Help with Terminology Please

The rank or rating of the crews were not uniform across the Merchant Navy and different Companies called Officers and Ratings by different titles. It is different from the Royal Navy and is quite legal. The companies hire them and call them what they choose. I sailed with PanOcean which had a totally different naming structure to anyone else. These acronyms are right throughout the structure of the MN.
I have been on in excess of 1000 ships in my time and plowed through more thousands of files and I dont know all the acronyms.
When I was a Second Engineer the ships were multi national and BS was a British Seaman, against a Lascar Seaman or a Chinese Seaman. I sailed with British, Indian, Chinese ,Pakistan, Filipino, Malay, Cape Coloured, Italian, Greek.
One thing I learned was nobody knows it all.

regards
jimmy

Hi all, thanks for all response: posted here under "Help with Terminology Please" Had hoped LBS was fairly common just not known to me and had not wished to distract from Jacyns original post, thought at the time this would add to the topic.

Still intrigued but will endeavour to find out more detail and report back.

K.

Very true stuff thta Jimmy. Modern day 'ships' have names for some crew we would never have thought of in our time. Chief steward is now hotel manager, and there are a number fo new positiosn such as saftey officer.

Actually, Jimmy, I don't look at all at this discussion as a distraction from my post. Indeed, I find it quite interesting and every little thing I can learn might just be another clue in helping me search for my father. As I continue to try to discern the markings on the first page of his records, I may have more questions myself. All you seamen put together have a great deal of knowledge and all knowledge is most welcome!

Cheers, everyone!
Jacyn

Hello Ray, What exactly is the MNRPF? If this is the National Insurance, I believe he did. If it is something else, I have no idea. I never met my father so know very little. I'm hoping I might find someone here who may have known him.

Thanks,
Jacyn

Hi Jacyn
That is the short term for "Merchant Navy Rating Pension Fund"Hope that helps!

Providing pensions on retirement and protection on death for Ratings in the UK mercantile marine


Cheers

http://www.mnrpf.co.uk/leaempprint.html

http://www.mnrpf.co.uk/EofW%20Form.pdf (Just a form )