Help with terminology

[Amanda Lewis]

Hello all,
I am new to the site, and would appreciate some help. I am writing a book that includes members of the Merchant Navy on the City of Benares, in September of 1940. On the crew lists there are terms that I do not understand and for which I cannot find definitions. The crew list gives me ranks for all of the Lascars, but I don't know what their responsibilities would be. Can anyone help me with the following terms: Tindal, Topass, Trimmer, Cassab, Paniwallah, Bhandary. Can you tell me what tasks these crewmen would have been doing on the ship?
Anything you can do to help me would be much appreciated.

[DeepSea]

Tindal, Bosun's Mate
Topass, Apprentice
Trimmer, Engine room rating used to trim coal in the ships bunkers
Cassab, Lamptrimmer
Paniwallah, Water Carrier
Bhandary, Cook

[robpage]

Our Asian Crews
by M. Watkins-Thomas in About Ourselves copyright P&O (first published September 1955)In its long and eventful history the P & 0 Company has been faithfully served by many devoted servants. Not least among them should be numbered the countless thousands comprising Asian crews, past and present. Generations of them have come from their humble homes, all over the sub-continent, each to devote the best part of a lifetime to serve in the Company's ships. In the P & 0, as in many other shipping lines, they have become an institution. It is my wish to tell you a little more about them, from where they come and how they live. It is an account meant more for the shore staff than for "they that go down to the sea in ships", who are doubtless better acquainted with the ways of their crews.
These crews are found in all three departments, Moslems and Hindus on deck, Moslems in the engineroom and Goanese in the Purser's department. Only Moslems are found on deck in the P & 0, though many companies, such as the B.I. and the Mogul Line, employed numbers of Hindus. It is extraordinary how they all come from certain districts. The P & 0 Kalasis, or Seamen, come mainly from the Portuguese colony of Daman and adjacent areas in Gujarat, from parts of Kathiawar, the Ratnagiri district and other places in the Konkan, from Cochin and the Malabar coast generally. Indians from the above areas sign Articles in Bombay and are always known as "Bombay crews". There are also "Calcutta crews", hailing from the other side of India, but the P & 0 only employs them in ships running to that port.
The Bombay crews are usually preferred by P & 0 Officers, though many from Calcutta are good. The best Indian deck crews are considered to be those from the Laccadive and Maldive Islands. They are, however, very few in number and are mostly found in Indian coastal ships. In sailing ship days they formed a large proportion of the crews of those square riggers, with strangely oriental flavoured rigs up and down the Indian coast. The islanders, so I am told, were wont to run up and down the rigging like monkeys, placing the ropes between their big and second toes and showing surprising agility in laying aloft.
The Agwalas, or Firemen, are mainly Punjaubi Moslems or Pathans, and nowadays, of course, come from Pakistan and the disputed areas of Kashmir. They are found in Bombay ships. The Agwalas for Calcutta ships come from the hinterland of Chittagong, in Eastern Pakistan.
The great majority of stewards are Goanese, though Indian stewards are found in some shipping companies. Goanese, as the name implies, come from the Portuguese colony of Goa, though numbers of them are now settled in Bombay and elsewhere. They are the descendants of the early Portuguese adventurers to the East. They all have Portuguese names and are devout Roman Catholics. A large number of them speak excellent English and they make good servants and cooks.
In charge of the Kalasis is a Serang and his powers are quite extensive. He is responsible to the Chief Officer for keeping them in order, for directing them at their work, and checking evildoers. A good Serang is worth his weight in gold to the Chief Officer. In a cargo ship the Serang is assisted by one or two Tindals and under them are eighteen or more Kalasis and four people who might be termed "specialists". It is the Kalasis who heave on ropes and scrub decks, who preserve the ship against the inroads of weather and time by chipping and scraping, painting and varnishing they overhaul the cargo, the cargo blocks and gear and, in a phrase, keep everything looking "shipshape and Bristol fashion".
The four other characters are the Cassab, the Bhandary, the Paniwallahs, and the Topass. The Cassab is in charge of the deck stores. Coils of rope, many drums of paint, blocks and shackles of all sizes, many different kinds of gear are in his charge. Under the Chief Officer's supervision he has to keep all this lot sorted out and be ready, at any time, to supply any item of equipment required.
The Bhandary is the crew's cook and he devotes his time to the preparing of curry and rice,' to those who indulge in this wonderful dish, indeed a noble task. The Paniwallah, or Waterman, is the Carpenter's mate and, as his name implies. he tends the hoses when watering ship is in progress. The Topass performs the more menial tasks for the crew and he is also the European P.O.'s servant. Unlike the rest of his department, he is a Goanese.
On passenger ships the size of this department is greatly increased, varying from about forty-five men on the smaller ships to eighty on the latest class of liner. There are as many as five Tindals and there are always two Cassabs.
The uniform worn by the deck crew consists of a blue, embroidered, knee length, cotton tunic called a lalchi, a red rhumal or folded kerchief worn around the waist and knotted in front, white pantaloons and a topi. The topi is a canvas affair, made without a brim. and painted black. They are often made by the crew themselves. The Serang and Tindals tie a colourful riband of Bengal tartan around it, the Kalasis a plain red one and the Cassab. Paniwallah and Bhandary have no riband. In addition to this distinct ion the Serang and Tindals, as befitting their importance, have a more richly embroidered lalchi, have a tartan instead of a plain rhumal and paint fanciful designs on the tops of their topis. They also have boatswain's pipes worn on a silver chain around their necks. These whistles in the case of the Tindals are really a badge of authority, though the Serang uses his on occasions, such as for piping Harbour Stations or Fire and Boat Stations. Then there is heard a weird whistling noise followed by the appropriate high pitched cry. On cargo ships the fanciful rigouts described above are not normally worn, only the topi and whistle and ordinary blue dungarees.
,p>Before leaving this department mention must be made of the Seacunnies, or Quartermasters, of the cargo ships, four in each ship. They

