Guide reference: Domestic Records Information 112

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Abbreviations in merchant seamen's records

Contents

1. Why use this guide? 2. Essential information 3. Abbreviations for Merchant Navy ranks 4. Port numbers for UK ports 5. Port numbers for colonial ports 6. Abbreviations for destinations 7. Central Records Section (CRS) forms

1. Why use this guide?

Use this guide to interpret a range of abbreviations found in Merchant Navy service records from 1835 to 1972.

2. Essential information

You may need to interpret an abbreviation

l so you can proceed to look at other possible records which may provide further information about the merchant seamen

l because it will provide you with information about the merchant seamen  i.e. where they went on a particular recorded voyage

No key for port rotation numbers (which appear in earlier merchant seamen service records) has been found. You may be able to locate which official numbers belong to which ships in series BT 336.

3. Abbreviations for Merchant Navy ranks

Abbreviation Probable meaning Abbreviation Probable meaning2 E or 2 Eng 2nd engineer KP Kitchen porter2 M 2nd mate Lman Laundry man

3 E or 3 Eng 3rd engineer L/Boy or L Boy Leading boy

3 M 3rd mate LT Lamp trimmer4 E or 4 Eng 4th engineer M Mate 4 Off 4th officer (4th mate) MAA Master at arms5 E or 5 Eng 5th engineer Med O Medical officer

5 Off 5th officer (5th mate) Mstr Master (captain) of a vessel

A or App or Apptce Apprentice N Wman Night watchman

4. Port numbers for UK ports

Use the below list to find out which port numbers abbreviations refer to which UK ports.

4.1 Why do I need to know which port numbers refer to which UK ports?

You may need to know which port number abbreviations refer to which ports so you can then proceed to find a document reference for an agreement and crew list from 1835 to 1857 in series BT 98. 

For more information on how to find an agreement and crew list read Crew lists, agreements and log books 1747-1861.

Port numbers frequently appear in merchant seamen records up to 1857. For information on where a port number may appear in a service record read Merchant seamen up to 1857:

AB Able seamen Off OfficerAsst Assistant OS Ordinary seamanBkr Baker P or Psr PurserBos or Boatn or Bosn

Boatswain (2nd mate?). Also bosun Pman Pantry man

Brkpr Barkeeper P/Boy or P Boy Pantry boy

B R Stwd Bedroom steward Plmr  PlumberBtchr Butcher Psge Wkr Passage workerBtmn Boatman Ptlman Patrol man

C Captain (master) of a vessel or cabin QM Quarter master

C Boy or C/ Boy Cabin boy or cabin steward RO Radio officer

Cadet Company cadet (possibly an apprentice) RT Radio telegraphist

Cf M Chief mate (1st mate) S or Sman SeamanCh Chief  S B Attendt Sick bay attendantCk Cook Scnman Section manClnr Cleaner Sig Signal manCptr or Cr Carpenter  Sl Mr Sail makerCtring Catering Snr SeniorD Boy Deck Boy Srgn SurgeonD H Deck Hand Strkpr Store keeperDispr Dispenser Stwrd StewardDonkey-man or Dkyman Donkey-engine operator Swpr Sweeper

E or Eng or Engr Engineer SOS Senior ordinary seaman

EDH Extraordinary deck hand T or Trmr Trimmer Electr Electrician Telgt TelegraphistFtr Fitter Wman Winch-manGS General servant WO Wireless operator Gsr Greaser Wtr WaiterHd Head    J Eng Junior engineer    JOS Junior ordinary seaman?    

further research.

Port numbers may also appear in other types of merchant navy records and the table can be used to interpret the abbreviations.

