William (Billy) Turner

[Pam Turner]

One of Dad's trips in his discharge book has him joining the City of Eastbourne at Karachi in Pakistan on 26/09/68 and discharging on 01/3/69 also from Karachi Can anyone tell me how he would have got to Karachi to start his engagement? Previous to this trip he was on the Crosbian engaging on 15/03/67 at Liverpool, but no date of discharge as Voyage not completed.

[Ivan Cloherty]

One of Dad's trips in his discharge book has him joining the City of Eastbourne at Karachi in Pakistan on 26/09/68 and discharging on 01/3/69 also from Karachi Can anyone tell me how he would have got to Karachi to start his engagement? Previous to this trip he was on the Crosbian engaging on 15/03/67 at Liverpool, but no date of discharge as Voyage not completed.

Well the most likely explanation is that he paid off sick from the Crosbian in Karachi and ended up in hospital and upon his recovery was shipped out on the City of Eastbourne, but then having no date of discharge even on a VNC is unusual when discharged sick. I think it highly unlikely that he was flown out to Karachi to in the 60's to join a vessel, unless the vessel was going to be held up because of the lack of a 2nd Engineers ticket on board. All the foregoing of course is purely conjecture

[Pam Turner]

Thanks, but the dates don't really tally.
Joined the Crosbian on 15/03/67' the master has signed off VNC on 20/03/67 at Swansea. Then the next engagement at Karachi begins in Sept 1968. Also, the Karachi engagement dates are noted in a Record of Service Off Articles and Off Contract?? What does this mean?

Could Dad have been unemployed between 20/03/67 to 26/09/68??

[rigger]

Don't think he would be in the. Crosbian . In Karachi she was a three hatch. Market boat. Ellerman papianny. Bk.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Could Dad have been unemployed between 20/03/67 to 26/09/68??

Not necessarily unemployed Pam, a lot of seamen tried breaking the bond of the sea and took shore jobs, my own father included, but found that they missed the camaraderie of the sea and the life and after a few months ashore found their Discharge Book alongside their breakfast toast, because their wives would rather have a happy husband for a short while ashore on leave than a miserable agitated one for months in a job they couldn't settle in and the older you got the more difficult it became to come ashore and settle down. The difference between a shore job and being at sea is immense and only those who have done both can understand, and even if you do find a job you like ashore you WILL always miss the sea, you only have to read the various posts on this site to understand that. What profession on shore do you know where-in 10,000 virtual strangers as on this site can share experiences as if we have been bosom friends for years, we have invariably shared the same kind of dangers, hurricanes, storms, giant waves as well as sharing those moments when the sea was a placid mill pond surrounded by a thousand stars lighting up the sea around you as if you were sailing in daylight and all mirrored on the sea's surface and there were so many more magic moments that cannot be replicated ashore, even on a computer with the best graphic cards available.............................yes we loved it

[j.sabourn]

Pam he doesn't necessary have been unemployed. If you are totally reliant on his discharge book for that assumption don't be. He may not have used in 1967 I didn't as sailed foreign flag. In the1980s did the same again and can't remember the names of ships as lost the paper discharges. 1967 was not too long after the seamans strike and a lot took leave of absence in any case. Rgds JWS

[j.sabourn]

Marian first verse applies to the Ark which Cappy was building a replica of in his back yard.
Second verse sounds more agreeable but would have to look up the stowage factor of diamonds.
Third verse more in tune to the actual facts.
Thanks your remembering. JWS

[aussie]

Pam, you can obtain Voyage cards from Guildhall in London that will have all the ports and dates of your fathers trips. Cant remember the cost, wasnt to much though. I got the ships i sailed on and a couple of them i got their whole history from their first voyage until either sold or name change so i could just see where they had voyaged before and after my time on them. As your father sailed on quite a few ships might work out a few dollars if you got them all. Think you can get between dates ie 1/2/69-21-9/69 and probably one page copy or as i did as stated get more which a couple of mine are from 1959 to 1975, about five pages but well worth it.

[Doc Vernon]

Got mine too from there Aussie and as said well worth the cost!
Cheers

The VRCs at Guildhall Library are for merchant vessels and usually give vessel name, port of registration, net tonnage and name of master. They cover c1927 – c1975 and form an index to shipping movements in Lloyd’s List. Dates of arrivals and sailings and port abbreviations are given on the cards which generally give the user everything they need without the need to look at Lloyd’s List itself. There is also brief reference to shipping incidents and casualties.

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/thin...e-history.aspx

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Pam
Here is one of his ships the Eastbank, I will do some more searching in the morning.
Cheers Des

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