20th Century
What did you do in the war grandad?
This is the brief story of my grandad and his part in the war. Here is a picture of George with who we think is his grandmother in the early 1900s. George Gilfoyle was born [more…]
Merchant Navy
20th Century
The Unsinkable Stoker
For many sailing and in particular cruising are enjoyable pastimes, leisurely time spent in remote places, the nature, tranquility, new things to see and do almost every day. For others it’s a different story. and [more…]
20th Century
SS Gairsoppa
The SS Gairsoppa was a British steam merchant ship launched in 1919 and built in Jarrow by Palmers Shipbuilding & Iron Co Ltd at the request of the British India Steam Navigation Co Ltd. Initially [more…]
20th Century
The Merchant Navy Boy
Some of you may recall that I have been trying to claim my deceased father’s WW2 medals as a Merchant Navy seaman. It has taken a year and with a great deal of help from [more…]
Arts
Æthelberht’s RFA Christmas
I know there’s plenty of former Pusser types on GP, and even a few who have sailed under the red duster. They’ll all be familiar with the Christmas routines for their respective outfits. I thought [more…]
Biography
The Right Way To Put Out A Fire (Finally)
In March 2013 I was appointed to RFA Fort Austin. Within NATO she is classified as an AFSH, that’s to say a combat stores ship with the necessary facilities on board to embark a helicopter. [more…]
20th Century
A Sacrifice of Three
Robert Ryan was my great uncle. This fading photograph is the only one we have of him. He gave his life for King and Country when he died on 7th November 1942. He was 20 [more…]
Biography
Still Not The Right Way To Put Out A Fire
You may remember some months back I related a story of my first fire exercise sailing under the Red Duster. I was somewhat unimpressed having come from a different seafaring outfit where these things were [more…]
Biography
The Wrong Way to Put Out a Fire
When I left the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 2015 I joined a shipping company operating out of Barrow-in-Furness. It was a very small outfit which specialised in carrying nuclear cargo between Europe, the US and [more…]