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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: SmallTownGirl on Monday 18 June 18 09:22 BST (UK)

Title: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: SmallTownGirl on Monday 18 June 18 09:22 BST (UK)
I've been looking at a passenger list for a vessel that sailed from Southampton in 1933, and a couple of family units have "OFC" annotated again them.  Any ideas what it might signify, please?

Thanks
STG

Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: mckha489 on Monday 18 June 18 09:46 BST (UK)
I’ve no idea but
one Family Cabin? 
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: majm on Monday 18 June 18 10:05 BST (UK)
FC = Foreign Country, so OFC could be Other Foreign Country ... so NOT a British Subject ... 

JM
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: SmallTownGirl on Monday 18 June 18 12:14 BST (UK)
Many thanks

STG
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: Mart 'n' Al on Monday 18 June 18 13:54 BST (UK)
Something first class?

Martin
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: John915 on Monday 18 June 18 14:35 BST (UK)
Good afternoon,

Maybe "outside first class" ie, a cabin on the outer side with an entrance or window looking outwards. Rather than an "inner first class" opening onto the interior of the ship only.

If you give us the ships name then we may be able to find deck plans.

John915
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: nanny jan on Monday 18 June 18 14:36 BST (UK)
Does the heading of that column give any clues?
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: Christine53 on Monday 18 June 18 15:21 BST (UK)
I agree with Other Foreign Country - There is  also OBC - Other British Country. The numbers of each category are pencilled in at the bottom of the page. Looking at various lists it seems that they sometimes used a symbol instead of the letters. Either way the information is in the section headed " Country of Last Permanent Residence "
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: Bookbox on Monday 18 June 18 15:37 BST (UK)
It is definitely Other Foreign Country, as majm has said. There is also OBC = Other British Country.

It relates not to the nationality of the passengers (the list is in any case headed British passengers), but to the country in which they have contracted to land. Those who are destined for Hong-Kong are annotated OFC, while those destined for Gibraltar and Tangier are OBC.

(I don't think the column heading is relevant, as these additional annotations in pencil were probably just written in wherever there was space to do so.)
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: SmallTownGirl on Monday 18 June 18 15:42 BST (UK)
Am very happy to accept OFC = Other Foreign Country.

Thanks everyone
STG
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: John915 on Monday 18 June 18 19:14 BST (UK)
Good evening,

Why would they need to annotate it "other foreign country". The first column we can see already says "Hong Kong" which is obviously in the column headed "disembarkation point" or "final destination".

John915

Added, in any case, Hong Kong and Gibralter are both British colonies whilst Tangier is the odd one out, a French colony.

OBC.... overseas British colony
OFC..... overseas French colony
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: majm on Tuesday 19 June 18 04:22 BST (UK)
It is definitely Other Foreign Country, as majm has said. There is also OBC = Other British Country.

It relates not to the nationality of the passengers (the list is in any case headed British passengers), but to the country in which they have contracted to land. Those who are destined for Hong-Kong are annotated OFC, while those destined for Gibraltar and Tangier are OBC.

(I don't think the column heading is relevant, as these additional annotations in pencil were probably just written in wherever there was space to do so.)

Thanks,  so OFC may be referring to CHINA as per the snip ...  :) OR ADDING ... is there a further clue ... was OFC on the ALIEN passenger list page/s or the BRITISH passenger list page/s

JM
Title: Re: What might OFC stand for, please?
Post by: SmallTownGirl on Tuesday 19 June 18 08:24 BST (UK)
The image is from Ancestry and is for British Subjects travelling on the Rawalpindi in 1933.  The family group from the original snip is

Joyce Brewer, age 30
Michael Brewer, 5
David Brewer, 2
John Brewer, 2

There is a mother/daughter towards the bottom of the page also going to Hong Kong/China and they're marked OFC as well.  There are no OBCs on this page (although OBC is mentioned). 

STG