The central register, 1913-1972
The Central Index Register, 1913-1941
The Central Index was made up of index cards which are in four different series, BT 348
, BT 349, BT 350 and BT 364. BT 349 is the alphabetical series by surname and gives discharge number. BT 348 is the numerical series arranged by discharge number. These records start in 1921, as the cards from 1913 to 1920 no longer survive. The record cards in BT 350 cover 1918 to 1921 and can include details of men whose cards have not survived in the other two series. BT 364 is a combined numerical index made up from cards extracted from the other three series. These records include not just seamen but other personnel who went to sea and worked in the merchant service.
Central Register of Seamen, 1941-1972
A new register was created in 1941, when all those who had served at sea during the previous five years had to re-register. This created a Merchant Navy Reserve Pool of seamen available to man vessels. Seamen were paid to remain in the Reserve Pool and thus for the first time, seamen had continuous paid employment rather than casual employment. The records of the Central Registry are in the series BT 382. They include all who served in the merchant service not just seamen.
It is arranged in eight sections covering different ethnic groups. Part One 1941 to 1946, and Part Two 1946 to 1972, cover mainly Europeans but also men of African Caribbean descent. Part Three 1942 to 1965 and Part Four 1966 to 1972 cover Asiatic seamen, mostly from the Indian sub-continent. Part Five 1941 to 1972 covers some Indian and Chinese seamen, and Part Six covers some Lascars (Indians), Adenese, Goanese and Chinese from 1940 to 1945. Many of these are men who were registered as British seamen but did not live here, however, it includes others who did settle in Britain.
During the period from 1940 to 1972 records relating to the registration of individual seamen were filed together in paper envelopes called seamen´s pouches. When seamen were discharged, some or all of their documents and index cards were put together. These documents can cover service from 1913 up to 1972 and they form the series BT 372. These records can be searched by name of seaman or discharge number on the online catalogue.
