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Ethnic backgrounds of merchant radio officers

15K views 106 replies 34 participants last post by  Engine Serang 
#1 ·
Wondering the ethnic backgrounds of merchant radio officers From 1940 - 1970 (i.e., Irish, Scottish, English, Welch, American and etc.)?
Also wondering which group had the largest percentage?
 
#2 ·
On the ships I crossed paths with, they were usually of the same origin as the other officers, but I noticed a fair amount of British R/Os on Greek-owned ships, Indians (usually Sikh) on HK and Greek-owned ships, Scandinavians on the ships of neighboring nations. Once met a female R/O from the Philippines on a ship from Taiwan.
 
#4 ·
Niarchos was a big UK and Rep of Ireland RO employer.
P D Marchessini ships were all Greek flag whence it was mandatory to employ Greek ROs.
PD would have nothing to do with them (another story) and on one ship Euryalus the RO was apparently a physically handicapped American who through this disability was unable to find US flag employ.
 
#37 ·
P D Marchessini



I am Irish and was employed by PD Marchessini (Excellent Employer) as RO on the Euryalus from October 1965 until December 1966. My friend was also employed as RO on the Eurymedon over approximately the same period so the employment restrictions must have been imposed at an earlier date as we were both approached at later dates by the then Director Mr Pockett offering further employment. Brian Quinn.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Thanks Dr Jim.
I've been around for a good many years, but have never heard that applied to an Irishman. Paddy, yes, but never Mick!

Just as an aside. I was on a ship and the 3E(Scottish) called me Paddy. I asked him why. Because you're Irish and you're a sparky.
I said I was from the Outer Hebrides.
Reply, that's what I said, you're Irish.

As he was Scottish, I didn't try to explain.
 
#9 ·
As I was told by my grandfather it originated in Ellis Island when Irish immigrated to the US. The border control officers would look at the name on the papers (usually Mc Nally, or Mc Kennedy) see the Mc and say out loud "we got another mick here."
 
#13 ·
My first boss was a Southern Irishman with the name of Sullivan.He lived in Southport. He was a kindly but firm, old gentleman, who didn't have a long retirement. I also had one in the RFA he was from Cork,I was bit older than him, due to my late return to sea. He went home on leave and didn't come back, we thought he had a nervous breakdown. I also sailed with a welshman,who I still get a Christmas card from,but as you say, I cant recall any scotsmen.
 
#14 ·
Before I went to sea, I worked on a building site in Glasgow(I was 16 at the time).
Working beside me was, to me elderly, an Irish guy.
He asked me where I was from. I said the West coast. Yes he said, I thought from your accent, you were from Donegal.
That explains it all.

No wonder an East coast Chinaman could mistake me for being Irish!
 
#15 ·
Plenty of Scots and Irish at GKA. In fact at one time the overseer's "Wendy House" was known as "Ireland" due to the number of Irish managers. Quite a few Welsh amongst the staff too.

Other nationalities at the station included Canadian, Cypriot, a couple from Jersey and a couple from Mauritius. Think there were some 'dual nationality' staff too.

If the mood takes me I might go through our staff lists to find exact numbers.
 
#30 ·
Easy one... Left Footed = Catholic.


'Left Footer' is a derogatory term, applied to Roman Catholics, which has military, rather than argricultural, origins. The phrase evolved during the time when the protestant militia, the Ulster Volunteer Force, was in the process of being absorbed into the regular British Army in readiness for the first war.'
 
#33 ·
That's one theory, but another is because the Irish spade, the loy, had a foot rest on one side only, the left side. Another is that the catholics genuflect with the left foot forward.
Probably it is just a term that means 'not like us' as in the term 'kicks with the left foot' or more modern a left-footer is slang for a gay male.
 
#36 ·
Phdad

Hello PHDAD,

Ethnicity of RO's. I knew a great many ROs from Southern Ireland. A possible connection is that I went to Colwyn Bay Wireless College, (1950 at Age 16, followed at South Shields for Radar Maintenance), which is not too far from Holyhead and the Ferry to Dublin. I heard from several of them that their employment opportunities were, very often, a choice between the United States, the British Army and the British Merchant Navy! (With the MN very often winning!)
Myself: Scot, or perhaps more correctly an Orcadian. Spent six years with Siemens Brothers and two and a half with Union Steamship Company in New Zealand before "Swallowing the Pick" with a NZ Girl.
Any more Orcadian ROs out there?
Thomas Firth, (AKA Tommy, Tom or Tony)
 
#38 ·
Was RO 1953 to 1962.First with Marconi coming from Dublin.Them Saguenay Terminals,Montreal followed by Miarchos serving on Princess Sophie/SWIE and finally Marchessini on "Euryalus"/SXZK.After disagreement with Captain re salary and very poor food walked off vessel in Long Beach,Ca.giving London office adequate notice.Replaced by young American who was physically handicapped.This was September 1962.
 
#48 ·
Saguenay in early 1959 had to lay up most of their ships because of the world shipping slump.They had committed to so many long-term charters that they had to shoot their own!!!.A number of them,including mine,ss "Sunwhit" ended up in Hoellen,Norway. Hence the reason for Saguenay to Niarchos!.
 
#51 ·
Going back to ROs ethnicity. Jim Fitzgerald, from Cork, was CRO. I had just joi Muned as 2RO. I did the night watch. Arrived Bombay. He put me on the shake, in the morning, said it was Sunday, there was a Mass on in the 2nd class dining saloon, for the Goanese catering staff. Get showered and get clean whites on. In a bit of a daze, I did that. I muttered a bit, ie, how did he know I was a Catholic. He was elderly and probably knew, that coming from Barra, he guessed it.
But, worse was to come. I'd had my early morning beers/rum prior to going to my bunk, so was still drowsy, dazy.
I was showered, in clean whites, and attended.
At the end of the Mass, a collection plate was passed round.
I hadn't thought of it, I hadn't a ****** in my pocket.
Embarassment?
That was a bad one!
 
#52 ·
Going back to ROs ethnicity. Jim Fitzgerald, from Cork, was CRO. I had just joi Muned as 2RO. I did the night watch. Arrived Bombay. He put me on the shake, in the morning, said it was Sunday, there was a Mass on in the 2nd class dining saloon, for the Goanese catering staff. Get showered and get clean whites on. In a bit of a daze, I did that. I muttered a bit, ie, how did he know I was a Catholic. He was elderly and probably knew, that coming from Barra, he guessed it.
But, worse was to come. I'd had my early morning beers/rum prior to going to my bunk, so was still drowsy, dazy.
I was showered, in clean whites, and attended.
At the end of the Mass, a collection plate was passed round.
I hadn't thought of it, I hadn't a ****** in my pocket.
Embarassment?
That was a bad one!
 
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