Port number Port name Port

number Port name Port number Port name

1 Aberdeen 50 Gweek 99 Wells2 Aberystwyth 51 Harwich 50 Westport3 Aldborough 52 Hull 101 Weymouth4 Arundel 53 Ilfracombe 102 Wexford5 Ayr 54 Inverness 103 Whitehaven6 Baltimore 55 Ipswich 104 Whitby7 Banff 56 Irvine 105 Wick8 Barnstaple 57 Kirkcaldy 106 Wisbech9 Beaumaris 58 Kirkwall 107 Woodbridge10 Belfast 59 Lancaster 108 Yarmouth11 Berwick 60 Leith 109 Preston12 Bideford 61 Lerwick 110 Gainsborough13 Borrowstounness62 Liverpool 111 New Ross/Ross14 Boston 63 Llanelly 112 Maryport15 Bridgwater 64 London 113 Alloa16 Bridlington 65 Londonderry 114 Perth17 Bridport 66 Lyme 115 Arbroath18 Bristol 67 Limerick 116 Carmarthen19 Campbeltown 68 Lynn 117 Caernarvon

(including Pwllheli,Portmadoc, Barmouth)

20 Cardiff 69 Maldon 118 Hartlepool21 Cardigan 70 Milford 119 Tralee22 Carlisle 71 Montrose 120 Runcorn23 Chepstow 72 Newport,

Monmouthshire121 Wigtown

24 Chester 73 Newry 122 Ballina25 Chichester 74 Newhaven 123 Folkestone26 Cley 75 Newcastle-

upon-Tyne124 Shields

27 Colchester 76 Padstow 125 Strangemouth28 Coleraine 77 Penzance 126 Fleetwood29 Cork 78 Plymouth 127 Peterhead

Fraserburgh)30 Cowes 79 Poole 128 Workington31 Dartmouth 80 Portsmouth 129 Lowestoft32 Deal 81 Port Glasgow 130 Teignmouth33 Dover 82 Ramsgate 131-146 probably not used34 Drogheda 83 Rochester 147 Douglas35 Dublin 84 Rye 148 Derbyhaven (&

Castletown)36 Dumfries 85 Scarborough 149 Peel37 Dundalk 86 Scilly 150 Ramsey (plus other

Isle of Man ports)38 Dundee 87 St. Ives 151 Guernsey39 Exeter 88 Shoreham 152 Jersey40 Falmouth 89 Sligo 153 Middlesbrough41 Faversham 90 Southampton 154 Ardrossan42 Fowey 91 Southwold 155 unknown43 Galway 92 Sunderland 156 unknown44 Glasgow 93 Stockton 157 Sunderland45 Grangemouth 94 Stornoway 158 Granton

(Edinburgh)46 Gloucester 95 Stranraer 159 Newcastle-upon-

Tyne

5. Port numbers for colonial ports

Use the below list to find out which port numbers refer to which colonial ports.

47 Goole 96 Swansea 160 Youghal (S.

Ireland)48 Greenock 97 Truro 161 Barrow49 Grimsby 98 Waterford    

Port number Port name Port number Port name200 Halifax, Nova Scotia 255 - 256  201 Liverpool, Nova

Scotia257 Bombay

202 Pictou, Nova Scotia 258 Calcutta 203 Yarmouth, Nova

Scotia259 Cape Town

204 - 206   260 Cochin, India 207 Sydney, New South

Wales261 unknown

208 Hobart Town 262 Madras 209 - 210   263 Melbourne211 Launceston, Van

Diemen's Land264 - 270 unknown

212 Sydney, Cape Breton Island

271 Gasp, New Brunswick

213 - 216   272 Windsor, Nova Scotia 217 Kingston, Jamaica 273 St. Stephen, NB 218 St. Lucia (see 223,

231)274 Digby, Nova Scotia

219 Montego Bay, Jamaica

275 Hong Kong

220 - 221   276 New Glasgow (Pictou), NS

223 St. Lucia (see 218, 231)

277 Moulmein, Burma

224 Malta (plus Gibraltar ?)

278 Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

225 Louis, Mauritius 279 Parrsboro, Nova Scotia

226 - 227 unknown 280 unknown228 Miramichi Bay, New

Brunswick281 Grand Island, Cape

Breton Island 229 Prince Edward Island 282 Weymouth, Nova

Scotia 230 St. John, N. B. (see

243)283 - 286 unknown

231 St. John's, Nfld (see 244)

287 Antigua

  St. Lucia (see 218, 223)

