Merchant navy puzzle

[banshee]

good day, gentlemen,
I hope you can solve a puzzle for me.
My late father was British and served in the Merchant Navy prior and during WW11. Now I have the time to investigate his naval papers and am puzzled by numbers which appear between the words "very" and "good" in his discharge book. Please could anybody tell me what these random numbers mean?

Also, he had a short voyage on the "Arandora Star" number 149837. The voyage was from Southampton, 1st September, 1939 to Dartmouth 19th September, 1939. Could it have been the ill fated ship?

I await your replies with a great deal of interest.

thank you
Banshee

[Chris Allman]

Hi Banshee,

I would suggest that the numbers are the official numbers of the Shipping Officers who signed off the discharge book. Looking through my Discharge Book, I see that a Shipping Officer named Morris signed me off in Liverpool on a number of occasions and had the same number on his stamp each time. Other Shipping Officers had their own numbers too. So the numbers were their own official numbers on their personal stamp.

With regard to the Arandora Star, it is the same ship that was sunk off the Foreland see HERE

Chris.

[banshee]

thank you for your help. now I have something to tell my siblings about Dad and the Andoria Star and what the numbers mean.
Banshee
Cape Town

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Banshee
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,a good Crew here and with luck also find the info you are after!
So sit back grab a Tinny,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time! Have a happy stay!

Cheers

Vernon (castleman)

Ex Capetonian (The Gardens)

[Neil Morton]

Hi Banshee and welcome. Until I read your post re the numbers I had taken no notice of them and now on checking I find that a certain # 12 signed me off fairly often.Happy hunting.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Banshee.
Welcome to the site, and thanks for asking about the Andora Star, without which Chris might not have put on that very interesting site about the Andora Star, What lovely old menu, and sailing cards. My wife has kept some menu cards from the Southern Cross, on which we met in 1957.
Cheers Des