Sailing to Success

McGregor, Rae

Published by New Zaland Ship and Marine Society, Wellington, 2009

About this Item

From 1952 to 1986 the Union Steam Ship Compay operated a cadet scheme for training young seafarers to become merchant service deck officers. The first two cadets were seleceted in 1952 and when the cadet scheme ended in1986 350 had passed through, many to become master mariners and others to have careers in shipping related occupations with some becoming prominent in other roles. In the late 1930s the Union Company was finding it difficult to employ qualified deck officers and was considering adapting one of its fleet to serve as a training ship--- WWII put paid to that project. It was, however, revived in 1948, at a time when manning new ships coming into the post-war fleet were being encountered,The decision to place cadets in units ocerational units of the obviated the requirement for a training ship.The first two cadets went to sea in 1952. in tThe following years 10 cadets were accepted, later intake numbers fluctuated. In 1962 16 were signed on and remained at around that number for many intakes. In 1980s enrollment began to lower with no cadets from 1982 until the last four four cadets were appointed in 1986. A cadetship lasted for four years and as well as ship-board experience entrants also attended nautical school classes ashore. The first of four female cadets joined the scheme in 1980. Rae McGregor has made and excellent job preparing this book on bahalf of the Union Company Cadets Reunion Committee, with the book published to A1 Classification by the New Zealand Ship and Marine Society. The text material is based largely around the experiences of cadets as recorded in interviews conducted by the author and as for the worth of this project the book's title says it all. First edition of 2009, 175 pages including cadets list 1952-86, bibliography and index, illiustrated with two selections colour photos (38 images) plus b/w photos throughout, some document reproductiions ect, with pictorial end-papers.Green hard covers with gilt spine titles are NF, as is the text block. An ink name at the top of the half-title appears to be that of a member of the 1967-79 cadet intake. The colour pictorial DJ is also NF.

Seller Inventory # 005352

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Sailing to Success
• Publisher: New Zaland Ship and Marine Society, Wellington
• Publication Date: 2009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Photos, Document Reproductions
• Edition: 1st
• Condition: NF
• Dust Jacket Condition: NF
• Seller catalogs:
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