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Merchant Navy at war.

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by Dirk Marinus (U1648073) on Monday, 13th February 2006

  The next time you visit search engine Google type in:
  
  www.lascars.co.uk/war.html
  
  you can read some intersting stories about the Merchant Navy at war.
  
  Make certain you don't forget the letters html after the word war in URL

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by PaulRyckier (U1753522) on Monday, 13th February 2006

  Re: Message 1.
  
  Dirk,
  
  yes interesting:

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by PaulRyckier (U1753522) on Monday, 13th February 2006

  re: Message 1.
  
  Excuse me Dirk,
  
  I pressed instead of the Preview to see if the Http:// was right, direct: Post message.
  
  Warm regards,
  
  Paul.

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 3.

  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Thursday, 16th February 2006

  Was joining the MN an alternative (orpart of) to conscrption - ie could u join it instead of the forces (not knocking it as it was certainly as dangerous)

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• Message 5

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by MB (U177470) on Thursday, 16th February 2006

  The next time you visit search engine Google type in:
  
  www.lascars.co.uk/war.html
  
  you can read some intersting stories about the Merchant Navy at war.
  
  Make certain you don't forget the letters html after the word war in URLΒ 
  
  
  I don't understand why there is a reference to GOOGLE. You just type or paste the URL into your browser no need to involve GOOGLE.
  
  MB

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by U1969296 (U1969296) on Friday, 17th February 2006

  Hi Dirk
  My wife's uncle (who died last year)was in the M.N
  Was torpedoed in 1940 got picked up and landed in Liverpool and three months later was torpedoed again in the North Atlantic got picked up by a German ship and spent the rest of the war in a camp near the Polish border. He was very reluctant to talk about his experience's, but according to his wife he was a different person when he came home very agitated and very moody a great shame and very sad The next time you visit search engine Google type in:
  
  www.lascars.co.uk/war.html
  
  you can read some intersting stories about the Merchant Navy at war.
  
  Make certain you don't forget the letters html after the word war in URLΒ 

  Link to this forum: Merchant Navy at war.

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Friday, 17th February 2006

  To my knowledge, the M N was pure volunteers. Did you know that if their ship was hit, and the crew went over the side, the minute their feet hit the water, they came off pay. The ship owners got a brand new ship from HMG, but the sailor got nothing. You had ship owners sending old ships to sea hoping that they where sank. Putting ships into fast convoys, knowing that their would never be able to keep up, and stood a good chance of being picked off. Surely that was murder.
  Fred

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by OUNUPA (U2078829) on Sunday, 19th February 2006

  Thanks for your tip,Dirk.
  Dirk,before the WWII war started a massive shipbuilding program had been undertaken in USA.It established the right of the US gov. to requisition ships and to adopt as naval auxiliaries commercial vessels which had been buit with gov. subsidies(Merchant Marine Acts of 1920 and 1936).
  Between 1941 and 1945 more than 5,500 merchant ships were constracted to support US' wartime operations,of which some 4,500 were general cargo vessels.
  Sir W.Churchill once remarked,'It is the vehicles that take the shipping space out of all proportion to the other needs of the fighting men'.

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Sunday, 19th February 2006

  To my knowledge, the M N was pure volunteers. Did you know that if their ship was hit, and the crew went over the side, the minute their feet hit the water, they came off pay. The ship owners got a brand new ship from HMG, but the sailor got nothing. You had ship owners sending old ships to sea hoping that they where sank. Putting ships into fast convoys, knowing that their would never be able to keep up, and stood a good chance of being picked off. Surely that was murder.
  Fred Β 
  
  That is UNBELIEVABLE !!!! so - if they were marooned for x days, and picked up , they wouldnt be paid till their next ship !! (and charged for loss of uniform etc !! - any strikes over this they would be commie b-----ds !!

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Sunday, 19th February 2006

  Makes you wonder after treatment like that, why they ever volunteered to go back to sea. But if they didn't, they would have had their pay books marked as Unsuitable, and would because of the Network of Ship Owners, never have worked again. I was also told that sailors coming in from the likes of the U S during the war were searched and most of the food they brought in for their families was taken off them by H. M. Customs. The same with people travelling back from Ireland.
  Bed Time.
  Fred

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Monday, 20th February 2006

  Something else you find interesting. The Board of Trade Life Jacket was lethal. It was designed for people already in the life boats. IF you jumped over the side feet first, there was a bloody good chance that the life belt would break your neck as it hit the water. The force of the water would push the belt upwards striking your chin and bingo. one broken neck

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Tuesday, 21st February 2006

  if they refused to go back to sea - would they have then been liable for conscription ??

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• Message 13

  , in reply to message 12.

  Posted by Grumpyfred (U2228930) on Tuesday, 21st February 2006

  I would think so, but I would be guessing. But the chances of them ever going to sea again after the war would be nil.
  Fred

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• Message 14

  , in reply to message 13.

  Posted by stalteriisok (U3212540) on Tuesday, 21st February 2006

  amazing facts u have listed - digressing - but its a bit like the strike at bettshanger pit - u have no sympathy for the strikers and think of them as traitors until u realise the scam of the mine owners and how they made money out of the war

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