Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Pamir and Passat - the end of an era . . .

1949 - Pamir to be used by Ministry as store ship - Leaving Cornish Port in Tow - "The Finnish grain barque Pamir, which left Australia on May 28 with a cargo for the Ministry of Food, will be towed, probably tomorrow, from Falmouth to Penarth Dock, near Cardiff, where she will be used as a store ship. The Passat, her sister ship which arrived at Barry Roads on Saturday, has docked at Penarth. She will be used to store grain by the Ministry of Food. Shipping agents went aboard the Pamir yesterday to take samples of the 4,200 tons of grain, which were then sealed for despatch to the Ministry. The sampling was the basis for prices on the Stock Exchange." Western Morning News [207] 4th October 1949.

1950 - Barry Docks workers discomfort with rat ship - "This week Barry Dock workers defy rats Barry Docks transport workers, with their trouser bottoms tied up, are defying the rats on the Finnish sailing vessel Pamir.

Today they started once again to unload the 4,200 tons of bagged barley. They know that there cannot be any effective remedial measure until at least one of the holds is clear but they are maintaining the local tradition of expediting the job. Gangs have volunteered to brave the discomfort of the presence of the unwelcome guests in the confined space. Graphic descriptions of the size, colour and peculiarities of the rats are legion, and a wag suggested that the vessel had been a veritable pied piper of Hamelein, so far as Penarth is concerned! "Bet you there is not a rat left in the Penarth Docks!" said one. "They all came aboard this ship when she was at Penarth, and had a sea trip as well."

Rodent operators of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Fisheries and Mr C H Symmonds, chief port sanitary officer, are there to deal with as big a congregation of rats as they've ever seen for years. Work on the vessel "honeycombed" with rats had stopped after conditions became so alarming. It was generally believed the rats got on board whilst the Pamir was in Penarth Docks." South Wales Echo [163] 15th April 1950.

Look out - Ratty's about!