Becoming a Whaler

*Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association*

Where did the whalers come from?

People in search of work came from all over the North Sea to South Georgia. Those from the UK were often Scottish, coming from the communities around Edinburgh and in coastal and island regions. Although some did travel from areas where whale catchers were being built in England. Many of the workers were Norwegian, hailing from the area of Vestfold which had made a name for itself with the whaling industry. Other Scandinavian countries were also involved and there were some Swedish and Danish whalers who travelled to South Georgia.

The company Christian Salvesen operated a whaling station in Shetland, and they encouraged people to work in South Georgia when they started operating there. They knew that people from the islands were hard workers and good seafarers. This was true of other parts of Scotland, where there were whaling stations or whaling connections in certain ports, such as the Western Isles and Dundee. As the main office for Christian Salvesen was in Edinburgh, there were also a large number of men who went to the whaling from around this area.

Norwegians had also been involved with Arctic whaling, so when interest turned to the Antarctic whaling many of those who had been working in the Arctic made their way to the Southern regions. This continued into the twentieth century and many who were at the whaling were from the region of Vestfold, where many towns were involved with the industry.

Mostly the men who travelled to South Georgia, were ordinary people. Who came from families with all the usual concerns about finding work to support their home.

“When the British contingent was safely aboard, we were now ready to sail and pick up the Norwegian crew who greatly outnumbered us. The next numerous of our crew were from Shetland., the next from Scotland, mainly the Edinburgh area and the next from England, mainly from the Newcastle area, not forgetting a fair number of Scousers from Liverpool. And also from the Western Isles. The rest came from all parts of the U.K.”
George Moar, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Venturer, 1947

What motivated them?

The lack of jobs in many areas across Scotland in the post-war period led many to travel to South Georgia for work. Local jobs were in high competition, and what few jobs there were often did not pay well. At the whaling, young people could work their way up. Usually starting at mess boy level when they were 16 or 17 and going for their first trip. If you were interested in radio operation this was an option. Or if you wished to work your way up through the deck ranks you could return each year. With many leaving the whaling industry after working up to AB – Able seaman.

In the post-war period young men were being called up to join the Armed Forces. If you were at sea or the whaling you did not have to be conscripted, and this certainly nudged a few to make the decision to return to the whaling for more seasons. At this time conscription lasted for two years and paid poorly, far worse than what you would receive for a week of working in South Georgia.

“Conscription was imminent. [Davy Clark] had the choice to keep going whaling or join up. He suspected that he would be called up for the forces if he attempted to stay home. That would be two years out of his life; almost like a prison sentence. He made a conscious decision that he would carry on at the whaling for as long as it took”
From Fast Fish, Andrina Tulloch

For some going to the whaling represented adventure. It was a chance to leave your usual world behind and see a place very few got the chance to see. Some had heard stories of explorers and wished to see the distant lands for themselves. Others were fed up with the usual scenes at home, and the prospect of earning money at the same time as travelling far away seemed appealing.

“As with most organisations whaling had a rigid hierarchical structure. The top dogs were the gunners (skippers), followed by the flensers: all being Norwegian. It was always a closed shop at this level, up until then at least. The next were the officers, bosuns, catcher crews, artisans and whalers. The bottom of the heap were the mess boys who had the cushiest of jobs but were indispensable. Apart from the slaughter, noise, smell and the risk of injury, conditions were not too bad. This was balanced by the camaraderie, the good food and the prospect of a good pay off. After all it was a better life than working down the mines or doing National Service and getting shot at”
George Moar, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Venturer, 1947

Why did men travel so far to work "at the whaling"?

Whaling provided jobs for large numbers of men from small Scottish communities that did not have many other industries. The demand for whale products, meant that men could travel away from their homes but that they would return in the northern summers with enough money to see them and their families through.

Drawing of 29 Bernard Street. *Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association*

Signing-up

To get a job at the whaling in Scotland, the men had to go to the 29 Bernard Street office of Christian Salvesen in Leith, Edinburgh to sign up. Either you could show up at the office and request a job, offering your services or have someone put in a good word who was already down there.

“We came from all parts of the UK and gathered inside Salvesen’s office at 29 Bernard Street to sign contracts for the 1947 to 48 whaling expedition due to leave in September. After a thorough medical we all met up at a pub on the shore in Leith to get to know each other and to contemplate our future.

The contracts stated, that if the company so wished, they had the power to hold us to serve 18 months by doing an over winter sandwiched between two fishing seasons. Most of us hoped to do only one season, although some wanted the option to do two as this would greatly enhance their pay packets. After a few beers some of the older hands began to sing a song we were to hear over the coming seasons. It would never make the top ten but it somehow seemed to sum up our situation. It went something like this: “If you’re fed up with life and want tae leave yer hame go down to Bernard Street and gae Salvesen yer name”
George Moar, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Venturer, 1947

Voices of the Whalers

“Go down to Salvesen’s and see if you can get a job there. They are recruiting now”

James Yorkston, Mess Boy, 1958

Shetlanders were often taken on as crew members on factory and whaling ships or sometimes as shore staff at Leith Harbour. As they often knew people or family who were already working there, and it was easier to get a job with them.

