Recollections Of An Unsuccessful Seaman

by Leonard Noake

Born in 1887, George Leonard Noake joined the nautical training establishment, HMS Conway, in 1903. He then served an apprenticeship at sea until 1908 when his detailed memoirs commence, sailing as a second officer in the European/West African trade. After going ashore to work on a farm between 1913 and 1915, he returned to the mercantile marine in 1915 during the First World War to sail in a number of ships carrying horses, grain and coal. He survived not only being torpedoed in the English Channel, but also making 112 trips between England and Europe on a ship carrying war materials.

Subsequently joining one of the largest tankers in the world, he endured a hazardous passage without a naval escort through the Channel to Rosyth to deliver safely the precious

oil cargo before hostilities ended. The narrative of his wartime experiences is both harrowing and humorous.

The rest of life is covered in a well written and entertaining manner. The whole book provides a great insight into life at sea in the early part of the 20th century.

This is a very good book and I would very highly recommend it to our readers.