No Recognition

[Lou Barron]

Have any of you members thought of why theMerchant Navy did not get recongnised for there deeds during ww2 it often comes to me that the Merchant Navy got the name of beig drunks ,womenisers and looking for fights when ashore .But how wrong they can be the other services was no better behaved than the MN seamen .So why be it ???

[happy daze john in oz]

Lou just a misconception. Maybe because they did not wear a uniform like the other forces they were not so easily recognised. A seaman who maybe had a few too many could easily be taken for a local, whilst a man in uniform in the same condition would get great respect with the locals saying well he is fighting for us. That is just my assumption and I may well be wrong, but a uniform does have an effect on some people.

[Chris Allman]

All sailors since time immemorial have had a girl in every port and a liking for alcohol and and even the odd scrap maybe. Not just those in uniform but those not in uniform too were prone to the same behaviour.

The reason that the Merchant Navy never got the recognition it deserved is because the government of the time and successive governments have not publicized the true story of its service during both world wars. They have payed lip service to the men and women who survived and the relatives of those that did not and also failed to acknowledge properly the bravery and courage displayed during those terrible times.

Look to the politicians and you will see the reason, it takes them trouble just to recognize the Armed Services, so the civilian services stand no chance whatsoever.

Chris.

[John Albert Evans]

Did anyone notice the entrance to the hospital in which the Duke of Edinburgh went to for treatment had three stained glass pannels in the background one of which was The Mechand Navy emblem.

John Albert Evans

[alf corbyn]

the government obviously thought it would cost too much in medals to recognise the brvery of men who were volenteers yet had no uniform or weapons.

[E.Martin]

Have any of you members thought of why theMerchant Navy did not get recongnised for there deeds during ww2 it often comes to me that the Merchant Navy got the name of beig drunks ,womenisers and looking for fights when ashore .But how wrong they can be the other services was no better behaved than the MN seamen .So why be it ???

Merchant Seamen certainly did have bad reputations and did not get the recognition they deserved only because there was no Association to push their cause,most people I think did have respect for the MN lapel badge.
Coming from fishing to the Merchant Navy in 1950 most of the elderly deck and engineer officers did have a good
array of campaign and bravery ribbons on the chest of their uniforms,most of the newcomers never really took
any notice of them.
I think the MN was finally recognized when they issued the Red Duster Badge which was much too late for the WW2 MN Vets,I wear mine with pride but as yet I have never seen any one else wearing one.
Can remember reading years ago Royal Navy ship arrive in port the crew would be invited to do a tour of the local
brewery I cannot recall that ever happening on any merchant ship I was on.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Can remember reading years ago Royal Navy ship arrive in port the crew would be invited to do a tour of the local
brewery I cannot recall that ever happening on any merchant ship I was on.

Ah Well don't forget those poor R Navy lads had probably just spent five whole days at sea.

[Captain Kong]

I can remember way back in 1940s tellng my old grandmother I wanted to join the Merchant Navy, she says , "Why do you want to do that? only thieves and murderers join the Merchant Navy, join the Royal Navy instead."
Now she and my grandad had worked in Vickers Shipyard building ships in Barrow in Furness since the 1890s. so were no strangers to ships.
.
When I was at sea in the 50s I came home after a six month trip, on a dry tanker, no ale for 6 months, spent the pay off on ale in two weeks or even less, and went back for another six months on a dry ship , then when I came home again, people always said ,"Your always drunk. " Two weeks a year, Always drunk, !!!! same people in the alehouse every day, every week, and every month all year. That is or was the inpression people had of us.
Cheers
Brian ....not on the ale.

[E.Martin]

Same as fishermen3-4 weeks at sea at times up to their waists in salt water,ashore for 2-3 days have a few bevies and were called drunken fishermen.

[Keith Tindell]

Just before i went to sea(1957) i believe there was a female MP,or lady of note, who gave us all a bad name, story was a MN guy had made her daughter pregnant. i cannot recall any other details on this, can anyone enlighten me?, it may just have been a story doing the rounds KT