Family research

[Thomas Clyde]

Hello!

I'm joining this forum to try and help me research my late father's,(Thomas Meikle Clyde) time in the merchant navy from 1922 up to the last entry in his discharge book on 28th February 1964 when he retired after injury.
I'll be dipping in and out of the forum with queries which I am hoping will be answered by members.He spent all of is service in the engine room and eventually retired as a Donkeyman/Greaser. one simple question I have at present is what rating is abbreviated as ERS? Does the S stand for Storeman?
Thanks in advance -

Tom Clyde

[cappy]

Hello!

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Thanks in advance -

Tom Clyde

#####tom it may be interesting to see a list of his ships .....there was a fireman out of shields i sailed with on a coaster called tommy meiklein 1959 0r 60 regards cappy

[Hugh]

Hello Tom and welcome,
You are correct Engine Room Storeman.

Regards
Hugh

[Thomas Clyde]

Hi Cappy,

Thanks for your reply - I have two of his discharge books (the middle one is missing), but the second one covers that period and shows him to be with Esso on the Plymouth,Exeter,Cambridge and Coventry all as Donkeyman. Thanks for the thought though.

Tom

[Doc Vernon]

Welcome to the site Thomas
As you can see already there have been replies,so just keep shooting those Questions here ,the Lads are keen to help where and when they can!
A better bunch you could not ask for! A real band of good ex Seaman!
Enjoy what we have to offer!
Cheers

Thank you for joining!

Nice part of the Country there Thomas!

Cheers

[Hugh]

I have two of his discharge books (the middle one is missing),
Tom

You could find out what that missing middle Dis. A Book held by obtaining his CRS 10 from Kew. It is held in piece BT 382/343
Best obtained by visit to Kew.

Regards
Hugh

[Thomas Clyde]

Thanks Hugh - I thought that was the case. I believe he was badly injured in an accident at sea around 1965. Previously, he had been a Donkeyman/Greaser after going through the ranks of Fireman and Fireman Trimmer. A list of the ships which he served on at the beginning and at the end of his career goes something like the following:

1922 - home trade - SS Belsay - Swansea to Fowey
1926 - R A - Emerald - Leith to Larne - Belfast to Swansea - Burntisland to Ayr - Ayr to Workington discharged 1927
1928 - Coasting - SS Briar - Ayr to Ayr
1928/29 - Home Trade - Foynes - Ayr to Waterford
1929 - R A - Achiste(?) - Dundee to Methil
1930 - R A - SS Alburn - Ayr to Newcastle on Tyne1930
1930 - R A - Uskside - Ayr to Stockton - Stockton to Grangemouth - RA Foreign - Grangemouth to Grangemouth - R A Foreign Grangemouth to Cardiff - 1931
1933 - Foreign - SS Baron Ailsa - Troon to Troon
these ships were followed by Kingsborough - Foreign - 1933 to 1936, Thelma - Foreign - 1937 to 1939 -
Empire Austen,Glasgow,Eddystone,Sevilla, Beaconstreet
Esso Windsor,Chelsea,Guildford,Plymouth,Exeter,Cambridg e, Coventry, Wandsworth all between 1959 and 1964.

The discharge books for the period between 1946 and 1959 are missing.

My father was probably known as Tom Clyde and was born in 1901 in Durham.

Many thanks

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Hugh - I am intending as part of my family research to plan a visit to London. Probably next year now since it is quite an expensive place to visit - but Kew is a must as soon as finances make it possible

[Hugh]

Hello Tom,
I have a 53 year-old merchant seaman travelling as a passenger from Southampton to New York 2nd May 1954 on ss MAASDAN, Holland America Line. Address noted as Ayr in Scotland, is that him?

I am also interested in the information you have posted in #7 above. The information for 1922 Home Trade run on BELSAY and the Running Agreements 1926, 1929 and 1930, also the Coasting in 1928. How are those voyages recorded? Are they entered in the Dis.A Book or on paper discharges? Will explain my thinking later.

Regards
Hugh

[Thomas Clyde]

Hello Hugh,
The first part of your research re. the seaman travelling to New York is, indeed, my father. I have a few of these noted on Ancestry Site and, clearly, he was travelling to join a ship somewhere in North America and appears to have needed to take such journeys on a fairly regular basis.
The information on SS Belsay is entered as the first entry in his DISCHARGE Book A 885490. The details are as follows;

SS Belsay - Newcastle - Official Number 144889 and registered tonnage 258. My father was engaged on 22nd May 1922 as a Fireman and discharged on 14th June 1922 at Fowey . Description of the voyage is RA. Master was D.W.Fowle as per signature.

1926 Running Agreements were in connection with his engagement as Fireman and Trimmer on 'Emerald' whose official number was 119153 from Glasgow and registered tonnage 304. He engaged on 16th September 1926 at Leith and was discharged on 15th October 1926 at Larne Further engaged on same ship at Belfast 8th March1927 - Discharged Swansea 20th April 1927. Again, engaged at Burntisland 7th June 1927, discharged Ayr 30th June 1927 and finally engaged Ayr 4th July 1927 and discharged Workington 2nd December 1929. Signed off on all journeys by Master S.Masson.

1929 is with ACHISITE?. (I can't quite make out this ships name), official number 108756 registered Glasgow tonnage 709. Engaged as Fireman and Trimmer on 2nd July 1929 at Dundee and discharged 4th January 1930 at Methil . Signature of Master unclear but might be Archeoloppolis.

1930 entries are all in Discharge book;

SS Alburn - West Hartlepool - official number 109685 - 394.70 tons - NHP 99. Engaged on 8th May 1930 as Fireman and Trimmer at Ayr and discharged 10th June 1930 at Newcastle. Master's signature appears to be Toath.
SS Uskside - registered Newport - official number 139615 - tonnage 1468 - HP 249.engaged 23 June 1930 as |Fireman Trimmer at Ayr and discharged Stockport 12th August 1930. Master D. Howlett. further engagements withthis ship at Stockton on 13th August 1930 - Discharged Grangemouth 16th December 1930. Engaged Grangemouth 17th December 1930- Discharged 20 August 1931 - Master G. Fiddler and finally engaged at Grangemouth 21 August 1931 and discharged 18th September 1931 at Cardiff. Master G. Fiddler.(The last two engagements were both marked RA Foreign rather than just RA.

The following two entries were on paper discharges:

SS Briar - official number 86704 - HP could be either 144,177 or 199. Engaged 10th July 1928 at Ayr and discharged as Fireman on 21st July 1928. Master noted as R. McCorkindale. WZitnessed by Second Officer J.C. Reid. Description of voyage " Coasting".

Foynes - Official number 139121 - Registered at Limerick - Horse power unclear but could be 21.66. engaged as Fireman on 2nd October 1928 at Ayr and discharged on 28th February 1929 at Waterford - Home Trade. Master W.P.Colle or Colli, Chief Officer E.R. Good.

Hope this is of interest,

Tom

[Thomas Clyde]

Hi Vernon,

Thanks for your post. This is a great site. People seem interested and willing to have a chat. Bit of a difference from some other research sites I use.
Thanks for the comment about this part of the country. We live on the shores of Loch Long and can watch an interseting collection of shipping go by including warships and Nuclear Subs. The local area is full of retired merchant and royal navy seamen which gives rise to some interesting conversations in the local.

Anyway glad I joined the site!

Regards
Tom