The Calling of the Sea

[Capt Bill Davies]

How many of the membership considered alternative forms of employment prior to going away to sea.

I'm sure I can speak for many who left school in the 50s and recall several members in each class/stream who dreamed of nothing else. Several in my year went to Conway.

The drivers for me were clear.
My father was a Shipmaster and seamanship talk between him and my elder brother, who was Second Mate at the time of my leaving school was always about, navigation, 10 ton gear, yo yo gear etc. The constant smell of Capstan Fine Cut always pervading the air.
Residing in Wallasey and schooled in Birkenhead I had to negotiate the Duke Street Bridge twice a day (Saturday morning included). The talk was of Bibby ships on the Stbd side, Harrisons/Brocklebanks on the port side and the Clan and China Boats in the Vittoria Dock. Vice versa on the way home. You could say in the 50 s we were almost force fed.

Interesting to hear of what were the drivers for you.

Brgds

Bill

[Captain Gordon Whittaker]

I had done well in my A levels, in 1957, and was planning to become a Veterinary, which would entail 9 more years studying to get those 9 letters after the name! I visited Liverpool Pierhead and boarded Sylvania for a few hours to see off Polish friends bound for USA. I was hooked from that day, and found myself indentured to Cunard just a few short months later, direct from school, with zero pre-sea training. Talk about, "In at the deep end!". This is all outlined in one of my proposed book chapters, previously posted. Regrets? NOT ONE! Worked my way up to Master, and got paid to see the world. Nuffsaid.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Interesting Gordon, all the more so in that you did not apparently come from a seafaring background.

Brgds

Bill

[Captain Kong]

My eldest brother was at sea, he had been to the Vindicatrix in 1947.
I wanted to be an Engineer at sea. I had a very prestigious Apprenticeship with De Havillands. I was also a Sea Cadet and had training on board the big Battleships and Cruisers, such as HMS DUKE of York and DIDO and Sirius and so on.
The Managers Secretary was a neighbour, she lived a few doors away. She told the Manager that I was going to go in the Navy when I had finished my apprenticeship.
The Manager called me into his Office one morning, "I believe you want to be an Engineer in the Navy" he said.
Me being unwise to the world said "Yes". He says "Well you can join tomorrow, because here we train men to be Engineers and stay here for the rest of their working lives, We do not train Engineers for the Navy, Collect your belongings and go home and join the Navy anytime you want to."
I went home, Dad went berserk, it was the best apprenticeship a boy could ever find and I blew it.
So I asked Dad if I could go to the Conway, it was around £200 a year including Uniform, in 1951. No chance he said.Officers are made not bought. if you want to be one do it yourself. I dont think he was too pleased with me.
I went to the Vindicatrix for three months and then shipped out on a London Greek tramp, Commodore Grant, as a Deck Boy. Poor Dad died a year before I became a Nav. Officer.

[Neville Roberts]

I always wanted to go too sea after watching the pictures of the spanish main and such remember captain blye and such, tried to join the royal navy at 15 but Pop would,nt sign he got me a desck job with moss tankers in the exchange biulding in liverpool 9 to 5 bloody awfull after almost 2 years of that I joined the merch and loved every minute of it, always glad to get back to liverpool ,but when the $$ got short back too sea and was glad to get back.

[happy daze john in oz]

Left school after doing the last three years learning all about electrics in the hope of becoming an electricain.But my step dad had other ideas and said i should go into the family business, he was partner in a pig breeding farm. did three months and told the partner his fortune one day. My mate was already at sea with P&O and he had told me all about it. Mum said waht will you do noe, go to sea i told her. That was Saturday, Monday morning up to the pool to join up. Four weeks later found myself at the Vindi, never looked back.

[Gordon Turnbull]

All through school wanting to be a language teacher. No problem with grades but unfortunately found the demon drink at about 13 that did strange things to my head. Came from a mining village. Went over to Russia with the school in summer of '71 and came home on a Russian liner called Estonia. Force 10 coming down the channel to Tilbury and I absolutely loved it. Watching everyone puking etc while I had a whale of a time on the voddie :-). Exam results that year and consequent chat with a 67 year old geography teacher convinced me the only way I was going to know about the world was to go and see it. RN knocked me back for being colour blind. MN, I could only go into catering so that is what it was. All came at exactly the right time thankfully.Left school 21st December 71 after being told I was no longer welcome (fight with half a dozen spotty little prefects). In court on the 6th January for something nasty. Told it was just as well I was going to sea otherwise Glenochils waited for me. Left home 9th Jan, NSTC 10th jan. Never looked back. Sorted my head out as well.

[David Christopher Harris]

My dad was at sea mid 60s with P&O on the Chusan ,Himmalay so I think that was my lead in plus the fact I was getting in a lot of bother at the time,so same for me! I can remember my Mum as we stood in front of a real horrible bastard ,saying ' he is going in the Merch your Onher" good says he!!! and that was it down to Gravesend about 3 weeks before Im 17 , must say I loved it now 41 years later I am still doing a bit on the tugs , I would kill Lassie with a butter knife to go deep sea !!

[David Williams]

How many of the membership considered alternative forms of employment prior to going away to sea.

I'm sure I can speak for many who left school in the 50s and recall several members in each class/stream who dreamed of nothing else. Several in my year went to Conway.

The drivers for me were clear.
My father was a Shipmaster and seamanship talk between him and my elder brother, who was Second Mate at the time of my leaving school was always about, navigation, 10 ton gear, yo yo gear etc. The constant smell of Capstan Fine Cut always pervading the air.
Residing in Wallasey and schooled in Birkenhead I had to negotiate the Duke Street Bridge twice a day (Saturday morning included). The talk was of Bibby ships on the Stbd side, Harrisons/Brocklebanks on the port side and the Clan and China Boats in the Vittoria Dock. Vice versa on the way home. You could say in the 50 s we were almost force fed.

Interesting to hear of what were the drivers for you.

Brgds

Bill

Hi Bill.

I got fed up waiting for a call to go to sea,so applied for an
apprenticship as a mechanic.Was due to start work on the
Monday morning shift,slept late,and never went.On the
Wednesday morning the call from the Vindicatrix arrived.
Who knows what would have happened if I had started
the job and the letter arrived.I know that I would have
missed some of the most enjoyable years of my life,from
1952 until 1959.

Dave Williams(R583900)

[Dennis McGuckin]

Always wanted to go to sea, but was pushed into an apprenticeship. In those days one had to listen to ones parents.
Went to the RN recruiting office, just before I finished my time.
They wanted me to sign up for twenty two years.
While thinking about it, a mate of my dad who was in the RN,based outside of Coventry as far from the sea as you could get.
He used to go to the seaside to look at the sea when he got leave. He told me.
If you want to see the world join the Merch.
Best advice I ever received.
Den.