merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. It does not, however, include: You may be searching for a ship using a former name. George Smith died later of his injuries. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Digital copies of Merchant shipping movement cards 1939-1945 can be searched and downloaded. This information will help us make improvements to the website. The examination system introduced in 1845 became compulsory for Masters / Mates of foreign-going vessels. There are 4 series of Registers of Seamen and they cover 1835 - 1836, 1835 - 1844, 1845 - 1854 and 1853 - 1857. ", JEng. He survived. The qualifying service period for the Atlantic Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. WWII, Seedies Merchant Navy Awards, 1939-1945. DOC format. You can contact the MOD Information Rights team to lodge a Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. With over 620 million military records, and military genealogy experts waiting to hear from you, we are the starting point for your military family history research. She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. The entries for 1913 - 1918 were destroyed so in reality the register covers 1918 - 1941. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. Ordinary Seaman Charles Lomax served with the Merchant Navy in WW2. The post 1888 volumes do not contain voyage data. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. are also recorded at the top of the card.From left to right, the six columns on the card will tell you: You can search the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by using thesearch boxbelow. Information is contained in pouches and includes personal details such as name, age, rank, rating/grade and qualifications, together with details of the vessels on which the individual served. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. by Dr. Stuart C Blank Nine types of medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in the Second World War and who met the qualifications for each medal. Cooks Certificates Commonwealth War British seamen who served under the T124X agreement; British seamen who served under the T124T agreement; Non-British seamen who served under the T124X agreement. A Short History Of The Merchant Navy | Imperial War Museums Portsmouth, The Miramar ship index can be useful for obtaining this information. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. The cards record the movements of both British-registered and Allied vessels engaged in the war effort. During this period Lloyds started listing those men who had passed the examinations. The third statement, quite surprising, from W. Orr, is missing from the official records although he is listed as giving evidence to the inquiry into Matty Towers death. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. Merchant Navy Officers The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. The story is called The Jinx. You need to sign in to tag. For Next of Kin applicants: Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. Conversely, it was fortunate that fair weather allowed the rescue of 80 per cent of the total on board. After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Department of the Navy Records | National Archives Please state clearly the information you require and send it, with the necessary proof of identification requested, to: RN Disclosure Cell, Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. Medal record of Alfred Harry Badman, BT 395/1. The ship had to wait in Aden until the Monster liners Mauretania, Ile de France and Nieuw Amsterdam from convoy CM 15 had passed through ahead of her to disembark at Suez before she did. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. Research guide C10: The Merchant Navy: World War Two The MOD web site states that a request can take several months to complete. The staff had been working 48 hours without sleep planning the convoy and then tearing up the plan and movement orders as changes took place. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. He listed drowning as the probable cause of death. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. The ships formed up with the Clyde contingent for convoy WS 16 west of Orsay on the 17th. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. This is a search in a set of records known as the Fourth Register of Seamen found in record series BT 348, BT 349, BT 350 and BT 364. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the Second World War. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. Thomas Coakley examined the body and states no violence was used in his death but his body was badly damaged, due to it being trapped for days under the lock gates of the dock. Personal service records: Australian service - Australian War Memorial Member of the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) Add a Name to this List We are now on Facebook. There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. Want to know what life was like during the War? Research guides - The National Archives A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. Want to find out more about your relative's service? PDF or In 1939, a third of the world's merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. A Fifth Register was created in 1941 and records details of seamen who were paid by the Government to remain in the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool. A result of this was that the government started to compile records on ordinary seamen. Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. All Rights Reserved. DOC formats, For None Next of Kin applicants: Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. British Military Records Online FamilySearch Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. My dad served In the Hospital Evacuation Corps #1 Platoon #1 USMC in WWII. For ability and general conduct both men are reported as very good. The Atlantic Star was also awarded to those awarded a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. ). 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. For the period 1857 to 1913 those seamen not in possession of a Certificate or Competency of Service can be researched via Crew Lists but this is a time consuming process. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! We do not provide copies of online records please download to view, Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free, Consider paying for West Battery, On 13th December the weather reached gale force which repeated the heavy rolling and misery in the troopdecks experienced on the first leg of the voyage. The Data Protection Act 1998 provided access for living individuals (including foreign nationals) to personal data held about them by any organisation. A total of 254 officers and men lost their lives in the sinking of Anselm, of which 176 were RAF, 70 from other services and 4 crew. Merchant Navy ships' records: movement cards 1939-1945 - The National It was intended to replace the separate registers held to that date. On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. The two aircraft carriers escorting the convoy lost aircraft due to crash landings, considered by Admiral Somerville to be due to lack of training and experience of deck landing to a regrettable degree. I hope to also take a digital diary when it is finished to the Arctic Convoy Museum at Loch Ewe. