Oral history of the Malta Dockyard: Paul Carbon

(00:30) He started out at the Dockyard as a Yard Boy for about one year, then he studied in Birkirkara (Freres) to sit for the dockyard exam, where he ranked 46th amongst 1,000 students and chose to become an Engine Fitters / Turner.

He finished his apprenticeship in 1949, after a period of six years, where they had to do various jobs on various vessels. Moreover, they changed workshops every 6 months in order to get a feel for different trades, within the dockyard.

(08:30) The first memory he mentions is the fire on 11th February in the Parlatorio tunnel, where they stored smoke screens. The Parlatorio tunnel was long and had a lot connecting tunnels. He particularly remembers that day because his father, who also worked as a boilermaker in the dockyard, died due to heart failure, outside the dockyard.

(10:00) A vessel, named HMS Wolfe had shifted on the blocks during painting operation, where workers were caught in between the dock blocks in the dock. One worker could not be saved so they gave him an injection and flooded the dock.

(12:00) In 1943 a vessel named USS Philadelphia and another ship, whose name he could not recall, which had serious war damages (collision) at the bow and stayed in the yard for about 6 months. 

(12:30) July 1942, was when he sat for the Dockyard exam, which was during wartime. The exams consisted of Physics, Maths, Geography (British Empire), English language & an initial interview, before sitting for the above-mentioned exams with the officer, to get a sense of their English conversation skills. He still remembers some details of the examination papers.

(14:45) Another story he remembers in 1945, when the English picked a number of the best apprentices of the dockyard, and sent to England to train as inspectors to come back to Malta once trained, however all the apprentices decided to stay in England.

(15:30) He remembers a draughtsmen teacher whose name was Pacifiku, came to teach them, once a week. The system at the dockyard school, was that if the students failed any of the examinations, they were stopped from continuing attending school. He mentions various departments and docks in the dockyard.

Entering the dockyard-Salaries, clocking in / out

(18:45) When he started their wage 12s/6d (approx. $1.25) which increased every year. After finishing the apprenticeship, it became £5/13s. Their pay packet was issued and given, every week on a Friday at quarter to four.

Their shift started at 7 am and finished at quarter to 5. They used a punch-tag (ċomba) to clock in and out of work until it changed to a punch clock system, which was checked by someone referred to as, a recorder. Their job was also to record the hours spent on the job, and keep track of their attendance.

He recalls their morning routine, they used to toast bread for breakfast, before starting their shift. At 11:30 they would start thinking about their lunch, they used to warm the forge to warm up their food, and start again at 13:00, then at 15:45 they will start washing their hands. There was a lack of amenities, and the during their work they used to get very dirty. 

(22:45) When they worked on ships, as a favour, the sailors used to give them money to buy 

something from the canteen, due to the fact that the sailors did not pay any tax and the workers would get the items cheaper.

(29:00) Tradesmen were recommended by their chargeman for 1 shilling increase per year. Very few workers, when they retired at the age of 60, would be given a certain amount of money as a pension, others used to finish on a Friday, and on Monday they'll be begging at the dockyard gates.

(29:30) He remembers Churchill and King George VI when they visited the yard. King George VI came on a cruiser and met the Archpriest of Senglea, who was criticized by the English papers, due to his lack of knowledge of the English Language.

He remembers various war incidents both in and outside the dockyard.