Quote:
Originally Posted by andy88up
Thanks Alan, did not come across Waddy, but have seen his name on the old crew lists. Another one I didn't come across was Bellhouse. I believe his dress sense would not have gone down well with the powers that be.
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Andy I never came across " Bunty " either. The thing with Waddy was when you met him his right hand came out but it was deformed. Two middle fingers missing and half of index missing. The story went about that when he was Mate in a Sam Boat he had the crowd overhauling the derricks. One heel had been lifted up and he had his hand in feeling for wear. Derrick came down on his hand resulting in the missing fingers. I was told no one knew if it was done by the crowd as they did not like him or it just slipped. He had Polio as a kid and did not have full movement of his left arm. He could still roll a ciggy with his right hand but we always left stubs of chart pencils on the table as he could not hold them and it stopped him drawing courses on the chart ! When I was with him in the Ottawa[ Glasgow ] we were in Vickers in Montreal when George Armstrong the Chief came into me about 10 one night saying there was a person in the water near the ship. The 4/E went over the side and pulled her to the Pilot ladder and we got her onboard. Waddy was great that night. Put a cop in his place when he was trying to speak to her with " Good job I come from a police family. I have all you need to know just get her to hospital." Fourth got a Life saving award.
John Welsh and myself went down the piiot ladder to get a rope round her so they could get her on board. It was June and the water was bloody cold. All the Ice melt coming down from the lakes. From what I remember she had been to the Docs. he had given hr some tablets and she had a cup of coffee and they reacted with the coffee Alan