The 81st Entry
RAF Halton Aircraft Apprentices
Sept 1955 - July 1958

The day after I left the RAF in February 1964 I arrived in Holland to join my wife. Because accommodation was extremely scarce in those days, and still is, I had no alternative but to live with my in-laws at their flat in Amsterdam- something I would not recommend to my worst enemy. I tried to find employment at Schiphol Airport with the Fokker Aircraft Company, who were at the time assembling Hawker Hunters under licence, but without success. My attempts to find work with the airlines also failed, they would have taken me on if I had been an airframe, engine or an electrical fitter but no one wanted an ex armourer.

I eventually took a job with an American Company named Monroe assembling adding machines. After a month sitting on a production line I was just about ready to jump in a canal. I had never done anything so boring in my life and the pay was low. In the meantime I continued to look around for something else but I began to realise that my spoken Dutch, which was rather limited, was not very helpful in my search for work.

Funds were getting low and I eventually went back to the UK and joined the Merchant Navy as a Utility Steward. However, before I could join a pool I had to join the NUS. This was something I didn't want to do but it was compulsory. After submitting and becoming a member I eventually signed on the P&O's 'Himalaya' on 15 June, for a voyage to Sydney with 1,500 passengers. The crew was quite a rabble; all officers and senior (Second) stewards were British and worked permanently for P&O. But all the other crew members in the restaurant and cabin stewards were a mixture of Brits and Goa Indians who signed on for each voyage. Something, which opened my eyes, was the fact that practically all the cabin stewards were gay. The engineering monkeys were Lashkars, which was a lower caste of Indians and they slept on the open deck. Laundry staff were Chinese

The hours on board were extremely long, the pay was reasonably good and I was able to save a lot of money. What was very tiring was that on the outward journey we would lose quite a few hours whilst sleeping so that the working days seemed much longer than they actually were. I was employed in the kitchen washing millions of plates and I had a distinct feeling that kitchen duties at Halton was a cushy number compared to that. I suppose I stuck out above the rest of my team because of my RAF background and when we departed Colombo, Ceylon, the Purser asked me if I would agree to become a waiter; one of the crew had jumped ship. I accepted and from then on life became quite acceptable and certainly more respectable as an Assistant Steward (A/S).

Eventually I was given a so called 'locker job' which meant I was responsible for all the linens used in the restaurant. I had two servings of each meal at my table and on the second serving of dinner one of the senior officer's hosted my tablet. My working day would start at 05.30 and end at 23.00 with three two-hour breaks. Tips were generally good excepting when we picked up Indians at Bombay who were travelling to the UK. - at the end of the voyage an envelope with a rattling sound containing a few shillings would be given to you by them after their last meal. The Aussies were reasonable tippers but the best tips came from the Americans.

Life could be sometimes hilarious on board. The drag shows by some of the gay crew members were a real laugh and rather sleazy. There were times when at night some of the crew would vanish from their cabins and appear bleary eyed the next morning for work; they'd spent the night with a female passenger. They risked a lot by doing that because if the 'Night Watchmen' caught them it meant the end of their employment with the company. What was ironical was that the Night Watchmen, who could be compared to the RAF's SP's, were the worst offenders and were never checked by their colleagues.

When, on the return journey, the ship approached the British Isles, the Black Gang would come aboard and search every nook and cranny on the vessel. They were the worst sort of customs officer you could come up against. I know of crew members who would purposely hide cartons and boxes in almost inaccessible places containing absolutely nothing, just to make the black gang work hard and also to take the mickey out of them.

After each voyage one signed off and immediately indicated whether they would return so that when their shore leave was over they were guaranteed a job on the next voyage. They would sign on again a few days before the ship sailed. Our uniforms and gear would be locked away whilst you went on leave as gangs of engineers serviced the ship. A day prior to sailing the ship would be a complete mess but when the passengers came aboard, all was 'Ship shape and Bristol fashion'.

On my third voyage, which left Tilbury on 27 November 1964, I celebrated New Years Eve in Sydney - and that was absolutely fantastic. We had ten days in port, so I made the most of it and took a trip to the Blue Mountains. I was invited to a barbecue with two of my Aussie passengers who'd travelled home from the UK. On the way to their splendid property we drove into a 'Drive in Liquor Store' for several crates of beer. During the voyage home I was called in to the Purser's office who told me they were impressed by my performance as an A/S and wondered if I would consider permanently joining the P&O staff. I thought it would be a great idea but before this happened I had to undergo first class training. This was to take place on the 'Oriana', which wasn't due in port for several weeks.

I returned to Holland on leave. The situation of being away for long periods was not ideal and I learned there was a Dutch steel company looking for personnel and as a bonus they offered accommodation. I made a decision, which meant my working life was about to change yet again.