[Captain Kong]

Very Interesting Rob,
Cheers
Brian

[John Arton]

To follow on rom Rob's excellent post.
I had one excellent deck serang on one ship who always wore his uniform as described in Robs post, when off duty.
The serang at one time used to pick his own crew and even though by the time I came to be sailing with them, a good serang still had influence with the manning agency as to who was appointed with him, remembering that we used to cahnge the whole crew at a time upon completion of their contracts and that they had actually signed on in the shipping office in India like we used to do in the old days.
I was also always under the impression that the topass was of a lower caste as they were tasked with menial work such as cleaning bathrooms etc.
rgds
Capt. John Arton (ret'd)

[j.sabourn]

Topas = Sweeper John Sabourn

[Red Lead Ted]

Hello all,
I am new to the site, and would appreciate some help. I am writing a book that includes members of the Merchant Navy on the City of Benares, in September of 1940. On the crew lists there are terms that I do not understand and for which I cannot find definitions. The crew list gives me ranks for all of the Lascars, but I don't know what their responsibilities would be. Can anyone help me with the following terms: Tindal, Topass, Trimmer, Cassab, Paniwallah, Bhandary. Can you tell me what tasks these crewmen would have been doing on the ship?
Anything you can do to help me would be much appreciated.

I Am in possession of a copy of the ship's articles signed aboard the SS VIKING STAR 1942 Which an uncle of mine went down on after being torpedoed if there is anything else you need just ask Regards and good luck Terry.

[Neil Morton]

If i may contribute a little-,
Deck Officers ----- Malim Sahibs
4th officer---------Char Sahib
Chief Officer-------Burra Malim Sahib
A junior officer when not referred to by rank was a Chota Sahib.

With thanks to Capt. Barry Thompson All Hands and the Cook. Language of merchant seamen 1875 to 1975. isbn o-908608-72-1

[j.sabourn]

John, I worked for Indian Owners, Chowgule Steamships Bahamas. I was on two vessels under the Bahamas flag. Chowgule the Indian owner lived in Switzerland. My first ship with them was the Maratha Endeavour, which on joining had British officers and Chinese crew, it was said that he preferred chinese crew to Indian. I joined in Philadelphia on rising the first morning I was told by the Cassab (storekeeper) that nearly all the crew had jumped ship. As the British officers had been on the ship for over 2 years and the 2 year Articles had been re-signed in Japan, they would only resign on the proviso that a clause was inserted that they would be repatriated to uk on vessels return to the U.S. Indian officers replaced them. Due to the continued desertion of the Chinese in the states, he had no option but to replace by Indians on vessels return to Japan. Chinese in those days were always jumping ship in the States, I could tell all sorts of stories re this. As the previous ship I had been on was also chinese crew I was pretty well genned up on their likes and dislikes and knew their strengths and weakness"s. As we used to run up the Great Lakes after lightening ship in Philadelphia the only worry I had was when you put a couple of them ashore off a bosuns chair on the end of a swinging boom, on the approach walls to take the ropes, it was always in your mind they would keep running, however this never happened. The next time up the Lakes whereas with the chinese it was a 2 man job, with the Indians it was a 6 man job (3 each end) as didnt have the strenfgth to pull a mooring rope ashore. Swinginging them ashore on the end of a boom they used to scream like the devil I had a 12 foot bamboo which I used to assist in pushing ashore, as this operation had to be done as fast as possible in case the ship came off the quay again, no tugs were employed in this operation, no such thing as bowthrusters etc. All in all I preferred the chinese to the indians, indian crew were very good for decoration, but found the chinese crews more compatible. This is my view only, and no doubt others will disagree with. The other Chowgule ship I was on was the Maratha Envoy and started the 13 months I was there with an Indian crew throughout. Cheers John Sabourn.

[robpage]

I think I would be honest in saying that it took two Indians to do the work of one guy off the UK pool

Susti-Whalla - Lazy Man
Gandi - Whalla - Gay
Jhildi hi - Hurry up
Asti Asti - Slow Down
Munta - I want
Malim Shab - 1st mate or Travelling man
Maka Chute _ Mother ******
Banta Chute - Incestuous person who would defile his own sister
Mactoum - Hammer
Pani - Water
Tunda - Cold
Tunda Gosh - Cold meat
Suga - Shugar
Millick - Milk
Nay - no
Tee Gy - OK
Chi - Tea
Att-Cha - Thank you

Funny hopw you remember the triva of life !