Missions to Seamen

Z1130/9/9/10, Postcard of the entrance to Bedford Park, 1913 (Bedfordshire Archives Service)

Thursday 2^nd November: An interesting meeting under the auspices of the Mission to Seamen Society took place in the YMCA hut at Bedford Park. The principal speaker was the Rev E Ealand, Chaplain at Antwerp. During the war he engaged on mission work amongst the mine sweepers. He reported that over the course of the war, the Admiralty had taken over two thirds of the Mercantile Marine and the country was dependent on the other one third for its food supply. The work of the mine sweepers is very dangerous, preparing safe passage for vessels at sea. Rev Ealand made an appeal for special gloves to be made for pulling wire cables and was rewarded with a number of volunteers at the close of the speech.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 03/11/1916

The Mission to Seaman Society was a Christian organisation that provided practical and welfare support to sea farers around the world. It was founded in 1856 and later became known as the Mission to Seafarers.