MEMOIRS OF A YOUNG ENGINEERING OFFICER
  
I served as a youthful junior Electrical Officer aboard the Rangitiki in the ‘50s, and I recall, I am sure, the Bosun, who had what I thought of as almost an Oxford accent - a superb Bosun and a learned one. 

On one trip we carried out to New Zealand the Queen's wedding Regalia, and only knew it had been in our strong when on display in New Zealand.  The Captain and First Officer were, as far as known to me, the only ones who were aware of our secret on that trip. 

On another trip we also had a severe leak from the double bottom fresh water tanks, and strict water rationing as imposed.  The crew put on a show they had already staged in New Zealand to distract the passengers minds from the water shortage.   

I was often privileged to be up on the Bridge at odd times and one deck officer Ian Excel sticks in my mind, and  I hope that in due time he would become Captain.  He used to sign himself as IXL. 

The opposed Piston Brown-Oxford marine engines  were no doubt fine engines  until the use of residual oil fuel was employed.  due to a Mr. Lamb, M.I.Mar.E (Member of the Institute of Marine Engineers ~ today the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology), whose paper on the economics of using this, at that time, cheap fuel had many of the Shipping Companies adopting it's use.  This led to quite high concentrations of sulphuric acid in the closed circuit cooling water circuits, thus leading to electrolytic action where two dissimilar metals meet the acidic cooling water.  Many an engine stop and repair at sea were encountered due to water leaks within the engines. 

I recall seeing Third Engineer Ross (I forget his surname) ~ a Kiwi ~ using a medical stethoscope and listening, and identifying water leaks in those massive engines.   He was invariably correct in listing what cylinders had such water leaks, a most clever and resourceful engineer. 

Just before I left the sea, The Chief and Second Engineer were encouraging me to become an Marine Engineer.  Since then I became a mature student and worked in the electricity supply  industry for many years, becoming a Control Engineer, Shift Charge Engineer, Operational Superintendent, Grid Control Engineer, System Operational Planning Engineer et al.   

I recall learning that all the original Rangi Ships had a deck removed as they proved top heavy, and the addition of guns during the war was also a problem; not being a navigating officer I know only a smidgeon about metacentric heights etc, as well as centers of stability, and so on. 

[Editor’s note: The deck to which Mr. Whyte refers was removed from the Rangitiki after her maiden voyage, and the same modifications were mad to the Rangitata and Rangitane in the shipyard before their maiden voyages.  A classic case of “lessons learned”.] 

I also recall the Rangitiki almost sinking the brand new aircraft carrier H M S Eagle.  It was the time of the 1954 London Dock strike (October).  We had dropped the passengers off at Southampton and were making passage across the North Sea towards Hamburg.  It was really foul weather and the North Sea pilot kept blowing the ship’s horn, Visibility was in the order half a mile or thereabouts.  As a junior electrical officer, I was taking the movement book, where all telegraph commands from the bridge were recorded in case of litigation, who was to blame, etc.  We got a double ring astern, an emergency indeed when that happens, and the ship heeled over dramatically before the engines could be put into reverse.  “All stop” was rung down and the way came off the ship and she righted herself.  “Full ahead” at harbour speed was then rung down.  Because I had a rapport with the deck officers, and as a brother-in-law was a captain, the second engineer asked me to nip up and see what had happened from the bridge.  Well, I met one deck officer and asked.  "We almost sunk H M S Eagle" he said.  She was brand new and on her sea trials and hearing our horn thought a ship was in trouble and came hell for leather to our rescue!   (continued on page 2)