Elder Dempster Lines was one of the UK’s largest shipping companies. As part of the Homeward Bound project, we’ve spoken to a number of Elder Dempster’s former employees and passengers, recording their ‘real’ stories and experiences. You can listen to their Elder Dempster stories here.
As part of the Homeward Bound project we’ve collected 25 oral testimonies from Elder Dempster Line’s seafaring and office staff. Listen to the interviews.
Read more about the history of Elder Dempster Lines - the largest UK shipping group between Western Europe and West Africa from the late-nineteenth century to the 1980s.
Ian Walker was a Fourth Engineer for Elder Dempster Lines. Listen to Ian Walker's interview.
Derek Bailey joined Elder Dempster Lines in 1957. In his interview, Derek recalls what it was like living on a ship with a wife and children at home. Derek also speaks about Elder Dempster Lines’ latter years.
As Second Engineer at Elder Dempster Lines, David was responsible for: the care and maintenance of machinery, the power generation, the pumping system, the refrigeration and other electrical items. Listen to David's interview.
Barry Groombridge joined Elder Dempster Lines aged 16. Barry’s first voyage was from London to the United States, via West Africa. The voyage lasted nine months. Listen to Barry’s interview to hear about the Christmas he spent with nuns in Madeira and what life was like as a purser at Elder Dempster Lines.
Alfred William Thomas was an engineering with Elder Dempster in the early part of the twentieth century, read the account of his experiences with the company.
Denis Kelly worked in the marketing department for Elder Dempster Lines. Find out more about Denis's experiences by listening to his interview.
Brian McManus joined Elder Dempster Lines as a second officer and made his way up the ranks to master. Find out more about Brian's experiences onboard the ships by listening to his interview.