I was born March 25th 1950. Third eldest of 7 children and first son of Harold and Elsie Wilson. My hometown was Kingston-upon-Hull in East Yorkshire.

 

Leaving age for school in those days was 15yrs and I went to work in a factory as a labourer for 4 pounds one and a penny a week. My father was a Merchant Seaman for many years and I decided to follow in his footsteps.

 

I joined "T.S. Vindicatrix" in February until April 1966 ( Deck ) so 'celebrated' my 16th birthday aboard her. I kept that fact quiet from the boys as I didn't know if birthday boys were given a friendly keel hauling, strung from the figurehead or similar delights. I found the training to be excellent and can still box the compass today. A quirk of mine was to refuse the morning 'coffee' served in a bucket if the cockroach count exceeded 3. On leaving, Nurse Grey informed me that I had gained 6lbs which I found almost as hard to swallow as the food because I wasn't one of those that had food parcels sent from home. I'm still in contact with 2 of my shipmates from the same hut, Dave Bowes and Keith Belson.

 

My first ship was "R.M.S. Franconia". Cunard Line.

I then went on to sail aboard "S.S. Cicero". "M.V. Rapallo" and "M.V. Aaro" belonging to Ellerman Wilson Line out of Hull.

"R.M.S. S.A.Vaal"  Safmarine. "R.M.S. Windsor Castle and "R.M.S. Pendennis Castle". Union Castle Line.

"M.V. Athenic" Shaw Saville.

"M.V. Daghestan" and "M.V. Iron Ore" Common Bros Line.

"M.V. Bamenda Palm" Palm Line.

 

 I went to live in South Africa in the 70's working as a clerk in the Cape Town Traffic Department then as a foreman in the Northern Transvaal at a steel factory. I contacted a rare form of arthritis so decided to return to the U.K.

 

After a couple of brain numbing factory jobs in Hull I joined the Royal Air Force and trained as a fire fighter spending 3 years at R.A.F. Coastal Command "Kinloss" on the Moray Firth in Scotland and 2 1/2 years at Strike Command "Binbrook" Lincs. When my arthritis kicked in again I was given a medical discharge.

 

I came to Canada for a holiday lasting 5 weeks in 1980 to visit my mothers cousin in B.C. I loved Canada at once and returned to the U.K. to work all hours I could get for 2 years to save enough money to come back for a 6 months holiday. Deciding to sample the local brew one night I met a girl at a dance hall. She asked me to dance and 3 days later said she was going to marry me. I told her she was nuts but it turns out she wasn't. We were married within 4 months of meeting, went back to the U.K. for a 6 months honeymoon and then back to Canada to stay in 1982.

 

My qualifications from fire fighting in the R.A.F. landed me a job doing the same thing at the Castlegar Airport. I worked there for 10 years and in my last year became deputy Firechief. Arthritis once again cut short my career.

 

Today I'm in a union and I'm called out to various construction jobs pipelines, dams etc where a decent wage can be earned although the work is sporadic.

 

I consider it a great honour to be co-founder of the CANADA-U.S.A. Branch of the T.S.V.A. and to have been a cog in the machinery that has enabled Vindiboys in North America to be one crew continues to be a source of enormous pleasure.