Merchant Navy Discharge Book - Character Report

[cappy]

Did you have your glasses on when reading that Cappy or maybe the old man was drunk and meant to put up perverted . Was best in your case unless you had gone and told him you were deserting for him to leave the page blank and if had to enter a discharge would either be failed to join or missed the ship . VNC was the other alternative , stands for very nice Chappy . But in your case Cappy weather beautiful today about 28 degrees don’t know what people are moaning about . Cheers JS

well john its not so bad here temp 13 at the moment ,,,and forecast mild till xmas .....must say 28 enough for me now .....any higher dont like .....ps did you hear any more about wearing those stilleto heels of gwens in the forces bar .....lol cappy

[J Gowers]

Jak,
FYI the books issued in the early 70s starting with the letters UK did not have and reporting page for character reports these were issued separatly on a Ceritificate of Service, mine were all V.G. apart from a few in the Sobriety column the C/E put Sober, in translation I think this meant you were a pisshead but could still do your watch.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Cappy.
I have the record for my brother, he jumped in NZ in 47 off the Derryclare, like you he has deserted on his book. I tried to trace the ships voyage, came across an article from a Freemantle news paper, saying that the bosun from the Derryclare had been run over by a train on the wharf and killed, may have been an unlucky ship.
Des

[Michael Jobson]

Very true and the clash of personalities could well have been the cause of a DR being entered, not necessarily justified. I sailed with one Master who seemed to have a big chip on his shoulder, (he didn't actually give me a DR but I'm sure he felt like it). He seemed to think we junior officers were paid far too much - £115/month as 3/o on a tanker in 1965. He was the one who thought butter on the table for lunch was an extravagance too far, so stopped it. Made you feel appreciated...

[happy daze john in oz]

Mike he sounds very much like most UCL second stewards.
Tighter than a Ducks A***

[Trevor Bodiam]

Received my first black mark in about June 1967 when i walked off the Bedford in Rotterdam and went home with a VNC in my book.
All was good until March 1970 when got a single DR off Port Montreal.
Final nail was from the Ronde when got another DR in August 1970.
Never thought about throwing my book away and getting a new one, and probably was the best thing to walk away and stay ashore.
There was lots of talk at that time about General purpose ratings so could have tried that with a new book
I think if i had tried to stay my life would have been shortened considerably, due to my then alcohol intake.
P.S. Nowadays i hardly ever touch any alcohol, and now i am a tea-aholic.

[happy daze john in oz]

Tea, OMG, the stuff smells so bad I have to hold my nose when I walk past it in the supermarket.

But I know some people enjoy it.
Each to their own>>

[John Arton]

The only time I saw anyone getting a DR was when I was 5th mate on the Empress of Canada and during night rounds with the master at arms we came across a drunken waiter in the passenger accommodation who refused to leave and became violent and attacked the pair of us. A bop on his head with the heavy torch I carried subdued him and we were able to get him back into the crews accommodation. Later that day he was up before the captain for logging, Whaling was the captain and many who came before him to be logged used to say they wished they had never misbehaved as he was almost in tears as he logged them. Anyway this waiter was up for a logging for not only being in passenger accommodation out of hours but also being drunk and attacking me and the M.A. I and the M.A. were hoping he would have the book thrown at him especially as the captain was saying he had not only let himself down by being drunk but had committed the heinous crime, his words, of attacking unprovoked a ship's officer. Great we thought that's him for the chop as he was well known for creating trouble amongst the other waiters. So what he get, a single D.R and dismissed from the ship on arrival in Liverpool.....BUT..,. If he showed a good report from his next ship he would be remployed.,,.,what a laugh!!!
Rgds
J.A.

[J Gowers]

#14 Michael, your story about the butter reminded me of a time about 2004 I was on a jackup drilling rig just off Malabo, Equitorial Guinea and one OIM used to get the camp boss to order magnums (icecreams not the handgun) so that at Friday lunch everyone could have one as a treat, about 80 guys on the rig. His relief thought this was too expensive and cancelled the order which was reinstated every four weeks when he went on leave.

Absolutly nothing to do with this thread or ice cream. While we were on the rig there was an attempted coup to overthrow the government. It was organised by financiers and they were hoping to get oil rights by putting the opposition leader in as president. The mercenaries lead by Simon Mann, ex SAS, were caught in Zimbabwe and Mark Thatcher was convicted in South Africa as one of organisers, it was also said that Jeffery Archer was involved. There were 14 South African mercenaries arrested in Malabo and chucked in jail, and about 40 of them arrested in Zimbabwe as they were heading to Malabo. The guys in Malabo were the advanced guard who had set up a fake fishing business. It did not affect us on the rig except that any South African nationals working on the rig had to leave the country. This is not a script of a movie it actually happened.

[Colin Doran]

Hi Jak a D.R. Declined to Report was stamped in you Discharge Book for serious bad conduct. Another stamp in your book was a V.N.C voyage not completed for what ever reasons, many British Seaman jumped ship in Australia hoping for a better life hence V.N.C. In the 60s if you worked hard and kept your nose clean after twelve months they would let you stay. The two main stamps in your book were for conduct and behaviour which read as V.G. (very good) Hope this throws more light on your study. I left the sea in 1977 so assume Discharge Books are different today. Just for the record I only ever had V.G.s in my book which I still have today all the best to you Colin Doran