VETERAN MARINER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 56, 7 March 1934, Page 3

VETERAN MARINER.

CAPTAIN C. H. KEMPSON.

DEATH IN SOUTH DEVON.

The New Zealand office of the Shaw, Savill and Albion Co., Ltd., received news bv mail of the death at Paignton, South Devon, of Captain Charles Howard Kempson, at the age of 82 years. He was well known in New Zealand, as he was for many years in command of the Atlienic. After retirement from sea service he was appointed marine superintendent at Plymouth for the White Star Line and associated companies, from which post he retired in 1923. Captain Kempson was one of the few men who served liis apprenticeship with the White Star Line and remained with it during the whole of his 44 years at sea. His actual length of service with the line at sea and on shore being 54 years. In 1569 he joined the training ship Conway on the river Mersey as a cadet. 11l October of that year he was hound as an apprentice to the late Mr. T. H. Ismav, and started his long career of over half a century with the White Star Line. He served in the clipper ships Castlehead, 8:15 tons, and Knight Commander, 14.35 tons, in the LiverpoolAustralia trade. Later he served as second mate and chief mate on tie Castlehead, and subsequently made three voyages to Calcutta as chief mate on the ship Naiad, 1039 tone, in which he spent five years. In ISBI, Captain Kempson changed from sail to steam, being fourth officer on the Adriatic, then third on the Coptic, i and second on the Belgic. His first command was in 1887, when Captain Bence of the Coptic died at sea and Captain Kempson took the vessel back' to London. He was appointed to the command of the Oceanic, and a few months later to the Coptic in the New Zealand service. Subsequent commands were the Doric, lonic, Runic, then the Athenic. He was master of the latter vessel for 11 years. In all he went 70 times round the world, 64 in the New Zealand trade. He never had a mishap during 44 years at sea.