YOUR MESSAGES/RESPONSES

Aran Gordon - July '08
My father, Harry Gordon and his father Harry Gordon (known as Big Harry) both worked at H&W, as did my Uncle William Gordon. My father has vivid memories ( he was just sharing a few minutes ago with me on the phone) of his days there and would be a terrific source of insight to the lives of the people that worked there. Yes, he is my father, but like my grandfather, they were and are great men. As a boy, working with my father at a company in the U.S. for the summer , I recall a fellow worker, much older than me saying to me..."your father is one of the greatest and fairest managers a person could have..." I'll never forget that because I have always thought of him the same way...highly disciplined, but fair. He has so many stories about events that took place at H&W, including the Juan Peron where he was actively involved in saving people from the accident. He also has fantastic stories about life at H&W which I will cherish. So, I would encourage anyone who has friends or family that worked at H&W to respond and my father will gladly reply. As you will see in his posting he would look forward to keeping this going. Aran Gordon

Sean Ballard - July '08
My great grandad Hugh O'Neill worked at Harland & Wolff in 1870s. Does anyone know if records were kept relating to workers ? Any help would be appreciated thanks sean.

Will Morrison: British Columbia, Canada - June '08
Thanks to Christine Mooney for putting a name to a face in the photo of the squad of joiners. It tweaked the memory. Billy McKeown always smoked a pipe at lunchtime. Yes, the gaffer in the brown coat and bowler hat (off camera) was most likely Bob Moffatt, our gaffer. Probably a number of photos were taken thta day. Incidentally, the fellow sitting at the front with the going-away gift of a shaving kit, and who emigrated to Canada came back within the year - to work again at the "Yard! I wonder if he ever went back to Canada.

John P. Eaton - May '08
The yard that made the name of Belfast resound through the shipping world has been consigned to the dust bin of history. The yard's pathetic remains will be the centre of a housing development and a theme park that will help visitors to see remnants of Belfast's glorious past.
And yet, without Past there can be no Future. There remains this nostalgic visit that informs and enlivens the past for our present times. And in doing so it provides for Belfast's future history through a glimpse of the former function of a great business that made the name of Belfast resound through the shipping world.
"What is Past is Prologue."

Christine Mooney - Jan '08
Re: The photo of the joiners in 1953.

The 4th man from the right of the picture standing at the back wearing a flat cap is my grandfather Billy McKeown. I have other photos of him possibly taken on the same day one of hem includes a man in a bowler hat and coat type overall. Maybe this is the Gaffer Bob Moffatt.

Erik Holtsmark - Jan '08
My father, mother and brother boarded the SS Mongolia in Tangier on 22 June 1936 and disembarked in Norway (presumabkly Oslo). Names were Bent, Birgit and Erling Holtsmark (and possibly Birgit's mother Hilma Egerström). This fact is from Birgit's notations at the time.

I find it strange that all the web sites about the ship state that she was laid up in New York from 1931 to 1938. Obviously she was in operation 1933 when Mary Keenan et al were passengers in the Med area and 1936 when the Holtsmark family was aboard.

Please advise any further info you have about the 1931 to 38 period: Name of shipping line, Captain, ports of call (particularly about 28 or 29 June 1936).

Rich Cornwall - Jan '08
I am researching the history of the Juan Peron which is still afloat today but converted to a warehouse barge. I currently work on her off the Indian coast. She is now named "Ismaya" any info on her would be greatly appreciated. She has a fantastic history from what I have already discovered and on her bow you can still make out the name "Juan Peron" under all the layers of paint. A worthy testament to Harland & Wolff and its workers.

Will Morrison, Burnaby, British Columbia. - May '07
In reply to Des Welsh query, I have to say, Des, that although the name of Billy Templeton rings a bell - lots of bells ring these days as memories of the Yard surface - I can't put a face to him. Sometimes the mention of an event or incident will enable me to fix a name with a face. I wonder if Wilson John Haire remembers him - he has a great recall of men who worked in the Joiners'Shop.

I have been browsing the comments going dack to 2005, and came across Peter Rebbeck's comment about his grandfather, Sir Frederick Rebbeck. During the years 1947 - 49, I was a Hall Porter's boy at the Main office, and I ran messages for Sir Frederick and the other Directors, and held the door open for them when they arrived at the Main Offices. Sir Frederick was always polite with Hall Porter's boys, thanking us when we handed over a telegram or other such message. Of course, the Directors never knew our names. Or, I might say, we all had the same name: "Boy!"
One significant message I carried to him came through the switchboard operators' office across from the Hall Porter's. Late one afternoon, in 1947, one of the operators gave me a telegram, and told me to take it to Sir Frederick as fast as my legs could run. I dashed up the stairs to his office, handed it to him. I learned later from the operator that the telegram was about the horrific deadly explosion that afternoon in the engine room of the Reina del Pacifico, then on sea trials.

