Dis A. Discharge numbers origin

[Thomas W]

Hi all

Can you enlighten me please:
I understand that these were allocated by clerks? onshore. Was this a central office or at designated ports? If 2 or more crew were discharged from the same ship on the same day would they have consecutive discharge numbers?.
Would there likely be any connection between for instance: R 238181 and R 238182 and R 238183?
Thank you

Tony

[Johnny Kieran]

These numbers were issued as a discharge book when joining the Merchant Navy. The only consecutive numbers I ever saw, were issued to a group of new seamen from a training ship, like the Vindicatrix. Each discharge book was stamped showing the names of ships, dates, behaviour and so on.
Every seaman usually kept their own number for life.

[Doc Vernon]

Read the Following Link, this posted by Hugh of our Site as well.
There are some good Posts regarding the Book Numbers etc
Cheers

Discharge Book Numbers - Shipping History

[Hugh]

If 2 or more crew were discharged from the same ship on the same day would they have consecutive discharge numbers?.

Well only if they joined with consecutive numbers would be the answer as the ship had nothing to do with the issuing of Dis. Books. The seaman would have been issued with his book ashore and then it would be deposited with the Master of the ship he was joining until the voyage was ended and then it was given back to him with the relevant information completed.

Would there likely be any connection between for instance: R 238181 and R 238182 and R 238183?

Difficult to say without looking through the actual records for those people. The numbering range R237886 - R238233 were all assigned to consecutive Seamen's Pouches from BT 372 in the records but that is all I can say at the moment. Vernon mentioned my post previously about the first 10 'R' numbers being issued to seamen joining the same ship in 1925. I have evidence of two seamen with consecutive numbers joining the same ship in 1942, they were life-long friends and must have joined the service together and been issued with consecutive numbers at the same MMO. Dis. books were issued to offices in blocks but after that the seaman had choices as to which ship he signed on.

Regards
Hugh

[Thomas W]

Well only if they joined with consecutive numbers would be the answer as the ship had nothing to do with the issuing of Dis. Books. The seaman would have been issued with his book ashore and then it would be deposited with the Master of the ship he was joining until the voyage was ended and then it was given back to him with the relevant information completed.


Difficult to say without looking through the actual records for those people. The numbering range R237886 - R238233 were all assigned to consecutive Seamen's Pouches from BT 372 in the records but that is all I can say at the moment. Vernon mentioned my post previously about the first 10 'R' numbers being issued to seamen joining the same ship in 1925. I have evidence of two seamen with consecutive numbers joining the same ship in 1942, they were life-long friends and must have joined the service together and been issued with consecutive numbers at the same MMO. Dis. books were issued to offices in blocks but after that the seaman had choices as to which ship he signed on.

Regards
Hugh

OK thank you. This landlubber is beginning to understand (I think) !
So if the Dis. books were issued in blocks it it possible to say when (to the nearest quarter year say) a seaman first signed on? I am looking at R 238182 which I believe was issued sometime around the start of WW2.

Thank you
Tony

[J Gowers]

I have my wife's Grandfather's book his first ship was the Dunnotter Castle 7th March 1941 his number was R227455 and the book was issued in Glasgow.

[Tony Taylor]

OK thank you. This landlubber is beginning to understand (I think) !
So if the Dis. books were issued in blocks it it possible to say when (to the nearest quarter year say) a seaman first signed on? I am looking at R 238182 which I believe was issued sometime around the start of WW2.

Thank you
Tony

Thomas, it would depend on how many people actually were issued with Discharge books over a given period. When I got mine there would have been somewhere in the region of 70 - 100 guys issued over a couple of days. The following week there may have been none issued.

[Doc Vernon]

I have my wife's Grandfather's book his first ship was the Dunnotter Castle 7th March 1941 his number was R227455 and the book was issued in Glasgow.

That was my first Ship as well, but possibly he was on the First one Built??
Cheers

[Hugh]

So if the Dis. books were issued in blocks it it possible to say when (to the nearest quarter year say) a seaman first signed on? I am looking at R 238182 which I believe was issued sometime around the start of WW2.

By looking at the number in isolation, you cannot say when a seaman first signed on. You would need more information. You would need to know the number range given to the MMO and the name of the MMO and then research the books that those numbers belonged to. Some books may have moved fast others may have laid on the shelf for a while. There are some examples of numbers in that range being issued as early as 1940 and as late as 1943. So that tells you that, that method of researching an issue date is really a non starter. The number range may have also been split between more than one office.

Regards
Hugh

[J Gowers]

Hi Doc, He was a carpenter and signed on T124X for the length of the war, Dunotter Castle was the first ship then the Biter, Begum and Tarajera. He passed away a few years ago but was always telling stories of his war time adventures.
Here is a photo of his crossing the line certificate.

Crossing the line.jpg