Discharge book

[happy daze john in oz]

Hi Louis, it was a cousin of my mother who told me about the paper dischage sheets. He had been deep sea for many years but after marrying he decided to try coasters to have more time at home. He told me he found it a bit odd after all the years with discharge book.

[Les Woodard]

Louis I used to have paper discharges when I was on a foreign going tug with the RFA in the early sixties. We used to do a lot of work in the Med. I had to sign articles every six months while on her. Did not get a discharge book until I joined the Pool and I still had to wait until they opened the books to do that so it was not a sure thing of obtaining a discharge book. Mind you I still had to be in the union and pay my fees to them. I was only a boy rating at the time.

[jim mc kernan]

Hello,
Firstly I am a diver, are we considered part of the merchant navy at all? May sound like a silly question but it is not very clear all in all.
Second, I have a seamans discharge book. can anyone tell me, are there any benefits to be had by having a discharge book? Does it ientitle the holder to any discounts or benefits?

Thanks in advance

tank

hi tank--not so many years ago north sea ferries gave a 20% discount for both my wife and i on a return trip from Newcastle to holland(always have trouble spelling imuijen!)I booked over the phone and told the lass i was retired and she sounded like she had give dicounts for us before.also am i telling my granny how to suck eggs?by mentioning Shipwrecked Mariners.Good fishing!Which reminds me,does anyone (of the older members)remember when,on the end of the midnight b.b.c.forcast,one of the announcers ALWAYS said "and good fishing gentlemen"?

[EIFION]

There is an organisation called SAFFA , it is a central contact point for all charities for ex members of British Forces including the Merchant Navy and yes they do ask for discharge book number but as far as I know the job/rank bit is of no matter

[Clifford Cocker]

What year was the suffix "R" added to discharge book numbers?

[Hugh]

What year was the suffix "R" added to discharge book numbers?

Hi Cliff,

Early to mid 1920s.

Regards
Hugh

[Charlie Hannah]

Australian MN you don't have a discharge book, all paper discharges. The only book I had was Union book and Pass port.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Charlie.
The Kiwi coast was the same all paper discharges, I still have my bundle, plus my old MN discharge book.
Cheers Des

[j.sabourn]

Some of these posts go back a lot of years, but in reply to the query do you get any advantages from a British Discharge book. I can record one. When home on leave I visited the first night club to open which had the usual restrictions of having to have a meal before drinking. I and others were only there for the beer and got stuck in. The place was raided by the police and all its patrons were questioned. When they came to me and asked for my address I said Smiths Dry Dock North Shields and was lucky I had my Discharge book on me to prove I was a seaman. They must have thought I was another stupid seaman and told me to make myself scarce, The people I had been drinking with were carted off to the cop shop and I just went home. Who was stupid??? JWS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Cliff,

Early to mid 1920s.

Regards
Hugh

My father's book R96096 issued 1927