Captain Alexander Collie

I was delighted that a descendant of Alexander Collie, who was Master of the Britannia, made contact.

Captain Collie was her great, great uncle.

My correspondent told me that Captain Collie was a long-serving sailor with the Anchor Line, and was captain of the SS Caledonia on the Glasgow to New York run in the 1920s and 30s.

He joined the Merchant Navy at age 9 as a kitchen assistant. He retired in the mid 1930s but went back to work during WW2.

My correpondent also sent me a photo of Captain Collie  and his deck officers taken by the Anchor Line not long before 1941. She was not sure exactly sure when or on what ship. Captain Collie is in the middle seated.

There are other photos of the Captain on the internet.

The Captain did not go downm with his ship but did not survive in his lifeboat. He is listed on the Tower Hill Memorial to the Merchant Navy:

Tower Hill Memorial

 

Book: Lifeboat Number 7

The book has a number of references to Captain Collie

Account by Lt Rowlandson

 

Account by Lt Commander West

 

Colin Bower
30 November 2024

Link to:
Britannia Index