how do I find

[Brian Charles Williams]

I only did one trip with JIJ just to experience `a tanker trip`.I found them quite good, always recall the Star of David on the bed counterpane....white with blue motif as I remember.
The 2 columns re.`,Ability` & the other `general conduct`were all officially stamped and not hand written so there really wasn`t a way I could have put anything in those columns. I was on the `old` Hollywood ,joined her in Rouen & paid off in Birkenhead.
All the best Brian W.

[cappy]

###as stated before after skinning out in oz i had deserted in my book......also had signed on dec 25 1960 xmas day in newport wales ......a geordie old man did that cappy

[Charlie Hannah]

Cappy how come you were able to see your discharge book when i skinned out my Discharge book was never seen again! Did you reclaim your book?Blue Star sent my family a nasty letter (Your brother has deserted his ship,) By the time they got around to sending it i had already been in touch with home and told them myself. My niece wrote back to them and gave them a piece of her mind.

[j.sabourn]

I don't know how he did that Cappy. As would have thought it illegal. As stated I thought the discharges mentioned were the only ones. If no discharges in book like Brian there is the possibility that the master was leaving the door open for someone else perhaps on the committee to decide. In my case was just malice probably the master thought to keep himself in the clear as I threatened to call the authoritys in on the seaworthiness of the ship. However was a foreign flag and paperwork was of no concern to the BSF. Crew were the league of nations. Desertion is a very funny word and never saw in a discharge book, maybe others have had similar, there may have been circumstances extraordinary in your case but doubt it. Have known lots of desertions in Australia everyone knew the reason but was not broadcast in book. The believed reason may have been entered in the OLB, but to put the mark of Cain like that in someones book a reminder for ever to any future employer is a bit rough, did Mary pass something on to him, he obviously came from South of the River, don't think even Roberts would do that. Cheers JWS PS Charlie your book should have been returned to you, you paid for it. Even if they defaced the book so was unusable should still have been returned. When they brought the new certificate structure in they advised everyone to send in old qualifications as proof for the new ticket, I did this as had a couple of years working life left, always wished I hadn't, as returned the old British ticket defaced and clipped like and old passport is, and in its place a bit of cardboard similar to those that every Tom Dick and Harry now seems to have. As regards remembering your Dis A. number the same applied to your cert. number mine was 96781 which is now no use to anyone as the old certs now have been withdrawn I believe, what my new number is I have not given a rats ass to remember, as don't consider it much of anything apart from the little map in the front showing different areas of the world where Master 1 2 3 4 and 5 are applicable. Cheers JWS PS Would imagine the Captain of the ship that went aground off Italy a couple of years ago would have been one of the recipients of the new cert, structure, him that's in prison now, and saw no reason for being where he now resides. Hollywood will probably make a film of and employ him as an advisor when he gets out. Anyone hear about how Captain Phillips got on after being sued by his crew ?? JS

[Brian Charles Williams]

As I mentioned re, discharge book, though my book was returned to me when I had to report to the pool and to front a committee for me to explain the reason for` missing` the ship the book was left blank but I have a copy of the ships agreement and the `old man` had put in the column` place & cause for leaving ship```deserted`` showing monies I left in the ship 9 pounds 1 shilling & one & half penny !! I never did see that money or my gear ,radio etc. ever again !.....Brian W.

[Brian Charles Williams]

JS is right Charlie ...you paid for your discharge book (I paid 2/6 for mine ) so it should have been returned to you.

The `old man` on the ship I `missed` handed my book over to the British Embassy in Lisbon before the ship sailed.
Both the `book` & Seaman`s Identity card are the property of the seaman also the finger prints on the card !! regards Brian W.

[j.sabourn]

As you have most likely seen in world press that is if WA gets a mention there, we have just had a change of Government, as the press has put out at various times that he was a Navy Lieutenant, I found out last night , not by the press incidentally, that he was a lawyer by profession so maybe was attached to the provos office. Wouldn't have much seatime in, in that case although he did a tour in Iran, that is according to the press. Have met him before and seems a nice enough bloke, but he wasn't Premier then. Cheers JWS

[cappy]

###well charlie when i got back to the uk i had my committee.....three old barstewards at the shipping office...dont know but i suppose they must have been paid ...i remember it well ....one sucking on a pipe the other two smoking ...proper old seafaring types ....why did you desert ..etc ..the second cook had skinned out i was promoted from galley boy .....but when i asked for a sub they said no money ...that was not the reason i skinned out the reason was for a very beutiful oz girl who was on holiday in wallaroo and within a week to ten days of being there i had decided to go with her...but it gave me impetus i had done the 2nd cooks job and the baking from basrah down to oz and i believe the chief steward and the cook were taking the short hand money an i was doing the job....regardless the girl was my reason .and i told the committee that ...one old one on his pipe said like was she a looker ...i said she was beutiful ...he was sucking on his pipe were you effing her ...jeez i thought .....well i wouldnt have jumped if i wasnt effin her ....him sucking away like an old perv and the room full of smoke the other two smirking a bit ..wait outside which i did ...then after two minutes or so come in you can have your book back and i went ito the pool and they told me to come back next day and gave me my old book back ......cappy ........same on the avonmoor the old man said i could go as ordinary seaman cos i had sea time in .....she was short handed and rotten through about six or seven had skinned out ...i stood a 12 to4.....and when i paid off in shields iwas given the rating deck boy in my book and paid accordingly with VG and VG....i just accepted these things as normal practices by the so called superior bastards.....who could i complain to i was over a barrel i had got my book back and could go to sea ..on return the avomoor was sold to the chinese......althogh i could steer i had never been under a pilots order and was laying eggs going up to brake near bremen ships all over the place and it was night i was truly crapping but next day i had done it and was cock a hoop cappy

[j.sabourn]

Cappy the first ship you were on where you thought the Ch, Stwd. and the cook got your short hand money all hands got as they had to put up with your baking. The Avonmoor the old man kept your money as he was late in his mortgage repayments on his new house in Whitley Bay. The old pervert puffing at his pipe reconized you when you were leading hand on the N/S Ferry and he was doorman and chief chucker out in the Jungle. If you had mentioned the good looker was an emu, they may have forked out a few bob for you, although the one sucking at his pipe may have lead you astray in the Northumberland Arms. If the committee was held in the Watergate Buildings on Newcastle quay, Dalglieshes had a periscope into the room and used to size up any suitable material, that's how I got work in Daggies, they just stamped on the floor which meant send him up here. John S

[Brian Charles Williams]

The Liberals must really have been on the nose in the West as the Labor here in SA are right now. We get to vote next March when there might well be a change of the guard over here, but a landslide not sure....Regards Brian W.
PS i got 6 weeks suspension from the `3 wise men` at the pool for my desertion by the way.