Ropner Merchant Navy Company

[A READER]

WELSH servicemen and women who served in the Merchant Navy appear in a new book charting more than 100 years of history.
Ropner’s Navy is due out in August 2008 and features more than 60 original photographs of ships as well as the details of brave Welsh seamen who served in the company.

Every ship in the fleet of Ropner merchant navy company is accounted for, whether they were sunk by German U-boats or scrapped in Japan.

Any info on Ropners ?

[A READER]

Ropners Navy by Billy McGee

The book "Ropner's Navy" (ISBN 978-0-9558593-5-9) is due to be published and released by Cormorant Publishing Hartlepool around the 1st August 2008, price £7.99. It details the history of the Ropner family and the Ropner Shipping Co. from 1874 to 1997 when the Co. was taken over by Jacobs Holdings Ltd. Also included are the ships owned during the partnership with the Thomas Appleby Co. from 1866 and also includes all ships managed by the Co. for the MOS/MOWT and those supplied to the British Government on the WWII Bareboat Charter during WWI & II.

There is a fleet list of some 284 ships owned and managed by the Co. 1866-1997, detailing date & yard built, tonnage, name changes and eventual demise. The third part details all 70 WWI & II losses due to enemy action detailing cargo, convoy, how and where lost & casualty figures. It is also a reference book detailing where all the WWII Log Books & Crew Agreements files are held at Kew for each ships war service for those wishing for a more in-depth research.

The final part is a Book of Remembrance and details the individual names of the 736 men lost from Ropner ships registered with the CWGC (80 from WWI, 656 from WWII). There are also 66 black & white photographs dating from 1889 to the 1990's. The book will be available from W.H. Smith's, Pocket Papers, Hartlepool & Cormorant Publishing as well as the Author himself.

Specific ordering information will be available upon publication.


ROPNER & POOL SHIPPING CO MEMORIAL

As 2005 was the official “Year of the Sea”
coinciding with the 60th anniversary VE &
VJ celebrations, I came up with the idea to
have a bronze Memorial Plaque erected at
Ropner Park in Stockton-on-Tees (the park
was given to the people of Stockton by the
ship owner Sir Robert Ropner in 1890)
dedicated to recognise the sacrifice of over
650 men lost while serving on Ropner’s
Merchant ships in two World Wars.
Affectionately known as “Ropners Navy”,
a name given to the fleet after one of their
ships ss Wandby sank a German U-boat in
1917. The same feat, which was achieved in
October 1939 when the Ropner ships ss
Heronspool & ss Stonepool both, sank a
German U-boat.

Very little is known by the people of
Teesside the immense sacrifice suffered by
the Merchant Navy in both wars, which saw
a higher percentage rate of deaths among
their civilian crews than any of the three
armed services. In WWI Ropner’s lost 27 of
her ships to enemy action (50% of her fleet)
and a further 43 ships owned and managed
by them during WWII. By the time WWII
finished the company were down to their
last 4 ships owned by the Ropner Shipping
Co & 7 of the Pool Shipping Co.

The biggest loss of ships by any one
company in war. During WWII no less than
13 OBE’s, 3 British Empire Medals & 2
Lloyds War Medals were awarded to the
Officers & crew of the Ropner fleet.
After being given permission by the
Council, I set up the "Ropner Navy Memorial
Fund" to raise the £1,500.00 need for a
900mm x 600mm raised bronze plaque to
be cast and fitted into a stone plinth. After 6
months I eventually reached my target after
receiving donations world wide and the
Memorial was formally unveiled on the 30th
October 2005. In attendance were 18
standards from the Royal British Legion and
various associations including 5 Merchant
Navy standards. The three main guests were
the Rt Hon Dari Taylor MP for Stockton
South. One of my neighbours, Captain Colin
Tingle (retd) who was the Senior Master
with Ropners and served 30 years in the
company who performed the unveiling after
my opening speech. Also in attendance, Mr
Geoff Morton MBE, a survivor from the Fort
Pelly sunk in 1943, which was under the
management of Ropners at the time of her
loss. More than 100 other local people also
turned out to watch the unveiling.

[john duke painter]

can you please help me im looking for information on seaman thomas painter
who i believe was lost in ww2 torpedoed by a german u boat.

[Administrator]

Most probably:

PAINTER, THOMAS

Rank:Able Seaman

Date of Death:23/04/1942

Age:32

Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy

S.S. Empire Dryden (Sunderland)

Panel Reference:Panel 40.

Memorial:TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

Additional Information:

Son of Duke Robertshaw Painter and Catherine Painter, of Coxhoe, Co. Durham.

LINK

[Administrator]

SS Empire Dryden

LINK

[Paul Elliott]

I served with Ropners for 8 years, ending my sea service as 4th engineer on the Stonepool. There was a 3rd engineer called Ron Fidler. This in =- 1972. He lived in Ayr I think. Anyone know what he is doing now?

[Administrator]

Paul, please e.mail me direct @ [e-mail] I will help as much as pos, please title TREGENNA to help me avoid spam. Keith.