For Matty Towers the three witness statements into his death are very contradictory. Want to know what life was like during the War? Operational and non-operational service may be counted, providing that it was of 28 days or more duration. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Canadian WW2 Service Records - WW2 Military Records Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. Consult series BT 140 for details. Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office E. A. Huntbatch SS Orama (d.15th July 1941), Fireman James Gilbert Goodwin S.S. San Casto (London). He said he always craved the soil under his boots. 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). After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. Our The Canadian Merchant Marine had only forty-one ocean-going merchant ships at the outbreak of the Second World War. All First World War records for these formations have been transferred to TNA. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Department of the Navy Records | National Archives Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. The ship turned out to be a disguised German raider. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. Furthermore, the MID does not appear on the Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards approved from time . Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. Ronnie stayed with the Merchant Navy during the war and was torpedoed off the east coast of the USA at some point. 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). (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. 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. In the eleven months on the ship Dad had spent three months in Liverpool. 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). The image you order will usually come with a number of medal records for other seamen. 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. "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. Records available only at The National Archives in Kew To access the records in this. The National Maritime Museum holds the registers (see below). Leonard Chapman Royal Fusiliers, We are also getting his diaries scanned as a book by the National Archives which we hope will serve as a fantastic record of a day in the life of a soldier on the convoys, both as a diary and also reflections and impressions which are very creative and moving. The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. She left Aden on 21st August and arrived at Suez on 25th August. 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. 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. Merchant Navy ships' records: movement cards 1939-1945; Merchant Navy ships' records: registration of merchant ships; Add a tag. At 7.45 p.m. the Samaria was about to sail. By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. War Casualties and the Merchant Navy | NSW Environment, Energy and Science Showing 1-30 of 261 records. On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. Recently added . Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. Let us know. Some of the seamen discharged during this period. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results . Order records to view when you visit. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. After the First World War King George V, in recognition of the contribution made to the British war effort by merchant ships, granted the title of Merchant Navy to non-military sailors. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. For ability and general conduct both men are reported as very good. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). On August 26, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took control of all shipping. United Kingdom, Merchant Navy Seamen Records, 1835-1941 - FamilySearch You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. Search All Records ; . recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. Using testimony from new witnesses and hitherto undisclosed public records, he seeks to explain why they were reported missing: believed killed. Merchant Navy campaign medal records 1939-1945 - The National Archives Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. Search indexes to crew lists from 1861 to 1913 by name on findmypast (). ","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. Service Number . Royal Australian Navy service records | naa.gov.au 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. 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. Search and download ( charges apply) records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). Edit Search New Search. Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. 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. The often slow-moving shipsand the civilian merchant mariners who maneuvered themwere easy targets for enemy fire. He died on 21st Aug 1973. Archives, Open Government Licence Anyone who qualified for both the France & Germany Star and the Atlantic Star would be awarded the first Star earned, with a Clasp. 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. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943). We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. We weren't sorry to leave there in a cattle truck three days later, when we were taken to Drancy Prison in Paris. Requesting service records - Royal Navy Research Archive PDF Merchant Navy seamen and officers 1913-1972 - The National Archives Research guide C10: The Merchant Navy: World War Two 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. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy ships records: movement cards 1939-1945, Friends of The National Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". Monarch of Bermuda left Durban on 24th March and returned to Liverpool via Cape Town and Freetown arriving back on 23rd April. 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. Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them. Find an object | Imperial War Museums Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. Willenbrock. George James William "Dick" Durling BEM. 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. Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. - Merchant Navy during the Second World War -. Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a ships or persons full name, such as Sydney Star or John Williams. 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. Want to find out more about your relative's service? 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. Next Apply for your own . 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. The series generally contains information about radio equipment . 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. This information will help us make improvements to the website. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. Norwegian Merchant Fleet 1939-1945 - Warsailors.com Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. 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. 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. To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. If you have any unwanted Most of the masters and mates were from West Wales. 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. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. For service before 1845, when registers of Merchant Navy officers were not kept, you must look for records kept for other purposes (such ascrew lists, agreements and log books) but which may include incidental mention of officers. The library does have collections of books, dealing with . Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. When the convoy arrived at Durban on 21st March the Commodore recommended that the Armed Merchant Cruisers used for convoy protection were not suitable owing to their slow speed of 12.1/2 knots when the liners carrying 4,000 troops were capable of 18 knots or more. Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. Awarded for service between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945, in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. The Merchant Navy in World War II - 1939 Register - Findmypast 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. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. The T124X records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships (or Royal Navy auxiliary vessels). The story was hand written and falling apart but I have typed it up for preservation. The swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. WW2 Records - Merchant Navy Supplying Victory: The History of Merchant Marine in World War II 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. Awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. What ship was Admiral Harold Stark on during D-Day? Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. Merchant Navy 1939-1945 Royal Navy 1939-1945 Naval Warfare Atlantic 1939-1945 Malta 1939-1945 British Home Front 1939-1945 British Army 1939-1945 Submarines German Home Front 1939-1945 Prisoners of War, . The cards record the movements of both British-registered and Allied vessels engaged in the war effort.