The Thor Ships- 1959 and 1962

CCAL ships' bows were adorned with a huge bronze shield

showing Thor grasping lightening bolts, supported by a

pair of seahorses, with a whale beneath his feet. 

The Christensen Canadian African Lines (CCAL) had a fleet of freight ships that travelled between Montreal and South Africa. Each ship had space for 12 passengers as marine rules indicated that if there were more than 12 passengers, there had to be a ship doctor on board.

We were in Canada for a little over 2 1/2 years, difficult times for Mom and Dad. They tried unsuccessfully to become designated missionaries to South Africa with financial support from our church denomination. Dad filled a pastoral position in Pembrook ON and my earliest memories were when we lived there. It was a stressful time for all. After we left Pembrook, Dad was unable to find work and we lived in a very rustic cottage in Landsdowne ON. Mom and Dad decided to return to South Africa again and do lay mission work. 

Dad had a 1956 Chevy with a left-hand steering wheel. They decided to take the car to South Africa, a country where cars had right-hand steering and drivers drove in opposite road lanes. It was cheaper for them to pack the car with our possessions and have it put in the ship's hold than to pay for numerous containers.

There were only seven passengers on the Thorshope, the ship we took from Montreal to Durban, South Africa in May 1959. I remember a few things about the trip, mainly falling into the swimming pool out of my depth. One of the crew pulled me out by my braids. Most of my 4-year-old memories are about emotionally fraught events even though my life was generally secure and happy.

This interesting photo was taken after we boarded the Thorshope. We are looking at the Cunard ship HMS Carinthia that we took in 1956 from Liverpool to Montreal. There was no nursery service or fancy parties on board the Thor ships although we ate with the captain and the food was sumptuous. 

The Thorshope made an unexpected stop to unload cargo at Matadi in the then-Belgian Congo. 

Stop at Matadi on the Congo River, Belgian Congo- 1959

We eventually landed in Durban SA and lived there from 1959 until we left in the winter of 1962 in the month of July. During that time I started school and was in the equivalent of Grade 3 when we returned to Canada. Another brother, Philip was born in Durban in June 1960 and is pictured with Mom on the left. Grandma D. visited us for several months in 1961 and we had many trips and adventures when she was there. I remember her putting a hot water bottle under the cold sheets of my bed when we visited Hluhluwe Game Park. Altitude made some areas of South Africa cooler than the hot humidity we experienced on the coast in Durban. Dad had a job at Lever Brothers in Durban that provided for our family's needs. He eventually sold the Chevy and bought a much smaller Morris Minor 1000 with right-hand drive. We did not bring that car back to Canada.

               

 Return to Canada 1962

Our passage was booked on the Thorscarrier and we were the only passengers on board. My brother Nathan, who had just turned 6 years old in July is pictured by our ship. I do not remember the other people in the picture. 

This ship did not have a swimming pool. We had some rough water and seasickness going around the Cape of Good Hope but the rest of the 28-day voyage was uneventful weather-wise. There is a rumour that Philip threw his shoes overboard on the Thorscarrier but I don't remember seeing him do it. Mom was in her first trimester of pregnancy with my next brother Mark and had significant "morning" sickness. The ship's hold was full of unpackaged, bulk raw sugar headed for a refinery in Canada. I remember the crew walking on the sugar but the refining process would remove impurities. 

The Thorscarrier anchored in the St. Lawrence River

We were on the St. Lawrence River on August 4, 1962, when Marilyn Munroe died. I remember the captain talking about it and I had no idea who she was nor did I understand why the captain was shocked. There was no television in South Africa until 1976 and we didn't go to movies. One of my striking memories as we approached the city of Montreal was seeing TV antennas on the rooftops. I was puzzled by the strange architectural accessories and had never heard of television.

Ruth, Nathan, Sandra, Aunt Joan, Mom with Philip, Marie Boutet, Linda

We anchored in the St. Lawrence River when we arrived and I remember Mom's brother, Uncle Bill coming to the ship in a small boat and climbing the ladder to greet the family, particularly his sister. The next day we were able to dock and disembark. Once on land, we were reunited with Mom's family and drove back to Aurora, Ontario.

Mom and Dad turned 30 in 1962, had three children with another on the way, and had travelled extensively since they married in 1953. Dad would sometimes drive us to the docks in Toronto to look at ships, particularly if he heard that a familiar vessel was in the harbour. Reviewing these trips I understand his ongoing interest in sea travel and the memories of month-long journeys across the ocean and around the continent of Africa.

1959- Thorshope. The funnels of all the Thor ships had a stylized whale in the shape of a "C"

*Credits: The photos in this series are digitalized copies of my father's Kodachrome slides*