Sadly Chas went silent key on 4th September 2014.
As a recently joined member Chas contacted me and asked if we would be interested in publishing his photos on the website. What is most interesting about his photos is that over about 30 years at sea Chas. spent the majority of his time on Foreign Flag (FOC) ships, whereas virtually all our members served on British ships. It is going to take me a few days to get them loaded up but having looked at the initial set he sent me there is most certainly a lot of equipment I do not recognise.
Also of some interest, to me at least, is that Chas. and I went to the same primary school but I do not remember him and we both went to Riversdale, at slightly different times, and he does not remember me. In both cases no doubt down to destruction of little grey cells in the memory bank.
The ships and radio rooms are posted in rough chronological order of his career.
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- Radio room: Japana/JWXX
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- Japana/JWXX. Served 1967-68.
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- Kavo Aetos/EL??. Chas was R/O IN 1968.
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- Kavo Aetos. Formerly Norwegian tanker Polarprins.
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- Radio room: Marli/SVQR
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- Marli/SVQR. Served 1969.
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- Radio room with ITT Console: Lykavitos/6ZKT
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- Lykavitos/6ZKT. Served 1969-70
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- Radio room: Mobilita/SVKK
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- Mobilita/SVKK on what appears to be a snowy day. 95,000 tons dwt. Served in 1970
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- Radio room: Jersey Bridge, slightly out of focus. Denholm’s bulk carrier but I can’t find the call sign.
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- Jersey Bridge. One of his relatively rare British ships. Served in 1973.
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- Radio Room: Burmah Pearl/GPIW. Chas at the key.
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- Burmah Pearl/GPIW
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- Radio Room: Sanko Stresa/A8RW
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- Sanko Stresa/A8RW
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- Radio Room: Tiber/A8WA. Served 1980-81
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- Tiber/A8WA
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- Radio Room: Torrent/ 5LUR. Served 1982-83.
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- Radio Room: Cavendish/VPGT. The whisky case under the desk will bring back a few memories. Served 1984
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- Cavendish/VPGT
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- Radio Room: Pacific Prominence/VRKL. Served 1985.
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- Pacific Prominence/VRKL
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- Radio Room: Pacific Prestige/VRPS. Served 1985-86
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- Pacific Prestige/VRPS
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- Radio Room: Atlantic Amity/ZCSS. Served 1986-87.
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- Atlantic Amity/ZCSS
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- Radio Room: OOCL Atlantic/ELDM6. Served 1988
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- OOCL Atlantic/ELDM6.
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- Radio Room: Gallant Tiger/VRPB. Served 1991-92.
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- Radio Room: Gallant Tiger/VRPB from a different angle
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- Gallant Tiger/VRPB. This vessel has a different name and I assume it was re-named at some stage.
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- Ice Crest/C4FW. Reefer owned by Crest Shipping of Cyprus.
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- Ice Crest/C4FW. This was the final ship that Chas served on from 1993-94.
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- Radio Room: Ice Crest/C4FW from a different angle.
Makes the CR300. quarter KW spark and the 381 looking a bit dated.
just noticed the Gallant Tiger – yes, she was sold and renamed KYLA. Couldn’t find a pic of G.Tiger. Also no photo of Torrent/5LUR, but have pic of twin sister Royal Eagle, same shack.
What I found was that radio rooms on FOC ships were in general bigger than on UK vessels, and more often than not adjacent to the cabin, unlike UK ships where cabin usually on a different deck! I remember on Colorado Star, to answer the auto alarm I had to take a long trek by torchlight along an outside deck, up 2 flights and through the wheelhouse/chartroom to get to the shack! No fun on a cold night 🙁