Is anyone familiar with the abbreviations on Merchant Shipping Movement Cards? I've downloaded these two from TNA but can't work out some of the terms entered around the time of Operation Dynamo. Here's the extract of interest from Prague's movement card, along with a summary of her service at Dunkirk from Winser's Short Sea, Long War (kindly supplied by Roy Martin a couple of years ago): PRAGUE's Southampton service was once again cut short when, on the evening of May 27 she was required to sail for Dover. From there at 1830 on May 28 the steamer set out for Dunkirk in company with PARIS and MANXMAN. With inadequate charts, a lack of lighted buoys and poor visibility, the other two ships grounded but PRAGUE merely touched ground withe her starboard side. At 0355 on May 29 the three ships were underway again and at Dunkirk PRAGUE embarked 1,872 British troops, sailed at 0735 and was alongside in Folkestone harbour by 1400. On May 30 she started out on a further crossing to Dunkirk, berthed at the French port at 2030 and immediately started troop embarkation in the hope of sailing before the falling tide stranded her. However by the time she was ready, she was aground and it took the combined efforts of two tugs and both engines working at full power to free her, to enable 1,039 soldiers to reach Folkestone at 0648 on May 31. There is then a long paragraph about loading 3,000 French troops on June 1 and being badly damaged by bombs. The same for the Malines: The ship was requisitioned for service as a troopship and arrived off Dover at 2145 on May 28. Next morning at 0400 she went alongside the torpedoed destroyer GRAFTON to take off her 800 troops, including those who had already been rescued from the torpedoed destroyer WAKEFUL. MALINES sailed to Dover where she disembarked her servicemen, before setting out for Dunkirk once more. At the French port she embarked 715 British troops who reached Folkestone at 1540 on May 31. The ship was instructed to return to Dunkirk on June 1 but refused to do so, on the grounds that the crew was totally exhausted. On June 2 she sailed for Southampton 'without permission' . The questions I've got are: 1 - "Sd. Downs" - These entries seem to match up fairly well with the trips to Dunkirk noted by Winser, but what is the meaning of 'Downs'? 'Sd' for 'sailed'? 2 - "LI" - Particularly on Malines' card, what looks like a small 'LI' is written after some of the dates. What might this represent? 3 - Focussing on the Prague, what does it say next to 29/5? It seems to relate to the 31/5 entry but I can't make it out at all. And again that 'LI' appears. 4 - Prague was 'Bombed near buoy V5' on 1/6, but then 5/6 and 10/6 are written next to the entry. Entries on the next page mention 'In Downs' and 'Reanchored Downs', then seemingly arrival at London from Dunkirk on 8/6. Can anyone make sense of this?
Movement Cards are very difficult to decipher at times. I will have another look later when I have some time. Regards Hugh
Hi, 1. The "Downs" are a sheltered area of water off the Kent coast (outside Deal I think). I imagine they were being used as a collecting point for the ships prior to following a pretty set route across the Channel. I think 'Sd' = sailed and 'Pd' = proceeded. 2. Not sure. 3. Looks like 'southbound'. 4. I'm wondering if these are dates of later reports and that 'LI' means 'latest information'? Hope that helps. Edit to add: I see Hugh agrees over Downs and Southbound. Regards Tom
Sd = sailed Pd = passed In Downs (anchorage), re-anchored Downs. Repairs London, date of return 27 6 1940, deleted from returns 11/7. under repairs London date of report 11/7. Trans to fleet oiler STNS 2/10, trans to personnel ? Under repairs London 10/10. Deleted from return 17 4 41. repairs started at London 23 6 41. Repairs completed 17 12 1941. Sailed London 16/5, sailed Downs 16/5. Passed Dover 16/5 for Southampton. Arrived Southampton 17/5, sailed 27/5. Sailed Downs 29/5, sailed Downs 29/5, sailed Downs 31/5, arrived Southampton 2 or 4 /6, sailed 5/6 OHMS. Hope that helps. Roy
I should add: there were Lloyd's Signal Stations around the UK and elsewhere in the world. They would call passing ships on the signal lamp, with the query 'what ship' - the reply saying something like 'Nonsuch Melbourne to Downs for orders', would be telegraphed to Lloyds.
I think Roy is right in that Pd = passed. if you Google ‘LI shipping abbreviation’ you get to a site which suggests it means something like ‘Liner In’, with ‘'LO' meaning ‘Liner Out’. Also seen ‘Loaded in/Loaded out’. regards Tom
I did an online search of the NMM research guides. I knew that they contained an (incomplete) list of port abbreviations used in the Lloyd's cards, but little else. I think the wartime movement cards were based on these. I then went to the research guides at TNA, only to find: 'Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them.'
On the subject of Movement Cards, there are some abbreviations that I have never managed to decode. I think I may have sought help on WW2 Talk before: 'Allocated to S.T.A.2 for conveyance of aeroplanes' and 'Alloc to S.T.A.6 for MT service - the shipment of locomotives' Elsewhere STA 6B (bridge boats as cargo), and ST service. Can anyone please tell me what S.T.A. stands for?
"Latest information" is probably correct - looking at many more MC that I have it tends to make sense. As far as I know there is not a key Roy. Best way is looking through as many cards as you can and finding clues. S.T.A. is definitely associated with military transportation and stores. On one card it states S.T.A.7 and S.T.A.9 military and RAF stores to... another card states: stores army S.T.A.6 Regards Hugh
Thanks Hugh, I think I may have the answer, though some of it comes from Wikipedia, which I don't trust! For many years the military had a Sea Transport Division, which had minor name changes at various times. This was the body that requisitioned merchant ships for military use, both on a time charter and voyage charter basis. So AMCs and OBVs would have been sourced by this organisation, as would individual ships. As you suggest I will try to compare the numbers with the relevant cargoes/service. Regards, Roy
Many thanks for the great info as always, all. (Just in case anyone isn't aware, movement cards are amongst the files that can be downloaded freely from TNA at the moment - just need to sign up with an email account)
