Despite sharing the word Navy in their titles, the difference between the Royal and Merchant Navies was that sailors in the latter were classed as civilians. From the mid-18th century, masters or owners of most British-registered merchant ships were required to keep a record of their crew before the ship left port. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. Most of the prisoners, including myself, were sent from Drancy to concentration camps. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) ConsultBT 139for certificates of competency from 1861-1921, BT 142forcertificates of service from 1862-1921 andBT 140for certificates of service of engineers examined in the colonies from 1870-1921 (index in BT 141). reference to the medal papers file (held at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen), DNA: Director of Naval Accounts (the Royal Navy medal issuing authority) or, more recently, Do Not Authorise, Refer to Aust: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the Australian authorities, Refer to NZ: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the New Zealand authorities. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. George James William "Dick" Durling BEM. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. He may have been in the Devon or Dorset Regiment. He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18. With all of Britains oil arriving by sea, half of her food, and most of her raw materials more than a million tonnes per week, in total- the smooth functioning of the merchant fleet was integral to the nations survival. As the outbreak of World War II edged closer in 1939, the British merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. By now the United States had entered the war and Japanese forces were invading Malaya. Fort Pepperrell was in St. John's and many American servicemen were to resident in the capital city. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. During the one-way exchange of fire (the raider kept of range), Able Seaman George Smith was seriously injured and the third engineer, Mr. Gibson, and the steward, Mr. Gernardt, were killed. Then, as European-built iron-hulled sailing ships replaced wooden square-riggers, Canadian shipbuilders found it harder to compete. From 1845 onwards a system of examinations was introduced for masters and mates. Visit the Crew List Index Project (CLIP) website, which has information about merchant seamen on British registered ships from 1861 to 1913. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. . Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. card and his grey suit jacket. Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. This section includes over 21.000 Allied Warships and over 11.000 Allied Commanders of WWII, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Australian Navy, The Polish Navy and others. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. The National Archives holds indexes to the registers covering the period 1913-1956 (the registers themselves, for 1915-1958, are held at the National Maritime Museum). Awarded for service between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945, in direct support of land operations in France, Belgium, Holland or Germany, in the North sea, the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay (service off the coast of the south of France could qualify for the Italy Star, see below). Another important archive open to the public is theLloyds Marine Collectionat the Guildhall Library which holds the Captains Registers for the period up to 1948, voyage record cards 1927 to 1975 and runs of theLloyds Registers, Lloyds ListsandMercantile Navy Lists. MO has 20th Century military records for discharged and deceased veterans. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. She was torpedoed and shelled by the German U-boat U30 without warning, becoming the first merchant vessel casualty of the Second World War. Canada's air support was crucial throughout the war. The less said about our stay at Drancy the better. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. It may help to know the number of a ship as ships are sometimes referred to in the records by their number rather then their name. Now, many warships had immediately packed the harbour, so, the navy men and merchant seamen had all gone to St. John's for their off hours. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from It does not, however, include: You may be searching for a ship using a former name. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. Consult our guide to records of merchant seamen serving after 1917for advice on searching within registers of seamen and seamens pouchesto establishvoyage details which you may be able to apply to the service of officers. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-reserve-service-records.htm, First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records. The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a ships or persons full name, such as Sydney Star or John Williams. In the indexes, names beginning with Mc or Mac are usually found under the letter following that prefix. The National Maritime Museum holds the registers (see below). The funeral for 46 year old Jim Wafer was held on Tuesday 1st of June 1943 at St Dominic's Roman Catholic Church then burial at Ford Cemetery. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. The official history for the Second World War, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, has been digitised and is available for viewing on the Memorial's web site. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. research. The men went to their boats in an orderly and quiet manner. American Merchant Marine Databases includes: . Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . Some of the seamen discharged during this period. Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 This collection details over 9,000 awards made to those who served in the Merchant Navy from 1939-45. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Fireman. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. the-raf-in-camera-1939-1945 1/11 Downloaded from uniport.edu.ng on March 2, 2023 by guest . It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. But by the time its recommendations were implemented in 1994, the 15-year- old deckboys would have been in their mid-60s, while a seaman of 50 when the war ended would have been 100. For more information on the Arctic Star and advice on how you can still apply for it, see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. If you don't have an account please register. Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy. They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. The ship turned out to be a disguised German raider. Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. Image: Mary Evans/Pharcide"}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"Particular emphasis was put on implementing the convoy system, by which warships would customarily escort groups of merchant ships to deter attacks from German U-boats. Search All Records ; . The trip back to Liverpool was via Durban, Capetown, Trinidad and Halifax. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. (M.N. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. Consult copies of the Mercantile Navy List for 1860 to 1864 in The National Archives reading rooms for alphabetical lists of masters and mates (with certificate numbers) as well as one-line obituaries for deceased seamen. We are researching his time in India but know of some stories but not a lot except playing hockey against and Indian Team and winning! The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. 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. Merchant Navy - The port where the merchant mariner signed on as a member of a ship's crew at the commencement or during the war. The movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. Art . Information about official records for the Merchant Navy (UK) can be found at the National Maritime Museum (UK) Details about the role of the Australian Merchant Navy and the role Australian merchant ships played in World War II can be found at Merchant Ships of Australia in World War 2. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by Read tagging guidelines. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, guide on Merchant seamens medals and honours, World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen, records of merchant seamen serving after 1917, Abbreviations in merchant seamens records, Friends of The National Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. "The World's largest shipping company". He died on 21st Aug 1973. We are now on Facebook. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. Back to Search Results Veterans History Project Service Summary: War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945 Branch of Service: Merchant Marine Unit of Service: SS George W. Lively; SS George Sters; SS James Hyram Walker; SS War Bonnet Location of Service: Atlantic; Pacific; Normandy, France; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands) Highest Rank: Active Boatswain Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. Records of masters and mates passing the voluntary examination are in series BT 143 (which includes a name index) and in BT 6/218-219. research. Modern entries giving wholesale name-changes to a ship's multiple set of cards could not be made to historic records. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? George Smith died later of his injuries. The minimum qualifying period was one day. Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . SA. v3.0. They cover masters with foreign trade certificates sailing either as masters or mates. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 09:00 to 17:00. A merchant seaman had to have served a minimum of 28 days at sea. In early 1945, in the face of advancing British forces, the camp was evacuated, and we were marched to Marlag und Milag Nord, from where I was later repatriated. Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small Unfortunately, all their hard work diverting troops and stores came to nothing because Singapore fell into Japanese hands. The British Merchant Navy was the largest in the world and required more crew than Great Britain had merchant seamen, as a result large numbers of Indian, Chinese and West African seamen were engaged to crew ships which regularly traded from Great Britain to ports in those areas. The weather was initially fair but by the 16th November they were in heavy seas in a Force 8 gale which was right on the beam causing the ships to roll heavily. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Archives, Open Government Licence As the outbreak of World War II edged closer in 1939, the British merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. I know that during 1939 to 1945 he served on a few Navy ships as an engineering officer RNVR and some time ago I sent a letter to obtain a record of the Naval ships he sailed in. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. You can find more details here. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. Registration of cooks in the Merchant Navy began on 30 June 1908. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. The Royal Canadian Navy was the third-largest fleet in the world by the end of the war, having enlisted 100,000 men and 6,500 women. Our His brother Francis David Short was in the First War but I have no details on his service. For example, MacDonald will not appear under the letter M but under D. For skippers and mates of fishing boats, registers of certificates of competency are in BT 129and registers of certificates of service are in BT 130 (index in BT 138). It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. Index record for Merchant, Leslie Arthur in the World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 from Ancestry.com, historical military records. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. From things he had said prior to his death, the family believe that the story could actually be based on himself and those he served with. Suffice it to say the remainder of the convoy including Monarch of Bermuda made the passage safely arriving in Freetown on 13th July to fuel and take on water and sailing on 17th July for Durban. Also awarded, with no minimum service requirement, if service was terminated by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war. For Matty Towers the three witness statements into his death are very contradictory. At 8.00 a.m. Matty Towers looked in his bunk and then reported Grandad missing to the Bosun, J. Hynes. ConsultBT 122-126and BT 128 (index in BT 127). Maurice "Ginger" Archer SS Wendover. (d.13th October 1945), Capt. Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. A merchant seaman qualified serving within a restricted area in the Bay of Bengal. However, it was still important to record the movements of merchant vessels and so the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen established this series of cards, now held by The National Archives in series BT 389. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. On the Samaria crew list and report of character, James Wafer and Matty Towers are consecutive number 59 & 60. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. A silver rose on the ribbon bar signifies the award of a bar. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth. . The cards give the name of a ship and details of its movements, namely, the ports at which it docked, and passage between ports. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. This number made up around one third of the entire global merchant fleet at the time, with many of the seamen coming from all over the Empire, including India, Hong Kong and West Africa. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of security, to prevent masters of merchant vessels from using ships logs or crew lists and agreements to record destinations or ports of call. Want to find out more about your relative's service? As the outbreak of World War II edged closer in 1939, the British merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. I remember him telling me about runs to Malta and how soldiers shouldn't have been on ships. 