Before you left you knew the job you were going to South Georgia. Contracts were signed at the start of the season and indicated what your pay grade would be. Signing-up came with a requirement to do a winter season at Leith Harbour doing maintenance work but meant that you would not be home for one and a half years.

The contracted base pay for work in South Georgia was up to 2 or 3 times higher than the average wage for a manual labourer in the UK. The base pay was supplemented with bonuses based on catch and production. The men also had opportunities to work overtime. These supplements meant that, in a good season, the men could take home over twice the wage of a skilled worker in the UK.

Whalers' work contracts

“My introduction to the whaling was through reading books, from the age of about 10, about Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott and Antarctic exploration”

George Cummings, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Harvester, 1947

Transport ship *Southern Opal* at Leith, South Georgia, surrounded by whale catchers. *Source: South Georgia Museum*

The journey South

From Leith, Edinburgh, men would set off together to their signing on port. Taking youngsters who may not know where they were going on trains and buses in the right direction.

The factory ships transported men to the south, along with specific transport ships which were built to carry men and goods. Southern Garden could carry 120 and the Southern Opal 576 including her crew. Sometimes they would stop in Norway before continuing south, other times the ships had already been to Norway. A trip from the UK to South Georgia mostly took six weeks.

“One of the first things we did after arrival was load several tons of timber planking. This was to be laid the full length of the Southern Harvester's Main Deck to provide a temporary work surface on which to flense the whales. I only fully understood why, after we started catching and processing the different whales. The wires, tail claws and other paraphernalia of the operation made deep gouges in the decking and it was frequently repaired throughout the season”
Ian Gibson, Junior Deck cadet, Southern Harvester, 1962

Keeping cool in a canvas pool. *Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association*

On board men did what they could to stay cool in the tropics.

Even if you were not working on board the ship that transported you to South Georgia, there were still plenty of jobs to do aboard until you arrived there. These tasks were all in preparation for the coming season. Groups of men would spend hours splicing new lines which would be used for many jobs. New wood was taken aboard every season to lay a new flensing plan deck. This was expertly done in a way which could be taken out at the end of each season. The plan was cleaned often to help with the slickness.

“I was allocated the position of deck mess boy and a bunch of us were sent down to Cardiff to join the whaling transport, “Polar Chief”. We were shown our cabins and we were given one to share between six of us. The smell of fresh paint and oil was overpowering but we got used to it. We made our way to the mess room. Rationing was all we knew at that time and I was scraping real butter on my bread when one of the old hands grabbed my knife and slapped a huge chunk on my slice saying, ‘this is what you do from now on.’ Almost unbelievable”
George Moar, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Venturer, 1947

Coaling party en route to South Georgia. *Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association*

Part of the journey south was stopping at some ports to get fuel aboard and to pick up bunkers. There were certain places that were usual to stop at such as Aruba; Carapito, Venezuela; Dakar, Senegal; or the Canary Islands. At these ports men would pour into local watering holes and have a few last moments of freedom before their long months in South Georgia.

“The weather is getting rougher, the majority of the mess boys have been going greener and so have some of our crowd, must be getting the beer out of their systems”

George Whitfield, 3rd Engineer, Southern Harvester, 1951

Crossing the Line ceremony. *Source: Eric Stevenson*

There were often boys aboard the ships heading for South Georgia who had never left their home before. Those crossing the equator for the first time were part of a ‘Crossing the Line’ ceremony. There was a ceremony on board which included first timers being ducked in a tarpaulin pool or in the sea. Usually someone dressed up as King Neptune to crown those who were crossed the equator for the first time. This is a tradition which dates hundreds of years, possibly as a boost to morale to have some fun while on board. Not only done by whalers, but part of a larger seafaring tradition, still taking place to this day.

Watercolour of the Resolution and Adventure taking in ice for water by William Hodges, Resolution artist. *Source: State Library of New South Wales*

First impressions of South Georgia

Captain Cook’s first impressions of South Georgia are well documented in his writings. And he did not care for what little he saw.

“Thick fogs, snow storms, intense cold, and every other thing that can render navigation dangerous, must be encountered, and these difficulties are greatly heightened by the inexpressibly horrid aspect of the country; a country doomed by nature never once to feel the warmth of the sun’ rays, but to lie buried in everlasting snow and ice.”

