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Robert, just a short clip on youtube which shows the sort of ship your Dad would probably served on in his war years, the Liberty ship was a great help in war torn UK. These ships were still afloat well into the 60s, kt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDxqBvK3NA
Paringa. Enjoyed very much the previous posts about our lives at sea in the 1950's. They just about cover our jobs. But also the work of maintenance continued in port. We were over the side on self rigged stages, two men on each stage painting the hull, with the bowsing in under the rake of the bow and stern. Could be quite 'hairy' at times. Have tried to attached two pic's of the mv Paringa in 1952 berthing at Wellington. They illustrate the high standard of maintenance and the amount of rigging involved. She was one of the two cargo ships of P and O with white crews.
Attachment 29736
Attachment 29737
Hi John S
You are right about the money, anyone who went to sea for the money would not have lasted long. When I started it was 7 pounds a month as a deck boy, one pound a month less than I got working in a tinplate works at fourteen. It was the freedom and travel that kept us there, some like yourself for their working lives. I doubt any other type of job\life has the nostalgia of being at sea in the MN.
Des
Attachment 29739
Will agree to an Extent on Wages ,however depending what you did on Board was the difference.
Besides the free Travel and the good life i know by my own experiences that although the pay was not that great in those days it was still quite adequate ,me being on just over 32 GBP a Month,but with the good Tips i and many others that i knew received we were right on Top with many other Shore Jobs.
This is a fact and no lies at all, i used to come out with Wages and Tips on an average of around the 120 to 140 GBP per Month, of which i used to send home about half of that amount ,still leaving me with ample to get by with for the High Life ,Good Clobber etc, so i had no worries at all.
Smokes were dirt cheap as we know,as was Booze in them days ,no complaints here
Cheers
Yes i remember those days and those hatch covers and the tarpaulins. But what about the Tankers, after discharging the cargo and the tank diving and being gassed. Then the tot of neat rum, when you managed to get back up on deck, given by the mate who made you drink it in front of him so that no one could pass theirs to anyone else as it was so powerful. Then there was the lookout on the fo'c's'le head with the sea rising with a chance of shipping one and waiting for the call to evacuate to the wing of the bridge. After three weeks or so at sea it was good to get ashore and let your hair down. Although most of it was a good happy life.
Eric Bennett R415805
A bit off topic
Recall though when working at what was called the Catcracker Unit Shell Complex in SA , i had the job of sand blasting all the Hugh Oil Tanks ,just a small Door to get in with all that gear , and masked up to the hilt.
It was very Hot dusty and smelly , with only 4 hours at a time allowed ,then came out like you was feeling really sick!
Terrible job ,i think one of the worst i ahve had.
Cheers
Sorry about the sidetrack!!
Hi Eric.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric Bennett
As I have told others on the site, when we were cleaning tanks I would volunteer to do the wheel for anyone, on the British Guardian I did eight hours a day for five days, nice and clean but still got the overtime, I loved steering.
Des
Des, obviously you were not keen on tank cleaning, but who could blame you for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Des Taff Jenkins
Signed on Port Line's MV Lowlander January 1947 as Saloon Boy for five pounds a month plus five pounds a month War Bonus. Signed on Shaw Savill & Albion SS Raranga in August 1947 for the same amounts as Galley Boy. Signed on Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line SS Moreton Bay February 1948 as Asst Steward, by which time (I think it was) the War Bonus was scrapped and applied in full to the actual wage amount. In those days before joining the London Connaught Road Pool in 1950, I was on repatriation terms to Australia and was paid five pounds a month in London between Raranga and Moreton Bay - November to February - one of the coldest winters in UK for many years. Obviously the climate was still in good condition in those days.
Richard
Thank you