Female radio officers at sea mid 70's on tankers before sex disc Act

[Jim Brady]

An incident on my first day at work will stay with me for life.First day at work,first dinner hour builders hut.A dozen men or so in the hut various bldg trades I was apprentice plumber with the plumber.I sat down to have my sarnies this joiner says "what's your name son" "my names James" I replied,well that was it.He kicked off,your most probably a F/n catholic b'std are'nt you,yes I am I replied (sacrilege to deny that) I took a full hour of abuse about the catholic church.In those days my face would go bright red and my eyes would water under these conditions so I'm surprised one of the men sitting there did'nt step in and tell him to leave the kid alone,at least the plumber who I would say was my guardian should've said something.When I was older I was always hoping to bump into that whimp thats about all he was picking on a kid.When I was older I came across a few chf/stwds tried to come the same game (religeon) I certainly would'nt let them away with it no matter their rank.
Regards.
Jim.B.

[cappy]

we had a bad case of constant bullying of a 1st trip catering boy on a shields tramp time and time again by the second steward who wasknown as the south shields yank.....hewas taken onto the quayside and given a good howkin.....he was told to get his gear and go or go over the wall ....he went.....the mate was watching from the bridge and saw him get whacked.....but nothing was said....i saw very little bullying at sea and it was given short shrift in no time by others ......get more bullied at home regards cappy

[j.sabourn]

As well as the occassional bully on a ship, you had also the phonies in all departments I had the misfortune to be saddled with two of the biggest con men of their type. As you know Jim you were on the Pennyworth, the accommodation ladder was put out from the after accom. housing. The 3rd. Mate a 62 year old uncertificated useless article I later found out was the biggest rumour maker I have ever come across, he used to write for a Shields paper under the name of the Happy Wanderer. Never saw him out of his uniform, all the gold braid and campaign ribbons. The 2nd. Mate was similar only he was about 64, watched him walk past the accomodation ladder look over the side see it was about to be caught between the quay and ship and look around to see there was no one there and disappear inside the accomodation out of the way. I observed this from the midship housing and managed to get down aft and pull her up with the handy billy just before severe damage to same. When I accosted the 2 mate, his answer was its not my job. The two of them thought they knew it all and set out to try and undermine me, this being my first permanent job as mate and being to them wet behind the ears at 27. They got the biggest shock of their lives. They finally resigned. I took 4 weeks off in the summer months and the supterintendant asked me if I thought the 2nd. Mate was competent to relieve me, I had great joy in saying no, the 2nd. mate thought he was getting the job, so I took delight in going and telling him he wasnt getting and why. The third mate was on the black list of the NE shipowners as had been the source of getting a master sacked on another ship as had wrote in to the BOT about being drunk at some time or another, so went and put him on notice also. The two of them apart from being phonies were I suppose if given the chance were bullies also. The second mate used to brag about taking the fleet from UK to Australia as he was one of these hd 416 or something similar, I made a point of finding out and he was in the QM stores in Sydney Australia during the war years. Bulls..t had nothing on these two #ankers. JS

[robpage]

I found when sailing with a bully he was normally hopeless at his job . One chief engineer , and two professional third /dispensation second engineers .

[happy daze john in oz]

Why was the sex discrimination act brought in?
As I recall on UCL there was no such thing, you were either straight or gay, no discrimination about that!

[Captain Kong]

I was battered daily, worse than bullied, on the Commodore Grant, first trip. homeward bound after trying unsuccessfully to jump over the wall , I had nothing to lose so I battered the biggest of them all and lashed him with a chain stopper and almost killed him before the 2nd Mate and another AB pulled me off him. Never ever bullied again in my lfe. Always get the Big one.
The story is in Seafaring Stories thread in Swinging the Lamp Forum.
Cheers
Brian

[gray_marian]

#26 Captain, I've always found throwing the first punch, verbal or not act's as a deterrent.

[Captain Kong]

Hi Marian , throwing punches eh? that wasnt you in Betty`s` Bar in Glasgow who punched everyone on New Years Eve 1956 was it.
She packed a powerful punch. Took six Policemen to carry her away.
Cheers
Brian

[gray_marian]

#28, No Captain, Never been one to frequent public houses [except own] especially dock side! Only the playground.....still feisty though

[Lucy Knight]

The Swx Disc Act was bought in towards end of 75. Companies eg Shell took on women before. I was employed as a 3rd yr radio cadet beg Smmer 74 for the last year at college and then went to sea mid 75 after completing firefighting course at Garston Liverpool. The middle aged guy in charge of that didn't like it though and told me and a female nav cadet we couldn't go in the mock ship wearing B.A. only bellows. We used to volunteer for every task he wanted 2 to volunteer for and kept him arguing re wearing the BA set at the end of one afternoon and finally he relented so he could get home for his tea. The next day he gave me hell because he was in trouble with him wife for being late home and said in future he would make sure female cadets went on the same course that females on passenger boats went on which wasn't the same.

I wonder if he succeeded in the future as 6 months later the sex disc act came in . You wouldn't have thought so and intially it got worse when they thought they had to have you.