NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
"Victoria Drummond, Marine Engineer"
From: George Huxtable
Date: 2006 Aug 24, 16:15 -0500
I wonder how many list members have ever heard of Victoria Drummond? I
hadn't, until recently reading her account of a career as marine
engineer, published by the Institute of Marine Engineers, in 1994.
Born into a "posh" Scottish family, in an era when such things
mattered (as in Britain they still do, to some extent), she enjoyed
working with her hands, and didn't mind getting mucky.
Apprenticed at first to the local garage, she continued apprenticeship
with a marine engine foundry, before going to sea. This was, at first,
in a big vessel as 10th engineer; it's remarkable what a big
complement was carried in those days.
Over the years, she worked her way up to be Chief, in a wide variety
of vessels, engine types, oceans, and trades. In the war to 1945, she
was in convoys across the Atlantic, and to Russia. Altogether, she
travelled in 49 different vessels, making hundreds of passages in her
long career, ending only with her retirement from the sea in 1962 at
the age of 67.
Not all the book appealed to me, in that there was a lot about family
matters, shore excursions and the clothes she would wear. "Girly"
stuff, unsurprisingly, when I would have been more interested in
technical details. Even so, there was plenty of that technical stuff
too, particularly from the coal-burning days, when an engineer was
expected to enter a still-cooling boiler or furnace, with a gang of
hands, to get an urgent job done at sea.
Of course, she met much prejudice against her sex, and had difficult
relationships with some of her deck officers (and particularly warm
ones with others). Countering that prejudice, and controlling an
unruly engine gang, must have presented problems throughout her
career. She comes across (in her own account) as a competent officer
who knew her business and got it done.
I wonder whether any women hold comparable positions today?
George.
contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com
or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
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To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
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From: George Huxtable
Date: 2006 Aug 24, 16:15 -0500
I wonder how many list members have ever heard of Victoria Drummond? I
hadn't, until recently reading her account of a career as marine
engineer, published by the Institute of Marine Engineers, in 1994.
Born into a "posh" Scottish family, in an era when such things
mattered (as in Britain they still do, to some extent), she enjoyed
working with her hands, and didn't mind getting mucky.
Apprenticed at first to the local garage, she continued apprenticeship
with a marine engine foundry, before going to sea. This was, at first,
in a big vessel as 10th engineer; it's remarkable what a big
complement was carried in those days.
Over the years, she worked her way up to be Chief, in a wide variety
of vessels, engine types, oceans, and trades. In the war to 1945, she
was in convoys across the Atlantic, and to Russia. Altogether, she
travelled in 49 different vessels, making hundreds of passages in her
long career, ending only with her retirement from the sea in 1962 at
the age of 67.
Not all the book appealed to me, in that there was a lot about family
matters, shore excursions and the clothes she would wear. "Girly"
stuff, unsurprisingly, when I would have been more interested in
technical details. Even so, there was plenty of that technical stuff
too, particularly from the coal-burning days, when an engineer was
expected to enter a still-cooling boiler or furnace, with a gang of
hands, to get an urgent job done at sea.
Of course, she met much prejudice against her sex, and had difficult
relationships with some of her deck officers (and particularly warm
ones with others). Countering that prejudice, and controlling an
unruly engine gang, must have presented problems throughout her
career. She comes across (in her own account) as a competent officer
who knew her business and got it done.
I wonder whether any women hold comparable positions today?
George.
contact George Huxtable at george@huxtable.u-net.com
or at +44 1865 820222 (from UK, 01865 820222)
or at 1 Sandy Lane, Southmoor, Abingdon, Oxon OX13 5HX, UK.
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
To post to this group, send email to NavList@fer3.com
To , send email to NavList-@fer3.com
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
