Discharge Book numbering from WW 2 to 1972 for British seamen

[Alan Whitehouse]

R816085 5th April 1965 Alan Whitrhouse
Hope this is helpful

[Alan Whitehouse]

This is just s test i am doing (Doc Vernon) on Alan,s Page So no Replies
Thanks R816085

https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/C8588153

Reference:	BT 372/2638/48
Description:	R816085 WHITEHOUSE A E 07/02/1944 LEVEN NEAR HULL
Date:	1913 - 1972
Held by:	The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department:	R816085
Legal status:	Public Record(s)
Closure status:	Open Document, Open Description

[Brendan Bride]

My discharge book number is R905263 and was issued in April 1972 I done a couple of trips that brought me into 1973 when I had to change the discharge book for the new ones that had come they issued the first uk numbers hope that helps Ben

[Derek Johncock]

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 was R840574

[Ian Hey]

Mine is R821040 issued in about 1965/6

[Roger Carr]

Mine was R768577 issued in Liverpool March 1962

[Peter Gill]

Mine's R865950 from 1968.
Never forgotten it!

[Harvey Stanger]

Mine’s R835300 issued 1966

[Colin Howard Thompson]

Mine was R904322 issued in South Shields on 9th January 1973

R904205 here, isued October 71 also at South Shields

[Robert Reilly]

Thanks to everyone who's contributed so far.

Stuart Henderson's point about not seeing R 4????? numbers seems to be backed up by Colin Hawken (R 510709) and Fred Lacey(R 525985)both from 1949 which were issued 2 years after R 396040. Any R 4????? numbers out there?

Mick O'Brien's number UK 018117 from 1974 tallies with Doc Vernon's thought that the change from the R prefix to the UK prefix took place in 1972.
Is there anyone with a number issued in the 1968-72 period ?

thanks again for the help
David Snook

My discharge book number R902093 was the summer of 1971, Robert Reilly went to Gravesend Kent sea school.