SS Aegean 1914

[Johnny Kieran]

Your reference to the position of "sailor" is interesting. I'm seen several crew lists from a century and more ago with the usual fireman, donkeyman, trimmer etc while some are simply listed as sailor, I've often wondered why.

If I remember it was deck crew were referred to as "Sailors"

[j.sabourn]

Crew when I retired in Australia were called I.R.s ( Intergrated Ratings) in Australia. in the U.K. were G.P.s ( General Purpose) a bit like American servicemen ? G.I.s ( General Issue)
JS
Today on a British ship if you could find one, sailor has probably been superseded by DHU. JS

[happy daze john in oz]

More likely replaced by a Croatian, Philippino or other who will take a lower rate of pay.

[j.sabourn]

#33 John in 1989 I was on the same wage minus leave pay that I had been getting 20 years previously , on a lousy job, I had every intention of seeing it out until 65 it’s what I started at and what I intended finishing. I was lucky as the way I see it , it would be nigh on impossible to do it today. The British merchant service went from the best to the worst over a few years by mismanagement of both government and greedy shipowners and all the hangers on. The post would I do it again , yes but not under the same greedy and thick headed dunces in charge of what used to be the worlds leading seafaring nation. JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
DHU? does that mean Dreading High Up, when painting the mast. I remember when they started putting ex service men on at the same pay as an EDH, can't remember any of them going higher that the mast House. I know some got the hang of it later, but they should have been paid as an ordinary seaman.
Des

[j.sabourn]

I know Des it was misused many times I was mate at the time and one refused to go on a stage over the side in port said he wasn’t qualified so the deck boy volunteered and went instead. Think there was a pound a month between AB and DHU , when the powers that be were cornered ‘‘twas said it was brought in for the likes of ex. Older national servicemen. Thinking back they weren’t counted on the manning scale either or if were it was deckboy and thinking back again 4 deck boys = 1 AB. JS.
Out here in Australia in the 90s and the introduction of the IR system think they did 8 months at the Nautical College in Launceston , then 12 months at sea as a PIR on half wages of an IR , then full wage of an IR. The Maritime union paid for all the schooling and expenses accomodation etc. JS

[j.sabourn]

Should maybe have clarified that a bit clearer. The half pay was only for new starters. if already a seasoned trooper the schooling was only necessary, and think the seaman in question was on full pay through out paid by as already stated. Seaman’s rates at the time offshore was around $50,000 per annum with a 1 for 1 paid leave system. Radar watchkeeping was in the curriculum also. JS.

[John Arton]

Veering off course of the thread, under STCW regulations, all seamen are classed as "Ratings forming part of a navigation (or engineering) watch.
Rgds
J.A

[Mark Smith]

Thanks everyone for spending so much time on this piece of ancient history. The conclusion must be that the Aegean didn't exist and that the three crewmen made it up to enhance their credentials for getting signed up on the Oslo.

[Doc Vernon]

Again Mark as my Final posting on this , i still say that there may have been an error on the name , as the Ships listed are not made up by the Crew, they are Entered by an Official, from previous Logs . So in this case i feel that was the outcome, just a Human error at some point!
End of my Story!
Cheers