children at sea

[William Gardner]

hear is one i recall 50 60 one shipping line think it was federral was crewed by all cadets one ship also company cant remember name took school children to sea education voyage see that happening today no chance somebody will recal this one

[Doc Vernon]

Hello William
This Link is a good one as it tells of the various People who sailed on the Dunerra,it was also at one time a School Ship.and took many Schoolkids on her!
A great experience I am sure!
It was of course a Troopship,and conveyed many to various Ports!
Cheers

http://www.dunera.co.uk/

[Lou Barron]

I think we have a small sailing ship in NZ that takes high school kids to sea I think its to give them a positive attitude to life could not think of a better idea

[Keith at Tregenna]

Adopt a School

INTRODUCTION

Many seafarers will remember the Ship Adoption Society that linked individual schools to ships, opening the world to children in those schools. Members of the MNA have agreed to adapt this and adopt a new initiative with one or more schools in their local communities.

Appreciation, even knowledge, of the UK’s maritime heritage of exploration and trade across thousands of miles of ocean offers an exciting and hugely rewarding story of adventure and technological advance. Many would say the ship was at the forefront of every chapter in our County’s technical advance and trade was the wealth that built a nation; the social and economical history that also built an imperfect but benevolent empire…contrast and compare.

The MNA continues to campaign for wider recognition of our maritime heritage and our ‘Adopt a School’ policy hopes to contribute to a positive change in perception of how our country developed such a significant role in the development of world trade and the seafarers who made a difference to how we live our lives today.

LINK: http://www.mna.org.uk/adoptaschool.html

[Red Lead Ted]

I remember the Chief Engineer, While aboard a shell tanker on a 5 month voyage having his wife and 2 very young children with him, 2 little girls obviously under school age but i would say only just under. A deep sea oil tanker in my opinion was never a place for 2 young children i used to worry for them more than their parents watching them running around the ship and up and down the cat walk. Another thing i remember during my few years with Harrisons L,Pool {West Indies} you would often get kids come aboard with their school teacher these kids would be i say in their early teens and always kept in safe areas t must have been an experience that has stayed with them the rest of their lives. Terry.

[Ivan Cloherty]

If I recall British India Steamship Company ran the School trip ships.
NZS had a ship mainly manned by cadets, I think Port Line had one also, think some of Elder Dempsters had some ships carrying eight instead of normal four. Surprised PSNC didn't get on the cheap labour bandwagon, but then again they may have had to teach us something other than chipping and painting.

Worked on my first ship at 13, (Distant Water Trawler to Iceland and Barents Sea) does that count as child labour, if so, nothing wrong with it, enjoyed every minute. Now their mothers take them to school in the car at 13 in case it's too far to walk, yuk!

[Ian Malcolm]

An extract from SHIPPING COMPANY LOSSES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, published by the History Press.

CITY OF BENARES (Captain Landles Nicoll). Bound for Quebec, sailed in Convoy OB.213 (Liverpool Outward) on 13 September, 1940. Torpedoed and sunk by U.48 (Kptlt. Heinrich Bleichrodt) at 10.8pm on the 17th, in position 56º43´N 21º15´W, and 9 hours after the departure of the RN escort. One hundred and twenty-three crew, 51 private passengers (including 4 children), 77 of the 90 children who were been taken to Canada for safety under the government scheme organized by the Children’s Overseas Reception Board (CORB) scheme and 6 of their escorts, died. One hundred and four picked up by the destroyer HMS Hurricane (LtCdr. H.C. Simms) and landed at Greenock. Forty-five, who spent 8 days adrift in a lifeboat, were spotted by a Sunderland flying boat and picked up by the destroyer HMS Anthony (LtCdr. N.J.V. Thew), but one Indian seaman died before the ship reached Gourock.

[Charlie Hannah]

William my neice went on one of them trips ,with the schooli remember i was outwardbound on the Imperial Star she had her ninth Birthday during her trip i sent her a bunch of flowers and a birthday greeting.Reason i remember, that was the trip i backed out in Aukland.Six years later i brought her and my sister out to stay with me for a holiday for two months,by which time i had bought a home unit down the South Coast of Australia.
As you say,No chance it happening now!

[John Arton]

One trip on a Cape Sized bulker when I had my wife with me, the Captain, a nice fellow but a bit uptight, had his two children with him. Both were around the 15 years old and were strictly controlled, not being allowed in the bar after 2200. Imagine his horror when on investigating the noise coming from the bar at 0200 he found all of us replicating the 1000 bomber raid over Dresden with the bar tables acting as a Lancaster bomber and his children acting as part of the German night fighters, running around throwing empty beer cans all over and the Dam busters theme blasting from the stereo. He just took one look and turned around without a word and left but next day his children were grounded.
rgds
JA

[E.Martin]

We were on our way to the Caribbean a cargo ship that carried 10-12 passengers,one of the passengers was a
beautiful 16 year old female,after a few days at sea the Chief Officer told me that the young lady was bored and could
I find her something to do to keep her busy.
She appeared up forrard a tiny pair of shorts and a T shirt,I gave her a small drop of paint and a brush and put her painting where she could do no harm.
When it was time to knock off she was covered in paint so I had to clean her legs and thighs with a parrifin rag I wonder if she realized that I was all of a tremble.