The Seaman: The Official Organ of the National Union of Seamen Royal Museums Greenwich

She appealed to the India Office to help redress this unjust treatment, documented in correspondence between her and officials for over a year. The Order led to much hardship for the family, as without proof of nationality he was unable to find employment aboard ship and experienced police harassment in the street. Was understood strongly to dissent from the proposition, that there existed, by the constitution, a prerogative right in the Crown to impress men for the naval service. No such right, he contended, existed, except only in such cases as might render it necessary for all the subjects of the realm to take arms.

As an island nation with over 95% of our everyday goods coming to our shores by sea we are also committed to providing first class port based welfare services to active seafarers visiting our shores. As holding his Majesty’s commission in the service, felt it to be due to the right hon. Baronet to tender his thanks for these measures, and to express his readiness to go hand in hand with him in carrying them into full effect. This item of legislation is currently only available in its original format.

– 1945 The Second World War

But, knowing the Seamen disadvantages of that system, he hailed with satisfaction the measure of his right hon. Friend; and the amelioration and amendment it had undergone since the last Parliament, with great care and attention to the details, he had no doubt that the measure would conduce to put an end to the grievous evil of impressment for the King’s naval service. He desired this, not only as a citizen of this country, but also as a naval officer, because be knew that the old adage was true, and that “one volunteer is worth two pressed men.” He would beg leave to call the attention of the House to the amelioration of the system of impressment which had taken place towards the end of last war. At first, men were kept in their ships, from five years to five years, and from ten years to ten years, and they had not the means of visiting their friends when they came to England, after an absence of many years, but towards the end of the war they received a portion of what was due to them, and were allowed some weeks absence. Baronet then moved for leave to bring in a Bill “To amend and consolidate the laws relating to the Merchant Seamen of the United Kingdom; and for forming and maintaining a register of all the men engaged in that service.” Also a Bill “For the encouragement of the voluntary Enlistment of Seamen, and to make regulations for more effectually manning his Majesty’s navy.”

(2)The superintendent shall transmit the reports to the Registrar-General of Snipping and Seamen, or to such other person as the Board of Trade may direct, to be recorded. They appealed to the Indian National Congress for an inquiry about the condition of Indians living in England and demanded equal treatment as British subjects and citizens of empire. It took over 11 months for Fazel Mohamed to receive the necessary documentation from India proving that he was a British subject.

– British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act

The Official Letter from the India Office on 27 August 1926 must have come as a great relief. The distress caused is evident from Mary Fazel’s correspondence with the India Office. Mary Fazel, who lived in Bootle near Liverpool, was the wife of Fazel Mohamed who worked as a fireman on board ship.

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If the missing documentation is not submitted within this period of time, seamen must re-apply. After verification is completed for the documents submitted, an e-mail will be sent with a copy of the invoice for processing the application. When payment is received, VLAS will send out the Vanuatu documents to the seaman. Email newslettersOur tailored newsletters are written by our booksellers, and we always highlight the books that we have talked about most in the Postscript office. Expressed his approbation of the proposed measure — a measure which he believed would he highly satisfactory to his constituents, who were deeply interested in the matter. (2)If the master or owner of a ship acts in contravention of this section, he shall for each offence be liable to a fine not exceeding ten pounds.

Observed, that he had said, last Session, that he was prepared to hear the arguments brought forward, and to see the effects of the measure which his right hon. Friend, the Member for Cumberland, intended to bring forward, before he, as a naval officer, would vote against impressment, because he knew that circumstances might arise when it would be necessary to resort to impressment for the purpose of manning the King’s fleet, in order to resist the foreign foe. Until some efficient measure for manning the fleet could be substituted, we must not throw away impressment.