My father went to sea, in 1941, aged sixteen-ish, when i say sixteenish, when you take his date of birth, and the time he went to sea, he wasnt sixteen, he was fifteen. He was in Atlantic convoys, but he couldnt even claim the Atlantic Star medal, because he was doing those convoys at fifteen, and they dont give medals to fifteen year olds.
I know for a fact, he did what he said he did, because after he died, i got his discharge book, which shows every ship he ever worked on, and their on the first page, is his first ship, and the date, is 1941, I can also see from the book that he passed for AB three years later. Unlike me, i had to sit some exams to get that certificate, and i had to have 36 months sea time, he just seems to have been given it. I also know from what he told me, that he left school at fourteen, and worked for a year, in 1940 aboard a fishing boat, and gave the money he made to his parents. He was the type of person, who was mature at an early age, and knew he had to work to help his parents out, yet, even in his old age, was full of fun, and didnt take life too seriously.
I think age dosent matter that much, I think if you can sail, and you are happy in yourself, and dont need people constantly around you to tell you what is right and wrong, you can do it. However, i do think that someone like Laura, is going to have a difficult life.