I don't wish to use this space for self-advertisement, but Peter Rebbeck may be interested to know that in my book, BETWEEN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE GANTRIES, (Appletree Press, 2006) a memoir about growing up in north Belfast, and about my early teen years at the Yard, I include a humorous story called 'The Launch'. It is a personal narrative of a messenger boy just out of school and still, humiliatingly, in short trousers. and of his perspective of the strange, awesome world of the Board Room and the Directors, including Sir Frederick. The story climaxes with the arrival of Princess Margaret at the Main Offices after she launched the EDINBURGH CASTLE. Hall Porter's boys were known also as 'the Sergeant's boys', (the Hall Porter Mr. Hermann, was a sergeant in the Corps of Commissionaires).

Also, while browsing, I read a query from a David Patterson, who now lives in Ontario, regarding his father, W.J. Patterson, who was killed on the JUAN PERON. I was an apprentice joiner on the JUAN PERON at that time, and I narrate the story of that tragic night in the book I have mentioned above. The story contains the names of those killed.
I didn't know W.J. personally, though, when on the morning after the accident we learned who had died, we were able to match the descriptions of them with the men we knew. Painters worked all over the boat, and were well known. I believe W.J. an amateur footballer, played for Cliftonville Football team, and for the Northern Ireland Amateur League.

Andrew Carmichael - Oct '07
My Father's Uncle was a shipwright from Greenock who went to NIin the early 1900s. He married Ellen Taylor on 18th november 1903.They had three sons John DOB 27/9/1907 he married Viv, No children, David DOB 3/11/1911and William No DOB. The family lived in Dundonald, the children went to Dundonald School. An old photo including David appeared on the school's website on the changeover to the new school. John retired to Bonar Bridge in Sutherland where he died on 19th Pctober 1955.
I would be delighted to hear from any descendants or any info on the family which would be shared with other family members in Australia and Canada.

Billy Hall - May '07
My father (Alec Hall)remebers Bob Moffat the gaffer of the joiners squad (picture above), he says Bob married a girl from Pitt Place by the name of Betsy Childs. Bobs fathers nick name was Nosey Moffat, apparently he had a big permanent blister on his nose, he was marker-off in the joiners shop, he also worked in the bookies in Station St, part time. My dad says Nosey was a brillient joiner.
Dad tells me Bob was sent to jail with Bob Watson and Big Ned (the storeman) for outfitting pubs with wood from the yard, he thinks he got 4 years for it.
While my dad was in the joiner shop, Jimmy McGrath was the general foreman

Des Welsh -Apr '07
Will,
Was there a joiner working with you at this time called Billy Templeton? I was brought up in Knocknagoney fro 1958 and he lived there with his wife Betty and three children. I still visit Betty although sadly Billy died about ten years ago.
Des Welsh.

Sue - Apr '07
What role did harland and wolfe play in n Ireland's econmy?

Will Morrison - Apr '07
Thanks to Wilson John Haire for sending YPAM the photo of a Harland and Wolff's Joiners'Squad. The photograph was taken in 1953, and I would be interested if any YPAM readers, who might be in the photo, or their descendants, would be willing to identify the joiners. I am seated at the right of the photo just behind an old joiner in a white apron. My mate at that time was the tall joiner in the third row, eighth from the left, wearing a white open-necked shirt. The gaffer of the squad was Bob Moffatt (not in the photo).
- Will Morrison, former joiner, and author of "Between the Mountains and the Gantries".(Appletree Press).

Darren Craig Jewitt - Apr '07
My great great grandfather worked here on the Titanic, anyone who has good knowledge of this perdiod around 1900-1912 please do contact me...I am doing my family's genealogy and it is prving very difficult to trace people on one side of the family.

Bill McDowell - Apr '07
My father, Bill McDowell, became a blacksmith apprentice at Harland & Wolff 14th April 1919. I have his indenture papers. He completed his apprenticeship 28 May 1924. My great Grandfather George McDowell, made himself known to my father when he worked there. They had not met previously.

My father was Foreman Blacksmith at Harland & Wolff during World War II. Our family migrated to Australia in 1952 and he never returned to Ireland. He died in 1969.

