Shore gang

[Michael Black]

Saw John Gills post in the caradoc pub thread and he mentioned working in the shore gang, and it got me wondering how someone got into the shore gangs.
I know what they were and what they did having worked by a few ships which had shore gangs. So just wondering how they were asked to join the gang. I used to think that it would be a good job.
Regards Michael

[Red Lead Ted]

Mike, Most of them where closed shop, The first thing you had to have was a good few years with the shore gangs company on deck, To even have your application looked at Regards Terry.

[Captain Kong]

In the 1960 Seamens Strike, the CPR Shore Gang sailed the Empress of France to Cork to pick up an Irish Crew to sail to Montreal
We tried to stop them but the Police turned up and stopped us.
She carried on sailing all through the strike with the Irish crew, she was my first ship after the strike, and they all got out, except the Bosun, he got a hard time off the crowd so he got out after that trip.
Brian

[Michael Black]

Mike, Most of them where closed shop, The first thing you had to have was a good few years with the shore gangs company on deck, To even have your application looked at Regards Terry.

Hi Terry I thought it would be something along those lines. Thanks
Regards Michael

[j.sabourn]

#3 Think I may of been home on leave for that one Brian . As got a phone call from the office the same as others on leave to get down to Manchester one of the ports on the canal to shift the ship to Birkenhead. I suddenly got sick and sent something in saying I had the flu or something . Talking to others later they said they had been pelted by anything available from the shore. They could only reply with Cappys tattles. Cheers JS.

[Doc Vernon]

I am not too sure here but i do know for sure that my late Uncle Dusty worked on the Shore Gangs at one stage , he used to load sacks of whatever (Mainly Flour he told me) hard job for a small built fella! And on top of that they used to have two sacks at a time put on their backs! But he was a little terror! LOL
cHEERS

[John Gill]

The only time I did shore gang with Cunard or CPR was when waiting for a berth or doing fire watch in dry dock.

[Pat Kennedy]

I was in Blue Funnel's Birkenhead shore gang for a few months in 1964. I had asked M r Greenwood, the man in charge of crewing if I could because my Dad was seriously I'll and I wanted to stay home. He sent me to see Sid Bainbridge, the shore bosun at Victoria Dock, and after much questioning he grudgingly have me a job. As the youngest, and newest member, I got all the lousy jobs, amongst a squad of miserable money grabbing old sods who hadn't been to sea in years. I was glad to ship out again after four months. There was plenty of overtime, but turning out at 03.00 to bring a ship into Alfred locks on a freezing cold January night with 2 inches of frozen snow on the dockside was no fun.

[John Pruden]

hows it going pat been a while mate? jp

[Pat Kennedy]

I'm ok John, I have given up on SN which has gone right down the nick. Hope you are keeping well.
Best regards
Pat