Discharge Book or not

[Bernard Kates]

Perhaps as R/O with Marconi, we didn't get issued Discharge Books. To my knowledge, I never had one, as Marconi normally dealt with all our joining/leaving arrangements. Perhaps some other ex-R/O's can advise if a discharge book was required, but no-one ever questioned me on this.

Hi Ricky. I'm also ex R/O and I most definitely do have a discharge book, and it was used every trip. As far as I know (and others here seem to agree) you couldn't have worked on British flag ships without one. I don't know about foreign flags though. With Marconi you'd never know which ship/flag you'd be sailing with next, so you must have had a discharge book back in the day. Same size as the old-style dark blue British passport, before we all became European citizens, and with a light blue/grey hard cover. Yours may have gone AWOL over the years, perhaps!

[Doc Vernon]

Well thanks for that Bernard at least we know that as i said , one as far as i knew could not serve on Merchant Ships without ONE , but also as said after 1972 when records ceased to be kept things changed, so who knows what happened then>
Cheers


As Mike posted this is what it looked like well in my days ! And the Green ID Card , which had a Photo inside of it.

[Francis Ralph]

Cant see what everyone is going on about, if you joined a British reg ship the Captain took your discharge book and returned it with VG's in appropriate slot , if you had been a good boy). This is a fact. On foreign flag ships the captain didn't give a toss as long as you had a cert of competency to show inspectors on arrival at foreign ports., and sometimes on a few FF ships the captain might ask for your ID card.
R/O Richard Baird couldn't have signed on a shell tanker or a Fyffes banana boat without a discharge book, plus , marconi demanded a disch book, cert of competency and ID card before they would employ you. Degrading memories of East Ham marconi depot in the '50s , waiting to be seen after paying off on a 11 month voyage ( not heading straight home like your fellow shipmates) to have your Sundays at sea allocation granted etc , sitting waiting , waiting, then your ships call sign sent out over the loudspeaker in morse, signifying they would deign to see you now. Ugh Any doubts why I joined BP direct employ as soon as was possible!
Francis Ralph R/O, ET off ,Comms Off etc etc disch bk R692715

[Terry Sullivan]

Picture is of a post war Discharge Book, wartime ones had thin covers and not too many pages, I suppose they didn't want to waste paper on a possible short use.
Terry Sullivan R340406

[Ivan Cloherty]

Picture is of a post war Discharge Book, wartime ones had thin covers and not too many pages, I suppose they didn't want to waste paper on a possible short use.
Terry Sullivan R340406

My father's Dis A ( issued 1927) R96096 was dark blue, quite substantial and also had a flap which went over the edges of where it opened, I still have it, his second one is light blue the same as my own.

[Denis O'Shea]

#28. I left the sea 1967 on getting married and sent my book back to Cardiff as was told had to when getting it in L.pool on joining, I returned to sea with Marconi in 1975 who sent me to Glasgow for a new book, so don't understand how you did not get one in 1972. Den

[Keith at Tregenna]

Just some info, hope it may assist.

K.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1987/408/made

[Doc Vernon]

Some very good info in the Documentatin Keith, Thanks Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Apart from apprentices who did not get a discharge in book , cadets did. Was the master who did not require one. I sailed with FF. For a number of years and a dis. Book was unnecessary but would be used if asked for. At that time however it was a heinous crime to sail on non federated ships. And a bolliking was forthcoming if they found out. Attitudes in shipping went spiralling downwards after 1970 , which was the continuing downfall of the MN as we once knew it. JS

[Tony Taylor]

Apart from apprentices who did not get a discharge in book , cadets did. Was the master who did not require one. I sailed with FF. For a number of years and a dis. Book was unnecessary but would be used if asked for. At that time however it was a heinous crime to sail on non federated ships. And a bolliking was forthcoming if they found out. Attitudes in shipping went spiralling downwards after 1970 , which was the continuing downfall of the MN as we once knew it. JS

I was an apprentice and got my discharge book in 1967. I think it was a couple of years later when the apprentice scheme (recognised by TUC) was changed to Cadet scheme and shortened and the TUC would not recognise it.