Blue Star Gangway No.15 Spring 1978 - BlueStarLine.org

Captain W A Sparks
William Sparks was born in Birkenhead
on 4 January 1923. From a very
early age it had been his ambition to
go to sea and on leaving elementary
school at the age of 14 he set about
fulfilling this dream. With the help and
encouragement of his father and a
family friend he joined Lamport &
Holt Line's Voltaire as a Deck Boy in
May 1937.
For the next eight years he served
asa rating with a number of companies.
In 1945, whilst serving on a Whitby
tramp, Dunsley, as an Able Seaman,
the idea of progressing to Navigating
Officer was first suggested to him by
the deck apprentices. Having left
school at a rather tender age, the
main problem was to come to terms
with the mysteries of mathematics. In
1947, after two years' hard work with
the text books, Bill Sparks presented
himself to the examiner and, he tells
us, 'surprised myself and everybody
else' by passing the 2nd Mate's Certificate
first time.
At the age of 24 he rejoined
Lamports as 3rd Officer, finally obtaining
a Master's Certificate in 1952.
He left the Company in 1953 and
spent five interesting years tramping,
receiving his first command in 1956.
He returned to Lamport & Holt in
1958 as a Chief Officer and command
followed in 1963.
Captain Sparks is married, with a
teenage family of a daughter and two
sons. Last year he and his wife
attended a Royal Garden Party at
Buckingham Palace. Bill Sparks never
leaves for a tour of duty without at
least one book of poetry, Kipling and
Masefield being his particular
favourites. In more recent years he has
become an MMSA Council member
and attends meetings whenever he is
at home.
But navigation remains his greatest
interest and he enjoys taking an active
part in the day-to-day navigation of
the ship. As he himself says 'I don't
see why the 2nd Officer should have
all the enjoyment.'
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