# Stanvac tankers



## dale collins (Jun 1, 2013)

I see some references to "Jimmy the kid" James robertson-kidd,commodore chief engineer on Stanvac and Mobil tankers.Now this is someone I will never forget,a tough old-time engineer,I met him when I joined the Stanvac progress at Melbourne in 1963 I was a new junior engineer, and when introduced to him by the 2/E,he said to me:"Collins, what sort of a name is that,are you one of those Fenian bastards?The 2/E seeing I had no idea of what he was on about,said,"The Chief wants to know if you are an Irish catholic." So in answer, I replied that my mother was a Scot from Edinborough,which prompted him to reply very affably,"Well you're all right then,we will be able to get along."He was a hard man,and a heavy drinker,with a very broad accent,which I found hard to understand,although I had been around Scots all my life. I dreaded answering the engine room phone,If it was Jimmy, many times,I could not understand what he was saying,which prompted him to descend, into the engine room,always backwards,as he had fallen down the stairs once,as Read in a previous thread,The 3rd.Engineer,Peter Jackson ,who was a geordie from Newcastle,would then interpret what Jimmy was on about,sometimes just a trivial matter,but you did not dare to laugh,or you would regret it. All in all,he was very knowledgeable about ships,and their construction,a rough diamond to be sure,but I was forced to learn a lot about ships engine rooms in a hurry,as I was put on single handed watch after 3 months.I still have a reference from him,which states "Mr. Collins has carried out his duties to my satisfaction."which was probably one of the best compliments one could have from Jimmy ! Dale Collins.


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## ART6 (Sep 14, 2010)

I sailed with Jimmy the Kidd on the Stanvac Horizon for fifteen months from 1960 to 1962, and you're right; he was one very tough cookie -- God help any watch keeper who allowed even a trace of bilge water on the immaculate tank tops!
One incident I will forever remember -- on the Horizon there was a lift from the accommodation down to the engine room floor plates but, of course, it was never used by lowly junior engineers. One morning, on watch with the 4th engineer, I was instructed to go up top for something or other, and I elected to take the lift to save time. I pressed the call button, but the lift seemed to be going up, not down, so I pressed the button again and it started to respond -- then stopped and set off up again. Frustrated, I stuck my thumb on the call button and held it there, and at last the lift came down to me. The door opened and Jimmy stepped out, fixing me with a look of death! He stomped over to the 4th engineer on the plates, beckoning me to follow him. "Four-oh" he snapped, "Give this young idiot some useful work to do!"
"Yes Chief"
"And don't let him press any bloody buttons!" Jimmy growled, marching off back to the lift without a single glance at me. (?HUH)


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## BlythSpirit (Dec 17, 2006)

He wouldn't have liked me, with my name, he seems quite the Scottish gentleman!! He would be prosecuted nowadays.


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