The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. Merchant Navy Day. Woodman here relates the Merchant Navy's colourful history and brings to life the day-to-day experiences of the seamen. Let us know. The column on the right of each record contains a reference number to the entitlement file held by the Registry of Shipping and Seamen. 3 hold. 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. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. Some useful printed works include: The Roll of Honour of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets 1939-1945, 3 vols (London: Ministry of . 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,. Let us know. Back to Search Results Veterans History Project Service Summary: War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945 Branch of Service: Merchant Marine Unit of Service: SS George W. Lively; SS George Sters; SS James Hyram Walker; SS War Bonnet Location of Service: Atlantic; Pacific; Normandy, France; Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Guam (Mariana Islands) Highest Rank: Active Boatswain The Oil Concessions 15. 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. The Atlantic Star was also awarded to those awarded a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. 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. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. Records available only at The National Archives in Kew To access the records in this. This guide will help you find and interpret records of Merchant Navy officers from 1845 to 1965. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. On the outbreak of the 1939-1945 war between the United Kingdom and Germany (3 September 1939), British-registered merchant ship masters were sent radio messages instructing them to open the sealed envelope which had been deposited in ships' safes as much as a year previously. Showing 1-30 of 261 records. Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). Some of these records are alsoavailable on the subscription websitewww.findmypast.co.uk. You can find out whether a medal was issued by looking at the markings on the records. They cover masters with foreign trade certificates sailing either as masters or mates. Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). Become a Member By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! (6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). 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. For more information on the Arctic Star and advice on how you can still apply for it, see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. 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. This information will help us make improvements to the website. However, it was still important to record the movements of merchant vessels and so the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen established this series of cards, now held by The National Archives in series BT 389. Consult series BT 140 for details. 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 database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results ; . As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. (M.N. the National Archives. 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 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. At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office Merchant Navy Operations, Seamen's Pouches Search within or browse this series to find specific. card and his grey suit jacket. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. The cards are presented in alphabetical order by ship's name. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. Edit Search New Search. 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. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. The series generally contains information about radio equipment . I believe, SS Port Sydney also survived the war so, I am uncertain on which ship Ronnie was serving when torpedoed. The medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. 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. ","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. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. 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. On August 26, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took control of all shipping. 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). All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. the-raf-in-camera-1939-1945 1/11 Downloaded from uniport.edu.ng on March 2, 2023 by guest . Use our guide Abbreviations in merchant seamens records to interpret the records. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. The third statement, quite surprising, from W. Orr, is missing from the official records although he is listed as giving evidence to the inquiry into Matty Towers death. 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. 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. Other ways to find service records. 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. 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 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. 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. 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. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. 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. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Merchant Seaman records sometimes identify a vessel an individual served on only by the Ships' Official Number. By now the United States had entered the war and Japanese forces were invading Malaya. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. It sank many submarines, but it also lost a large number of warships. Want to find out more about your relative's service? Our These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. 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. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. Add a Name to this List I have a record of him being on HMS Leonian in 1941/2 from a list of people he wanted to write telegrams to from the ship. 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. 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. 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). This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImage","type":"slice-image","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImagePrimary","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":1882},"alt":"Propaganda poster for the Merchant Navy during World War II. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. 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. You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. Willenbrock. 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. Some are at TNA, while a few are held by theNational Maritime Museum. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Most of the casualties were considered to have been killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding in No. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for ae. My mum told me that he did serve. You can search for ships official numbers through the Crew List Index Project. Most of the prisoners, including myself, were sent from Drancy to concentration camps. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"After the declaration of war in September 1939, the Ministry of Shipping then under the control of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Gilmour took control of the merchant fleet. 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 Using testimony from new witnesses and hitherto undisclosed public records, he seeks to explain why they were reported missing: believed killed. Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish ; Military ; Wills & Probate ; Immigration & Travel ; Schools, Directories & Church Histories ; Public Member Trees ; . IWM collections. Before 1747 no formal record keeping of crews on merchant ships existed. Monarch of Bermuda left Durban on 24th March and returned to Liverpool via Cape Town and Freetown arriving back on 23rd April. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. If you have any unwanted Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS 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. He died on 21st Aug 1973. 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. Index record for Merchant, Leslie Arthur in the World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 from Ancestry.com, historical military records. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. The Socio-political Structure of Saudi Arabia after its Creation 14. Records include photos, honours, service files and death records. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945; . Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. 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. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. His brother Francis David Short was in the First War but I have no details on his service. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. ","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. 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. We are now on Facebook. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. The National Maritime Museum holds the registers (see below). ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. At first it was voluntary and applied only to foreign-going vessels. 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. 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 ships formed up with the Clyde contingent for convoy WS 16 west of Orsay on the 17th. 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). photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. 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 you don't have an account please register. Awarded after the Battle of the Atlantic for service between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. We also found evidence after 1943 of his return to the Army, promotion to Captain and his service in India, near Karachi. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. Description. In 1939, a third of the world's merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. ConsultBT 122-126and BT 128 (index in BT 127). Nortraship. First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records can also be accessed online. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. 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 a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. Canada's air support was crucial throughout the war. Records we hold This website Search Awarded for service between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945, in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Ordinary Seaman Charles Lomax served with the Merchant Navy in WW2. In these instances the cards have been separated and placed alphabetically according to the name shown without a deletion. privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. The official history for the Second World War, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, has been digitised and is available for viewing on the Memorial's web site. British seamen who served under the T124X agreement; British seamen who served under the T124T agreement; Non-British seamen who served under the T124X agreement. The 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. This was simply a record of the. 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. "The World's largest shipping company". He listed drowning as the probable cause of death. Unfortunately, all their hard work diverting troops and stores came to nothing because Singapore fell into Japanese hands. This enabled them to arrive at Freetown on the 25th for fuelling and water before sailing on 28th for Durban. They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. The registers follow a similar format to Registers of Seamen Tickets in BT 113. 09:00 to 17:00. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. 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 . We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. The staff had been working 48 hours without sleep planning the convoy and then tearing up the plan and movement orders as changes took place. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy campaign medal records 1939-1945. are on the same page. All were willing and did their best to help abandon ship quickly in the short time available. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. Matthew Towers was 48 years old when he lost his life. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. 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, . Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. The men went to their boats in an orderly and quiet manner. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday At 6.25 p.m. Wednesday 26th of May 1943 P.C. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. By war's end 410 merchant ships had been built in Canada. SS Otranto, Capt. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. From 10.00 a.m. 11.00 p.m. he was seen on his rounds attending to blackout by J. Lowe. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. At 8 am on December 7, the Japanese submarine I-26 torpedoed SS Cynthia Olson, manned by mariners and transporting lumber for the Army from Tacoma, Washington to Honolulu.All aboard perished, making these merchant mariners among the earliest American casualties of the war. Histories of the United States Merchant Marine from 1900 to 2000 Histories of the United States Merchant Marine in World War II (1939 - 1945) World War II Instruction Manuals for Mariners United States Government Reports on the Merchant Marine in World War II Histories of the United States Merchant Marine in the Korean War (1950 - 1953) On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. 1. In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served at sea. He survived. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. They contain the following information: Search BT 352, a combined index to masters, mates, engineers and fishing officers certificates of competency covering home and foreign trade. 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. *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. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. Records of Royal Naval Reserve ratings in service between 1914 -1955 are available online atwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-reserve-service-records.htm. Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. . For Matty Towers the three witness statements into his death are very contradictory. The swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. 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.
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