Notes, diagrams and dimensions of the sail plans of the barque CRAIGISLA of Liverpool, which Williams sailed on as 3rd mate and sailmaker, 1897.

Navigational notebook, kept by Williams, second officer, RMS GOTHIC, 1905.

Copy of 'Regulations for Preventing Collisions at sea', c.1906.

Notes on stores used, Cape Town to Tocopilla, May- October 1917.

Notebook kept by Williams on the SS CEVIC, April 1914.

Notebook of barometer readings kept by Williams on the MEDWAY, July 1915-January 1916.

Private log of the steel barque training ship MEDWAY, to Hobart and Portland, Oregon, commanded by Williams, 22 December 1914-12 September 1916.

Private log of the MEDWAY, from Cape Town to Tocopilla, 2 July 1917- (incomplete) . Includes 2 copies of 'Rules to be observed by cadets in Harbour', September 1916 & (revised) 1918.

'Particulars and notes', MEDWAY, containing statistical notes, dimensions, sail area and details of the diet of the crew and cadets,1915-22.

Private log of the 4 masted barque BELLANDS, from St Nazaire to Sydney to Belfast, 29 August 1921- 7 September 1922 and SS JALAVIHAR to Colombo and Rangoon, 5 January- 29 April 1923. With press cuttings concerning the future of sailing ships.

Copy of 'Blue Peter' magazine, January 1927 with an article on the MEDWAY by Basil Lubbock.

Copy of 'Sea Training: The need for Improvement', c. 1931.

Correspondence concerningthe Belgian ship L'AVENIR, commanded by D.Williams from San Francisco to the UK in 1919, April 1944.

Notebook 'Particulars and comments re. various sailing ships', June 1944.

Correspondence, mainly concerning interviews and recollections, 1944-1965.

Recollections of serving under Williams by a former cadet (November 1967).

Please contact Archive staff for more informtaion about ordering from this collection.

Administrative / biographical background
David Williams was born in 1876 in Pembrokshire, South Wales. His father, a Master Mariner, was lost at sea in 1879. David left home in 1893 to join the barque CATHAYA at Cardiff, where he journeyed to Brazil and the River Plate and back. Williams qualified as a second mate in 1898, first mate the following year and master in1902, when he joined the White Star line. He gained his extra master's certificate in 1906. He subsequently served on the SS ARABIC, TEUTONIC, MAJESTIC, AETIC, BOVIC, TROPIC and IONIC as second, third or fourth officer before joining the SS CEVIC as first officer in February 1914. During the war he initially commanded the WELSHMAN and convoyed troops to France. He then joined Devitt & Moore to command the sail training ship MEDWAY with 60 cadets, voyaging to Hobart, which was reached in an impressive 96 days. The MEDWAY then made Portland, Oregon in 79 days. She arrived at Falmouth in January 1916 and the cadets were enrolled into the RNR. Several unescorted channel runs ensued carrying grain and pit props to Bordeaux, before voyages to Cape Town. Towards the end of the war the MEDWAY was requisitioned and converted into a diesel cargo carrier. The war was concluded before the conversion was completed. Williams maintained his interest in the fading era of the sailing ship and commanded many more during the interwar years. Williams died in 1967.