St Helena, SS Ohio

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Pete,

The leave situation was not meant to be like that. We were supposed to do two voyages on for one voyage off. But the company only had one ship, so it was one on one off. Even before we were married, my fiance could come and stay oboard in Avonmouth in a passenger cabin, again free of charge. All officers could take their wives all the time if they wished. Some of the crew as well, if they were senior enough to have their own cabins. When we got grabbed for the Falklands, one of the mechanics had his wife aboard, and as they were from St. Helena, she couldn't get home, so she volunteered and sailed with us to the Falklands, signing on as stewardess with the other two permanent ones. Here we all are on the flight deck the day before we left Portsmouth in 1982. The three girls in the middle. I am standing on the far right of the photograph –

There were no serious casualties in the fire. One minor burn that didn't even need hospital treatment, but it was mighty uncomfortable for a few days with the boiling heat, power erratic and a lot of the accommodation flooded with firefighting water. Passengers helping to carry fresh water from the open tanks up forward to the galley. Cooking on open fires on the deck using wood chopped from the accommodation. Actually, I know that some of our older American passengers loved the experience and didn't even want to fly home from Dakar, but they had to!

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 16/05/2020 17:06:34

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Two of our stewardesses at San Carlos, visting one of the missile sites – Dreadfully cold and miserable, but the army seemed to enjoy our social calls and made us very welcome.

Bob

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

What an interesting thread! I have friends from St Helena (people I have played in bands with around the Swindon area) and one of them served on the St Helena, though I am not sure in what capacity – I'll ask him when I next see him. He now works with big diesel trucks, so I suspect he was doing something in he engine room.

I've met a lot of saints through the band I was in (The Wirebirds, named after the island's national bird) as we used to play at the annual St Helena get-together in Reading every year. One member of the band has now returned to the island, but I still play some gigs with the guitarist. Good people.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Thanks Dave,

What was your friend's name? I would no doubt remember him if he was there for any length of time. Here is my little Utube video of the old St Helena (1978 – 1990) – **LINK**

In the opening frame, I am on the left in the stern gallery lounge on fancy dress night.   Next to me is Jeannie, our assistant  purser, whom I sailed with between 1965 and 1992 aboard Windsao Castle, Reina del Mar, Pendennis Castle, and both St Helena's, and am still in touch with.

I was there from 1979 unti 1990, then we all went to the new ship of the same name.

I have always found merchant ships infinitely more interesting than warships, and really did have an awful lot of assorted adventures during 31 years.

Bob

 

 

Edited By Bob Wilson on 17/05/2020 10:59:38

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

His name is Allan Stroud, usually known as Al. Couldn't spot him in the film, or in the next one about the final voyage to London, though there were some familiar faces in the crowd.

I'll give Al a call after lunch, I'll ask him when he worked on the ship.

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

He wasn't there when I was, probably came after in the new ship that I left in 1992. When I was there, the chef was David Stroud, and assistant cook was Belfred Stroud, who ran quite a good group called "Stroud and the Strouders!" Also Stedson Stroud, steward, and Cyril Stroud in the engine-room.

Bob

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

I'll run those names past Al when I call him, in my experience, any name from the island you mention to him and he knows them. My wife has a friend who was married to the son of a saint, and when I told Al the guys name he immediately described their house and how to reach it!

Our band rehearsals were interesting, two saints, a chap from Montana and myself just returned from living in Finland. When the two saints got to talking about matters back home, they'd slip into some local patois that left the other two of us baffled. Lovely people, though, I've met many of them and they have all been interesting, friendly, generous people.

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

I've sent you a message with what I heard from Al just now.

Dave

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

Hi Dave, Thanks, I have replied by PM.

They were very happy years, and I am still in contact with a few of them on the island. In the Tube video, you will see camp beds on deck, in addition to our 76 cabin passengers.  That is because between Ascension and St Helena (700 miles) we were licensed to carry a further 48 passengers on deck, very much in the style of Joseph Conrad's old sea stories. Probably wouldn't be allowed these days! This is the first St Helena, in which I spent the 11 years – Only 300 feet long – That was my cabin just under the bow of the lifeboatd on the boat deck –

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 17/05/2020 15:27:59

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

I love the way the that the saints refer to Ascension as a neighbouring island – mind you, they say the same thing about the Falklands, which is much further away than Ascension!

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

It is only 700 miles away, and in the Good Hope Castle, we covered that distance in 29 hours, but the St Helena took 43 hours, but I would hardly call the Falklands a "neigbouring island!" If you want to read the St Helena newspapers, they are free online, via this link: **LINK**

Bob

[Dave Smith 17Participant @davesmith17]

I'll take a look at the paper, especially as one of the guys I know for the island has moved back there recently. I know the Falklands are a long way from the St H, but they see the three British islands there as a group, even if it is a bit of a swim between them! I have friends on the Falklands as well, who I met through the band. When I first met them and they spoke exactly like we do, I assumed they had moved there and asked how long they'd been there. "Five generations' was the answer!

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