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Thread: Discharge Book numbering from WW 2 to 1972 for British seamen

  1. #11
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    R 397928. Gravesend issued at Tilbury jJanuary 1948. alf
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    R397928

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  3. #12
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    My first Discharge Book R857342 was issued on the 7th March 68

    The last entry in that book was 20th June 73 on leaving the Texaco Brussels.

    My new Discharge Book was issued on the 18th September 72 yet the first time
    I used it was on the following ship to the above, Texaco Rotterdam 22nd July 73.

    Why the interval I dont know, as I had worked on two ships during that time. Maybe we had to collect it personally from the Shipping Federation in Prescot St. London.

    My new book had the same number as the old, it didn't change.

    The only real change in the new one was the two columns reporting our conduct and ability were removed.
    Hope this information helps.

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  5. #13
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    Default Discharge Book Numbering

    Mine R611450 was issued in 1954

    my father's, also Ivan Cloherty R96096 (five digits) issued in 1927

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  7. #14
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    Question Later Dis.A Numbers...

    My original Discharge Book (R 878267) was issued at Cornhill,Liverpool on 20/2/70 and was entitledSeaman’s Record Book and Certificates of Discharge “ and had two spaces for report of your character regarding Ability ,and General Conduct..(e.g. VG or DR etc.)

    They were replaced in 72/73 by a new book entitled “Seaman’s Discharge Book”. They no longer had the Character Report spaces.
    For example mine was issued at Glasgow(standing by a ship) on 13/12/72.
    One still kept your original issue ‘R ‘ No. when the new style book was issued.


    R’ ‘No’s themselves prefixed R8 ------ and R9------ were coming to the end of the series anyway and were succeeded in 1973 (not sure which month exactly,but quite likely January? )by the new UK------ series.

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    Last edited by Gulliver; 22nd March 2012 at 04:07 PM.

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    I think we had a thread on this a while ago but cannot recall the outcome. :-)

    Mine is R909138 and was issued in '72. I joined the Windsor Castle in April IIRC and left her in August. Joined the Bridgepool after that and left her Jan '73 when I had to get a new style book. Then again I could be talking rubbish and my new book was issued before I joined the Bridgepool in September '72.

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    I think numbers were issued on something akin to regional, as mine issued in 1952 was R597816.
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    Default Discharge book

    My discharge book number R227743 issued 23rd December 1940

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    Thanks for the additional information
    It looks as though the R numbering got to around R 910000 by 1972 before the system was revamped and the UK prefix introduced.

    Thanks to Bob McGahey for R 419585 which shows that they used R 4????? but only in 1948-9 so far. Unlikely to have issued 100,000 new discharge books in one year. interesting!

    Thanks to Doc Vernon for the 1924 number which was all numerical. I reckon that they got to around 1140000 (7 digits) by the mid 1920s before they switched to the R prefix and started again.

    Picking up Pemcol's point about numbers being akin to regional, I suspect that batches of prenumbered discharge books were supplied to the Mercantile Marine Offices around the country for new entrants, while unnumbered books were supplied for men who had filled up their existing discharge books.

    The only significant gap I have left is between 1956 (R 658336) and 1965 (R 816091). Can anyone fill it?
    thanks again for the information.
    David Snook

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    Hi, My number was R689823, issued in 1958 regards Keith

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    Mine is R809731, issued in Glasgow, Sept 1964.
    Duke Drennan R809731

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