[BITList] Fwd: BI Tankers

[John Feltham]

G’day Mike,

From a correspondent of mine….



Around 1963 when I was an app. We were in Little Aden and on the other side of the jetty was a new Trident tanker only the officers didn't know how to discharge her and asked our c/o to give them some guidance.

Our Mate, being a rather mischievous old salt by the name of (Black) Morgan, and I went over and were met by a full delegation of C/O, OOW, 2 apprentices (all in their best tropical whites) and various Secunny calassies etc with ullage tapes and sticks to the fore.

Morgan asked if they used their swords for dipping the tanks ... we were dressed in our standard dirty white (!) boiler suits bulging with cotton waste and sticks of chalk.

However, we soon sorted out their pipeline confusions and everything went swimmingly, and we were impressed afterwards when we were invited for drinks, at seeing rooms fitted with fine furniture and even standard lamps.  B.P. tankers were not then known for their decor

Happy days,