Interview with James Winton

James Alexander (Jim) Winton born Glasgow, Scotland, 1917. Recalls leaving school aged 18 years and joining John Brown Shipyard on the Clyde as an apprentice engineer. Talks about completing his apprenticeship in 1939 shortly before the outbreak of World War II and getting his first position at sea as tenth engineer aboard the New Zealand Shipping Company vessel, the `Suffolk' on the Britain - New Zealand service. Recalls World War II, serving on a naval patrol craft between Britain and Sweden carrying ball bearings for use in machinery for the war effort, and special agents being smuggled to and from Britain, receiving an MBE for this work. After the war rejoined the New Zealand Shipping Company aboard their passenger vessel `Rangitata' on the Britain - New Zealand service. Recalls coming to New Zealand in 1946 as one of the delivery crew on the Union Steam Ship Company's new vessel `Komata', leaving the ship on arrival and getting a position as launch engineer with the Wellington Harbour Board, leaving after 8 months and working at the power station at the head of Evans Bay. Backgrounds becoming a partner in a fishing venture brought together by a group of ex-servicemen. Recalls the vessel `Manuka' was chartered from the government, refitted and fishing commenced at the Chathams - this venture came to an end three years later. Mentions joining the steam trawler, `Thomas Currell' as chief engineer and recalls that this vessel was then owned by Combined Fisheries Ltd, a subsidiary of the Wellington Fishermen's Co-op and fish retailers of Wellington. Talks about purchasing the Thomas Currell and setting up the Thomas Currell Trawling Company Ltd of Wellington, continuing to fish the vessel in Cook Strait, off the Wairarapa coast and off Cape Campbell, before selling it to the Wellington Trawling Co Ltd and buying a printing business.

Access Contact - see oral history librarian

Interviewer(s) - Emmanuel Makarios

Venue - Mr Winton's home

Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-010230-010231

Quantity: 2 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1.40 Hours and minutes Duration.

Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-3417.

Original recordings not available for playback. Surrogate copies will be provided.