# SS Malancha 11



## davlin (Dec 26, 2012)

Just discovered this afternoon that my late father served aboard SS Malancha 11 during the war leaving the ship in 1941 as 5th Engineer to serve in John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank. 
Like many others he never spoke of his wartime service and I have just come accross this website and found many photo's of the ship and wondered if anyone could tell me where I could find (1) records when my father may have joined the ship and (2) sailing records pre 1941 from her launch in 1937.

Many thanks 

Davlin


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

The vessel was named MALANCHA official number 164327 she was the second Brockelbank ship to bear this name.
Could you give us his full name date and place of birth?
There may be online records for him.
The Crew Agreements of MALANCHA 1937 and 1938 are available from here
http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/viewcombinedcrews.php?Official_No=164327

It would seem her logbooks for this period have been destroyed.

Crew agreements and logbooks 1939, 1940, 1941 
can be obtained from here
http://discovery.nationalarchives.g...&_ps=15&_ro=any&_rd=&_rsd=&_red=&_fr=&_st=adv

In the timescale.
She was also involved Atlantic convoys, HX34 http://www.warsailors.com/convoys/hx34.html
WS4 UK to Suez troop convoy
HG3 and HG4 Gibraltar to UK convoys 


Roger


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## davlin (Dec 26, 2012)

Hi Roger

Many thanks for your help. My fathers name was Alexander Russell Walker DoB: 31/5/1918 Birthplace: Clydebank.

His discharge number is R222106.

Davlin


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## Roger Griffiths (Feb 10, 2006)

There are some online records for him but they only confirm what you already know.
Just follow the information in my previous post and you should get his full MN career details.
Please let us know how you get on.

Roger


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## sidsal (Nov 13, 2007)

I was an apprentice on Malancha in 1945.. Lovely ship !
Later in 45 I was 4th Mate on Matheran and in between sailed on Malakand.


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## Tom(Tucker)Kirby (Nov 22, 2009)

davlin said:


> Just discovered this afternoon that my late father served aboard SS Malancha 11 during the war leaving the ship in 1941 as 5th Engineer to serve in John Brown's Shipyard, Clydebank.
> Like many others he never spoke of his wartime service and I have just come accross this website and found many photo's of the ship and wondered if anyone could tell me where I could find (1) records when my father may have joined the ship and (2) sailing records pre 1941 from her launch in 1937.
> 
> Many thanks
> ...


If its of any interest to you the Malancha renamed Malan,was scrapped in 1963, tramped from Liverpool to Jamaica, Cuba, and one tiny insignificant Caribbean Island, Panama, Balboa, refused fuel in Hawaii sailed back to Manzanillo Mexico, then on to Yokohama,Dalian China, Hong Kong, broken up in Kaohsiung Taiwan. AND the CREW WAS MOTLEY TOO!. (Pint)


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## Tony Crompton (Jul 26, 2005)

Did my first trip as apprentice on her in 1956 with the infamous Capt. Nuttall. Out to Calcutta through Suez days before it closed.
Then India to U.S. Gulf via the cape. Called for bunkers in the Cape Verde Islands.

7 months and 3 weeks, returning to Liverpool.

By then she was obviously "Past her best" but a great learning place for a first tripper.

Tony


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## Tom(Tucker)Kirby (Nov 22, 2009)

Tony Crompton said:


> Did my first trip as apprentice on her in 1956 with the infamous Capt. Nuttall. Out to Calcutta through Suez days before it closed.
> Then India to U.S. Gulf via the cape. Called for bunkers in the Cape Verde Islands.
> 
> 7 months and 3 weeks, returning to Liverpool.
> ...


Tony, Why was Nuttall infamous? Our skipper was extremely eccentric (nutty) but friendly. I have mentioned in S.N. before that he kept the 8-12 watch himself and used to invite us A.B Quartermasters to his cabin after midnight for a few beers and a news gathering chat about how the ship was for us on the main deck, he was a lonely man. Before the Malancha "now the Malan" he had a long spell ashore. I cannot remember his name.


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