# Dis Book.



## janathull

I bought a Dis Book at car boot yesterday which is in very good condition. It has the number R39288 and the date of the first discharge is 26/05/1927 and it was issued to a Radio Operator 2nd Grade who went on to be 1st Grade. The owner would appear to have been born in India in 1908 but lived in Newcastle. Can anyone please give me any information about this. Thanks.


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## Hugh MacLean

Hello,
I can tell you that it belonged to John Walter Humble Moore. His first voyage was aboard CITY OF NORWICH. I would estimate the Dis. A number was issued in 1926.

Regards
Hugh


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## trotterdotpom

Fasincating. Imagine anyone flogging a discharge book and imagine anyone buying one. If I saw one for sale, I'd probably get it. Any interesting discharges?

John T


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## janathull

That's the right name and the right ship. He appears to have done several trips on the Sirsa on the Indian coast joining and Paying off at Calcutta.Its a real piece of M.n. history which is why I bought it. How it came to be at a car boot in Bridlington is anyones guess.


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## trotterdotpom

Great stuff, Jan. Is there a photo in the book? Hope you find some info but even if you don't, John Moore lives on with you. Keep it safe.

John T


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## Hugh MacLean

I don't see any WW2 records for him but that does not mean he didn't have any, just that they are not available online. Can you tell me his last discharge from the book?

Regards
Hugh


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## janathull

The last discharge was from the Blairgowrie on the 19th Aug 1932 at liverpool. I will do some photos over the weekend and post them, I must admit its got me fascinated.


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## Hugh MacLean

Thanks for that Jan - very interesting.
He could of course have had other books after 1932 or he could have left the service.
Dis. A Books were first introduced in 1900 and only for FG voyages, those on HT were given a paper discharge.

Regards
Hugh


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## Shipbuilder

All the information that you require should be contained in it!!!!
Photograph, date of birth, place of birth, address, next of kin, ships served in with date of joining & leaving. Stamp on conduct and ability (Normally Very Good, unless he committed some dreadful crime aboard)
But he was a radio officer, not a radio operator (world of difference). 
Bob


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## janathull

There is no next of kin listed and all the discharges except 2 give him as Wireless Operator, the2 give him as W.T.O. I think it should go to the family so I am going to try and track them down and see if they want it.


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## Shipbuilder

Maybe your book has had pages ripped out! The two images below of my first book are standard for Merchant Navy discharge books. I have erased my National Insurance number, but the rest is complete.
The rank or rating in these examples is R/O that means Radio Officer, not operator. The difference being, that MN radio officers, as well as operating the equipment, were trained to quite a high level in maintenance and repair of all the equipment under their care, eventually encompassing radar equipment, public address systems, satellite communications and navigation, computers, teleprinters, fire alarms systems, video equipment etc etc etc.

I think you will find that the family of the discharge book's original owner will not have the slightest interest in it, or it would not have ended up on a car boot sale in the first place - sad, but true in most cases! 

You could keep it yourself, research all the ships and trace his career.
You are obviously interested in it, or would not have purchased it. Better with you than someone who may just say "thank you" and toss it in the bin after you have left.

Bob


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## trotterdotpom

janathull said:


> There is no next of kin listed and all the discharges except 2 give him as Wireless Operator, the2 give him as W.T.O. I think it should go to the family so I am going to try and track them down and see if they want it.


The relatives probably flogged it in the first place, Jan. why give it back to them?

The WTO probably stood for "Wireless Telegraphy Operator". Not sure when the term "Radio Officer" came into use.

John T


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## Shipbuilder

This is the Blairgowrie:
http://www.photoship.co.uk/JAlbum%20Ships/Old%20Ships%20B/slides/Blairgowrie-01.jpg
Bob


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## Hugh MacLean

I think you need to look at the time period the Dis. A Book covers. It is the years 1926 to 1932 and there would be no photo in the book during this period. The page layout would also be different to more modern books.
They were not Radio Officers but WTOs = Wireless Telegraphy Operators as mentioned by John T.

Regards
Hugh


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## janathull

The discharges definitely say wireless operator, it is written out.


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## Shipbuilder

As Hugh said, they began as radio operators, but were upgraded to radio officers some time before WWII - I was not paying attention to the dates!
As a matter of interest, it has now gone full circle. In the late 1990s, radio communication had got so simple with satellites, that radio officers were dispensed with and replaced by operators again, who qualified after a ten-day course! Equipment servicing then became circuit board replacement, rather than advanced fault finding down to single component location! I thought I would get an operator's certificate, just for fun. I applied, and they asked if I had sailed with satellite equipment, I said, yes, about 8 years. They then told me to pay the fee, I think it was £36, and they would send me one without bothering with the course! (EEK) 
As others have said, I wouldn't bother trying to return the book to the family - they got rid of it in the first place!
Bob


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## janathull

I don't really know why the book ended up at a car boot, maybe it was a part of an house clearance. Shipbuilders book is a lot later as it has 6 digits in the no not five. I am going to upload a photo of the page concerning N.I. nos. As most of the discharges start and terminate in India and given he was born there it would suggest he was an Indian national who didn't come here until 1931.


