Sechelt Seniors Activity Centre
REGULAR FEATURES
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The pay was five shillings a week and it went to help feed our family of seven. I acquired a bicycle and it helped to get to and from work.
In 1938 my father moved to Dartmouth Devon, and got a job building light ships. I was still very kean to get employment in the shipping business and I finally landed a job as a plumber on a ship I admired. The pay was one penny per/hour the first year, and an increase of one penny per/hour each year for three years and on the fourth year I became a journeyman, making a shilling and 9 pence per/hour.
In my spare time I loved to go fishing with my friend whose father was the caretaker of the ship yard. I walked four miles to my friend's place and four miles back each time I went fishing but my pleasure of being on the sea made it all worth it.
I went to Glasgow and I joined the crew aboard the troupe ship named " The Alamanzora" where I had secured a position as a Sanitary Engineer. My position on this ship lasted for one year . After I left the Almanzora I signed on to the "Carthage" one of the P. & O. Line where I remained for five years moving 3,000 troupes at a time during the war. It was during this period of time that I made a trip home on leave. I decided to visit one of my ship mates. I knocked on his door and I heard a sweet girlish voice say "My brothers not at home". I turned to behold the prettiest girl in all of Dartmouth. I called her "My Devonshire Dumpling". I, of, course asked her brother for permission to take her to the pictures. He told me "I was lucky to get her". Two years later we had the most beautiful church wedding and remained living in Dartmouth.
While I was at sea, and just sailing into Colombo, I received word that I was the father of twin girls.
At the end of the war and back in Glasgow I was assigned to standby on a German Liner converted to a troupe ship - from here I was off to Korea, still at war. We sailed back and forth passing next to Hiroshima and I witnessed the devastation caused by the atomic bomb. We still made trips back and forth to Korea and on one trip we took the Gloucester Regiment and on the return trip we brought back 20 out of the troupe of 3,000. This was about the end of the war. On my return to England I waited to get my orders to sail to the Suez Canal. The Canal was in trouble but I had, had enough of war, ships and men being slaughtered - I quit!
I decided to move my family to Vancouver , Canada where I had an uncle living in Vancouver. I landed a job working for a construction company, as a pipefitter. After the construction work I managed to get on at Burrard Dry docks where I was again back with sea and ships and remained for 20 years.
We bought property on the Sunshine Coast and have been enjoying our retirement here. I joined the Senior Centre and I can be found most Monday's and Wednesdays enjoying a good game of Carpet Bowling.
Thank you Jim, for a wonderful account of past times.
In 1938 my father moved to Dartmouth Devon, and got a job building light ships. I was still very kean to get employment in the shipping business and I finally landed a job as a plumber on a ship I admired. The pay was one penny per/hour the first year, and an increase of one penny per/hour each year for three years and on the fourth year I became a journeyman, making a shilling and 9 pence per/hour.
In my spare time I loved to go fishing with my friend whose father was the caretaker of the ship yard. I walked four miles to my friend's place and four miles back each time I went fishing but my pleasure of being on the sea made it all worth it.
I went to Glasgow and I joined the crew aboard the troupe ship named " The Alamanzora" where I had secured a position as a Sanitary Engineer. My position on this ship lasted for one year . After I left the Almanzora I signed on to the "Carthage" one of the P. & O. Line where I remained for five years moving 3,000 troupes at a time during the war. It was during this period of time that I made a trip home on leave. I decided to visit one of my ship mates. I knocked on his door and I heard a sweet girlish voice say "My brothers not at home". I turned to behold the prettiest girl in all of Dartmouth. I called her "My Devonshire Dumpling". I, of, course asked her brother for permission to take her to the pictures. He told me "I was lucky to get her". Two years later we had the most beautiful church wedding and remained living in Dartmouth.
While I was at sea, and just sailing into Colombo, I received word that I was the father of twin girls.
At the end of the war and back in Glasgow I was assigned to standby on a German Liner converted to a troupe ship - from here I was off to Korea, still at war. We sailed back and forth passing next to Hiroshima and I witnessed the devastation caused by the atomic bomb. We still made trips back and forth to Korea and on one trip we took the Gloucester Regiment and on the return trip we brought back 20 out of the troupe of 3,000. This was about the end of the war. On my return to England I waited to get my orders to sail to the Suez Canal. The Canal was in trouble but I had, had enough of war, ships and men being slaughtered - I quit!
I decided to move my family to Vancouver , Canada where I had an uncle living in Vancouver. I landed a job working for a construction company, as a pipefitter. After the construction work I managed to get on at Burrard Dry docks where I was again back with sea and ships and remained for 20 years.
We bought property on the Sunshine Coast and have been enjoying our retirement here. I joined the Senior Centre and I can be found most Monday's and Wednesdays enjoying a good game of Carpet Bowling.
Thank you Jim, for a wonderful account of past times.
I was born in South Hampton in 1922 and as a child growing up there I soon began walking the docks and dreaming of boarding the vessels like the Queen Mary and Elizabeth. It was hard times and I lived in the same area where the orphans from the Titanic lived. The depression was upon us and my father was affected by it. Father was laid off work for four years not able to get work until the depression was over.
I turned fourteen and my love for the sea was strong within me but it seemed there was no hope of being employed on the sea. I was, however, able to secure employment working as a swamper on a truck for a big oil company.
I turned fourteen and my love for the sea was strong within me but it seemed there was no hope of being employed on the sea. I was, however, able to secure employment working as a swamper on a truck for a big oil company.
OUR SILVER THREADS MEMOIRS - JIM GRASSIE
By Bonnie Hewitt
By Bonnie Hewitt