Discharge Book numbering from WW 2 to 1972 for British seamen

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John
Can't make out the name of the skipper, looks like Bavingo or something. He was a bit of a weirdo, we had just arrived in Melbourne from Kwinana, finished discharging and for two days just sat alongside, then the agent came down and asked the mate what the ship was still doing there, he said because we can't find the skipper, h turned up that night and w sailed none the wiser as to where he'd been. that was in 54.
Des

[j.sabourn]

Re. Hogarths another later apprentice of Hogarths was the younger brother of a bloke I went to school with surname Young. He went to the top in same company as well. However must have left sometime in the 70s I assume . He later turned up going with the initial fleet to the Falklands . They put anyone they could get their hands on to the Merchant vessels and signed them on as navigators. A few years later I read in the local paper at home he had died with a heart attack on the deck of a supply boat up the Persian Gulf. He must have only been in his late fourtys. Believe Donald was his first name. JS
PS if you were on any of their cargo ships Des you may have bumped into one of their skippers a Peter Turnbull. Or an engineer who was second on another ship with me, he was an ex B Special from Belfast , and as chance would have it so was the chief , hard luck on the poor 3 Engineer from south of the border ( down Mexico way)
Seconds name was Norman Hutchinson and was a neighbour of mine in WhitleyBay , chiefs name can’t remember, the third engineer was a joe Christmas a real gentleman . JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

John.
The only other Baron boat I was on the skippers name looks like G. Dawson.
Des

[Malcolm Bennington]

Mine was R760284 issued at Hull Nov. 6 1961

Malcolm Bennington.

[Patrick Collins]

Hi All , my discharge book no was R587805, 1953 TS Vindi, a time I shall never forget,

[John Richardson]

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

Hi David,
Mine is R851800 issued May 1967.
Best regards,
John Richardson

[Paul Piddock]

My number is R911665 issued whilst at Gravesend STS 1971

[Reg Mercer]

R831814 1966

[Gregor Ross]

Hi Ivan,

I don't think the 2nd Mate was over concerned about his own safety. He called the Captain to the bridge as he felt we should be reducing speed. When the Captain refused the 2nd Mate said "OK - up to you - but I am having no part of it" - and he left the bridge.

Standing on the bridge you couldn't really see the foc'sle . The first thing you saw ....... this huge wall of water reflected in the forward masthead light, it would rush past the forward mast, go black, and a second or two later you would see it again reflected in the mainmast steaming light. It would then go black again for an instant before the wall of white water would smash into the bridge windows. That was just as the bow was digging into the next trough. The view was then obscured whilst the water ran off the bridge windows. Once the run-off cleared the bridge windows the only thing you could see was ....... this huge wall of water reflected in the forward masthead light............

This went on for the entire watch . The ship had a service speed of 21 Knts. At full ahead we were managing 7-9knts over the ground. All I could do was hang on to the handles either side of the radar display. It was extremely difficult, and dangerous, to try and move around too much

[Gregor Ross]

JS Thanks for this - apologies for the delay in replying, I don't look into the forum every day.

Unfortunately, I don't have access to any of my father's personal effects (family issues after my mother died). I do remember seeing his indentures back in the 70's but can't remember any details other than the bit about visiting "houses of ill repute". I don't know the ship names.

Interesting that bit about 2 year voyages. I have this uncertain memory of my grandmother telling me that she had no idea where my father was for his first two years of service (1939-1941) They were apparently allowed to write home but not give any details about the ship's whereabouts. Somewhere around that time my grandmother met a young man in the street that was serving with the RNVR "Hello Mrs Ross, saw your son George down in Kingston, Jamaica last month, he was looking well.........."