Harry Gordon - Mar '07
Harry Gordon, H&W 1948 to 1956
Ref the above article on Tom Snowdon. As an apprenice fitter I worked with your father in the outside engine squad, we got along great, yes he was a big man, always eager to help the apprentice. Our job was to reassemble the B&W diesel engines that we built in the Engine Works erecting shop, these engines were built under the strict supervision of my father, known as "Big Harry", and I am happy to have worked with all the engine fitters in both places.
I remember many of them from, Killarney Wilson, Frank Gallagher, Billy Hughes, Jimmy Moffatt (Budgie), Charlie Tregaskis, Jimmy Clarke, Geordie Adams(Beeswing), Billy Kidd( Billy the Kid) a terrific fitter, was also known as the Mountain Goat for his sure-footedness waking on a wooden runner 40 ft. up on the side of an engine, Big Alec Black, Harry Sloan(Driller), Foremen Joe Stitt, Geordie Mussen, Archie Peticrew, Malkie McNaught, Alfie Nixon, Billy McKutcheon, Billy Andrews (Storekeeper Erecting Shop), Harry Hoey (Inspector), Sammy Gray (Slinger) Etc. Etc.

My wife Helen and I now live in the States and are Volunteer Crew Members on the "last sea going" WW 2 Liberty Ship, the S.S John W. Brown, buit in 1943, our son Aran is also a member. Along with about 75 other dedicated members we are restoring the ship, she has a three cylinder, triple expansion, reciprocating steam engine.

Thanks for the great website, let's keep it going, we might stir up a lot of old friends along the way

Samuel Stewart - Feb '07
Great to hear Derek Dougan's story as in fact he was my apprentice as a Journeyman electrician.
I worked at H&W from 1947 to 1953. During this time I worked alongside Billy Bingham in the apprentice school. When I finished, my first journeyman-mate was Danny Blanchflower on the tankers. This was Joe Brown's squad.
Both my father and his father all worked at the yard. As with most East Belfast families my name was put down when I was born.
Samuel Stewart
Australia

Gerardine Severin (Nee McBride) - Feb '07
My father worked here all his life, he was a "Brass Dresser". I am not quite sure what exactly this entails. but in December 1966 he took a heart attack, not knowing exactly what this was then my poor mother did not know the seriousness of this and give him some pepperment to suck. That was on a Saturday night, on Monday he went to work as usual, the following week-end he took another Heart Attack, doctor was called and as it was the week end it was a locam, not our own family Doctor. He had my father in Hospital The Mater Hospital, Crumlin Road. Belfast. Six weeks my father was there, and when he was about to leave Hospital he took another Heart Attack a few days later he died. He devoted his life to H. & W. There every morning on time and left after showering came home on the bus clean and fresh one would think he was the Manageing Director himself, ofter I use to wait at the bus stop to meet him to carry his lunch box, little did I know what a terrible day he must h!
ave had, hard hard work a Catholic man working here, no wonder he had very little time to play or help me with my homework not to mention my sisters and brother. I hope the owners of this Company realise what a wonderful employee they had. My father's name was David McBride.

E Lynch - Jan '07
I was a female caulker riveter driller and burner in 1980 in rosyth dockyard and went on to google and typed icrdb and this page came up.

I found the stories very interesting and apart from that they brought back great memories, talking about the slingers, messengers etc talking about the riveting and how it was done.

George Whitfield - Dec '06
What about Harland & Wolffe in London?

I'm George Whitfield and I served an apprentice as a mechanical fitter in Harland & Wolffe London, along with Glen Hunt and Bill Elliot who are still living. We joined the local homeguards and trained with our wooden sticks before rifles were issued. The London Harland & Wolffe was strictly repair yard for all kinds of ships. The favourites being American "SAM" boats with their cargos of Spam and Condensed Milk etc.

Its sad when visiting Woolwich, London to see the changes, with the Harland & Wolffe yard long cleared.

C.C.Powell - Nov '06
I was doing some checking on the history of the "Jaun Peron" and came across your article, It may amaze you to know that after the Cruz del Sur days the vessel was converted to a drill barge by the Mitsubishi shipyard and named Wodeco7 in about 1972. I'm not sure but I did hear they made two vessels out of the original Cruz del sur. A drll barge out of the top section and a drill ship out of the bottom (wodeco7 & 8). In about 1986/7 the wodeco 7 was converted to a warehouse accommodation barge for use in the oilfield around SE asia At present I am the bargemaster onboard and have been here since 1991 and have worked all around Asia I have even found in our #5 drill water tank brass imprinted signs in spanish about keeping the Grax shoot closed for any more info I can be contacted via email or the ships phone 65 65117486 regards Clyde C Powell

Jerry Donovan (formely Lincoln Avenue, Belfast) - Nov '06
I started my apprenticeship as an electrician in June 1955 finishing in August 1960. I was somewhat of a rarity as I was a catholic. Needles to say I had some very interesting experiences. Yes there were other catholics unfortunately not very many. Having said that I would be remiss if I did not state that I meet many decent people during my time in the "yard" who were not catholic. Suffice to say I would not change my time in the "yard" for all the tea in China. I left Harlands and Belfast in1960 emigrating to Canada and now live in the States. I will finish by saying that this is a great site. Thanks.

