# What did he do ?



## Bob Theman (Jun 22, 2008)

During some recent digging in 1917 do***ents I came across a crewman ranked as "donkeyman". Now I know there were donkey engines here and there but can anyone tell me what a donkeyman would be doing all day in a 1917 steamship ?
And please.....don't say milking the donkeys ?
Thanks,
Bob


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

Tending the donkey boiler?


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## muldonaich (Nov 19, 2005)

they called him that because he had big ears lol kev.


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## dom (Feb 10, 2006)

*dom*

did'nt the donkyman act as the store keeper down the engin room??


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## barrinoz (Oct 9, 2006)

He aw..he aw.. he always calls me that!
barrinoz.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Hung around the ass end of the ship making breakfast.

John T


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

That name was reserved for the best hung man on the ship.

Bob


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## Doug Shaw (Jan 20, 2006)

I think the name donkeyman died out in the 60s, with the donkeyman being replaced by the storekeeper. Essentially the donkeyman ran the engineroom crew (firemen and greasers) and reported directly to the Second Engineer. He was responsible for organising painting, cleaning and sundry other tasks. He was also responsible for ER stores. I guess you might say that he was the ER equvalent of the bosun.

Others might be able to provide better information, but I hope this helps.

Regards
Doug


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

Engine Room equivalent to the Decks Bosun I believe.


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## BillH (Oct 10, 2007)

Dickyboy said:


> Engine Room equivalent to the Decks Bosun I believe.


Sometimes referred to as Donkeymen/Greaser.


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## 40907 (Sep 26, 2009)

Bob Theman said:


> And please.....don't say milking the donkeys ?
> Thanks,
> Bob


Bob, there is no such thing as a dumb question but, if it's dumb answers you want, you've come to the right place! (Jester)

I STILL don't know what a donkeyman does! (Whaaa)


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## john fraser (Jul 29, 2005)

Donkeyman was the old name for a Motorman.E.R.Storekeeper was the equivilant of Deck/Bosun.


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## stein (Nov 4, 2006)

The origin of the name was the donkey that was used to hoist cargo out of sailing ships by walking along the wharf (not a fast way to unload as it sounds), when the steam winch came along and replaced the donkey, the man who tended the winch and its boiler were titled donkeyman.


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## Dickyboy (May 18, 2009)

BillH said:


> Sometimes referred to as Donkeymen/Greaser.


Bill, I've heard of a Fireman/Greaser but not a Donkeyman/Greaser, that's not to say that there wasn't such a title though. (Thumb)


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## Jocko (Oct 31, 2011)

As far as I remember, there was a Donkeyman/Greaser on each watch. He looked an eye on he water level on the Donkey Boiler, did some greasing etc, polished the copper and brass and bagged the plates. Thats if you got a good one.
That`s very interesting about the donkey walking along the wharf to load/unload cargo. I never knew that.
Methinks it took fifty years for me to find that out!


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## Ray Mac (Sep 22, 2007)

Dk/Grs in dishcharge book now Motorman.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Dickyboy said:


> Bill, I've heard of a Fireman/Greaser but not a Donkeyman/Greaser, that's not to say that there wasn't such a title though. (Thumb)


 I have a couple of entries in my Discharge book of Donkey-man/Greaser
entered around the 1950s. I stood watch and done the greasing,oiling,brass cleaning,taking care of the bearings on the prop shaft,and cleaning the engine room deck plates. I also was a plain old Donkey man and worked days in charge of the engine room and stoke-hold members,did the same work as when I signed on as Store keeper. I forgot to add that I took care of all the winches on-board.

Hope that answers your question.
John


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

spongebob said:


> That name was reserved for the best hung man on the ship.
> 
> Bob


I must have fooled them Bob.

John(*))


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## Bob Theman (Jun 22, 2008)

I just knew it....the crew didn't let me down.
A load of chuckles, a couple of LOLs and of course the gems of wisdom.
Thanks guys.
Bob


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## stores (Apr 8, 2007)

*Donkeyman*

WHEN I WENT TO SEA THE ENGINE ROOM RATINGS WERE IN 1960, CLEANER, FIREMAN/CLEANER, FIREMAN, CREASER, GREASER/CLEANER, DONKEY GREASER, TENDED THE DONKEY BOILER IN PORT, ENGINE ROOM STOREKEEPER, USUALLY RUN THE DAYWORKERS, CLEANING AND PAINTING, AND DONKEYMAN, HIS JOB COULD VARY ON DIFFERENT SHIPS, BUT DONKEYMAN AND STOREKEEPER WERE TOP JOBS. MV WANSTEAD CARRIED 1 DONKEYMAN, 1 STOREKEEPER, 3 CLEANERS, NO GREASERS. DIFFERENT SHIPS HAD DIFFERENT MANNING ARRANGEMENTS. SOME HAD 3 CLEANERS, 3 DONKEY GREASERS, PLUS STOREKEEPER AND DONKEYMAN.(Scribe)


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## chadburn (Jun 2, 2008)

For "Donkey" I prefer to read "Auxiliary", a support service, Donkey Boiler, a support boiler to the main, donkey engine/pump, support unit's to the main system's. In the day's of the sailing ship the sail's were considered to be the motive power source and any steam equipment that was on board was considered to be secondary and a support service to the sail's. Interesting and understandable where the term came from and how it came to be transposed to shipboard life. Donkeymen were usually the Engineroom Comedian's, some had an excellent mechanical "bent" and having been with the vessel for many year's knew more about a particular engineroom than some of the Engineer's. There use to be a limit on what they were allowed to do, a bit like a Semi-Skilled Mechanic and a Qualified Fitter. How did the ex Donkeymen on the site find this situation?.


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