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Photograph of Doug Cross

Doug Cross

Doug belongs to: Royal British Legion Seaman's Mess

Doug was born in South Shields in 1919. He joined the merchant navy at 15 with great ideas of adventure. During World War Two Bill was in the Arctic convoys and at the D-Day landings dropping off armaments.

Doug was interviewed by Kylea Little on 15 November 2005. The interview took place at South Shields Royal British Legion and lasted 55 minutes and 5 seconds.

Photograph of Doug Cross
Photograph of Doug Cross

Joining the merchant navy

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"I joined the MN because one of my four brothers, he went to see in the early 1920s or 30s"

I joined the Merchant Navy because one of my four brothers, he went to sea in the early 1920s or 30s and I wanted to do the same.

It was a hard life but as you know the, it was depression time and there weren’t many alternatives for school leaving boys to do. The, the only alternatives they had were farming, the coal mines or go to sea. There were, the shipyards were in decline at that time and it was very, very hard for school leavers to get jobs, to learn trades or professions.

Visitor Comments

ship's crews

My father Edward O'Donnell was a chief engineer with Stag Line fro about 1943-1961. He sailed on the Gloxinia, Cydonia, Clintonia, Iwonder if Doug sered on any of thse ships and has any memories of my father.

By Charles Edward O'Donnell On 1 November 2007

Doug has 20 memories in the memorynet:

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Work

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