British Ship Adoption Society

The Play was produced by Leslie Burgess. The Setting designed and executed by P. P. Noble Fawcett, assisted by A. T. Howat, R. Hawkins, F. J. Chadwick, L. D. Edinger, M. Hallas, D. Walker. Wigs by "Bert," 46 Portnall Road, London, W.9. Make-up by Jules Marten, Rayleigh, Essex. Costumes by Messrs. S. B. Watts 6 Co., 67 Market Street, Manchester.

Under the direction of F. Waine, music was played in the intervals by Mrs. A. Nairn Baird, F. Carlill, R. Ham, D. C. Jack, P. J. R. Mason, I. T. R. Welch.

BRITISH SHIP ADOPTION SOCIETY

This term we have been very glad to renew fully our contact with a merchant ship through the British Ship Adoption Society. This contact had of necessity been broken in 1939, though the Junior School did have a happy temporary association with the Norwegian ship "Hestmanden."

The policy of the British Ship Adoption Society is to attach schools to a captain rather than to a ship, and it has been a particular pleasure to resume our association with Captain W. W. Rickard, now master of S.S. "Mountpark." We would like to take this opportunity of congratulating him, though belatedly, on the award of the O.B.E. for services during the war.

S.S. "Mountpark" is a new ship, having left the Clyde on her maiden voyage in June. She is a fine example of the modern British freighter, with a gross tonnage of 6,000 and a speed of 11 knots. She is well equipped to high present-day standards, and we were particularly interested to hear about the crew accommodation, with its cream and green two-berth cabins, with air conditioning, curtains and other fittings which would no doubt fill old-time shellbacks with a mixture of outward scorn and inward envy.

The "Mountpark" took general cargo from the United Kingdom to Alexandria, Haifa and Beirut in June—July, and then went in ballast to Algeria. When term started and our "adoption" was resumed, she had just left Aden after re-fuelling on a voyage from Bone to Geelong with a cargo of nearly 9,000 tons of phosphates. Capt. Rickard has very kindly sent us a day by day log of this voyage, and we print some extracts below.

After discharging at Geelong, the ship proceeded to Sydney for dry-docking and cleaning, which was achieved in two days, and then on to Newcastle (N.S.W.), where 2,000 tons of coal were loaded for

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Fiji. Capt. Rickard has sent us a most interesting account of the Fiji Islands and of the ship's journey round the outports, collecting sugar. About 9,000 tons were loaded and taken to Auckland, where the ship Was still discharging on 12th December, when we last heard of her. Capt. Rickard says the next trip is to be to the Queensland coast, also for sugar, and we are likely to hear a good deal more of these waters, as the ship is on a six months' charter to a New Zealand shipping company.

We are looking forward to our next mail from the ship, and send our best wishes for 1947 to Capt. Rickard, his officers and crew.

Extracts from log of S.S. "Mountpark," Bone to Geelong, 23rd August, 1946, to 3rd October, 1946.

(a) Indian Ocean—North of Equator (end of S.W. Monsoon).

Date Noon Position

Lai. Long. Course Dist. in miles Speed in knots

Wind Direction and Force Cloud Remarks

7 Sept. 10°46'N 52'59'E Varying 208 8.7 S S.W.6 Nil Rough sea and swell Shipping water fore and aft.

8 Sept. 8°14'N 57°16'E 126° 294 12.4 S.S.W 6 Nil Moderating. 9 Sept. 5°55'N 60° 7'E 126° 220 9.3 S.W.3 * Light breeze. South swell.

10 Sept. 3°32'N 63°19'E 126° 240 10.08 S.W.3 Scattered Fine and clear West swell. Visibility extreme.

11 Sept. 1°17'N 66° 9'E 126° 217 9.1 Variable

I

Light and scattered Fine and clear. Ex- treme visibility. Heavy S.S.W. swell

(b) Indian Ocean—South of Equator (belt of S.E. Trades).

18 Sept. 13°33'S 86° 27'E 124° 214 9.0 S.E.2 Overcast Some bright patches during forenoon. P M. heavy con- tinuous rain with heavy dark clouds.

19 Sept. 16° 7'S 89°34'E 131° 237 9.9 Variable 2 Overcast To 7 a.m. heavy continuous rain. Showers later. P.M. heavy rain. Moderate swell.

20 Sept. 18°22'S 94'45'E 130° 226 9.6 S.E.3 Overcast Occasional drizzle. Moderate head sea.

21 Sept. 20'18'S 95°34'E 126° 198 8.4 S.S.E.3 I Moderate sea. P.M: fine and clear.