BMN sailors in Arab-Israeli War

[David Tuch]

Hello,

I'm writing the biography of my cousin who was a radio operator in the BMN from 1943-1958. From 1948-1953 he also engaged in illegal arms smuggling into Israel in defiance of the UN, US, and UK arms embargoes. Amazingly, the British sailors volunteering in the Israeli navy had to outmaneuver their former mates in the Royal Navy who were now managing the blockade.

I'd be interested in any historical material, pointers, etc, on BMN sailors who volunteered in the Arab-Israeli War and/or engaged in arms smuggling.

Cheers,
David

[j.sabourn]

#1 Think you will find that most who joined the likes of Zim lines did so for the conditions of service. In 1968 I had just finished a contract in Canada with Saguenay shipping of Montreal , and had applied for work with Zim and a couple more foreign company’s. However Chowgules Steamships Bahamas replied first with an offer of work so was there for a couple of years. However my application to join an Israeli company had no strings attached and like others was just there for the money honey. Cheers JS

[David Tuch]

I suspect most volunteered for adventure or ideology. The pay was pretty lousy at £5/wk.

[j.sabourn]

5 pound a week in the early 1950s was not to be sneered at that was over 20 pounds a month. As a full time butcher boy I was getting 37/6d. A week in 1952. Seamen were paid by the calender month. JS
There seems to be a misleading light in today’s youngsters about salary’s of years gone by , as have said and others also when quoting their own earnings. In 1967 I was on 101. 7/6
A month, going to work for an American owner I was on 700 US dollars a month. The rate of exchange was then 2.40 to the pound , you will see there is quite a difference . The 101/7/6d was as chief or first mate. When I started as apprentice the wage was in 1952 75 pounds a year , I just scraped in with a rise in 1953 when it shot up to 90 pounds a year. Don’t have any misconception on British seamans wages at the time they had in most cases have to earn more in overtime to survive if had a family to support ,and overtime was at the owners discretion. Legally a seaman was only able to leave 50% of his basic wage as an allotment to his family if the shipowner wished. Cheers JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

I suspect most volunteered for adventure or ideology. The pay was pretty lousy at £5/wk.

£5 a week would have been luxury for some of us, I was on £6 a MONTH in the early 1950's, allotment of £2 10s to mother, the Govt took some, the rest I wasted on wine, women and song! and paying off a debt for own supply uniforms

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Ivan, My Wages £9. A month, Mother got £6. Month, Dad passed away Twelve month,before. Two sisters at School,two Brothers.Two Brothers in the Army, made up to Help My Mother.R634898.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Pathetic as it sounds I sent two pounds a month home when I started out as a deck boy' on, I think it was 5 pounds a month, but when one realizes that the rent on the house was 5 shillings a week that was two months rent, leaving her with her 5 shilling a week she got, plus anything my two brothers could send from their Army pay. Those where in the days of wealth and splendor.
Des

[j.sabourn]

During most of us on this site have lived through the times of what today would be considered poverty. This was partially due to various governments , self made millionaires , and cheap labour. Today we have what some call near a depression and this is partially due to the lack of the cheap labour source whichever way one looks at it . The mavericks of big business are partially responsible for this and should have been reigned in decades ago . It sounds very leftish to those who have never had lack of cash but I am if anything to the right if it is a fair and equal playing field , but it is not. Money and wealth bring power to those hungry for it , but they stay on the fringes and pull the strings of others . And that’s the way I have ran my life at sea , I try to work for those who I respect as being fair and just to their workforce, and what I have seen they are few and far between, but they are there if look hard enough. JS