merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. 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. 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. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. Although the design of this website looks rather old-fashioned, it's still updated and is a good resource for Welsh Merchant Navy records. If you don't have an account please register. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. Art . 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). 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 Merchant Navy mariners were recorded in the 1841 census but unfortunately not those on board ships either stationed on shore or at sea. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. 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. ","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. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. What ship was Admiral Harold Stark on during D-Day? If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than 261046 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible. In the indexes, names beginning with Mc or Mac are usually found under the letter following that prefix. They were first recorded on board vessels in port from 1851 (1861 for Scotland) and from 1861 measures were taken to record mariners at sea. MO has 20th Century military records for discharged and deceased veterans. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. In the top left corner of the record is the ships name. . AB. Services and information Second World War death records Search the war dead service files from the Second World War. At 05.55 all the boats but one had cleared the ship, by which time the foredeck was completely submerged and the water almost up to the level of the promenade deck. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. The column on the right of each record contains a reference number to the entitlement file held by the Registry of Shipping and Seamen. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. 1939-1945. George Smith died later of his injuries. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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 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 contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy campaign medal records 1939-1945. are on the same page. Show all records. He describes why . During the war this fleet underwent tremendous expansion as Canadian shipyards produced 403 merchant vessels. From 10.00 a.m. 11.00 p.m. he was seen on his rounds attending to blackout by J. Lowe. Details of masters and mates who have voluntarily passed an examination appear inthe Lloyds Register of Shipping (copies of which are available at The National Archives). Historically many vessels have had their names changed, sometimes on more than one occasion. the Armed Forces Memorial roll of honour. Catalogue entries for this series have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers. 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). 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). He may have been in the Devon or Dorset Regiment. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. Edit Search New Search. If anyone knows of my father, Captain Len Chapman I will be pleased to hear! This enabled them to arrive at Freetown on the 25th for fuelling and water before sailing on 28th for Durban. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. Archives, Open Government Licence Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. The ship remained in Liverpool for five weeks during which time two weeks voyage repairs were carried out so I should imagine that Mum saw a good deal of Dad during that time. According to a later report by the ship Cathay, the previous nights U-Boat dispositions siutuated a submarine close to the position of Anselm and which, despite the three corvette anti-submarine screen, allowed U-96 to put in a successful attack at 05.37 when a torpedo struck the port side reserve bunkers of Anselm. Some idea of the danger awaiting convoys is given by the following story. Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Anyone who qualified for both the Pacific Star and the Burma Star would be awarded the first Star earned. 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. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . By 1878, Canada was the fourth largest ship-owning nation in the world, with a merchant fleet of 7,200 vessels. - Merchant Navy during the Second World War -. Merchant Navy 1939-1945. This information will help us make improvements to the website. All were willing and did their best to help abandon ship quickly in the short time available. You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. 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. 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. The Socio-political Structure of Saudi Arabia after its Creation 14. This was a process which had started with the award of Merchant Navy War Service medals, and the inclusion of the merchant navy in Anzac Day marches in the mid-1970s. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS This information will help us make improvements to the website. The troop decks in this compartment contained many RAF and RAOC and the number of casualties was probably increased by the wooden laddersbeing smashed by the explosion. Anselm was indeed unfortunate to have been sighted and torpedoed whilst within the supposed protection of an anti-submarine screen by an isolated homeward bound U-Boat. 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. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. 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. Search All Records ; . We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. Let us know. privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. Willenbrock. A man was washed overboard from one of the escorting destroyers but was not recovered. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. Ships & Convoys. Unfortunately, all their hard work diverting troops and stores came to nothing because Singapore fell into Japanese hands. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. The ship Adrastus had to heave-to to secure cargo which had come adrift and didnt catch up with the convoy until three days later. At 7.45 p.m. the Samaria was about to sail. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a ships or persons full name, such as Sydney Star or John Williams. United States Merchant . During that period the ship may have been on several voyages, and he may have been engaged for some or all of the period. Records of people younger than 100 and still alive, or who died after 1991 are officially closed. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. "The World's largest shipping company". There were no portholes, and ventilation came from the open access hatches which had to be closed at night when the ships were darkened. Second World War (1939-1945) Archival records and resources from the Second World War Archival resources from Canada's participation in the Second World War. The slower ships left the convoy at Capetown and the convoy increased speed to 14 knots rounding the Cape into a full gale which eventually turned so that they had a following sea. It sank many submarines, but it also lost a large number of warships. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. 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. