(6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). Each set of cards records: The cards also show if the ship was torpedoed, mined, damaged or sunk. Other ways to find service records. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. 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. For details of the Arctic Star see our guide to Merchant seamans 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. He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. Canada's air support was crucial throughout the war. You do not have to fill in all fields to search. Records we hold This website Search privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. The registers follow a similar format to Registers of Seamen Tickets in BT 113. was taken ashore by the military authorities for burial. The story was hand written and falling apart but I have typed it up for preservation. 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. 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). They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. 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. 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. 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. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. Generally the qualifying service period for the Burma Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. 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. 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. 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. . 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. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). The movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. 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. Want to find out more about your relative's service? 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. Saudi Arabia and the Second World War (1939-1945) 16. 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. "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. Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 This collection details over 9,000 awards made to those who served in the Merchant Navy from 1939-45. A merchant seaman could qualify after six months service with at least one voyage in an operational area. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. 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 George Smith died later of his injuries. In the indexes, names beginning with Mc or Mac are usually found under the letter following that prefix. Our first night there we had doors for beds. Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. 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. Divided first by country and then by shipping company, the book includes the ships of such great 09:00 to 17:00. In these instances the cards have been separated and placed alphabetically according to the name shown without a deletion. This information will help us make improvements to the website. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served 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. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. 1 With only two decades since the ending of the Great War most serving shipmasters would have been at sea during . The story is called The Jinx. 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. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. 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. ", JEng. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943) James Wafer started service as an Able Seaman during World War 1 and had survived active service as a teenage merchant man on a ship called Romney. Germany turned submarines, battleships, aircraft and mines on Britains supply lines, while British and American shipyards worked tirelessly to replace those ships that were sunk. We are now on Facebook. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. A register entry for a foreign trade voyage, from BT 124. 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. 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. Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them. the Armed Forces Memorial roll of honour. Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. He describes why . Most of these men were not born in Asia; many were Egyptian. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. Many were singing songs while the boats were being lowered. 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). The cards record the movements of both British-registered and Allied vessels engaged in the war effort. On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. 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. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. Become a Member The cards are of different colours depending on the type of qualification: Consult registers and renewals of certificates of competency ofmasters andmates in BT 317; masters, mates and engineers in BT 318; just engineersin BT 320 (1913-1935) (in process of transfer from National Maritime Museum under references RSS/ENG/5-6); and fishing officers in BT 396. 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. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. The world has been led by intensive and extensive waves of darkness from renaissance all the way down to the Covid crisis. 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). You might also find information about an officer by searching the records of ordinary merchant seamen. Up to 1854 records are arranged by port and registry number; subsequently by ship's official number. 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. The men went to their boats in an orderly and quiet manner. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Samaria sailed out of Liverpool on Friday 14th of May 1943 and was on the Clyde Monday 17th of May. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. 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. On 28th of May 1943 he was buried in El Alia Cemetery Algiers. (d.13th October 1945), Capt. He may have been in the Devon or Dorset Regiment. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389). Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Merchantmen at War Official Story of Merchant Navy 1939 - 1944 at the best online prices at eBay! 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. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. For information on how to order an Official Military Personnel File for a veteran who separated from service before 1957, . World War Two 1939-1945 - Archives New Zealand Skip to main content Our reading rooms are open. George James William "Dick" Durling BEM. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. 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. Samaria sailed from Clyde 19th of May to Algiers and arrived 27th of May 1943. 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. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. Thomas Andrew "Tots" Storey (d.7th Sep 1940), L/Bdr Norman Power Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery. Conditions on the raider were passable, but the prison ship was deplorable. 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. United States Merchant . What are these records? . Next Apply for your own . Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. A single oak leaf emblem attached to the War Medal ribbon denotes a Mention-in-Despatches; the silver oak leaf, a Kings Commendation for Brave Conduct. Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . 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. They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. The Canadian Merchant Marine had only forty-one ocean-going merchant ships at the outbreak of the Second World War. 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, . Maurice "Ginger" Archer SS Wendover. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? research. At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. We also found evidence after 1943 of his return to the Army, promotion to Captain and his service in India, near Karachi. Archives, Open Government Licence While in Freetown news came through that the Japanese had landed in Java and Batavia and the Dutch East Indies had surrendered which would mean no more convoys to the Far East. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. Awarded after the Battle of the Atlantic for service between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. 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. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. While the crew were preparing and lowering the lifeboats which were filled with personnel as they calmly filed up from the troop decks, HMS Challenger approached and skilfully placed her bow under the port quarter of Anselm, Many men jumped on board before the two ships became separated. By 05.47 all remaining boats were being rapidly filled by the use of side ladders and side decks while the remaining personnel jumped into the sea to grasp the lifelines of boats and rafts. 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. TNA has detailed research guides on the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen and other records. The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. AB. 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. 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. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. 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. For each officer registers provide: Look for a certificate entry in theregisters of certificates (they are arranged by certificate number) listed below. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. The two Ellerman ships City of Lincoln and City of Edinburgh had to return to Liverpool and the Clyde because cargo had shifted. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. 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 If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. All surviving agreements and crew lists with their logbooks are held by The National Archives, . ","copyright":"INF13-213 (52)","url":"https://images.prismic.io/findmypast-titan/9794e89f-46cb-4342-8b53-47272a1b0f4b_inf13-213-52-world-war-ii-poster-the-life-line-is-firm-thanks-to-the-merchant-navy.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"caption":"The Life-line Is Firm Thanks To The Merchant Navy Image: INF13-213 (52)"}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"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. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . E. A. Huntbatch SS Orama (d.15th July 1941), Fireman James Gilbert Goodwin S.S. San Casto (London). Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. Visit the Crew List Index Project (CLIP) website, which has information about merchant seamen on British registered ships from 1861 to 1913. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. Here's some details: Full Name: Harold Dowle Born: 7th June 1911 I have a card with a discharge A number in the name of H Dowle of 714335 for 12/7/1938 on a ship called Lornaston (148881) from Liverpool. Merchant Vessel Files: Also included among the Coast Guard records is a series of Merchant Vessel Information Files, 1939 - 1952, which is arranged alphabetically by name of vessel and contains information about merchant vessels that entered U.S. ports during World War II. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs Search and download ( charges apply) records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). 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. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) Friends of The National v3.0. 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. Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. *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. When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache. My mum told me that he did serve. If you don't have an account please register. At 6.25 p.m. Wednesday 26th of May 1943 P.C. Modern entries giving wholesale name-changes to a ship's multiple set of cards could not be made to historic records. . "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. 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. 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. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. Edit Search New Search. He survived. Consult series BT 128 for details. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Let us know. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945; . On the 23rd November the convoy was ordered to split into slow and fast convoys. Some useful printed works include: The Roll of Honour of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets 1939-1945, 3 vols (London: Ministry of . Generally the qualifying service period for the Italy Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months 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. Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. 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.