HADRA (1)

About

Completed 1954 as "HADRA" for STUK. 6-5-1975 arrived Kaohsiung for scrap.

IMO number
5139545
Call sign
GRLB
Construction number
1229
Tonnage
19.349 ton
Beam
21m
Length overall
169m
Year of construction
1954
Year of renaming/broken up
1975
Service for Shell
1954 to 1975
Cargo
Class
Flag state
Home port
Manager
Shipyard
Status
Photo(s)

Comments

Sailors

Name Job Period Details
Philip Wilson catering boy/galley boy
Ken Hodgson 4th engineer 1954 to 1955
Tony Watson deck apprentice 1955
C.j.h. Ennion deck apprentice 1955
Eddie Lavin fireman 1955 to 1956
Danny Brown fireman 1956
Bernard Cleveland 2 catering boy 1956 to 1957
Michael D. Hall deck boy/junior ordinary seaman 1957
David Mcadam 4th engineer 1957 to 1958
Stephen Mcguinness catering boy/2nd cook 1957 to 1959
Anonymous chief steward 1958
John Curzons 5th engineer 1958 to 1959
David Warren 1 deck apprentice 1958 to 1959
David Michael Fuller apprentice engineer 1959 to 1960
Alan Walter Nash 4th engineer 1959 to 1960
Neil Taylor senior ordinary seaman 1960 to 1961
Frank Fish 2nd mate 1960 to 1961
John Veitch deck apprentice 1961 to 1962
David Rayfield deck apprentice 1961 to 1963
Vic Hubbert deck apprentice 1961 to 1962
Andy Geekie f.w.t. 1961
Keith Lockyer 4th engineer 1962 to 1963
Sheff Preston 5th engineer 1962
Peter Newbery chief engineer 1963 to 1964
Chris Spencer deck apprentice 1963 to 1964
Keith Bambridge deckhand 1963 to 1964 deck hand s.o.s.
Anton Barkhuysen engineer cadet 1963 to 1964
Ray Ravenscroft radio officer 1964 to 1965
John Veitch deck apprentice 1964
William Muirhead deck apprentice 1964 to 1965
John P M Cusson 2nd officer 1964 to 1965
Donald Mckinnon 5th engineer 1964 to 1962
Mike Muir 1 deck boy 1964
A. Peter Colema... 5th engineer 1965 to 1966
Rex Smith deck boy 1965 to 1966
Desmond Doyle master 1965 to 1966
Rex Smith deck boy/junior ordinary seaman 1965 to 1966
Donald Travis 3rd officer 1965 to 1966
Brian Graham 2nd engineer 1966 to 1967
Paul Renaud apprentice engineer 1966 to 1967 1st trip
Michael Buckley senior ordinary seaman 1966 to 1968
Anthony Terry W... chief steward 1966 to 1967
Micheal Buckley senior ordinary seaman 1966 to 1968
Thomas Malcolm ... 3rd engineer 1966 to 1967
Pieter Koops 2nd mate 1967
Mike Riley 5th engineer 1967 to 1968
John Brady f/g 1967
Paul Lach radio officer 1967
Anthony Lopez 5th engineer 1967
Derek Balmer 5th engineer 1967 to 1968
Phil Richardson 5th engineer 1967
Bernard Sayer 5th engineer 1968 to 1969
Peter Graham chief officer 1968
Philip Longton ... 4th engineer 1968
Dave Hone steward 1968 to 1969
Gavin Hair 2nd steward 1969 to 1970
Michael F. Keenan 5th engineer 1969 to 1970
Geoff Henderson apprentice engineer 1969 to 1970
Peter John Houghton 2nd engineer 1969 to 1970
John Ross 2 3rd mate 1969 to 1970
Michael Battrick 2nd mate 1969 to 1970
Charles Stobbart catering offficer 1969 to 1970
Stuart Gallaway deck cadet 1969 to 1970
David Bunn chef kok 1970
Michael Hunt assistant steward 1970
Peter John Houghton 2nd engineer 1971
John Parr catering 1971 to 1972
Peter Copeland cadet 1971 1st trip
Raymond Laws 2nd cook 1971 First trip
Roger Duke 3rd engineer 1971
Iain Mccoll chief steward 1971
Robin Macleod deck cadet 1972
Bernard Sayer 3rd engineer 1972 to 1973
Les Thomson 5th engineer 1972
Dick Croft 5th engineer 1972
Stephen Darling able seaman 1972 to 1973
Michael Johnston 2nd cook and baker 1973
David Wilson chef kok 1973 to 1974
Derek Simpson messman 1973
Lyndon R Davies catering boy/galley boy 1973
John Briton catering boy 1974 to 1975 1st trip
Andrew Price deck cadet 1974
John Peter Hunter engineer cadet 1974
Graham Walden 2nd engineer 1974
Ewan Mcilreavy deck cadet 1974
Richard Redding deck cadet 1974
Ray Miles engineer cadet 1974
Ron Frend 5th engineer 1974 to 1975
Joe Collins deck cadet 1974 Joined Curaco in Apr 74. Interesting voyage later in the trip to Batumi (Georgia) whilst still part of USSR. Paid off in Antwerp in Oct 74.
Robin Buncombe 2nd engineer 1975
Paul Newing catering 1975 to 1976

