The Pool

[E.Martin]

Going back to the Pool after leave,2 ships were offered they could be refused
but you had to take the third.
Bearing in mind the Rescue Ships in WW2 and what sailing in them entailed
I should imagine they were not a very popular choice.
Can any of you WW2 Merchant Navy Vets enlighten on this?
Did you have a choice? or did you have to accept what was offered you.

[cappy]

dont know about wartime .....but in the 50s and 60s in shields never went to the counter ....always stood outside and as people came out asked the what was going ......wouldnt go in for chapmans ropners or baron boats....you could always tell when one of them was looking for a crew asplenty folk standing outside.....regards cappy

[Ivan Cloherty]

From what I remember my father telling me during the war you had to take the first ship offered, it was only after the war that the opportunity arose for a bit of leeway, but as my father said, just as well to take the first one, you never know what's next in line despite the predictions of the galley wireless of what is coming on stream next. Advice I followed when I went on Pool ships instead of company ships, stood me in good stead later on in life as I saw how different companies applied the rules, or as they saw fit to perceive the rules.

[John Albert Evans]

It was the same in Liverpool in 1957. I was told by older hands waiting at the Federation in Mann Island you can knock back 2 ships but you had to take the third one offered. I dont know if it was true or not, as a 16 years old boy rating I just took the first ship they offered. I have no regrets and enjoyed every ship I sailed on.
John.

[Keith Tindell]

As i remember 1958 onwards for me, call in at The Black Horse pub on the way to the pool, and the grapevine told you what was in and what to avoid, the land lord and his son Stan knew all the ships that were in or paying off, so it was only a 200yard walk to the pool and see if anything took your fancy. we didnt know we were born, who would have thought it would come to the situation we have today, KT

[john sutton]

this is how I learned to read upside down.Manchester pool there was a little window and the clerk had his book open and we could see what was available and ask for it by name.always worked.
also this skill aided me in later life as I could sit in from of a prospective clients dest and know what other offers he,d had

[Hugh]

The introduction of the Pool regime did not eliminate the seaman's customary right to exercise some choice - custom and practice soon established the right to reject up to two ships offered. For the experienced men there was also the local grapevine which passed on information about undesirable ships and how they might be avoided.
It will be found, I suspect, that it wasn't always that straightforward everywhere. In many years of research and also talking to veterans, I have even heard of the civil police being involved if a seaman refused a berth.
Regards
Hugh

[Jim Brady]

I thought it was only Established Seamen that had to take the pick of three whilst an Un-Established Seaman could refuse as many ships as he wished as he was not in receipt of any weekly payment from the pool as the Established Seaman was.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[Captain Kong]

That is right Jim
I was Unestablished for years Stay home as long as I wanted after leave finished, no probs. before being forced to sign the Contract with the Establishment. But we were paid for waiting time between ships.
I always noticed Mr Repp always had his hand on the bottom of the page with ship names on.
I always told him I wanted one of those he was saving for his mates.
and he tried to fill the unpopular ships first like the `Barrongeddes` only six week Medi and back` Instead of Barron Geddes, two year job. Or the Reina del Pacifico, the pool always emptied when that went through.
Cheers
Brian

[Red Lead Ted]

Three strikes and you're out was what I experienced, When I say your out your pool pay would be stopped until you signed articles. And the longer you left it the more union contributions you would find yourself in hock for before you could sign on. But there was a scheme if I remember correctly where as you signed articles the union rep would come and update your book which you then had to earn enough to have in the ship before you could draw a sub or advance note. I always told myself I would update my contributions once my leave was up and reported back to the pool. But then we were all only 3 or 4 week millionaires. Terry.