288 Cape of Good Hope

232 Kingstown, St. Vincent, WI

289 Medway, Nova Scotia

233 - 235 unknown 290 Port Wallace, Nova Scotia

236 Bathurst, New Brunswick

291 (Ganpboro??), Nova Scotia

237 Sierra Leone 292 unknown238 - 241 unknown 293 Richibucto, New

Brunswick 242 St. Andrews,

Newfoundland294 Geelong

 

6. Abbreviations for destinations

Use the below list to find out which abbreviations refer to which destination(s) of merchant ships.

7. Central Records Section (CRS) forms

Below are the main types of forms used in by the merchant navy to record information.

These forms were often issued to merchant seamen and are referenced in merchant seamen records we hold.

243 St. John, NB (see 230)

295 St. Mary's, Newfoundland

244 St. John's, Nfld (see 231)

296 Stanley, Falkland Islands

245 St. Johns, Antigua 297 - 299 unknown246 - 249 unknown    250 Bermuda   Abbreviations:251 Arichat, Cape Breton

Island  NB = New Brunswick

252 Montreal   Nfld = Newfoundland 253 Quebec   NS = Nova Scotia 254 Demerara, Guiana   WI = Windward

Islands

Letter CountryA West coast of Africa and adjacent islands Aust Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand B Baltic, Norway, White Sea, Gulf of Finland and Kattegat C China, Japan and oriental archipelago Cp Cape colonies, Ascension, St Helena, Natal, Algoa Bay Ct Coasting trade, including the Netherlands, Belgium, France,

from River Elbe to Brest EI East Indies, Burma, Mauritius, Red Sea FPS France, (South of Brest), Portugal, Spain (outside Straits of

Gibraltar, Azores M Mediterranean, Black Sea, Sea of Azoff, Adriatic NA British North America, Greenland, Iceland NP North Pacific and West coast of North America NS West coast of Denmark SA Brazils, River Plate SP South Pacific and West coast of South America US United States (East coast and Gulf ports) WI West Indies and Gulf of Mexico For Foreign (not further identified)

CRS DescriptionCRS 1 Merchant navy personnel, seamen discharged and immediately

re-engaged on articles for further service in the same ship.CRS 2 Transfer from ship to leave and reserve pool.CRS 3 Seaman remaining in the employ of the same management.CRS 4 Entry form to merchant navy reserve pool when not direct from

sea-going employment.CRS 5 Advice to manager of employment exchange that a seaman has

been instructed to report to his office.CRS 6 Absentee reportCRS 7 Cancelling absentee reportCRS 8 Certificate of discharge from merchant navy service.

CRS 8A Right of seamen to appeal against discharge from reserve pool.CRS 9 Instructing a seaman to report for employment in a certain

ship.CRS 10 Seaman's history sheetCRS 11 Registrar General Shipping forwarding cards, ED350 to

merchant navy reserve pool.CRS 12 Merchant navy reserve pool forwarding cards ED350 to

Superintendent MMO.CRS 13 Superintendent, MMO forwarding cards ED350 to Ministry of

Labour, and subsequent action.CRS 13a TE For action under MIL Circular No. 121/CRS 13a E For action under M/L Circular No. 23/53CRS 13aEA(2) For action under M/L Circular No. 23/60CRS 13a SC Training of youths for merchant navy, M/L Circ. 6/94CRS 14 Release from merchant navy obligations. Asking applicant for

personal particulars.CRS 15 Release from merchant navy obligations. Advising applicant of

his liability to register under the Registration for Employment Order, 1941.

CRS 16 Forwarding to the merchant navy reserve pool application for release from merchant navy obligations.

CRS 17 Informing applicant of the result of his request for release from merchant navy obligations.

