a wee question or two

[James blake]

In the late 50's/ early sixties how would go about getting yourself get a job as an uncertificated deckhand? What would your duties be?
How could you get made up to be an Ordinary Seaman?

Thanks in advance.

[j.sabourn]

There was a rating called a DHU ( Deck Hand Uncertificated) this was brought out I believe for older people who had done their National Service and were mostly in their 20"s. How they proceeded to get this rating others may know. However as there was only a nominal difference between AB moneywise it wasn't very well received in some quarters. I had one bolshie DHU at one time who refused to do a lot of work saying he wasn't qualified to do so, the likes of going aloft or over the side on a stage, so the Bosun just gave him every dirty job that came along. The first way of getting to sea however would be to attain a British Discharge book from the Mercantile Marine Office who would have giving you any required information. An ordinary seaman was another rating and received less money than a DHU. JWS

[j.sabourn]

Further to above the ratings on deck were Deck Boy, Junior Ordinary Seaman, Senior Ordinary Seaman, EDH ( efficient Deck Hand ), so from DHU the progression would be to go for an EDH cert. Going to sea as a DHU one was given the opportunity of bye passing the seatime required for the other ranks. JWS

[Les Woodard]

I joined as a DHU and think it was allowed because I had served as galley boy on a ocean going tug plus done time on basin tugs in Chatham Dockyard. What I did was to stay on home trade or run jobs for a while as I reckoned that allowed me to understand derricks and mooring better. Maybe I was blessed but found I fitted in like a finger up the orrifice and sure that if I had not then I would have been given a hard time which is one of the traits I loved about being at sea. Of course progressed to EDH as soon as possible but because I did not do the usual training from deck boy I was adamant that I would not take my AB ticket. Just the way I am about rankings. Mind you the DHU's that did not come up to scratch soon got wittled out and usually lasted for one trip.

[Keith Tindell]

In 1960 I joined the Baltic Trader, one of United Baltic Company, as a SOS, this ship was unusual in that her home port was Hamburg, the company had two ships running to the Med from there. The crew were a mixture of everything, Germans Belgian Estonian etc, the officers were all British. I got tangled up with a young German girl , so was 15 months on the ship. We paid off in Hamburg every 6 months, and on the last stint I had told the Skipper I wished to pay off as I had more than enough sea time for my AB ticket, he told me if I stayed for one more stint he would sign me on "sailor", which is just below AB money, so in my book my rank is stamped as "sailor". Wonder if anyone else has heard of this rank ?. I might add I was the only Brit in the crew below,. At the end of that 6 months I took my AB ticket in London and had enough time at sea to go straight to AB, so was never an EDH, kt

[j.sabourn]

#5 On foreign flag ships is quite often what one signs one on as. Probably because in some cases the person signing on has no papers such as Discharge Book and is the easiest thing to do. Either that or just seaman. On Indian crew ships you have Kalassi 1 or Kalassi 2 , which I always assumed was seaman 1 or 2. I often wondered today especially as the anti whalers are out in force again down here, and all the women folk and other names from the theatrical world and such, what they are signed on as. In fact I wonder at times if they are properly manned at all. Maritime law was always straight forward on British ships 60 years ago , and was a world leader in shipping. Since coming under the control of alien power such as Brussels who over a period of time have had their finger in the pie would not have too much knowledge of any changes made. However hope on coming out of the EU Britain once again takes control of her own fishing Industry and waters. Maybe once again can become self sufficient in fish at least. Cheers JWS

[Keith Tindell]

I was on the Jalasilton Hall running to India, I was SOS, and we had on the watch myself one AB and a DHU, I was most aggrieved that the DHU could only take the wheel at sea, he could not do his trick if it involved coming alongside where more understanding was needed, so had to be shared by myself or the A B, really pi.... Me off as he was on a lot more money than me, kt

[John Arton]

This should answer the question posed in #1
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-fo...gs-certificate
rgds
JA

[Keith Tindell]

What a difference from our Day John A, I did 12 weeks Gravesend, no pay, 9 months deck boy, Nine months Jos, nine months Sos, then on to AB, kt

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi All.
I only ever sailed with one DHU on a tanker, he had done his National Service, he was from Newcastle didn't know much and never was any good even at simple things like painting, but he did have a duffle coat that we all used at night on lookout up the gulf, certain times it could be bloody cold, I thought it was a bit much where a lad who did time from deck boy to SOS and EDH and wasn't afraid to go up the mast painting and knew his rigging and got less money. But I suppose there were certain blokes who could take to it as much as the rest of us who had gone to sea school and who pulled their weight, after all; seamanship came from experience.
Cheers Des

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