SS Duke of York, Captain Rowland Vincent Adams

[Hugh]

#8 Yes I can confirm that I received my Discharge Book upon joining my first ship as an Indentured Apprentice. No entries were made into it during my apprenticeship.

John & Ivan always good to hear your opinions and expertise.
Ivan I can't remember if I asked you this before but when you received your Dis.A Book did it have your number printed on it?

Regards
Hugh

[Ivan Cloherty]

John & Ivan always good to hear your opinions and expertise.
Ivan I can't remember if I asked you this before but when you received your Dis.A Book did it have your number printed on it?

Regards
Hugh

Yes Hugh, the number was already printed on the book, still have it, along with both my father's R96096

[Richard Pugh]

Thanks

[Richard Pugh]

Hi Guys,

I realise that I forgot to add that vital piece of info.
Rowland Vincent Adams Dis A. No. 938222.

Hope it helps.
Richard

- - - Updated - - -

Many thanks for that.

- - - Updated - - -

Hi Richard and welcome,

I will have a look tomorrow but in the mean time his Master's Certificate

Regards
Hugh

Thanks Hugh, that is great
Regards
Richard

[Richard Pugh]

Just a little more information for you.

Roland Vincent Adams b 9.4.1899 – Portsmouth. Dis.A 938222. Board of Trade Certificate of Competency [Master’s Ticket] 0013988. He appears to have served as follows – note, this is not a complete list of his service.

For WW2 you will need to obtain his form CRS 10 which will outline his service from January 1941 until leaving the service.

Regarding his MBE(Civ), usually for the Birthday Honours, there is no citation so we don’t know why he was awarded the MBE. There may be further information in the newspapers of the time. We also don’t know if it was for service on SHERRINGHAM or if he was just serving on her when the award came through.

SHERRINGHAM - British Cargo Ferry, London & North Eastern Railway. 1008 tons.
London Gazette 10 June 1944 – Birthday Honours LIST 1944
ADAMS, Rowland Vincent – Captain – MBE(Civ)


93850 - WRAY CASTLE 17.3.1914 – 24 July 1917 – Apprentice

Passed for 2nd Mate – September 1917

133309 – KAFUE – 10.10.1917 – 21.11.1917 – 3rd Mate
133309 – KAFUE – 23.11.1917 – 16.1.1918 – 3rd Mate
133309 – KAFUE – 18.1.1918 – 22.4.1918 – 3rd Mate
133309 – KAFUE – 23.4.1918 – 30.4.1918 – 3rd Mate
133304 – KENTUCKY – 5.6.1918 – 12.10.1918 – 3rd Mate
133304 – KENTUCKY – 7.11.1918 – 4.3.1919 – 3rd Mate
133304 – KENTUCKY – 7.3.1919 – 24.5.1920 – 3rd Mate
123738 – BLOEMFONTEIN – 5.1920

Passed for 1st Mate – July 1920

115933 – GRIQUA – 17.3.1921 – 2.9.1921 – 2nd Mate
115933 – GRIQUA – 2.9.1921 – 4.10.1921 – 2nd Mate
115933 – GRIQUA – 7.10.1921 – 6.2.1922 – 2nd Mate
115933 – GRIQUA – 3.3.1922 – 5.7.1922 – 2nd Mate

Passed for Master – October 1922

141927 – GLENARIFFE – 1.2.1923
137826 – GLENAMOY – 30.1.1924

Also please see the attached CR1 card - we had a discussion on this site a while back about whether Apprentices were given a Dis.A number while on Indentures. This is further proof that they didn't receive a Dis.A number until completion of their apprenticeship - at least back then. This may or may not have changed in later years but I like to give evidence of any statements I make on the matter.


Regards
Hugh

Thanks Hugh, that gives me something to work with for a day or so.

I knew you guys would come up with the info.

Many thanks.

Regards
Richard

[Ivan Cloherty]

The same I believe for an engineer why did he have to have F.G. Seatime .What difference does it make to him what sea or waterway he worked on. There was some excuse for deck people as regards the navigational knowledge , but an engineer why ? Did you get any remission for attending pre-sea school Ivan ? If I had delayed going to sea another 2 months I would have got 6 months , but too keen to wait, and regret at leisure . Should have kept my weekend job going delivering the sausages and meat from the butchers on the bike. The money was better. JS

Yes 6 months, but it wasn't an automatic given just because you attended the school. You had to sit an exam, about ten subjects, 5 of which you had to obtain a minimum of 70%, you were not allowed to get below 40% in any of the others and your average for the ten must exceed 60%, somehow I passed even though I hated some of the subjects, I thought I had a list of the subjects somewhere, but seem to have mislaid it, surprising what you keep sometimes

[j.sabourn]

The only certificate I went through non stop was second mate, signals included in the one week. For Ist mate there was a hitch in the chart work and had to do again as couldn’t get a line of soundings in. And for master had to go through the orals twice the second time. The following week . There had been a passenger ship gone down off the Canary’s big thing at the time and he put me in the position as master of such. He had various comments and sarcastic remarks to make on my answers , he had me starting fire pumps and repairing sprinklers which Ihad never sailed with and in a lifeboat going through a lifeboat ticket. Again , then putting me back in a bridge position as master his final sarcastic remark after listening to my spiel was Son you never leave the bridge you delegate. At the Piper Alpha 25 years later funnily enough I thought of his words and thought where are all these people I can delegate to ? Anyhow after spending a full day in the orals room and having to previously spend time at the L and G people finding out various things , he changed tacks and must have gone through every ship handling case imaginable , finally at 1600 hrs he threw the pink chit at me saying I was a pilot for 30 years and I’ve never seen a ship come off a berth like you did it , but in theory you are correct and I can’t fail you . So it was straight from there to the pub. Where I knew the manager and he let me in the back door.
Cheers JS

[Marian Gray]

Hello Richard, A wee bit more - which you may already have?

Links below copied from the Internet, though originally submitted by a member of this site too ie ''benjidog'' Have included because it does mention an enquiry. in Part 2. The photographs alone are worth viewing.

Part 1
https://benjidog.co.uk/MiscShips/Duke%20of%20York.php
Part 2
https://benjidog.co.uk/MiscShips/Duke%20of%20York2.php

The following from Ancestry, unfortunately could not find an Obit for Captain Adams. He and his wife had two daughters, one survives. Can approach the tree owners on your behalf if you wish.



NYT715_2633-1196.jpg

The National Archives' reference BT 395/1/381
War medals roll..pdf

[Richard Pugh]

Hi Marian,
I thought I had responded to your post a few days ago. I must have done something wrong as it does not appear to be here. So I am sorry for the delay in thanking you.
Thanks for your info. #18.
I had accessed the "benjidog" web page, found it very interesting and informative. The Video / Audio News item is attention grabbing to say the least.
I have already accessed his Medals for WWI & WWII, via TNA.
I too am a subscriber of Ancestry and am familiar with the Family History Trees, to which you refer, I found four, and have sent messages to two.
What I found surprising was that none of the FT's had a photo of Rowland in his later years as a Master. none mentioned his MBE, and none mentioned his Collision as Master of the Duke of York.
I have a contact who has Newspaper Archives access, and hoping that the Obit can be found that way.
The Museum for whom I am researching this subject has received the actual MBE awarded to Captain Adams, and his Atlantic Medal, the other medals have disappeared.
Knowing what the medals are, we will endeavor to purchase replacements for the Museum Display Cabinet.

[Marian Gray]

No worries whatsoever Richard.

Like you I too was rather surprised at the lack of mention on Rowland's seafaring career within the Ancestry trees. Best of luck in your endeavours.