Being a sailor in the Merchant Navy during the war transpired to be even more dangerous than fighting in the military forces, with the likelihood of dying being six times higher.  Sadly, many of the Vindi Boys who came to Sharpness during the early years lost their young lives at sea.  Others sailed until they married, whilst others sailed on and spent their working lives at sea, visiting all corners of the earth.  Many eventually settled abroad.

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 Some quotes from the website Berkness in line with my own experiences

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“He never forgot that first meal, it was the infamous scouse, took one mouth full and nearly choked.  Two seconds later an old boy said "don’t you want it new boy", he scoffed it straight down.  It didn’t take him long to be asking the same.” 

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“All catering had to do a week in the galley.  He was there looking after a big pot of meat stewing away on the stove.  Something dropped from the deckhead into the pot, then again.  Told the chef who said no worries lad, just a few mice falling out of the nest, happens all the time.  He did not tell the lads as he knew they were hungry, though he doubted it would have made much difference“

 

He particularly remembered being wakened at 3:45 am by the light of an oil-lamp for his 4-8 watch.  The fellow who woke him placed the lamp on the deck to allow him to dress.  When he looked down the whole deck was absolutely alive with thousands of cockroaches.

 

Select the image below for my website It portrays what happened to me after I left the Vindicatrix during WW2 and joined a troopship taking troops to Burma, Plus my life stories.

 

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