Hello List: The obituary for the Master Mariner I'm researching ~ Captain William Kelly (1811-1877) ~ states that "when he retired from the sea, he was shore manager for Mr. James Beasley of Liverpool." Beasley was a well known ship owner of the time, and Kelly sailed a number of Beasley ships including MARY CARSON, MILES BARTON and MERRIE ENGLAND. In fact, Kelly appears to have bought MERRIE ENGLAND from Beasley in 1867 and was her owner when she foundered off Cape Horn in 1871. My question ~ Does anyone know anything about shore managers in Liverpool in the 1860s? What were their duties and responsibilites? Are there surviving records that would cast some light on Kelly's activities as shore manager for Beasley? Thanks very much. Harold Bradley Alamo, CA

Greetings! My father was an apprentice with Bullard King upon his leaving the General Botha training ship. He served a three year apprentiship with them. Anyone kow if records of such apprentiships were kept and where I might find this information and also if the ships he served on during this period might be listed? Neville Rasmussen

Greetings! My dad served as skipper of the HMSAS Oostewal from around March 1943 until the end of the war with a brief break as skipper of the HMSAS Natalia. Does anyone know how I might find out where these two ships were stationed. My dad's service record states that he served in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Indian Ocean theatres during the war but the service record has very little in it apart from pay records and attestation papers. Neville Rasmussen