Reader Phil Green of the UK has submitted this photo of the Asturias, taken by his father who served in the 14th/20th Kings Hussars from July 1952 to December 1954. If anyone can identify the date and place, please let us know.
Unfortunately the names of the crew were not included on 'Passenger Lists'. Any information you have about crew members on the
Asturias is welcome for publication.
Their names will be added to a new list of crew members and their dates of service.
Leonard 'Lennie' Snell left school and went to sea with his father, Ernest Snell. His first ship was the Asturias on 6th May
1947. He served continuously on the Asturias until 1957. His Service Book indicates that he was Assistant Steward.
He then served with the Fyffes Line as a Steward. Upon his 25th year of service with Fyffes, their house magazine published
the following item:
Information submitted by Lennie's nephew, Andy Snell, Norwich UK.
Daniel Joseph Laverty was born in Southampton on 5th August 1918. His parents were from Old Southampton from a shipping background.
He served in the Royal Navy and fought in the Battle of the Atlantic in 1939-40. He was a crew member of the Asturias on the
journey of May 1948 when he met a passenger, Amy Longden who was travelling with her mother, Eva. Aged 29, Daniel had already
been married and left behind an ex-wife and daughter, Margaret, in the UK. He settled with Amy in Perth where he gained Australian
Citizenship in 1949.
Daniel passed away in 1971 and is now buried at Millbrook Church, Southampton.
Daniel's story, told
by his daughter, Dawn can be read here.
Click on document to see larger version
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From time to time, crewmen deserted the Asturias. Most of them were eventually caught, some after years of 'freedom'.
Desertion was not viewed lightly and when caught, the guilty were usually jailed and fined.
Source: The West Australian
[19 December 1947]
E L Unsworth from Chorley Lancashire was a ship’s engineer. His Continuous Certificate of Discharge shows that he did 6 sailings
from the UK to Australia on the SS Asturias, between 1952 and 1953. He was 2nd Engineer on the Asturias on his last sailing. He then left Royal Mail to get his Extra Chief’s Ticket and then on to Lloyds Register until his retirement. He also sailed
on the Andes on the South America run.
His son Bill lives in Southampton UK and works in the Port there. He would love
to hear from anyone who might have known his father.
Information submitted by Bill Unsworth, Southampton UK - Jan 2017
Click on document to see larger version
David John Neal CRAIG, known as NEAL CRAIG was the Radio Officer on the voyage that brought troops back from Korea, the Gloucestershire
Regiment arriving on Southampton 16/9/53. It would appear he then took a further voyage leaving Southampton the following day. He
received a medal to commemorate the voyage. His son Nigel Craig provided this information.
Cecil Painter - my uncle - was born in Cirencester 05/10/1932 . School was followed by art college and then around 1950 he joined
the Royal Navy. He trained in a sickbay role. He left and was signing on to the Asturias on 03/06/1955. Until29/08/1956. He left the
merchant Navy from SS Beaverlake 17/01/1961 by then he was a baker / cook. In civilian life he was a floor walker (fancy
name for a sales assistant) at various west end shops, various roles in catering and the hospitality industry. In the 1980's he joined
Royal Mail as a catering manager. Retiring to live with my parents in 1992 he died in 1998(?).
He away so appeared very mysterious
to us kids coming down from London every couple of months to my grandparents, with stories of the big city and his overseas trips
as a sailor.
Trevor Shurmer, May 2020
