Example of a Twentieth Century Entry in the Lloyd’s Captains Register
Source: LCR MS18568/5a
DAVID SYDNEY DAVIES
Born: New Quay (Cardiganshire) 1889
Master’s Certificate passed: Cardiff 1913
Certificate number: 005388 (indicating for steamships only)
|
Mate Mate 3rd Mate 2nd or 3rd Mate Mate Mate
Mate 2nd or 3rd Mate 2nd or 3rd Mate Mate Mate Mate Mate Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain Captain |
WHITEFIELD TANTALLON BOGOTA (S) TANTALLON CHATBURN ROTA ‘Discharged by wreck - sub’ KENMARE BRITISH ARCHITECT BRITISH. CORPORAL BRITISH COLONEL BRITISH MARINER BRITISH BIRCH BRITISH CHIVALRY BRITISH TRADER WAR SUDRA BRITISH FORTUNE BRITISH VENTURE BRITISH PREMIER BRITISH AVIATOR (M) BRITISH DOMINION (M) BRITISH ADVOCATE BRITISH LOYALTY (M) BRITISH WORKMAN BRITISH PETROL PRISONER OF WAR (PER RG) |
98500 106992
106992 102713 140301
106506 146680 146531 145243 146530 139174 141198 146163 144527 162486 163502 146684 147700 160400 146629 149977 146550 148676 |
28.8.13 LDS 30.7.14 23.10.14 LDS 30.6.15 FEB - JUN 1916 28.7.16 8.1.17 15.6.17 LDS 22.7.17
26.4.20 22.6.23 LDS 22.9.23 29.1.24 16.4.24 LDS 9.4.26 23.8.26 LDS 2.6.27 17.5.28 LDS 1.8.29 25.3.29 14.6.29 - 26.10.30 9.12.30 - 9.5.33 9.5.33 - 2.6.33 2.6.33 - 4.7.33 21.8.33 - 26.11.33 26.11.33 - 30.6.35 2.7.35 - 1.6.36 29.10.36 - 6.6.37 8.7.37 - 9.7.39 29.7.39 - 14.12.39 14.4.40 - SUNK JULY 40 |
The above shows the general format of the information given from 1911 onwards and roughly follows the entries with the Lloyd’s Captains Registers, though the ranks were denoted by colour of entry. Keys as to how to analyse the information were part of the forms themselves by this time, so explanations are generally unnecessary here.
However, a few details need pointing out. 2nd and 3rd Mate’s berths were not individually shown. Also, no entries were made for those qualified for master mariner but who took billets lesser than 3rd Mate, which occasionally happened, especially on the larger prestigious passenger liners in bad economic times. Following the ships’ names are their official numbers and very often their type of propulsion plant, such as (S) for steamer and later (M) or (MV) for motor vessel. The dates on the right hand side indicate time onboard. For masters there was normally a date of giving up command, but for Mates there are no similar entries. And, it cannot necessarily be assumed that last dates indicated the beginning of a voyage, though normally it did: or indeed that individuals remained onboard after these dates.
It is also worth pointing out some limitations of these documents. The entry in red for BOTOGA in 1916 is missing from the Lloyd’s Captains Register: found elsewhere. When vessels were lost, there was normally a notation, as in the case of ROTA, torpedoed by UB40 on 22nd July 1917. However, John Sydney Davies had already survived CHATBURN’s torpedoing by UB18 on 1st March 1917 though there is no entry on this particular page in the L.C.R.
Readers may note that there is no information from ROTA’s loss until 1920. Mr. Davies was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve and spent the rest of the war on salvage work. (This information came from a relative and does not appear on any records currently available.) Often there are references to R.N.R. service in the L.C.R, but as in this case, not always.
Similarly there is information missing from his Second World War service. However, in the circumstances this is understandable, BRITISH PETROL was sunk by the German surface raider WIDDER.
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