About the contributor

I am a Master Mariner, after 13 years at sea on cargo ships I went into the marine salvage industry where I spent the rest of my working life. I became general manager of Risdon Beazley Marine Ltd and then spent seven years as managing director of Smit International SEA in Singapore, retiring in 1986.

My introduction to the salvage business was serving two years as the navigator of Risdon Beazley's recovery vessel "Droxford". Since that time I have been interested in research. During my working life I concentrated on war casualties with metal cargoes, but now have a more general interest in the merchant navy at war.

I am completing a history of Risdon Beazley Ltd. They operated 60 salvage vessels in the war and built 22 Fairmile boats. After the war the became the leading cargo salvage company in the world.

Now I am now concentrating on the merchant service during the winter 1940/1. I am happy to help on the subject of Risdon Beazley or merchant ship losses in ww2.

As I was born in 1936 I don't remember too much about the war.

I live near Southampton UK.