Welcome

Colin’s
HMS Worcester & Merchant Navy Site

Please Note :- Most images are linked to larger versions. None are © to the best of my knowledge. My thanks to all the OWs that have collected or supplied their own pictures at various times. OWs feel free to plunder. Other people please ask. Please tell me if you would like your picture removed from the site or credited.

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I sailed in the Merchant Navy, as an Engineer from April 1971 until when I left the Merchant Navy in December 1994, whilst working in the North Sea.

My name is Colin Thurlow, I was born in 1948 and I thought that I would do this site as ex British Seafarers like myself are becoming rarer by the day. In fact, we are positively an endangered species. If anyone gets to read this they will understand if they have been to sea at a similar time as myself, or, if they haven’t, then I am sure you will wonder what all the fuss is about. Bear with me and you may even enjoy the trip. I did. (many times).
All things change as life progresses, but, even my own children do not realise what it was like when Britain had a Merchant Navy to be rightly proud of. I do hope the reader does not see this site as “Self Centred” but more a reflection of a past way of life that may or may not be of interest to others, but, at the very least, it is a “history”

My Father was in the Colonial Civil Service in both Gold Coast (Ghana) and Nyasaland (Malawi) and I spent some of my formative years there. If you would like to see what I have from that time then Click HERE.
My Seagoing career started, I suppose, on HMS Worcester which was a training ship moored at Greenhithe in Kent, England. At the end of my years on board I took the opportunity to emigrate to West Australia with my parents to do an Engineering Apprenticeship and eventually went to sea from there. However, I was on board as a cadet from 1962-65 joining at the tender age of 14. The Cutty Sark was associated with the Worcester II and III but unfortunately she left for Greenwich before I arrived. I was to go on and develop quite an interest in the Cutty Sark in later life, but strangely she was never mentioned during the time I was on board Worcester. I don’t even recall any photos or pictures. I only discovered the association of the two ships after I left.
The Worcester was history in itself as the year I joined it we celebrated the 100th Centenary. HM the Queen and the Duke came for the annual prize giving. I had the “dubious” pleasure of giving the bouquet of flowers to “Marm” only because I was the newest and smallest cadet, probably.
I recall, the instructions at the time were - March up to Her Majesty, quick smart salute, and give her the flowers.
No picture of that historic occasion, but there is one below of “Marm” presenting a prize on the day and me on the right as “Marm” no doubt recalls.