Anecdotes

Date Visitor Anecdote
08/07/2017 - 18:47 Anonymous

I joined the "Hadra" as Chief Steward on 13th June 1958 and left her in March 59 in Middlesborough. She was a good ship and great crew. Capt Phillips was the Master an old fusspot. When I joined he told me he expected me to look after him and clean his quarters, needless to say I put him right. The Chief Officer was Joe Bodle and Chief Engineer Jamey Flett we all got on very well. I left after 12 years at Sea to join a Ship Supply Company in London selling beers to ship's at London/Tilbury - Double Diamond, Long Life, Skol, Allsopps Lager and Simmonds "Tavern" Ale. Was moved down to Southampton HQ where I negotiated with Thorensen Car Ferries for sole contract to supply their cross channel ferries and as a result Hibbert's made me a Director.

I really enjoyed Shell. The Tagelus was my first with Capt John Davidson, a superb Master and much respected by all the crew and then I joined Trochiscus which went into mothballs at Rosyth . Happy days

12/19/2015 - 14:46 Roger Duke

Joined as 3rd Engineer at Falmouth during a mini refit, change out of HP turbines rotor. sailed right around the world Curacao, Cape town. Fremantle Geelong Sydney Brisbane Wellington and back to Curacao. At Wellington the local stevedores were on strike, the crew discharged the drums of oil from the focsle tonnage hatch, and goy paid cash local rates. They were all pleased. She was a happy ship and although older was one of the big earners as she was always carrying lubricant's, and transformer oil.

09/28/2014 - 10:23 Ray Miles

Held together with Thistlebond and hope! But what a great ship to be an apprentice on!

02/06/2012 - 19:50 Anonymous

I remember the night before we docked in Middlesbrough the Ch Officer and I visited the Scottish Chief Engineer and between us we drank his docking bottle. I think his name was Jamie Flett and the Ch/Officer Joe Boddle. Needless to say Chief was not happy his bottle had been swallowed! but on arrival with some assistance from a friendly HM Customs Officer I was able to get him a double issue and had the bottles signed and cleared and his face lit up when I dropped them off to his cabin. Really nice man and a great crew.

Also sailed on Tagelus with Capt Davidson (my absolute favourite Shell Tanker) and Trochiscus with Capt Phillips.

09/03/2011 - 23:09 Anonymous

Prior to docking the Chief Officer (Joe Bodle) and I descended on the Ch Engineer - Jamie Flett a Scottish gentleman and pursuaded him to let us have a nip from his docking bottle of Scotch Whisky. He then got called down to the engine room and needless to say we drank the lot but Jamie bless his heart never complained but when he saw his empty bottle you could have strung a hammock on his bottom lip.

After we docked HM Customs came onboard and I entertained them and they gave me a couple of bottles for Jamie which they endorsed so he could take them home. He was so surprised when I dropped them off to his cabin. Never seen either Joe or Jamie since........Great ship, Great Crew, in fact my last at Sea because I acme ashore to be a Ship Chandlers Rep. Hope there are still crew members of my age (now 80) still around and Joe who was from Whitehaven is still alive. Also sailed on Tagelus and Trochiscus. Had 14 years at Sea but really enjoyed Shell.

03/07/2009 - 10:31 Chris Spencer

Ref the Hadra

Add the bit about finding the discoloured water and the Submarine volcanoes in the Pacific before the old man's bollocking....
Chris

03/07/2009 - 10:28 Chris Spencer

Joined as deck apprentice in 1963.
She was the happiest ship I sailed in. I was there for 12 months and we broke / split amidships when flooding the dock at South Shields. Went back in for repairs. Then we collided with a Border tanker in the Thames ripping her off the berth.

Engine Room Storekeeper died at sea on the way to South Africa, he was buried on Friday 13th in Durban. The rudder was falling off when we returned to the ship.! A few more days at Bluff before returning to Curacao and then trips to Aus. I think the Captain got a bollocking from the company and a medal from Hydrographic Office for all the info we sent in..!!

Those were the days.!!