United in generosity

TRANSPORTING the Nicholas Monsarrat archive from Malta to Liverpool was only possible with the international co-ordination of organisations giving their services for free.

Leading shipping line CMA/CGM (UK) Holdings transported the container carrying the archive for free aboard its ship m/v CMA CGM Kingston, from Malta to Tilbury.

Graham Fraser, CMA/CGM Liverpool chief operating officer, dedicated a member of his staff, Scott Purves, a sales co-ordinator, to organise the movement.

This involved co- ordinating free rail transport with Freightliner from Tilbury to Garston, and free road transport by JMD Haulage to Royal Navy Headquarters at Sefton Street, Liverpool.

Commodore John Madgwick, Royal Navy northern England commander, gave permission for the archive to be temporarily stored. Lt Com Tony Wyld and the Ministry of Defence team at the HQ unloaded and stowed the archive.

Pamela Brown, Athenaeum transport mastermind, says: "Chris Vassallo, of Cube Relocations, who stored and despatched the Monsarrat archive in Malta, was absolutely superb, as was the Port Authority in Malta. This wouldn’t have happened without everyone’s wonderful goodwill."