I managed to recover some documents from an old backup of my Grannyâs computer. One of the files was an interview with my Grandfather Norman Macleod about his time working as a whaler in South Georgia. Iâve tried to pull it together with some photos he had as well as some found online of the boats and places he talked about
Interview
Mr. Macleod, when did you first start whaling?
I first went whaling in 1958
What gave you the idea to go whaling? Did you or your parents work in the fishing industry before?
I was working in Edinburgh for two years and I used to meet up with whalers, many of whom I knew, as they came to sign on in Leith. I thought it would be a bit of an adventure to join them. First year I tried to sign on I was unsuccessful but the second year I was taken on to serve, when and where required as a group 8 whaler. Group 8 whaler was erroneously referred to by one novelist as the lowest form of animal life in Antarctica. It couldnât be further from the truth. It would be hard to find a better group of men than the whalers I worked with. My family and I did no commercial fishing, but coming from an island were quite used to small boats and small line fishing.
When you went whaling the only British company whaling in the Arctic was Christian Salvesen Ltd. of Leith, which operated two factory ships and a land whaling station on South Georgia. You said you had been a factory hand on one of the factory ships called the "Southern Venturer". Describing an ordinary working day what was your work like on this pelagic whaling ship? How long were the working shifts?
We worked 12-hour shifts during the fishing season, and my job the first few seasons was in the stowing gang. Towing bags of meat meal in the large tanks. They had to be neatly laid out, like fish in a barrel and could weigh up to 200 Lbs. if they contained a lot of bone meal. The work was very heavy and hot.
The Antarctic Whaling season usually started around the beginning of December and lasted until late March or early April. What month did you leave Scotland for South Georgia and how many weeks did it take to get there? How many seasons did you spend whaling?
We left home in September and after Documentation and Medical in Leith we traveled down to join the factory ship in South Shields in the North East of England. After a few days we would leave for Norway to pick up the Norwegian part of the work force and more stores. We then left for South Georgia, stopping only once for bunker, usually in Aruba. From start to finish it would take us five to six weeks and after a couple of days at South Georgia we would leave for the fishing ground. I did a total of five seasons with an overwintering period on South Georgia between the first and second season.
Was the crew on board the whole time during the entire season of the Antarctic summer or did it occasionally go ashore as well?
After leaving South Georgia we saw no land until we returned after the season ended.
How much money did you earn? Was it enough to make a living? What was the most profitable job on the whaling fleet?
The pay was about a seamanâs pay. We did get overtime and a small bonus at the end. We did not handle any or spend much money and after an allotment home the rest accumulated to leave a lump sum at the end. The gunners who were also Captains of the catcher boats would be amongst the high paid.
How many men were occupied on the "Southern Venturer"? And what nationality were they?
There were quite a few hundred on board made up of half British and half Norwegian.
The whales were processed on the floating factory straight away. What kinds of products were made from the whale on the "Southern Venturer"?
The products from the whale was the oil, of course meat meal, liver oil, some whale bone (baleen plates) and Sperm Whale teeth, which I believe were given to disabled charitable workshops. There was also a small meat extract plant known on board as the Bovril Plant.
What part of the whale was the most valuable one? Were there any under-utilised whale parts that would not be processed?
The oil would be the most valuable. Only the entrails were not used.
What species of whales were hunted?
Mostly Fin Whales, Sei and Blue Whales and one season Humpback.
How many whales were caught on average a day?
Difficult one. It varied so much depending on availability, weather etc. Sometimes fishing would be stopped for a while as the factory would be working at full capacity, or as we would term it âfull cookâ.
Was the whaling restricted to specific whaling grounds? What were they?
The fishing of humpback was restricted to certain areas and was permitted for four days only. We had two inspectors from the International Whaling Commission on board, one for each shift, who ensured that all rules were kept. On only one season were we in the correct area on these four days and over two hundred were caught.
Were there situations when being on board became very dangerous? Did you experience any accidents?
There were very few accidents. In those days before health and safety regulations came in common sense ruled.
You said you spent one winter season in Leith Harbour, South Georgia. What kind of work did you carry out there? Did you rejoin the "Southern Venturer" the following Antarctic spring? How many months did you stay away from home in total during this time?
I spent my overwintering period ashore in Leith Harbour in the toolstore, signing tools out and back in again, sharpening and repairing tools and rejoining the Southern Venturer. This period that we called âSeason Winter Seasonâ meant about eighteen months away from home.
Did you miss family and friends when going whaling and being such a long way from home? How could you keep in touch with them?
Having left family and Island to work shortly after leaving school, I was used to being away from home. I was getting mail just a few times a season, when a transport or tanker came down and sometimes through the Falklands via Leith Harbour left us very much wanting news from home. It must have been more difficult for married men with families. In an emergency a radio telegram via the company could be sent either way.
Why and when did you finally stop whaling?
Whaling was coming to an end. The Southern Venturer was sold to the Japanese and I did my last and fifth season on the Southern Harvester. By 1963 I thought it was time to drop anchor ashore.
What was your opinion about whaling when working on the âSouthern Venturerâ and how has it changed over the years?
Brought up in rural Lewis, I was quite used to poultry, sheep and cattle being slaughtered for human consumption and I saw little wrong with harvesting adult whales. There were plenty of regulations to prevent them being brought to near extinction.
Photos
A collection of photos of Antarctic whaling and the boats Norman mentioned
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Paintings of the Southern Venturer
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Wee Pot Stove
The folk singer Harry Robertson was an engineer who also worked in Leith Harbour and aboard the Southern Venturer. Harry and his shipmates would sing or recite traditional songs and ballads, as well as songs and poems that they composed themselves
Lyrics:
[Verse 1] How the winter blizzards blow When the whaling fleet's at rest Tucked in Leith Harbour's sheltered bay Safely anchored ten abreast The whalers at the station As from ship to ship they rove Carry little bags of coal with them And a little iron stove [Chorus] In the wee dark engine room Where the chill seeps in your soul How we huddled roon' that wee pot stove That burned oily rags and coal [Verse 2] Now fireman Paddy worked with me On the engine stiff and cold A stranger to the truth was he There's not a lie he hasn't told He boasted of his gold mines And of hearts that he had won And his bawdy sense of humor shone Just like a ray of sun [Chorus] In the wee dark engine room Where the chill seeps in your soul How we huddled roon' that wee pot stove That burned oily rags and coal [Verse 3] We laboured seven days a week With cold hands and frozen feet Ah, bitter days and lonely nights Making grog and having fights Salt fish and whale meat sausage Fresh penguin eggs a treat And we trudged along to work each day Through icy winds and sleet [Chorus] In the wee dark engine room Where the chill seeps in your soul How we huddled roon' that wee pot stove That burned oily rags and coal [Verse 4] Then one day we saw the sun And the factory ship's return Ah, meet your old friends, sing a song Hope the season won't be long Then homeward bound when it's over And we'll leave this icy cove But I always will remember That little iron stove [Chorus] In the wee dark engine room Where the chill seeps in your soul How we huddled roon' that wee pot stove That burned oily rags and coal