Maybe some of our Members will remember being on such ships as Elders & Fyffe's so-called "Banana Boats" trading between the UK and the West Indies in the '50s. I recall that we frequently discovered stowaways in the refrigerated hold, claiming that they had "fallen asleep during the hard task of loading boss" but always had their British passport in their back pocket!!!
On arrival in the UK, they appeared in court charged with stowing away on a British ship and I think the usual result was 28 days in jail, after which they were released, and were given a suit, forty pounds and their train fare to any part of the country to which they wished to go. As they were British citizens, they were not able to be deported and were able to register for the dole until they got a job - often with British Rail.
I make no comment about the appropriateness of those developments, except to say that the children and grandchildren of those stowaways have often become solid citizens of the UK.
In contrast, it would seem that stowaways in 2005 have a much more perilous journey in their attempts to stowaway to Australia!
For further details, check the following news story in our latest Weekend Australian.
on :http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,17365253,00.html
I'd be interested in any comments - either about todays's events or those of fifty years ago. Kind regards, Doug H
On arrival in the UK, they appeared in court charged with stowing away on a British ship and I think the usual result was 28 days in jail, after which they were released, and were given a suit, forty pounds and their train fare to any part of the country to which they wished to go. As they were British citizens, they were not able to be deported and were able to register for the dole until they got a job - often with British Rail.
I make no comment about the appropriateness of those developments, except to say that the children and grandchildren of those stowaways have often become solid citizens of the UK.
In contrast, it would seem that stowaways in 2005 have a much more perilous journey in their attempts to stowaway to Australia!
For further details, check the following news story in our latest Weekend Australian.
on :http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/printpage/0,5942,17365253,00.html
I'd be interested in any comments - either about todays's events or those of fifty years ago. Kind regards, Doug H