1939-1945. The steamer Anselm had left Liverpool with Monarch of Bermuda to join convoy WS 9B but hadnt been able to maintain the 12 knots speed. Records of people younger than 100 and still alive, or who died after 1991 are officially closed. Description. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. Merchant seamen 1939-1945. At 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 13th of May 1943, my grandfather Jim reported for duty on troop ship S.S. Samaria to J. Lowe 2nd officer. After the outbreak of war, Germany declared that every vessel of the British mercantile marine was to be regarded as a warship, meaning that the sailors of the Merchant Navy faced tremendous risks. This collection of records, BT 395, lists the medals awarded to merchant seamen for their service in the Second World War (1939-1945), with the exception of the Arctic Star. In themerchant navy the term officer can refer to a master, mate, engineer, fishing boat skipper, second hand or cook. The family believed that the torpedoed ship was the Tacoma Star of the Blue Star Line but I believe that ship was lost with all hands and Ronnie's name does not appear on the casualty list. Consult series BT 140 for details. Sanitary arrangements were, as usual, inadequate. When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. Within the Returns of Births and Deaths of Passengers 1939-1963 there are for 1939-1945 also records of deaths of soldiers on hospital and troopships, but it is necessary to know the name of the ship. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT What are these records? For details of the Arctic Star see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImage","type":"slice-image","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImagePrimary","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":1882},"alt":"Propaganda poster for the Merchant Navy during World War II. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. 1 With only two decades since the ending of the Great War most serving shipmasters would have been at sea during . Two days later the Coroner held an inquest into Grandad's death and the verdict was given as unascertainable. 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 For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. He describes why . You need to sign in to tag. All were willing and did their best to help abandon ship quickly in the short time available. Awarded for service between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943, serving in the Mediterranean. Ships & Convoys. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. The column on the right of each record contains a reference number to the entitlement file held by the Registry of Shipping and Seamen. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Look at the websites of other archives and organisations which hold agreements and crew lists, including the Maritime History Archive in Newfoundland, the National Maritime Museum, the National Records of Scotland, the National Archives of Ireland, and local archives. Edit Search New Search. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"After the declaration of war in September 1939, the Ministry of Shipping then under the control of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Gilmour took control of the merchant fleet. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. At the National Archives, researchers can find information on the United States Navy ranging from the wooden hulled ships of the Continental Navy used in the Revolutionary War, to the deployment of massive Carrier Battle Groups and Navy Task Forces. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943). Most of the masters and mates were from West Wales. The T124X records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships (or Royal Navy auxiliary vessels). This information will help us make improvements to the website. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. 1939 194 Yeah, reviewing a book Embleme Wappen Malings Deutscher U Boote 1939 194 could . 2. Up to 1854 records are arranged by port and registry number; subsequently by ship's official number. On 11th February Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,500 troops and had to anchor with other troopships in the River Mersey held up by fog until the 16th. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Numbers were allocated to the certificate of service in BT 130 are as follows: We hold indexes to registers of certificates of competence and service for cooks, 1913-1956 in BT 319. Historically many vessels have had their names changed, sometimes on more than one occasion. The qualifying service period for the Atlantic Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Service Number . You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. Some are at TNA, while a few are held by theNational Maritime Museum. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceQuote","type":"slice-quote","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceQuotePrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"As the outbreak of World War II edged closer in 1939, the British merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. They contain the following information: Search BT 352, a combined index to masters, mates, engineers and fishing officers certificates of competency covering home and foreign trade. On the 23rd November the convoy was ordered to split into slow and fast convoys. The Canadian Merchant Marine had only forty-one ocean-going merchant ships at the outbreak of the Second World War. 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. Not all changes in ships names are logged on the cards and in such cases it will be necessary to obtain the ships official number (not usually recorded on the cards) and check against that number for all possible name changes. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. The poster shows an ultra-realistic drawing with a coxswain at a ship's wheel, and an officer with binoculars drawn by Charles Wood. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). Log book and Crew Agreements to be found in BT 381, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The struggle for control over the Atlantic shipping routes, which would eventually become known as the Battle of the Atlantic, was one of the longest campaigns of WWII. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. You need to sign in to tag. My name was and still is on the wall of remembrance in the Mission to Seaman in South Shields. Although the design of this website looks rather old-fashioned, it's still updated and is a good resource for Welsh Merchant Navy records. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. 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. The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded for 28 days full-time service in the Armed Forces between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.