Lyn Fanning (nee Anderson) - Nov '06
My dad worked in the shipyard for 25 years, he left around 1973 to work closer to home which was carrickfergus, my dad was called Geordie Anderson, he was foreman in the repair section, I think his nickname was Rawhide because he used to shout at his men "get em up and move them out", I started work there in the main office in 1971 as a typist for Mr Briggs the Welding Engineer, we moved to the East Yard and I was able to see the Onasis tankers being built from my office, I remember one day looking out the window because there was a lot of noise, the scaffolding on the side of one of the tankers started to collapse, the noise was terrible, within seconds men ran from everywhere to help those underneath in the dock, from what I remember 3 men where killed that day, it was very sad. When I used to go up to the main office for my boss I would sneak off to see my dad who with a few of his mates would go to a a room type place to have their lunch and a cuppa, it was nicknames "mugsville".

I thought the shipyard was a great place to work, there was a feeling of belonging to a special place. My brother also worked there for a while, he done his time there and then went to sea. The gateman at the East yard was called Bobby Willis, we got on great, the girls I worked with where called Marjorie, Charlotte, Gladys, Catherine and a few others who have slipped my mind. Many a time when we were having lunch in our little lunch room a pair of hands would come through the open window and a voice would say "how much would pay for this or these" there was always a bargain to he had at the shipyard, you never ask where they came from! I left 3 years later to come to Perth, West Australia, I still have fond memories of the shipyard and I think it is so sad that it is no longer what it was.

I also got to go to the top of Goliath, boy what a view, I even went into the bubble where the crane driver sat, it was amazing. My dad made some great mates at the shipyard and they stayed mates forever, sadly I would say most of them have gone on to a better place as my dad did in May this year age 89. I will always remember the shipyard and I must admit there were a lot of good looking guys worked there, I started at Harland's when I was 17 and left coming up to 20, One thing I do remember, I left work at 4.30pm every day so I was on the bus with men, I was the only female and even though some of the roughest and toughest men worked in the shipyard they were all polite and never swore while I was on the bus and if someone did because they didn't see me they would be all apologetic, great men and a great place.

Pat Coley - Nov '06
Does anyone know how I can find out the years that my Gt Grandfather Thomas Ritchie Niven worked in the yard. All we know was that he worked on the Titanic.
Any Info whould help.
Thanks
Pat

Lisa Baggs - Aug '06
Does anyone know the name of any of the children from the Harland surname that owned Harland and Wolf? I think one of the names maybe Mary Jane Harland.

Mary Keenan - May '06
Dear All,
I am researching 2 diaries from an Expedition around Sudan in 1933-34. The diary men were J. E. Dandy and D. Skilbeck. Dandy boarded s.s. Mongolia at Tilbury on 1 Dec 1933, and Skilbeck joined the ship with C.G.T.Morison at Marseilles on 7 Dec. Also on Mongolia was J.C. Gimmel. He boarded at Tilbury, but it is unclear whether he disembarked at Port Sudan on 15 Dec 1933, with Dandy, Skilbeck & Morison, or continued to Brisbane. Also mentioned in the diaries are E. A. Macy & his wife E. G. Macy, possibly boarded at Marseilles, they disembarked at Port Said on 12 Dec 1933. On the return to UK Dandy & Skilbeck boarded S.S. Rajputana at Port Said on 15 April 1934, and disembarked at Marseilles on 20 April.
If anyone knows of passenger lists for P. & O. ships (Rajputana and Mongolia) I would like to hear from them. Also, if anyone has any info. on Simon Artz Store at Port Said, at that period of time, I would be delighted. Any info at all on any of the names mentioned would be wonderful! Thank you in anticipation.

Raymond O Regan - May '06
Re inquiry from OLE-FREDRIK, Norway RE SSRAJPUTANA. It was built for P&O as an indian mail and passenger ship by H&W in 1925. It was requisitioned in Sept. 1939 as an armed merchant cruiser and was sunk off the coast of ICELAND by a torpedo delivered by U108 on the 13th April 1941. Ole can find more info. on the stamps associated with Gandhi and the SS RAJPUTANA and Gandhi's trip in 1930 at: www.topicalphilately.com/Gandhi. The site also shows a postcard of the ship.

Raymond O Regan - May '06
Another excellent article on Harland and Wolff, I enjoyed the pictures of the old cranes you may be interested to know that a large Titan crane on the clyde in Glasgow is being restored by a young Belfast architect Adrian Stewart now based in Scotland and is part of a massive redevelopment plan for Clydebank. The crane wil be lit up and it will be possible for visitors to travel up the crane by lift to admire the marvellous views .
I think it is due to open in March2007.
In Belfast the Samson and Goliath cranes, a symbol of our great shipbuilding past, If they are ever made redundant they should have the makeover that the Titan crane in Glasgow is having. It would make an excellent partner to the proposed Titanic development.

