MERCHANT SEAMEN'S WAR SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 281, 23 August 1919, Page 7

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S WAR SERVICE

MOVEMENT FOR RECOGNITION. There are in New South Wales from 1500 to 2000 orphans of mercantile marino men who lost their lives during* tho war whilst on transport and other duty, it is l'elt (savs the Sydney "My lolegraph") that something should bo. done.-, to pernetuato the memory of ;: these... nicn, and therefore much. inleiest'attaehes to the movement now on loot m Sydney/ to 1 establish a hostel for their children. Iho movement includes a proposal to secure a niedail and chevrons for tlioso who eaw oversea 1 service. .. Vohiininons letters have been received from various parts of the Slato from man who rendered great service at sea during the trying times' of the war, /lost or lliein iiave been on y&ssels which weio torpedoed, and covering -in their work •i wide expanse of ocean. . - For inslnnee. one who was on such duly from August, lillt, to Jlav, 3918, was on the it all iua, a store and supply-ship villi the Australian, French, and Japanese lleet, "in the 'South Seas wul South America, and then on the" Omrali, caxtyini' troops. between England, France,.-In-., dia, Africa, Italy.' Egypt, and Maflta, bo-., iug,eventually torpedoed. Another was torpedoed in the Gorman, prize boat Hunstanton, after which, ho, served in repairing thodeepsea. oa'bles be-, tween India and Mesopotamia.A man who mis on the Suffolk' when eh? struck a. mine in (ho English Channel op Boxing Day, 1916, could trill tui interesting story, and so could tlie sea--man who was torpedoed, twice i.n thfl.. teoi'ara. — "1 joined the steamer Karroo in February, 1915," writes a Neutral Bay resident, "and was at. tlie lauding at Gaba 'J'epe, ond -brought the last lot of troops from the evacuation at- Cape Holies.", Aileolis was on ilho ship when she was carrying fooilstull's,. ammunition, and horses between Canada and France, /But this is not an isolated case. There .are thousands'with.'SimUm' service. Agreement will be found with an engineer who servc-d four years, and whoexpresses- the 1 view: "Having read the statements of some of our leading admiraivbolh here and. in England, I imagino the time has arrived when soino recognition ought to be shown', to us." "I'left Sydnoy in llio Argyllshire on ■ November 2, IDIG, with troops, arriving in England on January 12, 1917," says a Bank-down man. "Wo left London on /Ir'ebruarv il of that year, and we.ro. tor'pedoi'd'"on the 51 li in the Channel. hut we got the ship, into Dovonport." TlieJi lie'-joined the''.Persic,, carrying black troops from West Africa to German East Africa."'-'; ■ ■ A subject for consideration is put by onc.wrilcr, who. remarks:'"Wo transport nien.-oro refused-admittance to tho R.S. and S.l. League, and as the Navy will not recognise us. :: we' have neither llio returned sailors' nor soldiers' badge/and have' to 'meet' the'.scorn which- is meted out .'now; lo the badgele?s." '■ "J; among thousands, risked theveubniarino Ijloc'kado'. iiii'd was on board the Boonah when she was attacked liv'a tTeinnah. submarine; which pank (lie Marmora," iTi>orl.-r a. seaman now settled in Sydney, whi;: l another writes from Pnfldtngtoii tliat lie was "torpedoed on two occasion*, and : was net given ■ recognition for services rendered."