Retired Sea Captain Recalls Varied Life

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28480, 9 January 1958, Page 8

Retired Sea Captain Recalls Varied Life

Memories of the days of sail, early tramp steamers and naval encounters between the Bolshevist for cs end the Imperial Russian Navy on the Caspian Sea were recalled last evening by Captain G. M. Robertson, D.S.C., who retired recently from service with the Shaw Savill and Albion Company. After nearly SO years at sea. Captain Robertson will make his home in Christchurch. In 1909, as an apprentice, aged 17, Captain Robertson joined the sailing ship Elginshire and sailed from Glasgow. Four years later, as the proud possessor of a second mate’s certificate, he was appointed third officer on the Pathan. an early tramp steamer. Life was hard in those days, he said. Food was preserved by salting and refrigeration was unheard of on tramps. Fresh meat and vegetables lasted for only a few days out from each port they called at. War service in World War I in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve included a spell of duty on H.MS. Illustrious, a battleship, and later on destroyers and motor torpedo boats. In 1917, after a trek overland from Bombay to Bagdad and then through Mesopotamia to the Caspian Sea. Captain Robertson, with about 50 Navy-men and 200 soldiers, was lent to the Imperial Russian Navy to fight the rising Bolshevist forces.

"Sticky" Skirmishes Their navy comprised merchant ships that had had guns added There was little organised fighting but during some of the skirmishes things got pretty sticky. Captain Robertson said. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his work in command of a ship and a motor torpedo boat flotilla on the Caspian. The Caspian Sea was quite large and at times could be treacherous, he said. At that time, most of it was uncharted and with shoaling conditions at the northern end and freak storms in the middle, navigation was tricky. Many of the ships there were big. he said. Some had been built in Britain and their hulls had been towed across the North Sea and the Baltic Sea to St. Petersburg and then through the series of canals to the Volga-river. From there they were floated down to the Caspian Sea and were fitted with superstructures and engines. Captain Robertson returned to England in. 1919 after an Overland journey, which Included tramping over the Caucasian 1 Mountains and he was demobilised

in 1920. He rejoined the Merchant Service and passed his extra masters’ certificate. He joined the Shaw Savill and Albion Company in 1921 as third officer .on the Mam ar i. After transferring to the Maimoa as second officer and to the Rarangi as chief *bfficer, he joined his first motor vessel, the Waipawa.

His first command came in 1940 when he became captain of the Empire Waimana. Subsequent commands included the Mataroa, Corinthic, Suevic, Canopic and the Wairangi.

With the usual New Zealand cargo of meat and wool, Captain Robertson left Lyttelton on his last Home voyage on August 31, 1956. He returned yesterday as a passenger on the Delphic. After 48 years at sea, he will settle in Christchurch and in his

own words: ‘Tm going to take things easy.”

Asked for his advice to young boys who wished to make seafaring their career, Captain Robertson said it was a good life. Conditions and pay had improved immensely and ships were homes

away from home. “If you have a lad who wants to go to sea, let him go,” he said. “You don’t get any home life to speak of, but whatever you do, you can’t have everything.”