The Merchant Navy 'Pool' in W.W.II

[j.sabourn]

Was alongside there once when it was a granary , must have been about 1960 as was still in Runcimans . A lot seemed to have happened in those years around that era . Was involved in the Cuban Crisis, was involved in a collision in the Plate , and got married in 1962. And was 27 the next day so can at least say I was only 26 when got married for the first and only time. JS

[j.sabourn]

My arithmetic isn’t to good these days should read was 25 when got married and 26 the next day , maybe had too little to drink that day. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

I was two years on my first ship in 49 so knew nothing really about the pool. Then I must have joined the pool as there was something about being able to get the dole when your leave was over, not that one was on the dole to long they shipped you out as soon as.
Des

[j.sabourn]

You were a registered seafarer Des , thus entitled you to 12 weeks dole for the likes of going up for certificates . After finishing my time apart from a company one off bonus of 30 pounds, got 30/- a week dole out of which paid one pound a week school fees, I had obliging parents whereI stayed free gratis fortuanetley , otherwise after12 weeks would be destitute . The only time was ever on the dole apart from when made redundant about 1988 when received 6 days dole more for the principal of the thing than anything else. After about a year they came back to me wanting this 6 days dole back,I told them to take A running jump . They said they would take it out of the pension when I retired,whether they did or not , don’t know and don’t care, dont live today under such a misbegotten system of unfairness to the supplier of the funds in the first place and now dished out to any waif and stray calling themself a displaced immigrant. Cheers JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John
You can rest assured they would have taken it out of the pension, one thing the British Govt was sure about; they got every penny owed, it would take a very good man to get away with not paying back her Majesty's Govt, unless you were a Lord or some thing well above the upper class.
Des

[j.sabourn]

That will be a very good excuse to give Cappy then Des , I’m a bit hard up at the moment as busy paying off the Chancellor of the exchequer the two quid he seems to think I owe him ,so the 3/9d will have to wait. The manager of the dole office told me ,it was his decision to pay the few days and the ball was in his court , the managers of dole offices had more power than most think. Cheers JS

[j.sabourn]

That will be a very good excuse to give Cappy then Des , I’m a bit hard up at the moment as busy paying off the Chancellor of the exchequer the two quid he seems to think I owe him ,so the 3/9d will have to wait. The manager of the dole office told me ,it was his decision to pay the few days and the ball was in his court , the managers of dole offices had more power than most think. Cheers JS

#16 at the time a lot of seamen were being made redundant and a lot of seaman were paid 3 months in lieu of notice, some brainy politico came up with the bright idea that if you received 12 weeks wages in lieu of notice then you weren’t entitled to any dole. Most unions advised their members they were paid by calendar month and not 4 weekly and so it shouldn’t apply to them , some dole managers agreed others did not so some got and others didn’t , mine was amiable about it and paid me 6 days until I got another job working for a foreign owner . JS

[happy daze john in oz]

John, little has changed.
With our illustrious gov here if you get the 'don't come Monday' they will not pay you one cent until all payments from your employer are used up.

But if you are smart enough you put such payments into your super which they cannot touch.
Worked a treat for me.