Duties of Deck boy /JOS

[happy daze john in oz]

Talking of 'Peggies' brings back to mind the Peggy on the Windsor.

He was in charge of the petty officers mess where the Bosun, Carpenter etc all took their meals.
It was a small room just off the tourist dinning room within the tourist galley.
Cannot recall his name but nothing would take him off that position which he held to my knowledge for over four years.
Said at the end of every voyage all the PO were very good to him.

[John (Jack) Scott]

At last! Thanks Laurie.

[John (Jack) Scott]

Hi Michael - the pay for a National Serviceman was actually 28 shillings a week when first called up (half the pay of a regular serviceman). If staying in the 'other ranks' and without promotion the NS guy went onto regular serviceman's pay of 56 shillings a week after 18 months service. Getting a commission was a very different story (and expensive!). Bad luck Michael getting roped in for National Service at 24!

If like me you had a choice of the mines, national service for two years when you reached 18 years but if you chose the Merchant Navy and remained until age 26 you were exempt from National service. I chose the MN from age 17 to 24 when NS ended but still got called up for 2 years with the very last intake with all the others who were actually eligible on the date that NS ended. So after 7 years in the MN I still had to complete 2 years in the army earning £1 per week. I am 84 now and the experiences did me no harm over the following years.
Michael

- - - Updated - - -

Forgot to mention graduated from the Vindicatrix and started on the Sterling Castle as a deck boy or ‘Peggy’ as we were known.

[happy daze john in oz]

Not being deck know little about it, but was the scale JOS, then EDH and for AB you had to do for years and have a life boat ticket?

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
Not sure if this is what you want. Deck boy Two years, then JOS two years Then SOS two years, then sat for EDH, I did twelve months as EDH then got on as AB.
Cheers Des

[R864382]

I joined in 68 2 trips deck boy (9months) then joined shell 9 months jos then sos on the same trip of 56 weeks . Then went to nzsco a 4 month trip as sos then took my edh then 12 months later got my ab ticket .deck boy duties on the port adelaide were spilt between 2 dbs .crew deck mess peggy and deck crew showers and toilets and alleyways cleaning . 1 week on then swop around po's mess showers toilets alleys ways. Between theses duties clean brass butts on the handrails clean the bell .then assigned to an edh or ab to learn ship maintentance and seamanship and the rest they say is history .

[Roy Mcmillan]

1963 first trip deck boy Reina Del Mar PSNC. A real eye opener and fantastic insight on how to become a man in a short space of time. You went away as just a 15 yr old boy and after just 6 months returned home a man. Thats what my Dad said. Peggy, scrubbing the deck of mess room on hand and knees washing uo serving meals etc seeing to the crews needs such as ironing their shirts and pants cleaning shoes doing what the lads expected of me. In return the lads on there showed me the ropes on deck and ashore hehehhe. The Captain a Frenchman John Jaques a true gentleman who treat me with the greatest of respect, after hands a knees scrubbing deck of bridge and cleaning all the brass including taff rails on the wings Captain Jaques would invite me into the chart room and try to teach me how to read a chart i was never much good at math give me steering practice and then invite me for the noon sightings on the wing of the bridge with the chief mate sec and third and apprentices. What a fantastic introduction to my life at sea.

[Bob Petty]

56 hour working week, 1 shilling and nine pence an hour overtime, no time and a half, no double time, 8 hour day of sailing and 8 hour day of departure, some times we forget or chose not to remember, kit service from the amidship galley, last in went hungry, usually the deck boy.
Dont get me wrong i enjoyed my time at sea, but some of the treatment we got was just wrong.

[cappy]

###why no bonny lad what about an egg every day for breakfast plus two dinners a day ,,,sundays at sea bronzy on tap ....cheap ciggies .......seeing the world before it all looks the same .....the delights of the honkies world wide the excitement of the channels ....and best of all pay off day and the journey home .....and shipmates some never forgotten ....... looking back my cup runneth over .....regards cappy

[Des Taff Jenkins]

56 hour working week, 1 shilling and nine pence an hour overtime, no time and a half, no double time, 8 hour day of sailing and 8 hour day of departure, some times we forget or chose not to remember, kit service from the amidship galley, last in went hungry, usually the deck boy.
Dont get me wrong i enjoyed my time at sea, but some of the treatment we got was just wrong.

Bob but it beat swinging from a high rise crane with one foot in a sling, I still remember that Maori when I was talking to you with my foot in the loop getting the crane driver to lift me up. Hope you are keeping well mate.
cheers Des