Request for Information

[Dave Francis]

My Seafarer friends,

This is Dave Francis yet again, Looking on information on where to locate the list of ships I signed on under the British flag. I have a problem of with my brain issues, after my 3 year stint after being bitten by venomous ants in the near Cairns, Queensland, Australia. This was decades ago and after rushing back to England, via a German Cargo/ Passenger ship called the "Gisela Venmann" Much later when I married an American lady (1979) on the MV: Island Princess, who would possible recognize it as "The Love Boat." It was on the early TV American comedy-romance series.

So cut a long long story short, I was diagnosed with PTSD, at West Hollywood hospital, Los Angeles in which has caused me a many depressive, and my failure of my memory to some degree.

1. I still have my British Boards of Trade, Discharge book. So friends is their a list where I can find, information of the ships and dates, I cruised on?

Appreciate any assistance,
Dave Francis

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Dave
Sorry to haer of your issues over the past, but hope things will get better with time.
Now if you have your Discharge Book you will se the dates you Joined and left each Ship, so that may solve your dates issues! ALSO WILL OF COURSE HAVE THE LIST OF sHIPS YOU WERE ON.

As for tHe rest , well i would say that possibly you may need your Crew Lists to know a bit more, but this ca be a costly business i know as i had done same . You should be able to get these from the Maritime Section of the University of Canada in Newfoundland.

Information on each ship is best just searched for with any good Search Engine .

Best of Luck
Cheers

[Dave Francis]

Hello Doc Vernon,

I understand that I have dates on which ships, I traveled on, but my earlier Discharge Book was lost or maybe even stolen. I have the new one up to 1979, when I ventured into a new life in California, but previous to my voyages on the "Arcadia" in 1973, I have no documentation of previous evidence of my years on the Blue Star Line, Shaw Saville, Cunard, P & O shipping, bulk Carriers, Oil Tankers and Flags of Convenience. I went to sea after on Cruise ships after a bad accident in the British Navy Auxiliary and later in the 80 spent three years in Northern Australia. I was on the Reina Del Mar, Windsor Castle and many more.

Would each shipping company have a record of my employment on board? I started as a waiter, worked through different jobs and became a First class Steward and Butler on a wealthy families yacht, to the Galapagos chain of Islands. I have many photograph of Movie Stars as Cary Grant, Lana Turner, Barbara Windsor, the Chubb Brothers, (manufacturers of Safes) Kirk Douglas and the list goes on and even 4 princesses from the Arab Emirates, with their chaperones and it was the MV: Island Princess ( The US TV series comedy/romance series, "The Love Boat" I met my sweet American wife.

Thank you, Dave Francis.

[j.sabourn]

Your new one up to 1979 should have the same number as the old one Dave and should be an R number , as already said I have 3. What is the number on your present book.? Hope the ants didn’t also get into your pants. A bit more info. In your discharge book is your N.H.I. Number also. JS

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Dave
OK So now i understand your issues! As said all the Discharge Books that you had would have been the same R Number so that said, as you were still at Sea after 1972 they stopped keeping Records for some reason for a Period then Restarted again in later Years!

Its very hard to try and get copies of ones Records in these circumstances.
Having said that i would think that even though they did not keep records after 72, seeing that you started long before there should as i see it be a CRS10 Record held with all your Service.
This CRS10 if held can be obtained from the National Archive in Kew. The best way of course is to go in Person but seeing as you are in California , well long way to Walk! LOL
Obtaining this over the Internet would be very costly as well.
So there we have it Dave , Options !

To have a look for the Link that may hold your CRS10 we would need your DOB, and Place of Birth, but as said Dave there is no surety until you apply online!

So if you give those details i can look for the CRS10 Link.
cHEERS

PS What Year did you Start at Sea.

This Link will Cover your Surname Dave , so as said if there is a CRS10 you will find it in this Sub Series of the Fifth Register of Merchant Seaman

Long Ways to go mate!

Frampton A to Franiel R J | The National Archives

[j.sabourn]

He must have started with Cappy on the Ark, and Capt. Noah signed them on Vernon to have known the Chubbs if they were the original ones . JS