La Colina
 

Hi,

I'm looking for information on the La Colina and I'm just wondering if you can help me? My Dad joined the Merchant Navy when he was around 17 (he will have been 17 in the Jun of 1958). I believe he left Port Talbot on a ship called the Mapledor heading to France to be scrapped, but mid journey they were told somebody in Canada had purchased it so they took it there. After that I believe he was on the La Colina for around 10 years as a welder. Hes mentioned a false funnel and a change of name for the ship when in French waters, I believe the other name used was Felix Belediz or something like that. The spelling is probably completely off, but then I thought La Colina started with Lark until I found your post. I'm not after anything specific really, but it would be quite nice to know if possible where he was in what years, but anything would be a bonus.

Thanks in advance,

Katie

Katie the ship he took to France could have been the Mapledore of Maritime Shipping and Trading [ aka Michalenos ]. If so my " Old Man " was Third Mate in her about 1950 .

Aln

Oh wow really. I'm just after as much information as people can give me because I'm sure my Dad has many tales to tell but he just doesn't, although when he does mention is time in the Merchant Navy he mentions it fondly. From another site I've been advised that:
Mapledore was Built as Maplewood Cargo Ship 1930
Builder Northumberland SB Company
Location Howdon-On -Tyne

Based on that info, with my own research I have learnt that it was renamed Mapledore in 1945, and was broken up on 28.6.60 at Newport by John Cashmore.

Katie

I wonder how it ended up in Newport after being delivered to Canada?

I believe this is it:
http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/M-Sh...ewood1930.html

Katie

When my " Old Man " was Third Mate in her in 1950 she ran aground off Labrador Canada. I have seen pictures of it but as my " Old Man " died in 1988 I can not share them with you.

Rgds

Alan

So I've just had a couple of good stories from my Dad from his time on the La Colina:

1. My Dad was in the cabin next door to his with a few others playing cards, they hard a kerfuffle in my Dads cabin and went in to find a swordfish flapping around in there that had jumped through the porthole. Guess what they had for tea that night LOL.

2. This is the best one. While in Algiers in around 1961 ish there was an unfortunate incident which resulted in a local lady being shot by some chap from the Foreign Legion, my Dad and a couple of his mates witnessed it and had to give statements etc, anyway the other Foreign Legion chap was and English bloke (who my Dad thinks may have been from Barrow-in-Furness), he'd had enough and wanted out. They smuggled him onto the ship (possibly making some use of the false funnel) and brought him back to the UK, ditching his uniform in the sea on the journey back.