31st August 2018.
At least 35,000 merchant seamen died as a direct or indirect consequence of the war. In total 2,426 British registered ships were lost, with a tonnage of 11,331,933 grt. (27,491 men lost their lives serving on German U-boats. Together with 5,000 taken prisoner this was a casualty rate of 85%.)1
Merchant ships employed seamen from all over
the world. Of the seamen engaged on foreign-going ships in 1938, 27% were
Chinese or from
British India with a further 5% being Arabs, Indians,
Chinese, West Africans or West Indians
living in UK ports such as South Shields, Liverpool and Cardiff. Many
tributes have been paid to the crucial role played by the Merchant Navy in
winning the war.
UNQUOTE
However that was 70 years ago and post WW2 the interest faded. In the last 15 years has been just seen as Commercial shipping --except in times of evacuation and Relief from war torn Civil strife areas like Yemen. The present shipping slump and continued drop in shipping has altered the scene-and ships mostly are on run on skimpy budgets and cost cutting alone dominates. Is ita cycle? I do not know as it has been there too long .In my 55 years association since T.S.Dufferin it has never been so. Prayers that Shipping Revives.
Capt TR
Men spend a life time at Sea and come away
with a Life time Career experience. Yet, so little is written about all this in
the last 50 years. We have to go to
back by more than about 70 years, to just read anything worthwhile on maritime
life like the older generation classics "Two years before the
Mast" (Richard Henry Dana ) or our Dufferin texts Lord Jim or Moby Dick. --
Why Study History?
I came across this brilliant paper where a few key points are so well summarized.History helps us understand people and societies, provides identity, understand change and how the society we live in-- came to be.
I came across this brilliant paper where a few key points are so well summarized.History helps us understand people and societies, provides identity, understand change and how the society we live in-- came to be.
Sadly, India seems to lack in data
chronicled on our Indian Merchant Navy Heritage or on the T.S.Dufferin
memorabilia.
Thankfully 4 Films Division clips have been archived by
Capt.Phillip are acknowledged and are available on U tube also.
The Chennai (Madras) port has a
beacon Lt was named a light near breakwater - Dufferin Lt and Kochi Port has a
Dufferin Pt -thats all.
Most laudable and credit to those marine
seniors who organised it in 1980s-
Then what .
We need to re-look at our maritime heritage
with great pride and especially at the role of Merchant Shipping. In fact
it was post WW2 that King George of England recognising the yeoman
service and re-named the service as" Merchant Navy" with an
Essential Service categorisation.
I may quote:
Unrecognised,
you put us in your debt;
Unthanked, you enter, or escape, the grave; Whether your land remember or forget You saved the land, or died to try to save.
For All Seafarers
by John Masefield |
At least 35,000 merchant seamen died as a direct or indirect consequence of the war. In total 2,426 British registered ships were lost, with a tonnage of 11,331,933 grt. (27,491 men lost their lives serving on German U-boats. Together with 5,000 taken prisoner this was a casualty rate of 85%.)1
UNQUOTE
However that was 70 years ago and post WW2 the interest faded. In the last 15 years has been just seen as Commercial shipping --except in times of evacuation and Relief from war torn Civil strife areas like Yemen. The present shipping slump and continued drop in shipping has altered the scene-and ships mostly are on run on skimpy budgets and cost cutting alone dominates. Is ita cycle? I do not know as it has been there too long .In my 55 years association since T.S.Dufferin it has never been so. Prayers that Shipping Revives.
Capt TR