CRS 18 Certifying that a former seaman is not now required for service in the merchant navy.

CRS 19 Forwarding to merchant navy reserve pool central office an application from a man who desires to be released from the armed forces in order to return to the merchant navy.

CRS 20 Acknowledging a request for release from the armed forces and informing application what action he should take if the request is granted.

CRS 21 Refusing an application for permission to transfer from the armed forces to the merchant navy.

CRS 22 Letter to Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry asking for a man to be transferred from the forces to an unpaid reserve for service in the merchant navy.

CRS 23 Telling local pool that a man has been released from the forces and will report to them shortly.

CRS 24 Application to return to seagoing employment. No indication that writer is subject to the Registration for Employment Order. Referring applicant to local pool.

CRS 25 Telling applicant who has had no sea service that his application for employment in the merchant navy has been referred to pool.

CRS 26 Telling applicant that we are unable to assist him to obtain shore. Directing him to Ministry of Labour employment.

CRS 27 Applicant has not been to sea since 31st December 1935. Referring him to Ministry of Labour (ED 10 procedure).

CRS 28 Asking for particulars of a seaman's age, occupation and last discharge.

CRS 29 Telling an ED350 registered man that the Pool have been told of his willingness to return to Merchant Navy at once.

CRS 30 Medical CertificateCRS 31 Asking applicant to produce evidence of acceptability as pilot

or observer.CRS 32 Tells Air Ministry (or Admiralty) of a seaman's release for duty

as pilot or observer.CRS 33 Special certificate of release as pilot or observer only.CRS 34 Telling applicant that release has been granted for entry into

RAF (or FAA) as pilot or observer.CRS 35 Telling local pool that a release to train a s pilot or observer

has not been granted.

CRS 36 Telling central pool that a seaman desires release to train as

pilot or and asking for their observations observer.CRS 37 Release from armed forces to serve in the merchant navy.CRS 38 Questioning released armed forces man, returning, or still

required for the merchant navy.CRS 39 British seaman authorised to serve in a non-British ship.CRS 40 British Seaman discharged from a non-British ship.CRS 41 Application for entry into reserve pool.CRS 42 Failure to notify Registrar General Shipping & Seamen of a

seaman serving in a ship or previous evidence of service in merchant navy.

CRS 43 Information received of seaman serving in a ship. No CRS form of engagement received.

CRS 44 Instructions to report after discharge.CRS 45 Application to return to employment in merchant navy.CRS 46 Return to unit of a released man.CRS 47 Confirming telephone message regarding discharge of seaman,

giving reasons.CRS 48 Granting discharge from merchant navy. Advising seaman that

CRS 8 will be issued by Registrar General Shipping under certain conditions (and enclosure).

CRS 49 Forwarding to seaman CRS 8 issued by Registrar General Shipping.

CRS 50 A certificate of temporary release from pool due to medical unfitness.

CRS 51 Loan of seaman from pool for service in a ship to which the Essential Work Order (Merchant Navy) 1942 does not apply.

CRS 52 (Tally card; to be attached to NR 110). Slip for attachment to alien seamen's documents.

CRS 52A Revised "Notice" for NR l 10.CRS 53 British seaman's identity cardCRS 54 Application for British seaman's identity card.CRS 55 Report of loss of a British Seamen's identity card.CRS 56 Transfer of a seaman to national registration and civil

rationing.CRS 57 Record of issue of ration cards to a seaman ashore.CRS 59 Forms of receipt and order on photographer.CRS 59A Acknowledgement of application for British seaman's identity

card.CRS 59B Order for photographCRS 60 Advising MMO how to set upon seamen's identity card invalid

by National Registration Officer.CRS 61 Seaman's identity card improperly held, asking National

