Merchant Navy Discharge Book - Character Report

I have only one DR,from the RFA Wave Ruler, for going on strike with the rest of the crew, we were docked in Leith for repairs and the 1960 Merchant Navy strike took hold, we were due to sail to Rosyth then off to Iceland for the Cod War, to refuel the Royal Navy vessels up there
We were supposed to sail at 0900 and when we blew for the tugs, the whole of the afterend crew walked down the gangway nd stood there looking officers and cadets, running around,not knowing what to do.
At 1000 the lock gates closed as Leith was tidal nor more ships would get out that day.
The crew then went and held a strike meeting, then went home.
Two weeks later we were ll summoned back to the ship as the strike had died, we all got a DR for bad conduct, but the majority of us all signed off in Portsmouth three weeks later with our single DR.
My DR is on the bottom of the page, but my next two VGs were on the top of the next page, this got me a few enquiring questions, all I could say was turn the page.

Even before the strike seamen were sent to ship with their federation papers to sign if they were acceptable. Some of those with DRs used to put pound notes inside their books to hopefully be found acceptable. A DR meant to me that the seaman in question would be having a character alteration that trip in the hope of a clean discharge . So I just used to return the bribe and sign the paper. As to a VNC it could mean other things such as being left behind in hospital. But was automatically by some assumed to be a jumper . Those discharges were like a tattoo and hard to get rid of. It was a good day when they were got rid of. Even when not shown to the world a record of the seaman as to behaviour and competence was still kept in the BSF. It was the usual practice on the ore carriers that I was on as mate that were all on an RA agreement that the seaman with his paperwork was sent down to the head of each department , which was the chief Steward , second engineer and mate. JS

Hi John.
The pool in Swansea was well known for taking bribes from someone with a DR.:pat_head:
Des

#23 .. Des In 1961/62 I was 2 mate on a ship in Bahia Blanca where there was a lot of distrust on the vessel starting with a change of masters on the continent , and the new master refusing to sign the crew off . In Bahia Blanca there was an upsurge of anger caused by the mishandling of a situation by this same master, most of the crew walked ashore and wanted to see the British Consulate. The master told the mate to go ashore and tell the crew to come back on board, he refused saying you caused it you sort it, so he sent me to do the same , I finally got the crew on the quayside to accept a person down from the consulate to intervene , the master even messed that up by having a non English speaking member being sent down. Anyhow after much cajoling the crew came back on board . And we carried on to BA to finish loading. In the river Plate we were in collision a separate story altogether .Anyhow finally after many months we arrived back in Liverpool , he then gave everyone of the crew with a few exceptions a double DR. That alone was enough for me to sneer at the DR system to be in a lot of cases absolute rubbish . It could be abused at will and in a lot of cases was . This same master was his first trip as such and in his earlier life had been a company’s bosun . He seemed to take delight in antagonising the crew giving out the subs himself and logging them at the same time. He was highly thought of in the company as well , Cheers did you get any rum in your mince pies ? JS

got a DR for conduct (my own fault entirely) only way i got my next ship off newcastle pool was to ship out on the 23rd of december on an ore wagon, straight double VG's from then on.

assume it was a Bisco charter , which company if not too intrusive. JS

No rum John, I'm a wine drinker at home, shades of Penfolds when on the coast, mind you a rum right now would be good, I have the heater on it's bloody freezing, though I wouldn't like your 42 degrees, and those fires. at least the fat man has purchased a water bomber after refusing to do so when needed, which looked like it was in time over in your West.
Des

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Originally Posted by j.sabourn

Even before the strike seamen were sent to ship with their federation papers to sign if they were acceptable. Some of those with DRs used to put pound notes inside their books to hopefully be found acceptable. A DR meant to me that the seaman in question would be having a character alteration that trip in the hope of a clean discharge . So I just used to return the bribe and sign the paper. As to a VNC it could mean other things such as being left behind in hospital. But was automatically by some assumed to be a jumper . Those discharges were like a tattoo and hard to get rid of. It was a good day when they were got rid of. Even when not shown to the world a record of the seaman as to behaviour and competence was still kept in the BSF. It was the usual practice on the ore carriers that I was on as mate that were all on an RA agreement that the seaman with his paperwork was sent down to the head of each department , which was the chief Steward , second engineer and mate. JS

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After my VNC, my next ship was a maiden voyage to NZ.
Great ship and trip.

Must have been a good Lad, never got any DR,s only all VG.
Dont know how really as i was far from being a clean slate! LOL

I skinned out in Rio and got a hand written Voyage Not Complete in red pen over a Good and Decline to Report stamps. I found an Athel tanker in Rio that was short of crew and spent a happy 5 months up and down the Brazilian coast with oil from Maracaibo, paying off in Hull with 2 VG's.

On reflection I should have stayed on the first ship. She did a year and 21 days visiting Japan and other exotic locations. Thinking about it, that would have totally change my life. I would certainly not have met my lovely wife of 39 years or perhaps I would have met her earlier???