Caronia Steward in Merok Escapade

To say that there was always some rivalry between crews of British ships is a bit of an understatement. Mostly this rivalry was quite good natured though occasionally it could end up with trouble. On board Caronia no-one was going to be outdone by another ship!

Steward Peter McNulty, 27, had decided to climb one of the mountains at the side of the Geiranger Fjord at Merok, only to find that once he'd got up to 1,500 feet there below was the Caronia setting sail for her next port of call. Why was he up so high?

Well, on entering the fjord earlier that day, the Officer of the Watch had espied the word “Andes” - the name of a famous Royal Mail Lines liner, colloquially known to the tugboatmen of Southampton as the “randy andies” - halfway up the mountain.

A Fall of 20 Feet

So, armed with a brush, and a gallon of paint (I'm assuming a shade of Caronia Green) strapped to his waist, Peter decided that the name of Caronia would be painted much higher up. He put ashore and started climbing. Six hundred feet above the “Andes” name he painted the word “Caronia” on the rock face in letters 6 feet high. On stepping back to admire his handiwork, he fell 20 feet onto a narrow ledge.

The Ship Departs!

Managing to scramble to his feet, Peter suddenly heard a familiar sound. Caronia's horns were being blown to signify her imminent departure! So, he started frantically waving his shirt. Luckily, someone aboard had spotted him and radioed ashore that there was a man stranded on the mountain. However, Caronia continued to set her course out of the fjord!

Up the mountain went a rescue party. Eventually the hapless Peter was put on a seaplane by local villagers and flown to the town of Mandane. From there, he was able to continue by bus and local steamer until he arrived at Bergen, where he was able to rejoin the ship.

Of course, this would mean an immediate audience with Caronia's Captain!

Word of his escapade soon got round the ship and a “whip-round” was held to help him with his expenses. Once the Caronia had docked in Southampton, his story made not only the local and national papers, but even made the New York Times!

Since originally posting this page, I've heard from Alan Lynch, a former AB and Bosun's Mate on the Caronia from 1954 to 1964, who tells me that...