Theft from ships

[Des Taff Jenkins]

After reading John Arton's post I feel better about having lifting the hatch covers on No five hatch and taking a box of fruit to my cabin, wrapping it in duck canvas and delivering it to my mother.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Loading third grade mutton in Melbourne it came on board in the usual slings.
There were about six or seven to a sling.
Then a sling came up with just one in it, but it did not go into the hold, it carried on across the deck and went over the side.
Then when we looked there was a small boat drifting off with a mutton in it.

But maybe the best of all was the cafe in the KGV back in the late 50's early 60's.
Meals in there so cheap it was hard to believe.
Story was the cafe was run by an ex docker, the food was supplied by the dock side workers, sides of beef, lamb and just about anything else.
The Union set the retail price and made sure he had enough to keep all supplied.
The guy in the cafe made a good living and the workers got a good cheap feed.

[Doc Vernon]

Cafe in the KGV back in the late 50's early 60's.

Remember that one so well John. went in there many a time for a good cheap Noshup mate!
Cheers

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John
If the toffs could do it during the war, it was good enough for the seamen and wharfies to have a bit of luxury I say.
Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Des I agree, but the mutton was third grade and destined for Greece to feed the troops we were told.
Greece to grease with all that fat on the meat, they must have been desperate

[Gordon Gray]

In 1962 we were berthed in Glasgow loading whisky for discharge in NZ. So as a direct employ R/O I was occasionally requested? to assist in matters other than communications. Wearing my pristine white boiler suit and uniform cap I clambered down to the tween decks ,relieved the 3rd mate and stationed myself by the locker door. Keen as mustard, nobody was going to escape my eagle eye and despite the best attempts of the wharfies to swing the derricks so as to collide with the hatch coamings and cause a breakage in one or more of the card board containers nothing amiss happened. On arrival in Timaru NZ the precious cargo was to be discharged and yours truly once again clambered down the ladder and took up station by the locker door. As usual the wharfies were up to their old tricks swinging the derricks in an attempt to damage the cartons and enable their mates (who I observed all had metal mugs in their overalls) to have a free drink if available. After an hour had passed there was a sudden shout from a wharfie in the locker and out he came carrying a cardboard carton (which usually held a dozen bottles) saying "it aint me mate" . At the base of the carton which was very thick cardboard, someone had slit a very neat square at the base and removed 4 bottles of the golden liquid. naturally I blamed the 3rd mate for his indolence and this loss but secretly I had to admire the scottish wharfie who had carried out a very slick theft under our very noses.

[j.sabourn]

#16 loaded same cargo in the same port , we used to load the tonnage hatch small isolated tween deck hatch aft of the other 5 holds , only way into was through the hatch lids which had locking bars on the canvas tarps . Those same locking bars with a piece of pipe could spring the locking bar . Even loading in Glasgow though a sling of cases were always landed unusually heavy on the hatch deck and out would come the mugs to catch the drops seeping through the cardboard to strain all flotsam the carton may have contained. On discharge in Auckland the stevedores were always blamed. As long as the empty carton was left they could be claimed on the insurance. No carton no insurance . But those Glasgow dockers got the blame for most of it. And too faraway to give their alibis. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

I wonder just how much whisky never made it to where it was to go.
Could it have been that the boxes were hard to handle to the extent so many were dropped.
But having a bucket close by was always a good idea, never knew when you may need it.

But made it easier to unload the other end, not so heavy.

[John Pruden]

loading whiskey KGV Glasgow it was a dry area Sundays so if a docker was to pinch any sacked on the spot? jp

[Tony Taylor]

In 1962 we were berthed in Glasgow loading whisky for discharge in NZ. . At the base of the carton which was very thick cardboard, someone had slit a very neat square at the base and removed 4 bottles of the golden liquid. naturally I blamed the 3rd mate for his indolence and this loss but secretly I had to admire the scottish wharfie who had carried out a very slick theft under our very noses.

I recall a certain Shell tanker in Brigham & Cowan drydock in S. Shields, when taking stores prior to sailing found the bond locker cleaned out. All appeared normal on the outside but on internal inspection, found a hole cut through from adjoining locker which had been welded up and painted once emptied.