Journals and related papers of Catherine Bridger.

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Administrative / biographical background
Catherine Bridger was born in Cheshire on 5 October 1912. She grew up in Merseyside and had an interest in sailing ships. In 1936 she arranged a passage on the Finnish sailing ship PONAPE from London to Nystad, Finland, accompanied by her mother and sister. She then joined the sailing ship PENANG at Leith and spent the next 18 months voyaging around the world via Auckland, South Australia, Cape Horn and London. She recorded her experiences in a series of journals. In August 1939, again accompanied by her mother and sister, she secured a passage on another Finnish sailing ship, the POMMERN. Leaving Newcastle, they arrived in Finland just as war was declared in September, but were able to return home via Bergen after a wait of two weeks. Bridger served in the WRNS throughout the war and subsequently managed the Merchant Navy Officers Club in Liverpool. In December 1963 she was killed in a traffic accident while visiting her sister in South Africa.