John Bailey - April '06
In Blenheim New Zealand there is a 1300hp 6cylinder Diesel engine that was used by the local Power Board to generate electricity for the area. This engine was built by HARLAND & WOLFF. It was purchased in 1936/37 and erected alongside a Paxman 6VN 630hp machine installed in 1930.

In conjunction with a 1MW hydro scheme these engine-generator sets supplied the Marlborough Province until 1958 when a supply from the National grid was established. From then until 1992 it was used to reduce peak loads.

The engine is still able to run but is no longer connected to the electrical reticulation. It is kept as a museum piece.

Would this engine have been built in the ship yards or some other area of operation? Is it possible to find more information on it?

Tom Snowdon - Feb 06
I worked at the yard from jan 63 to jan73 as a fitter's apprentice, two years in the engine works and most of the rest in the Victoria repair squad. I worked on many repair jobs then worked for Krupps on the big crane with Helmut Shankey we checked all the systems on the hoisting and traversing, also load testing and emergency stopping. After the job was finished, they offered me a job with Krupps. some of these men were killed in Portugal worked with English Electric in the pump house of the building dock done many other things when the yard was going through redelvopment. Ileft the yard and went to work in power station west and retired as a foreman in maintance department. My father was a foreman in the outside engine works for many many years his name was big Tommy Snowdon

Ole-Fredrik Olsen, Sandefjord, Norway - Feb '06
To whom it may concern.

Thank you for having this article on the net, it will help me to find some correct information. Harland & Wolff built in 1925 a steamliner for P&O called SS Rajputana, Mahatma gandhi sailed on this ship back to India from England 29 August 1931. Where can i find photos of this ship? Can anyone please guide me?
I am an Norwegian Gandhi collector of stamps and postcards and all related material.
Thanks in advance.

Best regards Ole-Fredrik

Jim Spratt - Jan '06
I started in H&W 1971 as a message boy in the secretarys office. I then went on to start serving my time as a steelworker in january 72. Having had 8 great years in the yard I left to join the Royal Navy in march '80. I had the pleasure of serving on Hermes, Invincable, Illustrious, and various RFA ships including Argus which I was on for two and a half years. It was a sad day for me when I last went home to East Belfast and saw the sorry state of what is left of probably the greatest shipbuilding yard in the world.

Tully Millstead - Dec '05
Have a steel plate (oval) from Harland & Wolff with the numbers "719428 1940 RAN". Does anyone know what this means? Possibly a ship built in 1940 for the Royal Australian Navy...If so which one, please? Regards and thanks.

Paul Durham - Dec 05
Hi,
this is a smashing site. You deserve a pat on the back. I worked for a firm in England called Rosedowns and Thompson Ltd. I beleive they supplied the factory processing plant for both Juan Peron and Balaena. There was an article in British Engineering magazine in Febuary 1952 describing both the ship and the plant on board. I can e-mail a copy if you wish. I would like to know more about these vessels and any other whaling factory ships from Harland and Wolff. I dont suppose anyoe can remember the installation of the plant can they. Our firm also supplied at least 2 other vessels built in England called Southern Harvester and Southern Venturer. These were earlier and a lot smaller 14,999gt. my best to you all

Wilson John Haire
24th November, 2005

I followed up what happened to the factory whaling ship the Juan Peron built by Harland and Wolff, Belfast and launched about 1950. After the gangway disaster on the 31st of January, 1951, in which 18 men died and 49 were injured there was a general amnensia in the Yard about that ship. My brother-in-law, a fitter in the shipyard, and now retired couldn't remember that such a vessel even existed when I mentioned it to him about two years ago. Back in 1948, when I was an apprentice joiner, a man near retirement who had worked on the Titanic was pointed out to me. I tried to get him to talk about that ship but he said there had been enough bad luck as it was. I suppose you just cast these disasters out of your mind.

After the fall of Juan Peron, the Argentine leader, the ship's name was changed to Cruz Del Sur.

I completely forgot the disaster on the Juan Peron soon afterwards and I even forgot about the ship. My father never mentioned its name again. I did think about it about until two years ago and I imagined that it had been left unfinished and then scrapped. But it hadn't been. It was completed and it sailed to Argentina. It was originally owned by Compania Argentina de Pesca. It's president was Alfredo Ryan who had been born in Gibraltar. The ship sailed for eight years in the Antarctic and never caught a whale, thankfully. Disasters continued in association with the ship. A girl was murdered on board and thrown over the side. Machinery kept breaking down. Alfredo Ryan had taken out £2,918, 000 to pay for the ship but the Argentine Government wouldn't back him or guarantee the money and with Ryan's financial failing took over the ship. Ryan then wanted to use money out of his oil business to get back ownership but the Argentine Government wouldn't agree to that. The ship, aft! er the exiling of Juan Peron, changed owners frequently and was used for hauling oil and other cargoes. Then it was used as a training ship for the merchant marine. After that it disappears from view. No one seemed to want to buy it. One business man was quoted as saying he'd as soon buy an elephant and keep it in his back garden.

