His entire pursers collection includes accounts, financial documents, photographs, victualling accounts, medical correspondence and books, pamphlets and brochures. The collection includes the following:

Box 1: Books: 'Brown's Ships' Accounts and Guide to Ships' Business' by F. R. Wharton, 1954; maps and guides; 'The National Formulary', 1955; 'The Ships Captain's Medical Guide', 1952; 'Collins Ready Reckoner' copies 1950 and 1957.

Box 2: Assortment of business cards; copies of the journal BLUE STAR PORT LINES, No. 4 January 1971, No. 7 October 1971 and No. 10 October 1972; journal of PORT LINE LTD. copies 12, 13, 15, 21, 24, 26, 45, 50 and 53 (1960-1967); several copies of 'Rules of the National Union of Seamen'; the 'National Maritime Board Year Book' 1972/3; copies of guide to 'Merchant Navy Redundancy Paymaster Scheme'; technical catering budget, 1977-1979; papers of Brooks as a purser: clothing slop lists; victualling accounts; officers salaries, 1975; ratings lists and salaries, 1974-1977; Brooks's personal accident insurance; paytables; 2 empty 'crew advances books'; Brooks's motor driver's licence; his continuous certificate of discharge (2 in total); medical cards and identity cards; photographs of Brooks.

Box 3: Newspapers; ships documents; ready reckoners; a booklet 'souvenir of Malta: 32 views'; brochure entitled, 'Great Britain/ Great Holiday'; a 'membership book;; pamphlets, 'Port Line Ltd. Wartime Expenses, 1939-1945' and 'Port Line Story, 1914 - 191964.'

Box 4: Cunard correspondence on Pension Fund; Brooks's medical folder, accident forms correspondence for his accident; photos of Christmas 1960, Port Townsville; officers and crew wages books for 1954-1959 and 1965-1972.

Box 5: Income tax records; correspondence; his P60 and P2 forms; rough draft menu book; menu's 1967 on board MV MAHOUT, a typescript copy; catering records, 1971-1972; Port Line Christmas cards and Cunard menu's.

1 Folio: Advert, 1973 for a new discharge book, 'get it now from a merchantile marine office.' Folder also includes Maltese currency, newspaper cuttings and clippings 1967.

1 oversize folder: Roll of Honour, Dominion and Commonwealth Line Ltd, n. d. A list of the names of those from the company who joined HM forces.

Please contact archive staff for more information about ordering from this collection.

Administrative / biographical background
Brooks was a purser with the New Zealand Shipping Co. Ltd and Port Lines Ltd. He entered into the merchant service as a stewards boy on the ORARI (ON: 162906) in 1942, being promoted assistant steward to the EMPIRE CASTLE in 1945. He then went on to work on board the CHAMPALLION, COTEANDOC, SAMIDA, RAKAIA, HAPARANGI until promoted second steward in 1950. He was the steward in charge in the PIPIRIKI between 1951 and 1953. Promoted to chief steward in 1954 he worked in the HORORATA later becoming chief steward and purser from 1956 and included working in the PORT HUON, MV PORT MACQUARIE, PORT BRISBANE, PORT TOWNSVILLE (1958, 1960, 1962). His last voyage in his record of sea service is in the PORT BRISBANE as a purser in 1973. He received a certificate of competency as a ship's cook from the London School of Nautical Cookery in 1956 (certificate no. 39439).