Merchant Navy
- Bill Andrews
Created 18 September 2009. Updated: 6 November 2009
Without The Merchant Navy, we would have definitely lost the war - Bill Andrews MN
The Royal Navy & The Merchant Navy were one brotherhood, one Navy
Today, 18th September 2009, I received an email from Bill, who has been living in Australia since 1953 and had been a Merchant Seaman for 45 years. He survived everything that Adolph and his mates could throw at him and has written a book, Under The Southern Cross, in an effort to highlight the 'forgotten sailors' who, without them, we would never have won World War 2. This sailor, a merchant seaman, a civilian, took part on invasions and never had a gun to shoot back. He was at the Sicily landings, the Salerno landing too. He has looked the enemy in the white of his eyes and survived where many thousands had lost theirs. 55000 merchant sailors lost their lives in 11000 ships in WW2, around the world.
Today, in these modern, politically correct times, it has been frowned upon to glamorise or glorify war. Those that took part have been denied their rightful place in history for the ultimate sacrifice they made to ensure that we are sitting here today, writing or reading these words, in English and not German. Indeed, if it were not for Bill Andrews and his work, these same critics would not have a voice, they would not even exist. A right wing fascist government would have silenced them permanently and concentration camps would border each large town or city.
Bill Andrews, and his mates, are owed a debt we can never hope to repay BUT we can acknowledge their sacrifice in the correct manner. I was not born until 1949, I grew up watching the USA decimate a tiny country called Vietnam. Their soldiers were also shunned when they came home; but the politicians who sent them, were not. To blame the many for the action of a few is oh so easy to do. The USA invaded Vietnam to allegedly stem the evil flow of communism. The fact that this country now flourishes under a unified communist government speaks volumes for the sometimes misguided aims of a politically opposed superpower. Not that I support communism, I do not, but it proves a point.
Remember our Merchant Navy of WW2, crewed by men from all over the world, many of whom died, not even recorded, because they were Lascars or some other nationality. The Merchant Navy was part and parcel of a floating fleet which, along with the men and ships of our Royal Navy, kept us free and fed throughout the longest battle in history, the Battle of the Atlantic 1939 - 1945. The Merchant Navy was not recognised as such simply because they were civilians. But these were civilians in the front line! Why were they not recognised for so long? When a civilian sailor had his ship blown up beneath him, and he was lucky enough to survive and be rescued, he would land on shore to find that his pay had been stopped from the moment he lost his ship! He would not get another penny until he signed on board another. Many of these surviving seamen would be rescued, only to be torpedoed again and find themselves back in the water, rescued again, and blown up again!! And no pay! Criminal!
You can see Bill talking about his life, and his book, most eloquently, on the following two videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HukGGLAP-uo Part One
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85cmFIebyzw&feature=related Part Two
Bill has had his book published and you can buy it here in the UK from the following source:
It is also available in Australia from
£14.37 Ships in 3–5 business days
John Ward has taken on the burden of searching for his brother George, who has made no contact with his family for many months. Not knowing whether George is dead or alive and little to go on, John gains employment on the Motor Vessel Hope Mount, and sets forth into a world he has never known. On this journey, John demonstrates strength of mind and determination that earns him the respect of his superiors and all that know him. It is these traits that would later see him through one of the most turbulent periods of all time: World War II. This story has been written as a reminder of the vast sacrifice made by the Merchant Navy and the crucial, yet largely forgotten, role they played.
