merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by . At first it was voluntary and applied only to foreign-going vessels. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. 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 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). 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. Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. 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. 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. 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. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. Also awarded, with no minimum service requirement, if service was terminated by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war. Consult series BT 128 for details. 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. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. 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. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Some of the seamen discharged during this period. : s.n., between 1939 and 1940) AWM call number: 387.5071094 M554; Online. Personnel records available to the public are now held byThe National Archives (TNA), formerly known as the Public Record Office, the website has helpful research guides. You can find more details here. After a change of orders she eventually left the Clyde with escorts on 30th June. 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. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. He describes why . Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 This collection details over 9,000 awards made to those who served in the Merchant Navy from 1939-45. Archives, Open Government Licence giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. Become a Member They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. 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. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. The Socio-political Structure of Saudi Arabia after its Creation 14. The Oil Concessions 15. Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. 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. The first chapter of this books presents the three waves operations of social, political, economic, technological, military and educational aspect of world affairs under the following subjects. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18. The medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. 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 quick pointersTuesday to Saturday "On the 16th July 1940, I was on 4-8 watch when according to the 8-12 watch a ship flying Yugoslav colours had opened fire from the port quarter, killing the radio operator and setting fire to the bridge. Monarch of Bermuda left Durban on 24th March and returned to Liverpool via Cape Town and Freetown arriving back on 23rd April. Maurice "Ginger" Archer SS Wendover. All surviving agreements and crew lists with their logbooks are held by The National Archives, . The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence The men went to their boats in an orderly and quiet manner. This information will help us make improvements to the website. I remember him telling me about runs to Malta and how soldiers shouldn't have been on ships. By 1878, Canada was the fourth largest ship-owning nation in the world, with a merchant fleet of 7,200 vessels. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. For example, MacDonald will not appear under the letter M but under D. Contact the appropriate state or national archive. We landed in Bordeaux a few weeks later and were taken to the prison camp Caserne Colonial Bordeaux. 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. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for ae. Fireman. Monday, July 16, 1945 o First atomic bomb exploded Heat generated by the blast was 4 times the temperature at the center of the sun Blew out windows in houses more than 200 miles away Killed every living creature within a mile o Ruby Wilkening joined several other women waiting for the blast Worried about her husband who was already at the test site No one knew what to expect o . 09:00 to 17:00. These entries record a single voyage during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. Strange that we have sworn coroners statements from my grandfather's inquest placing him on the ship and performing his duties, but the official entry in the log claims he failed to re-join the ship. During that period the ship may have been on several voyages, and he may have been engaged for some or all of the period. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . The Lloyd Captains Registers were compiled from the records of certificates issued to foreign-going masters. Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. This guide will help you find and interpret records of Merchant Navy officers from 1845 to 1965. The swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. Show all records. Then, as European-built iron-hulled sailing ships replaced wooden square-riggers, Canadian shipbuilders found it harder to compete. Some of these records are alsoavailable on the subscription websitewww.findmypast.co.uk. After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. Let us know. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. ","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. He died on 21st Aug 1973. Awarded for service between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945, in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Operations in and around the Dodecanese, Corsica, Greece, Sardinia and Yugoslavia after 11 June 1943 would also qualify. please These cards have been selected as they reflect the economic, social and demographic condition of the UK, as documented by the state's dealings with individuals, communities and organisations outside its own formal boundaries (2.2.2.1 of PRO's acquisition policy). Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Sanitary arrangements were, as usual, inadequate. Many years later he wrote a short fictional story about a Maritime Regiment gunner who brought nothing but bad luck. Each set of cards records: The cards also show if the ship was torpedoed, mined, damaged or sunk. 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). They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. 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'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. The library does have collections of books, dealing with . We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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. Use our guide Abbreviations in merchant seamens records to interpret the records. 2. There were no portholes, and ventilation came from the open access hatches which had to be closed at night when the ships were darkened. Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. 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. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. This enabled them to arrive at Freetown on the 25th for fuelling and water before sailing on 28th for Durban. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. The pouches are arranged in three sequences: Each sequence is in alphabetical order by the seaman's last name. These records have only been held at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. 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. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. The exact number of New Zealand Merchant Navy war deaths will probably never be known with certainty, as the recording of personal information, nationality, next-of-kin and service in the Merchant Navy was not as comprehensive as it was for the armed forces. 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. It was the job of the Ministry to decide what cargo the ships would carry and the function they would fulfil in order to best support the war effort, while crewing and provisioning remained under the jurisdiction of the shipping industry. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. Read tagging guidelines. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. The story is called The Jinx. These records have been selected on the basis that they reflect the economic, social and demographic condition of the UK, as documented by the state's dealings with individuals, communities and organisations outside of its own formal boundaries (2.2.2.1 of PRO's acquisition policy). Against J. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records can also be accessed online. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImage","type":"slice-image","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImagePrimary","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":742},"alt":"Black and white photo of a group of officers on the SS City of Manila, a cargo steamer of the Ellerman City Line","copyright":"Mary Evans/Pharcide","url":"https://images.prismic.io/findmypast-titan/16661bfe-a635-4d82-a616-66a6b14d10d7_group-photo-officers-of-ss-city-of-manila-a-cargo-steamer-of-the-ellerman-city-line-sunk-in-the-atlantic-by-a-german-torpedo-in-1942-with-just-one-crew-member-lost-mary-evans-pharcide.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"caption":"Group photo, officers of SS City of Manila, a cargo steamer of the Ellerman City Line, sunk in the Atlantic by a German torpedo in 1942, with just one crew member lost. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. The following books may also prove useful: In general, seamens records for the period 1913-1972 can be found at TNA (unfortunately, most records for the First World War period do not appear to havesurvived). "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Increased Centralization and the Ikhwan Movement (1926-1934) 13. To access the records in this section you will either need to visit usor, where you can identify a specific document reference, order a copy(). Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. SS Otranto, Capt. research. 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. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. He listed drowning as the probable cause of death. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. Our v3.0, the Lloyd Lists which are available at the Guildhall Library or the, record of voyages (certificates up to 1888 only) dates are for when the records were filed and are not arrival dates sometimes records were filed after a series of voyages, date of death (certificates after 1888 only and only sometimes), date, number and place of issue of the masters certificate obtained, any other special qualification, including the steam certificate from 1874, name and number (taken from the Mercantile Navy Lists) of each ship (date of engagement and discharge as master or mate and the destination of each voyage), any special awards (for example, war service), pasted-in summaries of the qualifications and service from 1851 of masters who were still active in 1869, green for skippers and mates of fishing boats. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. 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. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. These files have joined our collection in an effort to better serve the public who are looking for proof of their ancestor's service, The first block of this series contained 4,800 cubic feet of records, The Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) is the approving official for World War II Merchant Marine separation documents. George Smith died later of his injuries. 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. 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). Records include photos, honours, service files and death records. 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. 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 Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. World War Two 1939-1945 - Archives New Zealand Skip to main content Our reading rooms are open. This information will help us make improvements to the website. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. Many thousands of POWs died there. 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. MO has 20th Century military records for discharged and deceased veterans. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. Description. Under an Admiralty instruction during World War II masters of merchant ships were ordered not to record in the tabular section of the log book the ports at which their ships called or details of their voyages in case this information got into enemy hands. 1939-1945. Showing 1-30 of 261 records. 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. Some are at TNA, while a few are held by theNational Maritime Museum. 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. Monarch of Bermuda sailed for Suez with an estimated 2,200 troops on board on 28th June in company with seven other ships and escorted by the destroyers HMS Reading and Piorun (Polish). Thomas Andrew "Tots" Storey (d.7th Sep 1940), L/Bdr Norman Power Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery. A merchant seaman might also qualify serving in operations off the Moroccan coast between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. Services and information Second World War death records Search the war dead service files from the Second World War. 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. 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. Read tagging guidelines. The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. You can search for ships official numbers through the Crew List Index Project. 09:00 to 17:00. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. 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. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Medals were not automatically issued, but had to be claimed by the merchant seaman. In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. v3.0. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Giron. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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. The entries are arranged in date order and provide: Apply for a copy of a certificate from the National Maritime Museums Caird Library you will need the certificate number. Some idea of the danger awaiting convoys is given by the following story. 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. 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. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. Saudi Arabia and the Second World War (1939-1945) 16. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Results 1-4 of 4 View Record Name Birth Date; Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. You can search ()the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by filling in the form below. 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! 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. As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. During wartime, however, they can become an auxiliary to the United States Navycalled upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. The registers follow a similar format to Registers of Seamen Tickets in BT 113. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. 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. 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. 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. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy ships records: movement cards 1939-1945, Friends of The National She left Aden on 21st August and arrived at Suez on 25th August. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. Members Featured Photos by AJ Hawker Tankers-At Sea or in Rivers 2468 photos 4219 comments by AJ Hawker Cargo Ships---Engines midships 2392 photos 4199 comments by Russ Kennedy Tugs-Icebreaker & Research & Supply 955 photos 1720 comments by Gary L Tankers-At Sea or in Rivers 2468 photos