merchant Navy Training 1950s

[Lynne Wright]

Hi. I am writing a biography of my father, Owen Connor, who sailed with the Currie Lineand Blue Funnel as AB in 1954 and then as 3/O for Lamport and Holt in 1955. He eventually moved to LOF and remained there until the 1980s.
I am trying to find out how training worked in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He lived in Liverpool until 1964.
Thanks

[j.sabourn]

Lynne if you have your Fathers effects and have his discharge book. Then his number on the book and the ships in the book would maybe give whoever is going to answer your query a better start of the era you are seeking. Most of the companys of the 1950s no longer exist so people will have to go on their memories and there have been massive changes in the British Shipping world since then , which no doubt you will already know. All the best in your quest. The likes of LOF ( London and Overseas Freighters ) and the others you may know by word of mouth no longer exist as far as I know. So others memories are going to be your main course of action. The best of luck in your quest. JS.

There was another lady in a post a few weeks ago looking for anyone who knew her father a Captain Dunbavin , if you can find her post she may have some knowledge as her father served with LOF and was acting at one time as superintendent of new buildings in Italy. Her father unfortuanetley died 30 or 40 years ago. I had sailed with her father in John I. Jacob’s 50 + years ago , your fathers name doesn’t jump out at me ,but to others it might with more information as already said. Good hunting JS

Looking at his cv the little you have put there , his masters cert. which will be Master of a F.G . Steamship , the number on that will narrow times etc. down so people can visualise the years etc. there is no secrecy given the number out as all the certificate structure has changed since his time and the number will be useless to anyone who wants to utilise it with illegal aims in mind. JS