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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