The Merchant Seamen could with some justification call themselves the real forgotten heroes of WWII . I recall that in the World at War episode dealing with the Battle of the Atlantic, one of their veterans recounted of being home in a blitzed Liverpool on shore leave. He was waiting at a bus stop when a woman took the trouble to cross the road to spit in his face, remarking that at his age he should be in uniform. He was in civvies of course.
Those, like your father PN, who were survivors had a double indemnity. As soon as they abandoned their torpedoed sinking ship, their pay stopped. The remaining time spent in a lifeboat (weeks often) was at their expense and not their employer's.
Last edited by Chugalug2; 28th Dec 2012 at 21:27.