# Ship Crew



## JOHN BAGE (Sep 26, 2006)

When I worked in the Drawing Office at Readheads in the 1960's we had a list of crew which was added to the General Arrangement Plan.
I can't remember the full list and wondered if someone on here might be able to.

Obviously there were Captain, Ch. Offr., etc but all I can recall of the Asian crew is Donkeyman.

I would also like to know what the duties were of each one.

The ships I am thinking of were for the Strick Line.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

There were Greasers at least 6,plus 6 fireman,about 8 ABs,4 OS, a deck boy Bosun, Chippy,Storekeeper, Chief Steward, Cook, asst cook, 2 Stewards, 3 cabin boys and not forgetting the 5 engineers and Radio Officers.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Donkeyman looked after the 'Donkey Boiler' for steam on deck. I would assume he was senior fireman.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

*Regestan*

Start counting(Night)
View attachment 33186


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

A.D.FROST said:


> Start counting(Night)
> View attachment 33186



A.D.

Out of focus!!!!.... even at just 150%.

Stephen


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## tunatownshipwreck (Nov 9, 2005)

I saw different spellings on cabins and crew lists, greasers or oilers, bosuns or boatswains, messman or steward, some ships had ABs, some had quartermasters, a chief mate might instead be a first officer, there were many more.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

JOHN BAGE said:


> When I worked in the Drawing Office at Readheads in the 1960's we had a list of crew which was added to the General Arrangement Plan.
> I can't remember the full list and wondered if someone on here might be able to.
> 
> Obviously there were Captain, Ch. Offr., etc but all I can recall of the Asian crew is Donkeyman.
> ...


Heres the REGISTAN crew list.
View attachment 33198


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## JOHN BAGE (Sep 26, 2006)

A.D.FROST said:


> Heres the REGISTAN crew list.
> View attachment 33198


Can anyone tell me what the odd sounding names in the crew list did when onboard?


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## alan ward (Jul 20, 2009)

A crew of 71?and that`s allowing for spare cabin for pilot and engineer.I wish I`d kept my old crewlists,God knows I typed enough


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

John, from my unreliable memory:

Serang - Bosun (Boatswain)
Cassab - Storekeeper
Tindal - Bosun's Mate
Secunny - Quartermaster (seaman who was helmsman. lookout and worked 
round the bridge).
Butler - sort of Chief Steward who was in charge of officers' stewards.
Topas - ordinary seaman, cleaner upperer mainly.
Bhandary - crew's cook. (Generally, one who cooked curried slop for the
deck crew and one who cooked curried
slop with oil in it for the engine room crew.

John T

PS What did they do? Same as other seaman but with the added virtue of a universal joint in their necks.


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

On the P&O the *Tindal* was always in the boiler room looking after the water etc


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## JOHN BAGE (Sep 26, 2006)

trotterdotpom said:


> John, from my unreliable memory:
> 
> Serang - Bosun (Boatswain)
> Cassab - Storekeeper
> ...


Many Thanks for the job descriptions. I don't think anyone in the shipyard knew what they all did as far as my memory recalls.
I will add this info to my shipyard websites when I update them.
If anyone is interested or has anything they can add it is at;-

www.johnbage.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk

Go to the bottom of the Index page.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> Topas - ordinary seaman, cleaner upperer mainly.


The topas was normally a member of the "untouchables" or Dalits who were outside (below) the Indian caste system. They are the people who do all the tasks deemed as "unclean" under the religious laws of the various religions and castes in India and other parts of South Asia.

Aboard ship they cleaned toilets, bathrooms etc. in the accommodation.

The topas also did our laundry, for which we paid him prior to either of us leaving the ship. (No doubt the Butler took a cut!) 

On one ship that I sailed on the topas used to do our laundry in the Officer's bathroom (no bath, only a shower) by beating it on the deck and the shower tray. It always came back spotless but whites were starched so that the shorts and trousers would stand up by themselves. Putting your leg into them was accompanied by a tearing sound as the two sides of the trouser leg were separated.


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## JoeQ (Jan 8, 2009)

Ron Stringer said:


> The topas was normally a member of the "untouchables" or Dalits who were outside (below) the Indian caste system. They are the people who do all the tasks deemed as "unclean" under the religious laws of the various religions and castes in India and other parts of South Asia.
> 
> Aboard ship they cleaned toilets, bathrooms etc. in the accommodation.
> 
> ...


In City Line the Topas was always known as the Jackie, I have no idea why


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

JoeQ said:


> In City Line the Topas was always known as the Jackie, I have no idea why


I think he was in LOF too, unless I'm getting mixed up with City of Lancaster.

On one ship I was on with Indian crew we had a laundryman who did all the ship's laundry, including the officers' gear. Elsewhere it was done by the steward - at least he took it and brought it back. I loved that feeling of pushing my leg through the starched shorts - is that normal?

I do remember there always seemed to be a few folk who did their own dhobi because they were too tight to pay the steward. I thought it was money well spent myself.

John T


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

trotterdotpom said:


> On one ship I was on with Indian crew we had a laundryman who did all the ship's laundry, including the officers' gear.


Agree that the name for the topas was Jackie within Ellerman's but I don't know why.



trotterdotpom said:


> Elsewhere it was done by the steward - at least he took it and brought it back.


Think it was a classic example of delegation. Steward took it, Jackie washed it, steward brought it back. That was the case on the City of Lucknow, which is where I occasionally saw the topas wash our gear in the Officer's bathroom. Where he washed it at other times, or where he did the starching and pressing, I don't know. Down aft I suppose.

Thinking back, he probably used our bathroom to get round the water rationing. That ship was always short of water - Master, 4 Mates, 7 or 8 engineers, me, 4POs, 25 Apprentices and 65 Indian crew used a lot of water so we went on rationing after about 3 days out of port. One hour in the morning, one hour in the evening for the officers but I don't know what the arrangements were down aft in the crew quarters. But they won't have been more generous than ours, if as good - such was the way of things then.

On the Regent Pembroke the steward took the laundry from your cabin and returned it the following day. But he did not wash or press it, that was done by the topas - the steward told me that. He was amazed and hurt that I thought he would have stooped so low as to do laundry.


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## Jingles (Oct 23, 2013)

I see people are talking about the crew of the Registan (British steam merchant) - my Uncle Wynford Owen Davies on board,he was a Butcher second class!! He was aboard, when the ship was sunk off the coast of Cornwall in 1941, and survived. He put his survival down to the fact he was wearing a 'fishermans wool' knit jumper, that my Aunt had knitted for him. It stretched down to his knees - but kept the water close inside, just that bit warmer!I know little more about him,and his life at sea, as he didn't talk about it, the things he had seen etc., but I have been doing the family tree, and would love to know, was this his only ship? Did he serve on the Registan after she was repaired.?? How can I find out these things, and his discharge number?I hope someone can help me? Thank You.


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## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

If I remember correctly during my Ellerman days it was rice water that was used and not starch as we know it. Whites had an interesting smell when they came back but always white.


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