How the Seaman’s Discharge Book used to look. In the early Dis/A Book they did not insert the holder's photo.

George (age about 10) with his mother and sister.

George finished his sea career on board the s.s.AMBERTON where he served as Ships Cook.He left the sea when his father died and he took over the running of his father's grocery business. In the early years of the war there was an air raid in his area and he and his wife ran to the nearest bomb shelter. On the way his wife realised she had left a treasured heirloom pearl necklace in the house and ran back to collect it. Sadly their house caught a direct hit as she entered.

Note the silver-embossed front cover of George's Dis/A Book. His book was issued 15.8.1928 and cost him 2/6d
(13p).In spite of its age it is still in excellent condition.

Here can be seen details of the MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT,1894

Ships George sailed on:-
ARAS (1928)
BRITISH COMMODORE (1928-1929
BRITISH JUSTICE (1930-1932}
BRITISH LANTERN (1932-1934)
AMBERTON (1935-1936)

George and his wife.
Mrs Bainbridge is wearing the pearl necklace she ran back to retrieve from thier home during the air-raid.

.Details of the National Health Service at the time,under the C.W.S

A page copied from George's Cooks Menu Book. Note the fine handwriting and picture him in his cabin at night compiling menus for the next day while working out what stores were left below.
Note too the date it was written and how clear it still is although written in pencil.
This was while he was on the British Lantern and it was common for the cook to keep a record of where the ship was at the time. In this case she had sailed from Abadan at 0830.