David Lane Gibbon (England)

David LANE GIBBON educated at the Wigan Mining and Technical College in Lancashire. After doing my compulsory Military Service in the Army,  studied  at  the College   of    International  Marine Telecommunications  in Manchester, getting my Radio Officers Licence in  1960.  In  August  1960   joined Siemans  Edison and Swan (a part of the AEI group) who appointed me as 2nd R/O on the  M/V “Gloxinia” GXMP,   I   was  soon  operating  alone  as  R/O   before the mandatory six months as a Junior R/O. In  August 1961, I went freelance, and joined a Panamanian bulk carrier S/T “Drepanon”  HPZS and stayed  3½ years, during this continuous service co-founded the  888 club for Radio Officers working   on  “foreign flag” ships,  whose purpose was to facilitate long range communication  by the QSP system,  with   distant  coast  stations  mainly  SVA. In   March  1966 I  joned the Vlassov  Group of Monte Carlo, and sailed on their various tankers, cargo ships, and cruise liners until  May   1979   ending my  seagoing career  on   the   TSS “Fairstar” 5MXH  as   Chief   Radio   Officer. In  July 1979  I   joined    E.W.Saybolt SA, as  a Petroleum Inspector based in Greece, I  stayed   with them until 1981 when I formed my own firm of Cargo Surveyors, called   Oil   and Cargo Surveyors Ltd , still working with  ships   both   in   Greece   and   around  the world,  which employed six Marine Surveyors, most ex-seagoing Captains. I retired  in 2003, to look after my dogs, and grow roses