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence How to look for records of. Or to the relevant address listed at the bottom of the form. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. request records of deceased service personnel. The following codes may be found on the record: Markings found on the record may include: The letter R over a code can signify that an application for that medal was reviewed and refused. The minimum qualifying period was one day. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. You may press enter to select an option. Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. THE ROYAL NAVY RESEARCH ARCHIVE (THIS SITE) IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE PROCESS A man was washed overboard from one of the escorting destroyers but was not recovered. research. Eight of them are searchable here whilst the ninth, the Arctic Star, was not awarded until 2012 and records of its award do not exist at The National Archives. You the Subject of the request - must make a Subject Access Request (SAR). He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. I myself [Captain Elliot] slid into the water shortly before the ship took up a vertical position stern up and then disappeared completely at 05.59. This was 22 minutes after first being torpedoed. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. The Fourth Register was started in October 1913 and continued until 1941. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. We do not provide copies of online records please download to view, Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free, Consider paying for Some idea of the danger awaiting convoys is given by the following story. In the top left corner of the record is the ships name. In these instances the cards have been separated and placed alphabetically according to the name shown without a deletion. Log book and Crew Agreements to be found in BT 381, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. DOC format, Part 2 It should be noted that the cards do not always reflect changes in the ship's name and that it may be necessary to search for a ship under its various names. The trip back to Liverpool was via Durban, Capetown, Trinidad and Halifax. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. He died on 21st Aug 1973. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Application part 2: Request for Service personnel details: Royal Navy/Royal It was a highly dangerous job -30,248 men lost their lives a higher rate than any of the armed services. The movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. Engineer Officers Portsmouth, PO2 8DX. To have have kept all the cards together would have rendered them out of alphabetical order (in contravention of the specification) with possible adverse consequences for the list. Post 1910 Records Arrangements for those who succumbed to seasickness consisted of 40 gallon drums which slid about the deck with unpleasant splashings. Before 1845 I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. PDF or The Cooks could qualify either via examination or length of service and their registration documents have survived. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the Second World War. On the 23rd November the convoy was ordered to split into slow and fast convoys. The main series of documents were the "Ships' Agreements and Crew Lists" which were used to generate the Registers of Service. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. The image you order will usually come with a number of medal records for other seamen. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. Requesting service records - Royal Navy Research Archive Before 1845 Navy Command Headquarters, during the Second World War 1939-1945. Generally the qualifying service period for the Italy Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. During this short period of time an Alphabetical Register of Masters was compiled. This like the Seamens' Register was based upon Crew Lists. What are these records? CLICK HERE to open the National Archive catalogue page 'Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office Merchant Navy Operations, Seamen's Pouches'Enter the name to search for as SURNAME, FIRST, MIDDLE. WWII Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945. This Register ran until 1972., (c) Copyright Military Archive Research Merchant Navy. Defence Merchant Seamen Merchant Marine Records Document Maritime Service We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389). The less said about our stay at Drancy the better. Where to Find Merchant Navy Records | Imperial War Museums card and his grey suit jacket. Operations in and around the Dodecanese, Corsica, Greece, Sardinia and Yugoslavia after 11 June 1943 would also qualify. After five days of normal transportation (i.e., in cattle trucks), we arrived at Bremervorde in northwestern Germany near Bremen, and were then marched several miles to Stalag X-B in Sandbostel, where we were greeted by the stink of death. Application part 1: Request for Service personnel details: next of kin form They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272. A silver rose on the ribbon bar signifies the award of a bar. A merchant navy (or merchant marine) is a fleet of commercial vessels that carries troops and supplies in wartime. For seamen between 1747 and 1857 only the fragmented Muster Rolls (of merchant vessels), apprenticeship papers, papers in private collections and newspapers that may contain data on their career. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. Modern entries giving wholesale name-changes to a ship's multiple set of cards could not be made to historic records. In 1835 the government's interest in merchantmen was raised as they were seeking to monitor a potential reserve of sailors for the Royal Navy. This record (browse from here by Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office Merchant Navy Operations, Seamen's Pouches Search within or browse. Voluntary Examinations 1845 - 1850 SA. The vessels the men served on ranged enormously from large ocean liners to small fishing boats, some larger ships were commissioned into the Royal Navy. The term "index" is slightly misleading as the records were not references to other documents - it is more of a system of cards. Medals were not automatically issued, but had to be claimed by the merchant seaman. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. The system relating to Masters and Mates was extended to include the Certification of Fishing Skippers and their Mates (or second hands). To determine eligibility for a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD Form 214, or a Report of Casualty, DD Form 1300, customers will be directed to to, View the National Archives Operating Status. Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. I think the tag '' should be removed from: Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, BT - Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies, Division within BT - Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and successor, Merchant Navy seamen in service since 1918, About our Cooks' Certificates research. Also some happy times with the Indian Army who were great allies and enjoyed partying English style, as a relief from the war time battles. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. Copyright 2023 Forces War Records by Ancestry. Merchant Seamen
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