2 consecutive trips on same ship

[David l Brooks]

greatest time for me,april 18 1962 to to june 23 1965 , on the Kenya Castle, 14 back to back trips, 3years and 2 months, from saloon boy, a/steward, boots, deck steward, and some great stories, and great ports, Mombasa, Nyali beach, Cape Town, went up table mountain in the tram, walked to the westerly end and climbed down, Naples trip to Sorento, and Capri, and walked all around Pompei and then went up Mount Vesuvius and down inside , it was still smoking or steaming then, probably would not be allowed to do that now.I had better pipe down for a while, as this was to be a quick reply, now for a quick pint, Dave Brooks.

[john walker]

It is a common misconception that DBS stands for Distressed British Seaman.
Nope!
DBS refers to a Distressed British SUBJECT.

Any UK citizen in distress abroad without means could be repatriated DBS on board suitable ships.
True, it was mainly seafarers who availed of the service.

It is news to me that a Discharge Book would be stamped DBS as most sailors who deserted wouldn't have their book with them.

I only knew DR & VG and of course my Discharge Book has only the latter!

I think that the Master had a duty to hand the Discharge book with a Voyage not completed endorsement into a Board of Trade office at the first opportunity where it would be sent to the register of ships and seaman at Cardiff, In theory as it was the seamans property He could ask for it to be returned.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Dave.
I've posted this before. I was on the wheel and we were passing Mt Vesuvius on the Trevose in 49 and there was smoke coming out the top, as it come abeam I turned the wheel to Starboard a little to se a bit more, then a little bit more, The skipper came in the wheelhouse and said, "Jenkins you may as well put the wheel hard a starboard and go around again, and have a good look." He was smiling, one of the best I sailed with.
Des

[Doc Vernon]

greatest time for me,april 18 1962 to to june 23 1965 , on the Kenya Castle, 14 back to back trips, 3years and 2 months, from saloon boy, a/steward, boots, deck steward, and some great stories, and great ports, Mombasa, Nyali beach, Cape Town, went up table mountain in the tram, walked to the westerly end and climbed down, Naples trip to Sorento, and Capri, and walked all around Pompei and then went up Mount Vesuvius and down inside , it was still smoking or steaming then, probably would not be allowed to do that now.I had better pipe down for a while, as this was to be a quick reply, now for a quick pint, Dave Brooks.

Hello David
With all those trips on the Kenya, i am sure you must have come across or known my dear late Uncle "Dusty" he was very well known on most all Ships he served on.
Here is just some of the Ships he served on, and as you can see he was on the Kenya three times, which once included the time you were on her!

He was known as "Dusty" (Van der Poll)

Cheers

Ships Name and Service Record

Your Name George (Dusty) Van der Poll (On behalf of my Uncle)

Discharge Book Number R594857

Your Rank/Rating Asst.Stwd Futher positions will be added when complete listing has been received

Department Catering

List of Ships

Kenya Castle Feb 53 to Oct 54(first ship) Capetown to Victoria Docks

Warwick castle Jan 55 to Mar 55

Kenya Castle May 55 to Mar 56

Dunnottar Castle Jul 56 to Jul 57

Kenya Castle Aug 57 to Jul 64

Rhodesia Castle Sept 64 to Nov 65 ( flown back to KG5) paid off Gibraltar

Himalaya Nov 65 to Sept 69

Worked ashore for a period of nearly 4 Years then got tired of the Land Jobs!

Returned to Sea in 1973

Served as A/Barman and PR /Barman

Thne with a few other Ships till decided to pack it in May of 1982, when he got Re Married in Sydney Australia.

Now passed on God Rest his Soul.

[j.sabourn]

#32 Time permitting he would pass to the British Consulate if in a foreign port, together of any personal possessions left behind. Plus a copy of any log book entry’s to the fact. JS

[Noel Kelly]

Hi Stan.
If you got a DR from a ship I doubt the skipper; even a new one would sign you on again, unless he couldn't get a crew. I never had a DR but knew a few who did.
Des, Cheers Mate

I heard about DR's quite early in my sea life. I was assigned to my first vessel, a ship scheduled to depart Liverpool on Christmas Eve, headed for South America. Seemed like sailing on Christmas Eve was an open invitation for DR's to sign on. I know there were 2 in the engine room, fireman-water tender and greaser, no idea how many among the deck crew but you can bet more than one trying to clear his slate.

[j hardy]

I heard about DR's quite early in my sea life. I was assigned to my first vessel, a ship scheduled to depart Liverpool on Christmas Eve, headed for South America. Seemed like sailing on Christmas Eve was an open invitation for DR's to sign on. I know there were 2 in the engine room, fireman-water tender and greaser, no idea how many among the deck crew but you can bet more than one trying to clear his slate.

got my slate cleared by shipping out on an iron ore wagon on the twenty third of december.

[j.sabourn]

Bet you’ve never seen a DR painted on a funnel then. When I worked for Mullions or should say one of his sons , he bought a ship for both of them one was crewed starting off by Chinese and the other by Yugoslav’s . I was mate on the Chinese crewed one. He got word to the ship he would be visiting in Singapore and would be very pleased to see some ideas on a funnel marking as the funnel was just plain all black. I found out his Christian names and used the first letter of the two , which was D and R. Painted a white band round the funnel and on the white band painted the D facing the wrong way and using the upright of D used as part of the R facing the correct way. So more or less looking at it via a mirror would read DR as one combined figure. He was enraptured with it and it stayed there the remaining couple of months I was there, so he maybe took out a copyright on it and used permanently . The other ship and other sons was arrested in Montreal for non payment of Bills and wages , the crew got an obliging lawyer and ship sold and the crew were paid as maritime law says as had first lien on the ship. Don’t know how the officers were recruited but on the ship I was on was by Miz Silver of La pool who was so well liked by so many. When I took Job off her I stated the salary I wanted and she immediately complained about all the phone calls required. So I said to her what do you get for supplying a person to the shipowner, her words I only get the equivilant of 1 months wages that you sign up for.
Needless to say after not completing the full 12 months contract I never sought employment there again. JS….
PS Anyone finding a picture of the Glendalough will be able to see if my art work will or did survive the Artists talents . JS

[j.sabourn]

What year and what ore carrier #37 JH ? As mate on such vessels quite often had seamen plus discharge book sent from the federation to fill in as replacements with a letter from shipping office . It was left up to ship to take or not . I used to return any bribes disguised as misplaced currency enclosed in pages of book , and sign the BSF form regardless. I looked on it as knowing the score that a clean discharge was needed and they would’ve been less trouble than a one with a clean book if that way inclined . Different mates different approaches to the job. JS

[j hardy]

hi JS, year would be 1971, ship was the Longstone, one of Souters.