passports

[Ivan Cloherty]

........What is puzzling my brain is other members mention a Red Book Seamans Identity card, for the life of me I cannot remember having one of them, but it might just be to my age now (72 and counting, just a youngster to some of you old salts on here I know )

John Albert Evans

John from your age would appear you went to sea in the 50's so you would have been issued the green identity card of three folding pages with photo and all ten digit fingerprints. I think, (but someone will know), that the Red Book was first issued in mid/late 60's but I never had one. Ivan

[Roger Dyer]

John from your age would appear you went to sea in the 50's so you would have been issued the green identity card

Ivan, I think the information you give is correct. It certainly tallies with my own recollection.

When joining the M.N. at Dock Street in May, 1957, I was issued with a Discharge Book and British Seaman's I.D. Card. The card, pale green in colour, was made of thinnish cardboard which I thought decidedly unimpressive. Together with my personal particulars and fingerprints, it contained a photograph of a spotty-faced 16 year-old whose testosterone levels were at their peak (as I recall it was a time in my life when, it seemed, I spent most of my waking hours trying to suppress permanent arousal ). During the following years, subject to normal wear and tear, my I.D. Card became torn and tattered and would have disintegrated, but for the liberal application of selotape. That our mate, Brian (Kong) has managed to keep his original I.D. Card in such pristine condition is, I think, worthy of mention in the Guinness Book of Records.

On 2nd November, 1965, at Prescot Street Pool, when asked to surrender my old I.D. Card I did so with indecent haste, happy to be rid of the photographic evidence contained therein, the constant reminder of a rather callow youth in thrall to adolescent turmoil....... someone I once knew. In it's place they issued me with a brand new I.D. Card. Red in colour, it had a greater air of permanency than it's predecessor and was made of more durable material. It's size and hard cover gave it the appearance of the old British passport (prior to it's discontinuance in favour of the cheap and nasty version favoured by the EU), but it only consisted of six pages (including the inside covers). For some reason it no longer contained the fingerprints of old, but did have an up-to-date photograph which I much preferred (see my avatar).

Later that date, armed with my brand new I.D. I joined MacAndrew's 'Pacheco' which, ironically and regretably, was to be my last ship before circumstances bid me farewell my life at sea. I've managed to keep that I.D. in pristine condition..... I like to think Kong would approve.

......................Roger

[Keith Tindell]

I also had the green ID card, which also disintegrated over the years, and had to be renewed, as i think i have posted before, on renewal, which was just round the corner somewhere near Prescott St with the photographer, my discharge no R689823, had been transposed to R686823, which i never discovered until some time later. I never bothered to rectify the mistake, and sailed for some years after, including USA, and it was never discovered. Strangely, on swallowing the anchor, the only thing i was asked to surrender was my ID card. KT

[Captain Kong]

HI Roger,
That photo in my last post is not my green ID Card, it is the one that was Issued for Argentina in 1958, hence the innebriated state that I am in at the time. It is similar in the respect of having the Finger Prints and photo.
When I was issued with my new ID at the shipping office in Liverpool in 1976 the original green one was 24 years old.
Cheers
Brian.

[Roger Dyer]

Hi Brian,

My mistake, mate, it's the G&T, for which I apologise (no Guinness Book of Records for you then). That said, I am truly impressed by the amount of documentation and other memorabilia you have retained from your time at sea.


...............Roger

[ray-c]

I got mine changed at tilbury in 1962,if that helps,,,

[Keith Moody]

page 1. it was called the "british seamans identity card" green in colour. I still have mine from 1955. your name was on the front, it folded out to 4 pages , ( 8 sides)
page 2 consisted of.....particulars
1. surname ( block capitals )
2. Christian or first name
3. date of birth
4. place of birth
5. colour of eyes and hair
6. complexion
7. height
8. distinguishing marks
9. nationality
left hand finger prints
page 3..... photo. with discharge book #
signiture
thumbs left and right
page 4......
10. discharge book #
11. Certificates held- grade......... No......
12. rank or rating
13 national service No.
14. is holder armed forces reserve
right hand fingerprints
page 5......
15. N.I number
16. U.I local office
17. whether subject essential work
18. union
19. pension fund
20. former N.R. identity card No.
21. next of kin with address
22. address of holder if different to above.
page 6... was for endorsments. Ie- ration card and books issued along with clothing coupon book issued
page 7...stamps of the MM office and signed declaration
page 8....notices, do not lose. produce to police etc when required. must not write or alter the card in any way. property of minister of transport and civil aviation.
keith moody
R635978

[Lou Barron]

My British Seamans I D card that i still and like Roger celotape holds it together.
Issued 14.12 .1945 it as every thing about me (not really)it as dates of RationCards and Clothing Coupon books issued and my avatar picture is taken from my ID card .
When i show it to people these days they are amazed at the things it say about me .When i came home from the pow camp we was on double rations for about two months i think it stopped when i went back to sea (them were the good old days )

[Stuart Henderson]

Interesting thread and made me think about my own ID and discharge books. (5)
I went to sea 1947 to 1977.
Remember of course the green ID card but suddenly thought wheres it gone......... Anyway looked at the red newer one and see it must have replaced the green one as it was dated London MMO 31 Jan 1974. Further on back page see it was only valid till 30 Jan 1979. Didnt replace it as by that time 1977 Id left the sea,in a way, and was on oil rigs and later Saudi & Libya till retirement twenty years later.
Stuart

[Robert T. Bush]

MY CONTINUOUS CERTIFICATE OF DISCHARGE BOOK R337801 WAS ISSUED DOCK STREET LONDON 18 OCTOBER 1945 BY MOWT

PAGE 1 SAYS SEAMAN'S IDENTITY CARD SERIAL NO. B.S. 141698 IT ALSO HAS NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE DATA

NEVER HAD ANY OTHER IDENTITY CARD

FOR JOINING SHIPS OVERSEAS OWNERS HELPED GET ME A PASSPORT

MY FIRST WAS ISSUED BY ERNEST BEVIN 03 APRIL 1950 THE END PAGES ARE FOR FOREING EXCHANGE FOR TRAVELLING EXPENSES

ATTACHED IS A CERT FOR INOCULATION AGAINST YELLOW FEVER NOT VALID UNTIL10 DAYS AFTER THE INOCULATION

MY UNION BOOK NO. F4012 WAS ISSUED BY THE NAVIGATORS AND ENGINEER OFFICER'S UNION 78 LEADENHALL STREET

THE RULES SAY THAT 0FFICERS OF AIRCRAFT ENGAGED IN COMMERCIAL TRANSPORT SHALL BE ADMITTED TO FULL MEMBERSHIP

THERE IS AN INTERESTING LIST OF LEGAL FIRMS ABROAD TO BE CONTACTED WHEN IN TROUBLE

VERY COMPREHENSIVE IT STARTS WITH ACCRA AND ENDS WITH ZANZIBAR AND INCLUDES PLACES LITTLE VISITED TODAY SUCH AS CHARLOTTETOWN
P.EI., MALACCA, SOURABAYA, SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA , AND YARMOUTH (N.S.)