Wingisland, not really. See above. 5 years of f*** all back pay is still f*** all.
MightyGem,
True. My old man was sunk by a Japanese submarine. After being rescued and taken back to Java they were almost abandoned to their fate. Evacuation was women and children followed by military followed by male civilians as the latter would only be interned.
Anyway he and his 3rd mate got out and got themselves jobs in Oz. One sowing mail bags, the other treading grapes. When the blisters got too bad they swapped jobs.
He got a job on Blue Funnel to the USA and somehow fetched up in New York. He then got another job to sail home before rejoining his original company.
By chance we saw him on a short film clip shown at the end of the BBC series of War at Sea 12 years or so ago. It was an add on episode for the merchant navy. It was the labour office, packed with seamen trying to get a ship. Either Greenock or Halifax. Suddenly the crowd split apart and my old man, all 5 ft 6, swept in to the centre.
Only getting paid for signing on was some incentive. His pay on the ship that was sunk was a massive £21/11/7 per month as 2nd Mate. A 21 year old AB got 3/6 per week.