By registering with our site you will have full instant access to:
268,000 posts on every subject imaginable contributed by 1000's of members worldwide.
25000 photos and videos mainly relating to the British Merchant Navy.
Members experienced in research to help you find out about friends and relatives who served.
The camaraderie of 1000's of ex Merchant Seamen who use the site for recreation & nostalgia.
Here we are all equal whether ex Deck Boy or Commodore of the Fleet.
A wealth of experience and expertise from all departments spanning 70+ years.
It is simple to register and membership is absolutely free.
N.B. If you are going to be requesting help from one of the forums with finding historical details of a relative
please include as much information as possible to help members assist you. We certainly need full names,
date and place of birth / death where possible plus any other details you have such as discharge book numbers etc.
Please post all questions onto the appropriate forum

-
13th March 2017, 09:37 AM
#21
Re: how do I find
Hope you didn't stay in Walleroo Cappy, when I was there in 61 it was a two horse town. We were in Walleroo and Ardrossan, and one of those two ports had a nurses school, but ca not recall which one, but that made the place more pleasant. If I recall correctly, both places still had the 6 o'clock swill ?, ah happy days , kt
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
13th March 2017, 09:54 AM
#22
Re: how do I find
###no nurses in wallaroo keith but a fine young aussie girl ....only prob was her old man was a vicar and they were on holiday with family in wallaroo.....soon as i jumped he shopped me to the cops before even the ship new ...and sent her back to queensland ......i had some rough times before getting lifted ......looking back things like that can be the making of you in many ways......dont regret it now but was a bit peed of then as to get off that peninsular on foot without being caught was not easy......caught by a great ozz cop kipping in an old copper mine .....and fed by his wife after ithink 5 days on the run with just some bread and bottled water.....she gave me the best breakfast i ever had .......a couple or so days later another guy from the ship was brought in .....happy and not so happy days......cappy
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
13th March 2017, 05:37 PM
#23
Re: how do I find
Hi thanks for the reply I figured FGN was foreign but not sure , and HT would be Home Trade but where it went to, as i myself never went to sea (although my dad tried to get me to go) I am not familiar with a lot of seaman's talk, I noticed in his book one entry "Voyage not Completed" looks like he signed on 31.7.53 B'Head but in discharge it had deserted with a line through it? all his character reports for ability and conduct where all VG with No.s from B72 up to B231 ? a couple where B1 and B19? so what does this mean anything? by the way his no. was R139590 I also just noticed his AB certificate re-issued 21 July 1952 B'head I assume that was because of his long absence from sea duty?,again thanks for your rely, now all I need is to find out where the FGN destinations where
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
13th March 2017, 05:50 PM
#24
Re: how do I find
###just saw a tele programme this afternoon ..where a german seaman jumped in south australia in 1960 ...was as he put it slung in jail for a few weeks then told keep your nose clean six months you will get aussie nationality .....he is now one of the richest men in south oz....i was told the same by the magistrate ...but sadly made money there twice what i would have made in the uk ....but not millions plus ....ahh life is a bitch ....lol cappy
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
14th March 2017, 12:21 AM
#25
Re: how do I find
Cappy,& J.S. there lays the difference no committy for me to far to walk, I never applied for mine was no longer needed sorry i didn't i would have liked to have it back.5 days after i bailed out i was back at sea on the kiwi coast,lasted there for around eighteen months.Had a stroke of luck, got a phone call from the union rep, Joe Briggs, one of the lads off the ship had phoned him telling him to get in touch with me and let me know as i walked down gangway shortly after a cop walked up to arrest me and put me on a ship back home.On getting the message from Joe, I bought a ticket to Australia,I joined my first Aussie ship the South Esk.
Finished up in 93 after spending 3 years on compo,with a back like a Kiwi's 50s car, full of screws and bailing wire. Cheers.
Last edited by Charlie Hannah; 14th March 2017 at 12:25 AM.
-
Post Thanks / Like
cappy thanked for this post
-
14th March 2017, 10:48 PM
#26
Re: how do I find

Originally Posted by
Albert Etherington
with No.s from B72 up to B231 ? a couple where B1 and B19? so what does this mean anything?
Hi Albert,
the alphanumeric stamp is from the Mercantile Marine officer in front of whom your dad was discharged. This enabled the authorities to match the port of discharge with the MMO number.
Regards
Hugh
"If Blood was the price
We had to pay for our freedom
Then the Merchant Ship Sailors
Paid it in full”
www.sscityofcairo.co.uk
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
25th April 2017, 04:41 AM
#27
Re: how do I find
Is it at all possible now to obtain the whereabouts of a ship in previous years . As in Copies of the old Lloyds List. When we could go in to the Library,and see where our mates were on any particular Day?
-
25th April 2017, 06:21 AM
#28
Re: how do I find

Originally Posted by
Evan Lewis
Is it at all possible now to obtain the whereabouts of a ship in previous years . As in Copies of the old Lloyds List. When we could go in to the Library,and see where our mates were on any particular Day?
Lewis, not sure about your part of the world but here in the State library they have back copies of newspapers going back 100 years.
In most there is a daily list of shipping coming and going from the local port.
Maybe worth considering such from where you are.


Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller

-
Post Thanks / Like
Tags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules