Roger Brooker

After a year studying at the King Edward VII Nautical College at 680 Commercial Road, East London were the Principal was Captain Chase. I joined Buries Markes as an apprentice at the age of 17.

When I joined BM they didn't enjoy the best of reputations, the ships were old and worn out and the new ones were not state of the art. The fleet was made up of ex-Fort & Park boats, but to me they were adventure and fun.

My first ship was the "MV Retainer", a ship on bare boat charter from the Ministry of Transport to the Montreal Shipping Company, an off-shoot of Buries Markes.

This ship of 9,393 gross tons was built for Messagerie Maritime, sold on the stocks to China Navigation and re-named "Chungking. The Ministry of Transport purchased her and she was re-named "Retainer", her sister-ship the "Resurgent" was originally the "Changchow" and was operated by the RFA as a supply vessel.

I joined the "Retainer" with five other apprentices at Stobb Cross Quay in Glasgow on 5th February 1953 and paid off on the 23rd September 1954 in Newcastle where she was returned to the RFA.

The ship traded between the Mediterranean and Canada, carrying general cargo which often comprised of NATO tanks, guns, mines etc as well as live animals, bulk grain, wines and spirits and just about everything you can think of. We also carried passengers, from military personnel to nuns, a wide diversity.

The Master was Captain Townson Ridley, the First Mate Tommy Trattles, Second Mate Louis Perman (an Australian). Captain Ridley left the ship after 12 months or so and Tommy Trattles was promoted to Master