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17th January 2019, 12:45 AM
#11
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Originally Posted by
j.sabourn
#6... what year did you come out to Australia Des. Didn’t co-incide with the term remittance men did it ? A remittance man being someone who was paid to keep out of the country. The country would be bankrupt in a week if had to do today. Just a joke as regards yourself, dead serious otherwise. Cheers JS
Hi John.
I wasn't even a 10 pound Pom. 74 after absconding from NZ, never even took out NZ citizenship, but got the Aus one straight off in case they deported me with the Maoris.
Cheers Des
Last edited by Des Taff Jenkins; 17th January 2019 at 12:46 AM.
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17th January 2019, 05:12 AM
#12
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Wise man Des.
With some English ex pat friends in Tauranga over the Christmas cruise and they were explaining how they have to pay tax on their pensions from UK even though they were taxed there.
Double taxation it sounds like.
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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24th January 2019, 04:31 AM
#13
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
I always thought it meant 'Romantic'.
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24th January 2019, 05:10 AM
#14
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Originally Posted by
Colin Wood
I always thought it meant 'Romantic'.
You mean like getting your leg over in a foreign port maybe?
Happy daze John in Oz.
Life is too short to blend in.
John Strange R737787
World Traveller
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20th February 2019, 10:02 AM
#15
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Ever so slightly off topic but I was looking at my old book the other day and came across something I have never noticed before. Some of the voyages are shown as 'Fgn' (Foreign Going) and some are suffixed with R/A or R.A. Any ideas as to the latter? Scan attached ... maybe ... perhaps ..
Thanks
MikeUntitled.jpg
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20th February 2019, 10:06 AM
#16
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
RA stands for running agreement. Usually opened for 6 months . If you left the ship before that you paid your own fare home. Were opened for ships running back into the UK all the time. Could leave the ship by giving 72 hours notice before arrival UK. E.G. Bisco ore charters were all FG R/A . JS.
Not to be confused with a Run Agreement which was usually an agreement to take a ship from A to B , which was usually the knackers Yard. JS.
Last edited by j.sabourn; 20th February 2019 at 10:39 AM.
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20th February 2019, 10:57 AM
#17
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Thanks for that ... there seems to be no rhyme or reason for the 'RA' entries, and I was on a company contract for all the ships I served on .... ah well ... you live and learn.
Mike
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20th February 2019, 11:50 AM
#18
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Mike whether on contract or not you would still have signed Articles. I assume you were sailing foreign going. The 2 year Articles you signed you would of been on A or B agreement. A agreement would have had cc next to your name which meant company contract and you didn’t get paid overtime. B agreement you did . This however had nothing to do with your discharge book which was the same as everyone else’s. The only person on the ship who did not legally require a discharge was the master. I made a habit of giving myself one purely to keep a check on my seatime. As had to have 2 years within every 5 years , or had to go up for revalidation if not which meant going on more courses. If you were a company’s man the NMB book would not apply to you as regards wages as you would be on terms agreed with the company privately. But the terms of the Articles still applied. If you have FG/RA then you were on the same agreement as to what has allready been said. Cheers JS.
Last edited by j.sabourn; 20th February 2019 at 12:44 PM.
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20th February 2019, 02:57 PM
#19
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
#18... I should qualify that statement by saying you could also have H.T. and M.T. Running agreements. Most of the North Sea offshore agreements were such. JS.
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20th February 2019, 02:58 PM
#20
Re: The 'R' in front of Discharge book number
Originally Posted by
Des Taff Jenkins
Hi Ted.
My Dad's discharge book from the first war [It is in pristine condition unlike mine} just has a number 934682, the R didn't come in until the 30s.
Vernon.
I have it on good authority from Cardiff (many moons ago whilst doing some research) that 'R' indicates Registered Seaman. Persons serving on barges, river craft, lakes, Lochs etc and other such services did not have to be Registered Seaman. Seamen who signed on Articles of Agreement (including company contracted men), had to be Registered Seamen, regardless of type of Articles, FG,HT, RA etc
'R' prefix came in long before the 1930's my father's number R96096 was issued in 1927, which would indicate that the 'R' came into use circa 1925.
The 'R' was discontinued circa 1972 under new IMCO regulations which declared that a seaman's identity number should indicate the holders country of origin (hence UK). Also coincided with new regulations in the UK that employment references both ashore and afloat could not give any derogatory remarks but should reflect the length of employment/service only
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