I noticed in YOUR PLACE AND MINE That David Patterson, now living in Canada, and sadly the son of one of the accident victims on the Juan Peron gangway tragedy wants some information about the Juan Peron. I hope my contribution will give him some idea of what his father's life was like in the shipyard . His father was W.J. Patterson. The Billy Patterson I remember was a heavy man, with a great sense of humour. He worked as a painter. I hope I have put the right name to the face.

Another contributor is Peter Rebbeck. I met his grandfather Sir Frederick Rebbeck under unusual circumstances as a member of the apprentice's strike committee when we were gathered outside the Main Office and just before we stormed the Engine Works to bring their apprentices out. The Engine Works seemed to be a highly secretive and an elitist place with all its gates permanently closed. Passing it the ground would sometimes shake as if caused by an earthquake tremor when a ship's engine was being tested. But that's another tale...

Wilson John Haire - November '05
Someone mentions the whaling ship the Juan Peron. It was never finished and therefore not commissioned. I think the company went broke who ordered her and also the Argentinian president Juan Peron was either deposed or died. What happened to the ship I have no idea. After the terrible deaths and injuries on it when the upper gangway broke - and all for nothing.

The whaling ship that stank was the Baleana (Latin for whale). I remember it when it was tied up in the Musgrave Channel about 1947 - 1948. With other office boys at lunchtime we went aboard her. It sure stank from the engine room to the captain's quarters. It was also thought of as a jinx ship by the men in Harland and Wolff. I believe five died while refurbishing it.

The small chaser ship which actually had the explosive-headed harpoon was also tied up alongside. I had a look over that as well with my pals and doing things like fourteen year old boys do we tried to fire the harpoon. Luckily it wasn't loaded.

click here for more memories from Wilson......

Donna McNeill, Kingston, Ontario - October '05
In December 1940, my Grandfather, Joseph McNeill was killed with 2 others while working for Harland Wolfe in Belfast Loch. Does anyone have any information on the accident, inquest or funeral?
Regards.

Carmel Axiaq - October '05
Dear Mr Gramstad - (see below )

Where can I find pictures of ships mentioned in your list. Some of them were regular callers at Malta dry docks, years ago.

Thank you. Regards

Carmel Axiaq

Sandrine - May '05
I am looking for stories of belfast sailors and/ or people working in the port for an artistic project due to take place in belfast. Can anyone help?
thanks.

Ray - February '05
I sailed out of Belfast on the Harpula a Shell Tanker on her maiden voyage. The crew were mostly Belfast men from both sides of the street and a finer bunch of men could not be equaled. God Bless Them All. God Bless all you Sea Men also. I've been there . Ray.

David Billington - December '04
Harland & Wolff built a ship called Belgica later to be named Irishman, she was meant for Hamburg- American line but while under construction American Transport line took her over she was launched for ATL in october 1899 and named Michigan. Would anyone have photos of her? kind regards.

Mr. Finn Falck - December '04
Hello !
I'm an "old" sailor, signed off sea july 20th 1980 at the age of 38. Served as port captain for Norwegian shipping company for 2 years, then 22 years in the North Sea (Drilling platforms and huge production platforms (Statoil). Now I'm a pensioneer, both as a sailor and from Statoil. I served on board t/t "Tindfonn" for nearly 2 years, from august 1969 until may '72 as 2nd mate, 1st mate and chief officer.
"Tindfonn" became my "dream ship", after my first wiew of her, in Suez 1964, when I was an ab. She was the most beautiful tanker by construction. I saw here in the Persian Gulf in 1973, when I was captain on another Norwegian tanker. At that time "Tindfonn" was serving as a "sheep liner", with a huge construction on the aft deck, carrying appx. 50.000 sheep from Australia to Persian Gulf. A sad view of this beautiful ship.

Don - November '04
If it wasn't for the the shipyard none of my immediate family would have what we have now. I started serving my time as a Caulker-Burner in 1984 and was made redundant 12 years later having managed to get myself a " gaffers job " in the Outfit Steel department in the building dock. My father was a burner by trade and ended his working days in the Outfit Steel Shop.

My grandfather was a "Boss" over the, what we would now call Slingers, but to my memory the title then was "Bull Rundies"? His father worked in the shipyard at the the beginning of the century. Even when I was at school I somehow new that I would work in the shipyard.

I remember going to meet my da coming home from work at the end of Mersey Street and having to spot him out in the constant flow of workers coming over the bridge. He would tell me about the "big tankers" the "biggest thing that'll ever go up that lough". I'm proud to have been part of it.

Denice Spratt - October 2004
Hi, I am a final year student (doing a BA in Irish Studies and Critical Theory) at London Metropoltian University and I have chosen to do my dissertation on Harland and Wolff and its impact on the people of Belfast. I am emailing you as I want to interview people who worked at Harland and Wolff or whose fathers, uncles, or grandfathers worked there and get their memories of what it was like to work there. Plus I want to hear how others in the community treated them in regards to their having a job with Harland and Wolff.
I want to speak to people from all demographic areas of Belfast and from all walks of life. This is not a history of Harland and Wolff though I will include a potted history of the company what I want is an insight into how one of the greatest shipbuilding companies influenced a town (city), and its people. I am also very keen on hearing from anyone who knew Sandy Scott a chief shop steward in the 1960's and 70's. Many thanx

Mark Harland Sep '04
Interesting to read some history about the shipyard. My great uncle - Edward Harland, was a founder of Harland & Wolff. My grandmother's first husband was Sir Thomas Andrews who went down with the Titanic. She then married my grandfather Henry Harland.

John M. Gramstad , Hafrsfjord, Norway - 29th July 2004
The article about Harland & Wolff and the "Myrina" is indeed an interesting and memory provoking article.
The ship was originally ordered in May 1965 by Messrs. Sigval Bergesen (established 1887) of Stavanger Norway, as a 167.000 ton deadweight single screw turbine tanker. According to the contract, the ship should be handed over to Bergesen not later than October 31st 1967. In May 1965 this was the WORLD LARGEST ship !!!

In the years between 1951 and 1963, Harland & Wolff built and delivered the following ships to Bergesen :-

M/T "Dalfonn" 24.636 tdw 1951
T/T "Solfonn" 31.319 tdw 1956
T/T "Storfonn" 36.284 tdw 1956 At time of delivery, Scandinavia's largest ship
M/T "Vestfonn" 19.646 tdw 1958
M/S "Tresfonn" 19.072 tdw 1960
M/S "Krossfonn" 18.971 tdw 1961
T/T "Tindfonn" 51.504 tdw 1961
T/T "Rimfonn" 91.419 tdw 1963 At time of delivery, the largest ship built in UK and at H&W

In July 1965, the dynamic and charismatic ship owner Sigval Bergesen O.S. passed away only 50 years old. His younger brother Charles Racine Bergesen (1922-1996) was now left in charge of the company as a sole owner, after having lost two brothers in only 5 months (Ole Bergesen passed away in February 1965 only 48 years old).

In February 1966 Messrs. Sigval Bergesen terminated the contract, now taken over by Shell, deciding to lengthen the ship. The ship was now lengthened from 289,5 to 320,03 m. This could best be constructed by sliding 196,9 m of the after portion of the ship, weighing some 17.000 tons, about 36,9 m down the ways, enabling the additional midship portion to be inserted.

The ship was delivered to Deutsche Shell A.G. as "Myrina" on April 24th 1968. "Myrina" traded until the summer of 1981, when she was sold to shipbreakers in Korea. She arrived in Inchon on August 17th 1981 to become a victim of the oxyacetylene torches. The cutting process started on September 5th 1981.

Davy Wilson - 28 June 2004
In 1958 there was only four ways a boy could get a job in H&W - message boy, catch boy, paint boy and marker boy. I started as a marker boy. A marker boy in H&W was a junior plater's helper, and worked with a marker out plater or app plater. Message boy I think speaks for itself, taking messages from office to office. A paint boy was with a rivet counter. Rivetters were on strict piecework, they only got paid for what they produced. The counter tested each rivet by tapping it with a toffee hammer and if they sounded ok, the boy painted a stripe across them with white paint, if not he painted a red X on the offending rivet. A catch boy was with a rivetting squad. The heater boy (usually an elderly man) heated the rivets in a small forge (coke fire) and tossed them to the catch boy who picked it up with a pair of specially made tongs and inserted it into the hole. The rivetter's helper (holder up) belfast, (houler on) jammed the rivet into place and the rivetter banged her up.

Roslyn McCluney(nee Lyons) - June 2004
Very good. My father and four brothers all worked in the shipyard. My father was a welder and contracted asbestoses. He lost his life to lung cancer 15 years ago. His name was George Lyons. It is a sin that a big part of people's lives has all but gone.

