I have been thinking that Whitstable did have its fair share of men a little above the average in their own line of business, such as divers, seamen and fishermen.
But I would like to mention one in particular whose skill and bearing I marvelled. He worked on Whitstable Harbour between the World Wars, when it was owned by Southern Railway, and had rail lines all around its quays.
Millions of tons of coal were brought from Newcastle and South Shields, by all types of sailing ships.
I do not think that any of them were more than 300 tons burden – and their draught more than 13 feet.
It was a good sight to see them take harbour, especially when the wind was blowing out.
The coal was loaded by manpower into railway trucks able to carry ten tons, and steam engines would tow a number of them on the single line to Canterbury.
When Thanet Way was built in the 1920′s thousands of tons of stone were directed into Whitstable in steamships.
These were sometimes a thousand tons burden, and skill was needed to bring such large ships into so small a harbour.
Here I saw a Whitstable seaman by the name of Jack Dunn, who would pilot the sailing ships in and out with perfection. From the navigated waters of the Swale he would bring them to the mouth of the harbour, and with not one word too many would direct them to their place along the quay.
Then he would join the team of men unloading the cargo into railway trucks to be transported to Canterbury and distributed all over Kent.
Jack Dunn often worked from early morning until late at night, and I marvelled to see him turn those ships round in so small a harbour, and see him shake the captain by the hand before he left.
R. D. Dale
80 Nelson Road
Whitstable
