Deck Boy - Galley Boy...........

[Captain Kong]

But i think 18 was minimum age to work in the engine room. Tony.
.
.Hi Tony, I was a coal burning Fireman at 17 years of age. on the BEECHFIELD.
One of Savages. [ what a good name for a ship owner ]
and do your own trimming and dump your own ashes, . Four hours on and Four hours off if you were lucky.
When I was 18 I did a Firemans job on the TECTUS, Shell tanker, after all the Firemen skinned out in Curacao, easy job, just change the Tips every watch and keep it all clean around there.
Cheers
Brian.

[John Albert Evans]

Please don't forget the
'Cabin Boy'.
That was my first position in 1957.

John Albert Evans

[Tony Wilding]

hi Brian, i joined the MN in 60 , went in aged 21, no Sea School, as i wore Glasses Pool Doctor said Catering or Engine Dept, my 2 Brothers and my Father all Catering Dept, never seen anything in writing as regards to age limits, i allways thought a Firemans Job was a doddle, sometimes clearing the Carbon Build ups could be a pain, but apart from that changing Burners and cleaning tips was easy, and a bit of cleaning, was never on a Coal Burner, Got a bit hot at times, but you was your own boss in there, first Boilers i operated were Scotch Boilers , only once on Water Tube Boilers, over2 years on Scotch Boilers. then the Motor Ships, cant beat a Triple Expansion Engine, last Steamship had 2. was on her 2 years.

[Richard Quartermaine]

On the SS Raranga 1947, I'm trying to cast my mind back to where I got the coal for the galley stove. I know I used to go down the ladder into stokehold so I suppose it was there. Anyway, sailing up the West Coast of Africa I was down in the stokehold and the scoops weren't catching much air, I commented, "blo*dy hot down here" to which I got the reply, "It'd be a blo*dy sight hotter if these were back to back furnaces".

We were lucky in the galley for it ran thwartships with portholes facing for'd over the midships hatch. My office was particularly well placed... outside the galley door I sat on a South African potato crate and peeled lots of spuds with the breeze to cool me and the sea on the other side of the rail.

One afternoon, before the evening cooking started, a bunch of the stokehold crew came along from their aft accommodation banging their enamel mugs with spoons. Hearing this, the fiery Scouse, Cookie, took a stand by the great big stock pot with the dipper handle close by. As they arrived at the door, Cookie listened to their grievance, talked reasonably with them and they quietly went back aft. There was particular care as I remember it to what was dished up after that.

Ah! The smells of a real steam ship.

Richard

[DeepSea]

From my recollection, there was no such rating as 'engine room boy' because you had to be at least 18 years old to work in the engine room. Common sense really

WATSON, Engineers' Boy, THOMAS, S.S. Bialystok (Poland). Merchant Navy. 16th June 1944. Age 14, of 9 Cavendish St. Glasgow. Buried Bone War Cemetery. Plot VIII. Row F. Grave 9.

Cargo ship Bialystok, 7,173grt, (Polish Gov. Gydnia-America Shipping Lines Ltd) On the 16th June 1944 the body of the young Engineers Boy was found drowned in Bone Harbour. The circumstances of his death are unknown. Although not recorded as an official casualty of WWII, his grave is looked after by the CWGC.

Engineers Boy.jpg

[happy daze john in oz]

[QUOTE=Richard Quartermaine;130772]On the SS Raranga 1947, I'm trying to cast my mind back to where I got the coal for the galley stove.


Richard obviously the years have left you a little bemused about a few tings, let me refresh you memory.

Coal, that black stuff you burn comes from coal mines, somehow I do not think you went down one, but that is where it is from. Anything else I can assist you with Richard??