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, SAINT LOUIS, December 16, 2019 The public now has access to previously unavailable information concerning former merchant mariners and their maritime service through Merchant Marine Licensing Files, made available by the, The public can access these records in two ways: through a request made via an. Dad signed off the ship on 8th May. The story is called The Jinx. 10thFeb 2023 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. 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. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. The qualifying service period for the Atlantic Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Voyages in the registers were usually recorded either as: Home trade voyages (repeated or reported voyages). The swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence research. 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! Use our guide Abbreviations in merchant seamens records to interpret the records. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. He said he always craved the soil under his boots. On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. 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. . They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. 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). We can either copy our records onto paper or deliver them to you digitally, Visit us in Kew to see original documents or view online records for free, Consider paying for 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 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. 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. 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 Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. Thomas Andrew "Tots" Storey (d.7th Sep 1940), L/Bdr Norman Power Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. The survivors in the water and boats were picked up by HMS Starwort and Challenger approximately 230 on the former and 820 on the latter, but owing to the intense overcrowding an accurate count was not possible. These entries do not simply record a single voyage, but a half year (January to June or July to December) during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT 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. 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. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. Search indexes to crew lists from 1861 to 1913 by name on findmypast (). You can search for ships official numbers through the Crew List Index Project. In the longest campaign of the war, the British merchant fleet, with its naval escorts, struggled to bring food, fuel, equipment and raw materials from America and elsewhere across the Atlantic,. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration The only good thing I remember about Drancy was the kindness of the French women who had nothing themselves, but nevertheless threw loaves of bread to us past the guards. Little did I know, but back home I was considered missing and presumed dead. Some of the seamen discharged during this period. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. 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 official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. Against J. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Coast Guard Nav Bouy Patrols in Pacific 1964 Ship name Grisham. 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. 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. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! He died on 21st Aug 1973. For details of the Arctic Star see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18. At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. Arrangements for those who succumbed to seasickness consisted of 40 gallon drums which slid about the deck with unpleasant splashings. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. The cards record the movements of both British-registered and Allied vessels engaged in the war effort. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . 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. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). A register entry for a foreign trade voyage, from BT 124. 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. 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. All First World War records for these formations have been transferred to TNA. By now the United States had entered the war and Japanese forces were invading Malaya. 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. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. 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. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday 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. Seamen's records ('pouches') are in: BT 372, Crew agreements and log books are in: BT 380, Coast trade crew agreements and log books are in: BT 381, Fifth Register of Seaman's Service is in: BT 382, Crew agreements and log books for requisitioned or chartered Allied foreign ships are in: BT 387, Special Operations Records, merchant seamen, are in: BT 391, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992, Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served at sea. the intended destination, details of the cargo expected to be collected at the next port of call, the initials of the clerk making the entry and the date it was made, vessels requisitioned for military service. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? 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. Matthew Towers was 48 years old when he lost his life. My name was and still is on the wall of remembrance in the Mission to Seaman in South Shields. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. Search Discovery, our catalogue, by name of person or ship in T 335 to find what the award was, the persons rank at the time, and the ship they were serving on. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. 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. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? 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. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. The Guildhall Library does not hold crew lists. 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. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. Add a Name to this List A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. Furthermore, the MID does not appear on the Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards approved from time . If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. A merchant seaman had to have served a minimum of 28 days at sea. The medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". 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 shipping movement cards 1939-1945, Merchant Navy ships' records: movement cards 1939-1945, Merchant Navy ships' records: registration of merchant ships, About our please The passage to Durban took longer than anticipated because the route diverted to sail closer to the African coast and the convoy speed dropped to 6.1/2 knots to enable the RN escorts to rendezvous with a tanker for refuelling at Point Noire. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small To view all records for an individual, select 'ALL' in the Service box. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). Modern entries giving wholesale name-changes to a ship's multiple set of cards could not be made to historic records. A merchant seaman could qualify after six months service with at least one voyage in an operational area. The registers follow a similar format to Registers of Seamen Tickets in BT 113. Conversely, it was fortunate that fair weather allowed the rescue of 80 per cent of the total on board. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. 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.

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