A Steward’s Responsibilities

Heroes Remember

A Steward’s Responsibilities

Transcript

Well, once I was a steward I was feeding engineers in the officer and then the mess boys would feed the crew and then you’d wash the dishes and clean up the tables and then on Norwegian ships there’s always two coffee breaks, one at ten and one at three, and Norwegian is one of the best ships that you ever get for food. Wow. During convoys we were eating Virginia ham and turkeys and beef, nothing was short. A good, good menu so there was plenty of food. And every time in the steward department you had 15 cold cuts. That was 15 different cold meat that you had on a platter. That was like an entree before you had the meal so that was a pretty good living on a Norwegian ship as far as food goes. When we used to tie up sometimes with a Greek or British ships. They were very tight on their food and they use to trade and barter with us for a tin of ham or something like that and we’d get something else in return.

Description

Mr. Tanner describes his duties as a steward, and offers high praise for the quality of food on Norwegian ships.

Allen Tanner

Allen Tanner was born on December 1, 1925 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After finishing Grade Nine, he went to work for a Norwegian shipping firm on the Halifax dockyard. As a member of the Navy League, he served in an Honour Guard for the Queen when she visited Halifax in 1939. Too young to join the Canadian Merchant Navy, he joined a Norwegian ship, whose crew shortage made him a welcome addition. Mr. Tanner worked on board a freighter, but was lured to work on tankers due to the higher pay they offered.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 1:17
Person Interviewed:: Allen Tanner
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Branch:: Merchant Navy
Units/Ship:: D/S Sirehei
Occupation:: Steward

Related Videos

The Norwegians Needed Crew

Mr. Tanner describes being turned down, because of his age, for service in the Canadian Merchant Navy and joining the Norwegian fleet, whose hiring age was younger.

Ammunition Passer

Mr. Tanner discusses his other roles, particularly if under attack, and gets a dose of reality from a veteran sailor.

Convoy Structure

Mr. Tanner describes in detail the makeup of a convoy, the positioning of ships within it and ensuring the safety of surviving ships.

The Black Hole

Mr. Tanner describes the Black Hole, an area of the North Atlantic where U-boats launched their most devastating attacks. He also describes German strategies for attacking, and hiding from, Allied shipping.

Thoughts on Heroism

Mr. Tanner offers some general comments on heroism, and then discusses the extremes gone to survive twenty-four days in a life boat without food and water.

Praise for Corvettes and Crews

Mr. Tanner discusses the admiration he has for the seaworthiness of Canada’s Naval Corvettes, and the bravery of their crews.

Double Pay and Greater Security

Mr. Tanner describes switching to the tanker fleet because the pay doubled and the ships were better protected because of the value placed on fuel.

Date modified:: 2019-04-03