![]() ![]() On one engagement a seaman could be a member of the crew of the 81,000-ton ocean liner RMS Queen Mary serving as a troopship between Australia and England and on their next engagement they might be sailing in a 400-ton coastal collier delivering coal from the collieries of the north-east of England to London's power stations on the Thames Estuary. Merchant seamen were professional seamen sailing in a wide range of roles from the youngest "Boy" rating learning his chosen profession through to the qualified Master Mariner (locally referred to as the captain), all were merchant seamen regardless of role or rank. They "signed on" to sail aboard a ship for a voyage or succession of voyages and after being "paid off" at the end of that time were free to either sign on for a further engagement if they were required, or to take unpaid "leave" before "signing on" aboard another ship or otherwise to settle and work ashore. Their working practices in 1939 had changed little in hundreds of years. Merchant seamen are civilians who elect to work at sea. Mr Gabe Thomas, the former Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman (Great Britain) stated that "27 per cent of merchant seamen died through enemy action". 36,749 seamen were lost to enemy action, 5,720 were taken prisoner and 4,707 were wounded, totaling 47,176 casualties, a minimum casualty rate of over 25 per cent. ![]() The office of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen calculated that 144,000 merchant seamen were serving aboard British registered merchant ships at the outbreak of World War II and that up to 185,000 men served in the Merchant Navy during the war. ![]() Seamen were aged from fourteen through to their late seventies. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed services and suffered great hardship. Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II - literally enabling the country to defend itself. Military unit Propaganda poster note the "MN" buttonhole badge ![]()
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