Ten Pound Poms

Spent 3 years on the Southern Cross taking them to Aussie and Kiwi the engine room was hot but the female passengers were hotter. Poms outward bound Aussie and Kiwi home ward bound. Eleckie's had full run through passenger accommodation. fixing light bulbs yea, refrigeration engineers, same with the old wet and dry thermometer, as a Third engineer the Tavern Bar was one of the best hunting grounds. One trip we sailed with mainly women and children going out to join husbands who had gone ahead, fun in tropics stand on the funnel deck above the emergency generator and study the boat and sports deck.
She was a great ship to sail on great engine room crew most came back every trip which made the job run smoothly, had same fireman and donkey man for 4 trips, mainly had about 5 new engineers each trip some going for their tickets, other on leave.
Happy days for sure West Indies, Tahiti NZ Oz SA and las Palmas home 79 days great run.

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Originally Posted by George Heggie

Spent 3 years on the Southern Cross taking them to Aussie and Kiwi the engine room was hot but the female passengers were hotter. Poms outward bound Aussie and Kiwi home ward bound. Eleckie's had full run through passenger accommodation. fixing light bulbs yea, refrigeration engineers, same with the old wet and dry thermometer, as a Third engineer the Tavern Bar was one of the best hunting grounds. One trip we sailed with mainly women and children going out to join husbands who had gone ahead, fun in tropics stand on the funnel deck above the emergency generator and study the boat and sports deck.
She was a great ship to sail on great engine room crew most came back every trip which made the job run smoothly, had same fireman and donkey man for 4 trips, mainly had about 5 new engineers each trip some going for their tickets, other on leave.
Happy days for sure West Indies, Tahiti NZ Oz SA and las Palmas home 79 days great run.

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Ahh, those were the days. The older we get the better, the better we were!

Love your story George, makes my days on the Fannie Duck (aka Francis Drake) seem like being in a monastery (which is wasn't). I believe that after 6 months I was one of the few people in HC Sleigh who ever requested a transfer to a tanker - had to, my bar bill was outstripping my income. The marine super was so surprised he even promoted me to third engineer and before you could say "see you in the Pool Bar at one", I was on the way to Singapore and Marion Sleigh in drydock - what a contrast!

As you say - happy days! Now back to the present, eh?

1954 Dad died and Mum, a widow, decided to emigrate with my sister. Was I coming? I was sixteen and said no, but I would join the Merch and visit them in NZ. I did and made many trips as bellboy, then Steward, always taking my leave there and spending time on the Sheep Station with them near Masterton. Mum was house-keeper and Sis, a shepherd. In 1961 I got the chance for a one- way trip on a new coaster, the John Wilson, being delivered to NZ with Captain Theakston.

I spent many happy years there in a variety of jobs; A Wellingtom wharfie, a postman, then trained as a land surveyor with Max Gandar & Son in Wellington. Got married in 66 to a Birmingham lass and in late 67 we returned to the UK, me by working my passage on the Gothic, and she as passenger on the Angelino Lauro.

My qualifications were not recognised back in the cold UK so I got a job as a Bus Conductor in Birmingham. Meanwhile back at the ranch......

Peter Troy

Know a few that went and stayed, others that got back P D Q:

Chatted to some a while ago, about the (POM) prisoners of mother England, they retorted: Have you realised yet, your the prisoners ?

k.

One trip on the 'New Australia' out to Oz with the migrants
then up to Japan and Korea for Oz and NZ troops, surprised
the way they gambled their money away, not only worked
for but almost died for. Back to Brisbane then to Hong Kong
and Singapore for British troops, docked Southampton
Dec 31 1954, we were allowed ashore but not the poor
old squadies perhaps just as well.

As for the 10 pound poms, think I put on here before. Whenever I was asked if I was. A. 10 pound Pom , always said no , as I came out here long after under my own steam. But always added to the question , however if I had been, it was better than being a 20 pound Ozzie. When they appeared stumped and asked what’s a 20 pound Ozzie, I used to say 10 pounds on each ankle. JS

But now John they take great pride if history proves they originate from the first fleet and even better if they had ankle bracelets.

Phew...
What a story....I was immediately drawn to the P&O ships mentioned: Strathaird & Strathmore....

Yup...we sailed on both: Out to Australia as 10 quid Poms...and back again as full-fare-paying passengers.
(Out in 1960 back by 62.....)
My parents hated Australia! It's as simple as that I'm afraid.

So, what went wrong?
As a child at that time, it's hard for me to fully understand what my Mum & Dad did not like about Australia.

As a child...7/8 years old, I loved it....playing out, in the street Without Shoes! Going to a modern primary school with lots of children, who, like me were "immigrants"....Dutch, German,allsorts, and yes, coloured kids as well.... It was brilliant.

Initially, my brother & I started at a Catholic School:
But it wasn't long before my Mum said:
"Enough Religion...I want my kids to be educated in practical life....Not as a frontage for Rome."
Pretty astute for a millworker from Manchester, eh?

My Dad had been promised a house & a job on arrival..... Neither materialised.
We lived with some people for a while who had emigrated a year or two before, who had lived up the street from us in Heyrod, a village between Stalybridge & Mossley (East of Manchester)(Tameside as is now.)
But it was not working with such a crowded house...and so Dad was offered an outhouse with a garage attached:
The garage had no floor....apart from the earth...so he set about putting a floor in. Now, Dad was no joiner....And I remember well that every time we played "Pick-Up-Sticks" we had at least 10 less than we started with! They just fell through the gaps!

Having said that: Who sold Dad the unseasoned floorboards...? Mmm?

My Dad was a penpusher: A storeman, trained by the RAF in the UK to be such. And he was exactly that.
The 'promised job' in Australia never materialised and he ended up working in an open coal mine.
An environment totally alien to him: The high temperatures and constant danger to life & limb....
He saw many a man fall foul of the improvised rail tracks....they just scooped the remains up and bagged them...
WHEN POSSIBLE. The visions haunt him to this day.

Then... I got sick... Needed my tonsils & adenoids out.... A simple child operation: Cost my parents 85 quid (I gather)...
Would have been free or on "the NHS" back in the UK....."
But 85 quid was a lot of money back in 1961 Australia.

They all played a part in Mum & Dad's decision to return to the UK.
My brother & I were indifferent to going back but even then I knew, I'd miss the sunshine at least!

This is part 1....
I'll tell you more of what happened when we got back to the UK ....and how I decided I wanted to go to sea.

Stay well. Stay TUNED!

Not the first to go back I fear.
Many came and were unsettled for a long time, missing family etc so went back. Some later returned when they realized the 'Abbos' do not run rampant down the streets and all our very dangerous wild life lives mainly in the bush.

But the beat I heard was from a couple who came from Manchester.
They went back as she could not stand looking out the window at a sunny day all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some great and well written Articles here. Finding old posts like this is one of the joys of being a member.
thanks to all.