Captain James Cook, 6 February 1775

“One educated joker said: ‘South Georgia is the furthest flung corner of the British Empire,’ prompting a reply from his mate: ‘Aye and the ….. who threw it never flung it far enough!'"
George Moar, Deck Mess Boy, Southern Venturer, 1947

“Mini Iceberg.” *Source: John Alexander*

Unlike Cook, the whalers were much more in awe of the island. Often noting the mountainous land with its imposing black peaks as being a moment for them. The dramatic scenery of the landscape, where snow lay still in the mountains was contrasted against the busy stations with steam puffing around, getting ready for another season.

During the whaling era, approach to South Georgia had to happen during the day to ensure that ships did not lose sight of the island or miss it. This meant that most of the first impressions of the island happened during the day and those arriving could get a proper look at where they would be based for the next few months. Whalers in Shetland recall an incident when a ship was trying to approach a South Georgia. Asking over the radio for a small boat to come out and meet them. Only to discover that what they were approaching was instead a large iceberg.

“I thought, and I still think, it was the most marvellous scenery that I had ever seen. A beautiful frosty morning, the rays of the sun just peeking over the top of the snow-clad mountains, sea flat calm, lines of newly painted catchers reflecting in the water, grey painted buildings with red roofs, against the white sparkling snow in the background. Breathtaking. But when we tied up alongside the pier and looked ashore, it was like going back in time. It looked as if it was all old men with long beards pushing bogies along rails”
Alister Thomason in Shetland’s Whaling Tradition, 2015

“We have arrived at the outskirts of South Georgia. A catcher called the “Southern Harper” has come alongside, the crew are waving and calling out greetings. The island looks very small and as we come closer you can see it has a very mountainous countryside with snow on the various peaks. Bare rock below as it’s so called summer here”
George Whitfield, 3rd Engineer, Southern Harvester, 1951

Whales in slipway of a factory ship. *Source: John Alexander*

Death of a whale

Witnessing the first dead whale is a memory shared by all whalers. Whether you saw one coming through ‘Hell’s Gates’ or one being shot by a harpoon, it was a sight that stayed with you. But was quickly followed by the realisation that it was ‘part of the job.’ Whalers went on to see hundreds of dead whales in a season. If you worked on the catchers, then the sound of the harpoon going off meant money. Although that perhaps did not make the reality of it any easier.

Whales were used as fenders against the factory ships, especially if they were beginning to turn old which created a huge stink. Whales had to be process within a day of being caught to ensure that the oil stayed good. Latterly this timeframe was elongated with the use of specially formulated antibiotics to ensure the whale stayed fresher for longer.

Some whalers recall seeing Sperm whales with large scars from fights with Giant squid, a main food source for the giants. Occasionally Sperm whales would be caught during a fight with squid, and it would still be attached to the whale.

“On a runway leading from the shore up to a group of winches was my first whale. It didn’t look much as it had been hacked about and at that moment they were cutting the intestines up and there was blood everywhere. Didn’t stay long as I thought I would soon be seeing plenty of that”
George Whitfield, 3rd Engineer, Southern Harvester, 1951

“To see them coming aboard, their black and white ebonite skin glistening, is beautiful. But then one sees a harpoon sticking out, showing a massive wound with blood pouring out. It is a nasty sight, no humane killing here. Sometimes it takes two to three harpoons to kill a whale”
George Whitfield, 3rd Engineer, Southern Harvester, 1951

“I had imagined some behemoth of the seas but the first to come up the shute was a 26 foot milk-filled (pregnant) sperm. The whaling inspectors had a field day with that as the minimum legal size for catching was 39 foot and NO milk filled females. I am not at all sure how the gunner was supposed to ensure this but imagine it was nigh on impossible to gauge. The first feelings were of upset, anger which gave way to the resignation that we were there to do a job and feelings didn't come into it. The senses were next to take a battering the sight and smell of all the blood and guts and the never ending noise of steam winches, bone saws and the like... this too we got over quickly”
Ian Gibson, Junior Deck cadet, Southern Harvester, 1962

Where did the whalers come from?

What motivated them?

Why did men travel so far to work "at the whaling"?

Signing-up

“They might stand out the front of their offices and say – ‘hey, do want to go to the whaling?’”

Voices of the Whalers

“Go down to Salvesen’s and see if you can get a job there. They are recruiting now”

Whalers' work contracts

“My introduction to the whaling was through reading books, from the age of about 10, about Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott and Antarctic exploration”

The journey South

From Leith, Edinburgh, men would set off together to their signing on port. Taking youngsters who may not know where they were going on trains and buses in the right direction.

Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association

Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association

Source: Shetland ex-Whalers Association

“You could go and get drunk for one night, and then that was it”

First impressions of South Georgia

Captain Cook’s first impressions of South Georgia are well documented in his writings. And he did not care for what little he saw.

“It was strange. I could just see this black land that we had come up against”

“It was fantastic sight to see the mountains”

“What the heck am I doing here!”

Death of a whale

“The first whale I saw was a sperm whale”