Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

MacKenzie,

Can't find anything much on the history of the 'Sepia' during WWII but if you go to www.merchant-navy.net and ask the question the guys running that web site are really good and you will definitely get an educated response.

My recollection is that a lot of old crew and voyage records were stored in Canada (Nova Scotia I think) and many of them may still be accessible.

As to the ship she was one of a series of sixteen 9200 dwt tankers built for Shell between 1936/39 at several European yards in UK, Holland, Germany, Denmark and Italy.

Sepia (1936 - 1958) 6254 gross 3625 nett 430 ft loa 54 ft beam
6 cyl oil engines by Hawthorne Leslie & co Ltd Newcastle
3.9.36 Launched and 10.1936 completed by Swan Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd Wallsend for Anglo-Saxon.
5.1938 stranded on Mecca Reef on a voyage from Balik Papan to Sydney. refloated.
6.2.1958 Alcohol storage hulk at Ornskoldvik Sweden.
3.1960 Sold to Swedish breakers.

Good luck with other research I'm sure the web site above will be helpful.

On a similar subject - Looking at the e-mail address are you in Melbourne??. I have been told by a fairly reliable source that there is a restaurant in Williamstown called the 'Anchorage Restaurant' and allegedly they have a fairly large model of a Shell tanker "Axina" . I sailed on the Axina in the 1960's and if the story is true I would really like to find out where and how the restaurant obtained the model. Is there any way you could check on this for me. It would be much appreciated.

Best Regards
Jim MacIntyre
Medford NJ USA
e-mail jmacin5573@aol.com
 
P.S. I check in to the Merchant Navy site every once in a while, I'll be watching for any response to your questions.
Cheers
JM

Thank you for your response.

Yes we are in Melbourne, and Williamstown is a few miles away across Port Phillip Bay. I have telephoned the Anchorage Restaurant, which is located on the Strand there in a 100 year old Boat shed,  
it does have a model of the Shell Tanker Axina, but the person to whom I spoke did not know its origin there.

I asked if the owner would contact me, and was promised that they would do so, but to date no response in that regard.

We are about to leave for Honolulu to attend the 60th. anniversary of the signing of thge Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri, as guests of the USS Missouri Memorial association.

On our return about the middle of September, I will get over to Williamstown, vist the Anchorage with my digital camera, take some photos, and try and sort out her history.

So, I will be in touch in due course.

Best wishes,
Mackenzie. Gregory.

back to letters index