Davy Wilson - June 2004
I'm an ex shipyard plater. My father was a plater, his brother was a welder, their father was a driller, his brother was a caulker....... (this could take some time...) their father was a caulker. This is just my paternal granda's side.
My paternal granda's wife's side (that's my father's mother's side), her brother was a rivetter & his son was a rivetter. They were both called James Lewis.

James senior went off to war in 1914 with the 36th Ulster Division and on 1st July 1916, at dawn, Jimmy Lewis went over the top. A german bullet, on its way to his heart, ricochetted off a bible his sister had put in his left breast tunic pocket and took off his left arm. That was the end of the war for great uncle Jimmy. He couldn't work as a rivetter either. His older brother Willy ran an illegal bookies in fox st, off the newtownards rd at the bottom of cable st. Jimmy would help out writing dockets. One Saturday they got a tip off that the peelers were going to raid the place. Jimmy said that no #$@#$#@ peeler was going to put him out. Willy took the day's takings and scarpered. Great uncle Jimmy was on his mick malone. Headlines in the next morning's Whig (morning paper at that time) "SIX PEELERS TO ARREST ONE ARM MAN". Jimmy Lewis died in 1977 from pnemonia whilst putting a new cistern in his outside toilet, wearing just his trousers and a simmet. He was 86 years old.

William Bickerstaff - March 04:
I started in the offices (engine works) in 1954, served my time as a turner, left the yard on M/S Delius as a junior engineer in 1960. Then I had 3 years in the Merchant Navy. I remember well the launching of some ships. In fact when we sailed out on the Delius the Canberra was getting fitted. I also recall the p.o ships. I came to Canada in 1964 and a lot of the boys from the yard came out then to work in the Collingwood shipyards in Ontario. What a great place to work, each lunch time watching the guy diving off the aircraft carrier (Bonaventure).

The soccer games in the dry dock. Knocking off for the holidays and blowing all the money in the first few days. Super memories. I was over last year and it was sad to see the way the place has chaned just like a ghost town but I will always be proud to have been a part of a fantasic engineering team.

I will always treasure those happy times I spent just like the song in that dear little town in the olde county Down. What a place !

Peter Rebbeck

I have been following the comments and articles about the yard. I worked in the Purchasing Department from 1960 to 1969. I now live in New Zealand. I was the third generation of Rebbeck to work there. My grandfather (Sir Frederick Rebbeck)and my Father (Dr. Denis Rebbeck) both ended up as Chairmen of the yard and ran the company for many years. I have many happy memories of Harland & Wolff.

Peter has been sharing some of his H&W memories, including a visit by Aristotle Onassis - find out more .

Pat Ryan, Cambridgeshire.

My father took me to see the Sea Quest platform immediately after the launch. I clearly remember how one of the huge triangular pontoons, had buckled on entry into the water.
I also saw the Canberra before she was fitted out. Incidentally a late uncle of mine sailed on the maiden voyage of the Canberra and in fact spent a number of years on board as a butcher.
My father was a furnaceman and one of the few Catholics who worked in the Yard. He was one of the most moral and honest and hard working men I've ever known. He went in immediately after the war and was made redundant in 1970. Shortly after this he had a stroke and was paralysed until his death in 1976. His name was John Ryan.

Bernard de Neumann

My mother's cousin, the late Derek Barton Kimber was H&W's Managing Director in the late 1960s. Does anyone remember him?

Carl Roberts

Does anyone remember working on, or any stories about, the secret work carried on in the shipyard in the early years of the war when old and dilapidated warships were brought into the yard and 'tarted' up to make them look like new ships. It was all part of a plan to persuade German Intelligence that we had more new warships afloat than we really had. Even though hundreds of men worked on these ships the project stayed a secret until long after the war ended.

(If you can help Bernard or Carl, either discuss this article at the bottom of the page or e-mail ypam-online@bbc.co.uk - NI Editor.)

The following are in relation to the launch of the "Myrina":

"Gusty Winds" - March 03:
I may be totally mistaken as I was only 8 at the time but I am sure this was the vessel my dad took me to see launched, He worked for Belfast Ropeworks who made a lot of ropes for Harlands.

If I am correct it was the largest (and last?) ship to be launched down a slipway at Harlands and when she went, she hit a small boat out in the lough which deflected her just enough to stop her grounding on the other side.
I would love to know if my memory is correct.

"New Utopia" - March 03:
One of the slips in the east yard had to be extended to accomodate the mighty Myrina~ and indeed she was the largest ship at that time built on a slip~ I am also proud to say I had the priveledge of welding the name on one side of the forward end~ The name was punched out with a centre punch then a run of weld~ then painted. Lovely memories.

Share YOUR memories and stories, discuss this article at the bottom of the page or e-mail ypam-online@bbc.co.uk

The future. Are the clouds gathering over Harland & Wolff?

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