Discharge Book numbering from WW 2 to 1972 for British seamen

[Terry Foskett]

I've done some research on Discharge Books and Discharge A numbers from WW2 to 1972 to try and get an idea of the turnover of British seamen over the period.
Typical numbers issued for various years are

1940 R 217400
1943 R 230000
1945 R 310000
1956 R 658000
1965 R 816000
1972 ??? Was R prefix still used at this time.

I would be grateful for feedback on whether these numbers look reasonable and also for some information on the numbers issued around 1972.
thanks
David Snook

Mine is R248632 issued Liverpool March 1961.
Terry Foskett

[Daniel Woollard]

I've done some research on Discharge Books and Discharge A numbers from WW2 to 1972 to try and get an idea of the turnover of British seamen over the period.
Typical numbers issued for various years are

1940 R 217400
1943 R 230000
1945 R 310000
1956 R 658000
1965 R 816000
1972 ??? Was R prefix still used at this time.

I would be grateful for feedback on whether these numbers look reasonable and also for some information on the numbers issued around 1972.
thanks
David Snook

Daniel woollard R842497 September 1966 Victoria Docks

[Chris Flatley]

I was 1964 R805001

[Michael Forshaw]

My Discharge Book was issued in 1972 and is R910***

[John Onslow]

I've done some research on Discharge Books and Discharge A numbers from WW2 to 1972 to try and get an idea of the turnover of British seamen over the period.
Typical numbers issued for various years are

1940 R 217400
1943 R 230000
1945 R 310000
1956 R 658000
1965 R 816000
1972 ??? Was R prefix still used at this time.

I would be grateful for feedback on whether these numbers look reasonable and also for some information on the numbers issued around 1972.
thanks
David Snook

My discharge book was issued Sept 1971 and was R9.....

[Doc Vernon]

Once again i ask why?? So many of you are giving your Discharge Numbers and the Year, some Numbers are just two digits, why all the secrecy!
Come on Lads please give the Full Number , unless you have forgotten it and only remember the start digit!????

Also as i have requested before on this Thread, i will and cannot add those names and Numbers etc unless you give the full details, that is
Your First Ship, your full Number the Year and which Company!

All those that give just a snippet is of no use or help at all!
Thank You

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Vernon.
I suspect that the posters may not have stayed at sea long, not that it matters on the site as anyone whether they went to sea for sixty years or six months they were still at sea and entitled to be called a seaman. Many may believe when reading the posts feel they can't keep up with the fact they didn't stay the distance whatever that was, and have nothing to contribute, but even their stories short as they may be are all grist for the mill for us old codgers.
Des

[Dave Symonds]

Mine is R834737 Issued on the 3rd May 1966

[Hugh]

Once again i ask why?? So many of you are giving your Discharge Numbers and the Year, some Numbers are just two digits, why all the secrecy!
Come on Lads please give the Full Number , unless you have forgotten it and only remember the start digit!????

Also as i have requested before on this Thread, i will and cannot add those names and Numbers etc unless you give the full details, that is
Your First Ship, your full Number the Year and which Company!

I suspect a couple of things are going on here.
Firstly, some don't want to give out their full Dis. A number - not really surprising as it is a way of identifying you online and in this day and age with ID theft some people are reluctant to do this. That is why all sites invite you to join using a user name so you display that rather than give personal details. Some choose to do so other choose not to.

Secondly - this thread was started by David Snook quite some time ago in his research about when Dis.A numbers were issued and I think it has moved way off the original topic. So some give the numbers to aid the original poster's question and others give the number for Doc's project. As of my post we now have 31 pages since the question was first asked by David in 2012.

Regards
Hugh

[j.sabourn]

To me the first thing I see is a person who does not disclose his discharge book number is suspect to even his name. JS