John Burch is an Ex-Merchant Navy seafarer and VOS member – here he shares his story and commemorates Merchant Navy Day remembering all those who have seafarers who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice.
“I find that this moment in time, is a time for thought for all the personnel we lost. It is a rime for reflection for those who never made it back to home to their loved ones.”
“I was always happy with the idea of going to sea, I was used to living alongside lots of other boys during the course of my life and I know that with numbers, you always have company and that at sea everyone treats each other with respect (hopefully).”
After writing a letter to Leadenhall St. in London – he waited for around 2 or 3 months, before receiving an acceptance letter, requesting that he start his training at TS Vindicatrix in Sharpness Docks, Gloucestershire.
He joined the Merchant Navy on the 11th November 1954, at the age of 16.
“This vast opening was an eye opener for me; I stood the test of time, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! “
John did not look back and says that he’d still be at sea, if he had not married. John was happily married for 46 years, but sadly lost his dear wife, Olive, fourteen years ago. They had one son together, Mark, who is a real treasure to John today and whom his mother would be proud of!
Here John tells us about his experience:
“Hi everyone, my name is John Burch, Ex-Merchant Navy personnel and I have come along today to make people aware of Merchant Navy Day. I have been asked to represent them locally here at VOS and I feel it is a privilege.
Yes, I did my time at sea and had many adventures at sea – some of which I cannot repeat! But you know, it was great!
I find that this moment in time, is a time for thought for all the personnel we lost – as you well know, not too long after the end of WWII, there were still a lot of problems in the world and ships were sometimes very dangerous articles to be floating on the waters – as there were still these mines floating about in various waters. They were generally detected by naval ships – but the odd one did get away and to very serious and bad consequences.
A friend of mine called Paul, who I am very pleased with, asked me if I have ever heard of VOS. He said that as an Ex-Merchant Navy seafarer, I was entitled to join and here I am – a member of VOS and I am very happy to be so! We have formed a little VOS choir, and I get joy out of attending that – the good Lord has provided me with a voice I can use, and I am very happy with that. I think the musical director and other members of the choir are quite happy to see me come along.
I have not said much about my entry to the Merchant Navy – I did my training at TS Vindicatrix in Sharpness Docks, Gloucestershire – it was an 8- or 10-weeks seamanship/ lifeboat drill everything to do with seafaring, including working in the galley and that sort of thing.
I did the course and went home. I wasn’t home a few days and received a telegram (that’s how we communicated in those days) which said; ‘would I like to join the school in Sharpness?’ … and that was the start of my sea life. Having finished the training, I went back home and was soon asked to attend the King George IX docks in London, to join my first vessel.
It was a Houlder Brothers Company ship called the SS Ovingdean Grange. I was very small and walked along at the quayside and wondered ‘what am I going to see?’ I was dismayed – I saw this dirty old tramp steamer tied up alongside, lovely funnel with the white Maltese Cross and the black background. The rest of the ship looked like it needed a good coat of paint. But fortunately, I was going into the catering department, and that task was purely deskside. I joined this ship and was told I’d be away for about 3 months; it was longer than that – I can assure you! We weren’t a very fast vessel – I think 7.5 knots was the fastest speed we were able to do.
We went to places that I would never have thought of attending, the first stop was Leningrad in Russia, then onto Deep Russia – Igarka, Murmansk, Archangel … and what were we picking up? We were picking up timber to take back to Rotterdam!
It was such an eerie journey there and back, I could not describe how one felt. Hopefully I will not have the opportunity to go there again – so you can read between the lines as to what it was like. Eventually we did arrive back in Rotterdam.
I went home and thought about whether I was going to continue going to sea – and decided there and then – this is the life for me! “
Image above::
- John wearing his Merchant Navy Collared T-Shirt
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