![A note from the late Ron Blundell detailing the gift of a wall plaque of Nagoya Castle. The note reads: 'This cloisonne plate was presented to the MV Priam, one of the most advanced merchant vessels in the world, on her safe arrival at Nagoya, Japan. It was her maiden voyage and I was her chief engineer.' Image: Keith Blundell Image:A note from the late Ron Blundell detailing the gift of a wall plaque of Nagoya Castle. The note reads: 'This cloisonne plate was presented to the MV Priam, one of the most advanced merchant vessels in the world, on her safe arrival at Nagoya, Japan. It was her maiden voyage and I was her chief engineer.' Image: Keith Blundell](/globalassets/news-by-topic/ships-of-the-past/keith-blundell-priam/keith_blundell_1_web_2.jpg)
My father, Ronald Blundell, was a chief engineer with Blue Funnel and sailed on the Priam on her maiden voyage.
From what I remember him telling me, he said she was the most advanced ship in the fleet at the time. Her maiden voyage included a stop in Japan, where there was a lot of interest in the vessel, and he was given a wall plaque of Nagoya castle.
Keith Blundell
![Accompanying note to the wall plaque. Image: Keith Blundell Image:Accompanying note to the wall plaque. Image: Keith Blundell](/globalassets/news-by-topic/ships-of-the-past/keith-blundell-priam/keith_blundell_2_web_block.jpg)
![Nagoya Castle cloisonne plate. Image: Keith Blundell Image:Nagoya Castle cloisonne plate. Image: Keith Blundell](/globalassets/news-by-topic/ships-of-the-past/keith-blundell-priam/keith-blundell-3.jpg)
More letters
Help us remember MN veterans of D-Day in North Wales
The 6 June ceremonies in Portsmouth and Ver-sur-Mer commemorating the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Normandy Landings made little or no mention of the huge sacrifice and contribution made by the Fourth Service, the Merchant Navy. We intend to put this right in a ceremony in North Wales.
Corrupt port officials: what we all do to get by
Your article 'Corruption at ports endangering seafarers' in the May-June 2024 Telegraph covers a matter never discussed before I believe. I served as master worldwide for 25 years, and found demands of this kind frequently in Central and South America, and always at the Suez Canal.
P&O pirates
I don’t remember anyone saying that the crew members of the P&O ferries were signed off Articles by the shipping master prior to their removal from the vessels.