Peter Johnson
Job Description
Deck Hand, Relieving Cook, Mate
Period
1966 - 1974
Peter Johnson was born near Manchester in England in 1944 and came to Australia when he was five with his family. His Dad worked near Mullewa on the railways as a fettler. After a time his father transferred to Albany for Peter’s education where the family had visited many times and loved it.
Peter was an only child and left school at fourteen to become an apprentice butcher and thereafter qualifying as a butcher and a manager. He traveled to the Eastern States butchering before becoming home sick and returning to Albany and applied to Cheynes Beach Whaling Company as a deckhand under the captaincy of Axel Christensen on Cheynes II. He also relieved on the Kos VII and the Gascoyne for a couple of seasons. Peter always wanted to join the Merchant Navy – loves the sea and anything to do with it.
He applied for a job on the barges at Barrow Island sending supplies to the Montebello’s and Barrow Island. After Barrow Island Peter went prawning with Mick Stubbs on the “Nanango” (An ex army coastal defense vessel.) on a fisheries research trip. The Tug “Avon” in Albany was an army tug of the same era. (Has a wooden hull). Mick and Peter helped pioneer the prawn industry in the Kimberleys. (1968-1969)
Homesick again he returned to Albany and married Catherine Lorraine Peterson. A daughter Kerry Anne was born and a son Murray Leif.
Captain Kees Vander Gaag offered Peter a position on Cheynes II as deckhand and relieving cook, and, after a time, as relieving third mate. Peter recalls these times as the happiest of his life.
Most wives listened to the short wave radio to the communications between the station and the spotter plane, so therefore “you could not rip off the wife as far as the pay packet (they knew how long you were out)”
Peter worked at Borthwicks meat works after leaving the Cheynes Beach Whaling Company but in 1979 was part of the crew that took the Cheynes II to Hobart for the Hobart Maritime Museum. Also on board was Les Heterick (a former CBWC engineer) his wife as cook, Doug Woods (formerly a carpenter for CBWC) and Axel Christensen (former CBWC skipper). Peter and Axel had the death- watch (midnight to 4am) across the bight. Navigation was by compass and sextant (no GPS in those days) Hobart Maritime Museum paid all the expenses for twelve nights. It was a ten-day trip and they had a week in Hobart wining, dining and sightseeing at their expense and were flown home by M M A Airlines. The only incident on the trip was Doug Woods on steering watch, full speed for Portland Harbour before dark to replenish lost fresh water supplies due to boiler problems. Doug was colour blind and couldn’t distinguish between the red and green channel markers after dark, so it was imperative to get there before sunset.
INCIDENTS REMEMBERED FROM CBWC DAYS ON CHEYNES III
The ships would often have tuna jigs off the back to catch tuna (they would eat them).
Peter had very good eyesight and was able to spot one sperm whale bull 12 miles away (confirmed by pilot on spotter plane) Peter lost his position to “ Boondy”, (Robert Stone) on Cheynes IV because the barrel on Cheynes IV was another foot or so higher.
Wally Cece crumbing steak: Decided to give the guys crumbed steak for breakfast – unfortunately it was corned silverside and turned out to be very salty.
When the Cheynes II was taken to Fremantle to go onto the slips they had a cook who was a Laplander (probably jumped ship from some freighter). His cooking was atrocious (very greasy). He went swimming with pots, pans, and crockery into Fremantle Harbour. The company had to supply a new cook and new pots and pans to keep the crew happy. The ship was a happy ship if they had a good cook.
INCIDENT ON GUN DECK
Harpoon was set off with a Japanese time fuse. 1st Mate Paddy Hart faced the gun out to sea. On deck were Peter Johnson, Kase Vander Gaag, another deckie, plus deck hand Wally Cece. The fuse was set off – grenade exploded on the gun deck, blowing out a huge hole, shrapnel wounds to Wally Cece’s buttocks. Crew helped with first aid by applying toothpaste, mercurochrome and vegemite (anything to make it sting further HA Ha !!!) Peter still has the impressions of Kase’s boots firmly implanted on his kidneys (this happened when you were running away from the gun deck) Wally was last, so copped the shrapnel. Resumed whaling to settle nerves. Still whales out there – just continued on. A week in harbour for major repairs to gun deck. (Huge hole in deck) It was very dangerous – the harpoon would occasionally ricochet and explode in mid air.
Retrieving a killer harpoon with a live grenade: whale moored alongside –rope around capstan on bow and through porthole – pull harpoon out (killer harpoons don’t have flukes). Very scary pulling the harpoon out, wait until salt water soaks into powder (hopefully) It would bang against the side of the ship so it was very nerve wracking wondering if it was going to explode.
NAMES REMEMBERED FROM DAYS ON CHEYNES II
Odva Sandvik – Norwegian cook, Tor Olsen – Norwegian cook, Brian Watson – deckhand, Mick Watson, Ted Watson Jnr & Snr, Don Renfrey, Robert Bartley, Bob Morris – Deckhand and Alex Dryden.
Peter Johnson