Registration Officer to act.CRS 62 Asking MMO to issue CRS 8 to seaman whose discharge has

been recommended by us and central pool.CRS 63 Wanted for desertion abroadCRS 64 Referring to period of loan in connection with CRS 51.CRS 65 Action sheet for surrendered or impounded identity cards.CRS 66 Process sheet for national service action.CRS 67 Requesting seaman to call at MMO for conversion of

national registration card.CRS 68 Information from national registration that member is holder of

unconverted NR 110 number.CRS 69 Instructions to MMO to issue seaman's unemployment

insurance book.CRS 70 Relating to alleged deserters from the army to be used in the

merchant navy reserve.CRS 71 Amendment of BSIC.CRS 74 Daily operational pool report of personnel movements.CRS 75 Instructions to seamen whose BSIC is incorrect.CRS 76 MNRP notice of termination of employment.

CRS 77 Request for RS3 pouch (internal).CRS 78 Relating to withdrawal of RS3 pouch from file.CRS 79 For completing record as to latest movement contained in RS3

pouch.CRS 80 Reporting admission of seaman to HM prison.CRS 81 Medical xxamination of certificates engineers and apprentices.CRS 81(2) Medical examination of volunteer apprentices.CRS 82 Report of loss abroad of a BSIC.CRS 83 Temporary identity card for issue abroad.CRS 84 BSIC enquiry formCRS 85 Medical report on a merchant seaman.CRS 86 Requesting sea cadet to obtain parents consent to enter

training school.CRS 87 Wallasey sea school; parents consent to cadet to enter.CRS 88 Wallasey sea school rejection of application.CRS 89 Wallasey sea school preliminary acceptance of cadet's

application to enter.CRS 90 Wallasey sea school final acceptance of sea cadet.CRS 91 Letter to manager, labour exchange relating to application to

become a sea cadet.CRS 92 Notification to Inland Revenue of seaman's departure from

pool.CRS 93 Notification to Inland Revenue of opening or closing of articles.CRS 94 Inland Revenue voyage slip.CRS 99 Letter to applicant for training in Wallasey Sea school

enclosing forms.CRS 100 Training youths for the merchant navy. Application form..CRS 101 Application form for ribbon 1939/45 Star.CRS 102 Application forwarding a supply of ribbon 1939/45 Star.CRS 103 Letter informing applicant he is not eligible for the 1939/456

Star.CRS 104 Letter to application re 1939/45 Star stating claim is being

considered.CRS 105 Letter informing relatives of a deceased seaman that ribbon

cannot be issued to them.CRS 106 - CRS 108 Letter explaining procedure for applying for 1939/45 Star.CRS 109 1939/45 StarCRS 109A Amendment slipCRS 110 Application for War medal.CRS 111-CRS 117 Application for 1939/45 Star.CRS 118 1939/45 StarCRS 119 1939/45 Star Chevrons for war service.CRS 120 1939/45 Star Wound StripesCRS 121 Application for clothing coupons by a seaman who has lost his

clothing book.CRS 122 Merchant Navy Selection Board. Report of interview.CRS 123 Letters to volunteers with instructions to report to Fireman's

Training school.CRS 124 Instruction to report to Cooks Training school.CRS 125 Volunteer questionnaireCRS 126 Letter to deck or steward trainee.CRS 127-CRS 128 Entry of men registered under National Service Act.CRS 129 Electoral declaration record card proxy voting.CRS 130 Parliament (Elections and Meeting) Act 1943CRS 131-CRS 134 Proxy meetingCRS 135 Temporary identity card, ex POWCRS 136-CRS 139 Alteration of income tax coding.CRS 140-CRS 141 Kings badgeCRS 142 Ships Records to CRS section.CRS 146 Release from merchant navy to the building trades.CRS 150 Report of engagements.CRS 151 Report of discharge.

Guide reference: Domestic Records Information 112

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CRS 152 Report of engagement advice note.CRS 153 Report of discharge advice note.CRS 154 Seaman to whom a British seaman's identity card has been

issued (or re issued).CRS 155 Statement of a seaman seeking to transfer to the national

register, the loss of his British seaman's identity card and for his merchant navy clothing book.