextant a bit strangely- has he had so many runs ashore that he has forgotten how to use it? <smile>
Regards, Mike


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

mikeharrison said:


> I was very envious of my pal in Ellermans - he used to tell me of marvellous runs ashore in exotic Ports whilst all I had experienced up to that date was runs ashore from BP Tankers in Kharg Island (onion beer!) and Isle of Grain.
> The guy in the photo is holding that Sextant a bit strangely- has he had so many runs ashore that he has forgotten how to use it? <smile>
> Regards, Mike


Looks OK to me , same way I used to hold the sextant .


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

John Cassels said:


> Looks OK to me , same way I used to hold the sextant .



Left or right eye?


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

They are all using ones with a false horizon and trying to drain the alcohol from the bubble. Note the passenger ship teacup etiquette of the observer to the right of this photograph.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

The middle 'shooter' is using his left eye. The other two are using their right eye.

The photo is from the Academy at King's Point on Long Island.

I wonder if anyone ever had a bubble sextant on board? I remember being told that they were not useful at sea. I wonder.

If you are desperate for a bit of alcohol... take it from the standard compass.


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

Joined my first ship a Denholm's tanker in Jan 1974 and can still remember when going through Gatwick airport there was a huge recruiting poster for Denholm's saying 'We manage 1% of the total World tonnage' and I believe they did at the time mainly due to the amount of large tankers they had at that time.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

World's 'FREE' tonnage. Not including China & USSR. I'm sure about the USSR fleet. I am sure that fleet is not operated from one head office at '120 St Nevsky Street!


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

My left eye is the predominant one and I used this eye for the sextant and also sighting a rifle!!


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Same here.


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## mikeharrison (Aug 8, 2008)

Stephen J. Card said:


> The middle 'shooter' is using his left eye. The other two are using their right eye.
> 
> The photo is from the Academy at King's Point on Long Island.
> 
> ...


I sailed with a 2/O who had bought and tried an ex RAF bubble sextant for taking Sights and he told me that it was not very accurate for use at sea. 

I have an ex Sunderland Flying Boat sextant , which is a reduced size marine sextant. 
I am told that the Sunderland Navigators would use a bubble sextant when in the air , when there was no visible horizon, and then use the reduced size marine sextant to fix their position more accurately when they landed on the water.
Regards, Mike


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## Tony Drury (Apr 23, 2007)

Mike

Makes sense. Flying above the clouds for a large part of the time would be a challenge for an horizon! Guess the cockpit would be a restrictive for shooting a high altitude sun and standing on the 'bridge' wing is not a real option.

Just dug out my old sextant and it instinctively sought out my right eye - makes me a right 'eyer' from the perspective of astro navigation. Felt odd and awkward when I forced it onto my left eye....


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## Engine Serang 2 (Nov 24, 2020)

This is my era. From 1967 till 1969 I had every Cadet Brochure ever printed and after years of deep study I choose Texaco, what a prat.
I only wish I'd have kept them if only to remind me of a way of life no longer open to todays youngsters. 
I remember the BP brochure which gave pay scales up to Second Engineer and in 1969 it was £2400 per year, a Kings Ransom and today it wouldn't pay for a good weekend.


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## fruitbat (Jan 26, 2007)

Taking sights - that brings back memories. W







e knew what we we doing in those days.


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## Tony Drury (Apr 23, 2007)

Warsash mid 70s when ships where short of officers and crew Mobil had a couple of recruitment drive evenings in the back room of the Silver Fern. They where held atr 1700ish onwards - just enough time for finish of last ;lecture and a hoof it up Newtown Road - and they paid for the drinks!!! They were also giving out Mobil merchandised circular (round) slide rules.Worked a treat - many pints of bitter and a circulalr slide rule when most of us couldnt even use the staright flat one!!


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## Shiplee (Sep 16, 2012)

Tony Drury said:


> They make it almost seem an attractive job. Then there is reality and reality - young men of good character and sound physique! Really! But then I did have a good time.
> physique
> View attachment 686858


I saw an Ellerman ship in drydock in East London SA whilst doing my first trip as a junior engineer on a chemical tanker and immediately joined them when I had completed that voyage .... It was like working in a time warp and I dont think that Ellermans had ever acknowleged that the days of the British Raj where finally over ! Some beautiful classic ships and some truly wonderful people ... Times never to be forgotten !


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## JoeQ (Jan 8, 2009)

Shiplee said:


> I saw an Ellerman ship in drydock in East London SA whilst doing my first trip as a junior engineer on a chemical tanker and immediately joined them when I had completed that voyage .... It was like working in a time warp and I dont think that Ellermans had ever acknowleged that the days of the British Raj where finally over ! Some beautiful classic ships and some truly wonderful people ... Times never to be forgotten !


If it was the City of Singapore in drydock in East London I was third mate on her at the time, early 1975


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## Shiplee (Sep 16, 2012)

JoeQ said:


> If it was the City of Singapore in drydock in East London I was third mate on her at the time, early 1975


Thats correct ... I think that she had been aground off the South West Afican coast ... We had called in on a Panocean tanker for bunkers ... My first ship with Ellermans was the City of Oxford .....


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## JoeQ (Jan 8, 2009)

Shiplee said:


> Thats correct ... I think that she had been aground off the South West Afican coast ... We had called in on a Panocean tanker for bunkers ... My first ship with Ellermans was the City of Oxford .....


yes we had been aground in Lobito, Angola. Dry dock for repairs in East London


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## sternchallis (Nov 15, 2015)

You couldn't beat the Liner Companies, classic ships that looked like ships and they all had their character and characters.
We certainly played hard in BSL in the Antipodes, we were glad to have a night at sea between ports to recover from the parties that lasted to 2 am, then turn to at 9 am for crankcase gymnastics. 9-10.30 then am smoko.11-12 then lunch, 1.30-3.00pm then pm smoko. 3.30 - 5 pm millar time then clean up for Dinner at 6 pm. I don't know how we got the work done in those short hours each day. We certainly weren't running round like flies. Morning smoko was always an inquest of the lads quests the previous evening. Did You? Then look out for those that suddenly went onto softies for a week or two and had a sheepish grin.
Wouldn't have missed it for the world.


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