A cargo ship steaming across the Pacific Ocean is in contact with a Bideford School

The ship is the 10,000 ton Amalric which plies between New Zealand and the West Indies. Her master, Capt Richmond, keeps the children of Westcroft Primary School, who have ‘adopted’ the ship, well informed about her voyages.

Capt Richmond, the only Englishman on the Amalric – the other officers are New Zealanders and the crew Chinese – corresponds with the school, sending details of cargoes, routes, photographs, colour slides, and other items of interest, as well as answering written questions from the children.

The picture shows four children looking at some of the things sent by Capt Richmond

Before linking with the Amalric, about 12 months ago, Westcroft corresponded with two other ships, one of which sank in a typhoon.

June 1965