Phil Mason was born in 1941 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England about 90 miles to the nearest coast line. Despite a childhood spent inland he went on to carve out a successful career as a merchant seaman; one that spanned several years. It began in 1959 after he enrolled on the SS Vindicatrix; a training ship for young men that was based in Sharpness, England. After 16 weeks of seamanship training Phil was told to report for duty in Liverpool where he joined the crew of the MV Ripley and subsequently travelled the world loading and unloading cargoes that ranged from steel plates bound for Egypt, cotton bound for China, iron ore and coal from India and Australia bound to seaports around the world to name just a few and including carrying arms and ammunition from Japan to Vietnam. In 1974, Phil chose to emigrate with his wife and two children, settling in South Australia. Following his retirement in 2006 he joined the South Australian Merchant Navy Association. He was elected its President earlier this year. Working alongside other association members he has been a passionate advocate for raising awareness of the contribution made by merchant seamen and women to Australia’s military history.