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## William Clark8

*Discharges*

How many of you out there has a DR or VNC in your books?
(EEK)


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## janathull

Guilty.


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## Shipbuilder

I know what a DR is, but have never heard of a VNC!
Bob


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## Shipbuilder

Just looked it up - Voyage Not Completed!
Bob


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## John Rogers

I'm guilty of receiving a VNC from the Good Captain Webb of the Bristol City, accutally it should of been Voyage Not Started. I was necking with a sweet young thing at sailing time, I could even hear the ships horn blowing but I was deaf in love. After all these years We are still in contact with each other,we were also friends as kids in class at school. Six months later I signed on again and the good Captain reminded me not to miss sailing,went on to sail on her four more times.


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## slick

All,
DR Double DR and VNC, plus I believe ENR - Endorsement not Required.
I understand it was to cover and avoid DR's in your Book.
Yours aye,

slick


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## RogertheLodger

January, 1960, Hull..........Stayed too long in the arms of an older woman and missed rejoining the 'Baltic Clipper' the following morning ( it seemed worth it at the time). Captain Purdy endorsed my D.B. with the words 'Failed to rejoin', but this was later altered to 'V.N.C.' by a Marine Supt. It didn't seem to worry U.B.C. too much... afterwards I served on five more of their ships. Also have an 'Engagement cancelled' in my book after being taken ill the day after signing on.


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## trotterdotpom

What about those blokes who came home DBS (Distressed British Seaman) after jumping ship and whatnot. Did they get a DBS in their Discharge Books?

John T


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## William Clark8

VNC I would imagine


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## trotterdotpom

Thanks, William. Yes VNC from the origiinalship that they left for whatever reason, but did they sign on the vessel that brought them home?

John T


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## Phil Saul

Presume I got a VNC when I skinned out of the Westmorland in NZ but I never saw my discharge book again so don't really know.

I did sign on when I re-joined the Westmorland two and a half years later to work my passage back to the UK.

Regards Phil (Thumb)


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## slick

All,
I believe you could ask for a "Paper Discharge" ie no entry in your book and also useful as a DBS if you wanted to recover your Dis.A Book.


Yours aye,
slick


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## alan ward

VNC Very nice chap
DR Despatch Rider
ENR Extremely Nice Ride
G Generous


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## janathull

If you jumped ship I don't suppose you would have taken your Dis book so I assume you would have got a VNC.


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## looneylectrics

I got a Good and a Decline to Report with Voyage not Complete written in red across the 2 of them.


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## William Clark8

*Discharge book*

What Company was that?(EEK)


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## trotterdotpom

William Clark8 said:


> What Company was that?(EEK)


I'm guessing his last one.

John T


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## William Clark8

*John t*

Maybe not so, as there were that many 'One ship outfits'
out there and they were desperate for Crews sometimes
(==D)


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## notnila

I posted in another thread a while back that I'd received a "GOOD" for conduct off the "Capetown Castle".I think it was viewed as worse than a DR by the Pool.Had a helluva job to get another ship.They sent me to Lambert Bros "Temple Lane" just for spite!!!


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## tiachapman

bit of history , house clearance probably


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## Samsette

When a seaman jumps ship, the master sends his discharge book to the shipping office, in a commonwealth port, or to the British consul if in a foreign port.


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## looneylectrics

trotterdotpom said:


> I'm guessing his last one.
> 
> John T


I'm sorry I been away for a while.

I bailed out of the Lassell one of Lamport & Holts Sam Boats in Rio and signed on the Athelmonarch 2 weeks later in Rio and paid off with 2 VG's 5 months later. I did one more 8 week trip down the Medi and gave it up. If I could have found some old tramp doing South America or Far East I would still be there but Ellerman Wilson down the Mediterranean just didn't cut it for me. I must have been a right plonker.


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## Robert Hilton

There was a character around London seaman's hostels who was said to have continuous VNC's in his book. He could only get a ship in the run up to Christmas and would jump ship in some place he fancied and come home DBS when his money/welcome ran out. I have an idea of his name, but I'm not sure I have it right, so won't post it. He was known as "One Way ..."


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## 8575

Refering to the very first post on this thread and finding (and buying) a discharge book at a car boot sale - I always thought that the Dis Book and Seaman's ID booklet remained the property of the Board of Trade (or DOT, DTI or DfT (MCA)). Anyone know?


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## randcmackenzie

No, it belongs to the person to whom it is issued.

Best Regards.


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## Hugh MacLean

randcmackenzie said:


> No, it belongs to the person to whom it is issued.
> Best Regards.


I agree. I see people asking if they can get copies of their Dis A book. The answer is no because books were your own and any returned to BOT were not saved. You can get copies of your records up until 1972 in the form of a CRS 10. No personal records kept between 1973 and 1990. Records from 1991 to present held at MCA.
Regards
Hugh


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