merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

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. 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. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. Records 1939 - 1946. Consult our guide to records of merchant seamen serving after 1917for advice on searching within registers of seamen and seamens pouchesto establishvoyage details which you may be able to apply to the service of officers. You can search ()the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by filling in the form below. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Due to the multifaceted nature of the Merchant Marine, we are very grateful to obtain this collection in order to provide clarity to their service," said Theresa Fitzgerald, Along with this new series have come some new experiences. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-reserve-service-records.htm, First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Log book and Crew Agreements to be found in BT 381, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992. Want to find out more about your relative's service? This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. research. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. Showing 1-30 of 261 records. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. To view all records for an individual, select 'ALL' in the Service box. Like this page to receive our updates. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). 09:00 to 17:00. Medal record of Alfred Harry Badman, BT 395/1. The library does have collections of books, dealing with . Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. 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. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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. 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. Samaria sailed out of Liverpool on Friday 14th of May 1943 and was on the Clyde Monday 17th of May. Search All Records ; . In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. The National Maritime Museum holds the registers (see below). Chapter one is called The Idea of the World because it reflects the meaning of the efforts of the ancient's philosophers-geographers to know the shape and size of the Earth, discover its position in space, and find out what is around them. Conditions on the raider were passable, but the prison ship was deplorable. 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. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. The minimum qualifying period was one day. 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! ", JEng. 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. 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 After a change of orders she eventually left the Clyde with escorts on 30th June. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. Ordinary Seaman Charles Lomax served with the Merchant Navy in WW2. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. 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. 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) Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18. She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. You might also find information about an officer by searching the records of ordinary merchant seamen. Little did I know, but back home I was considered missing and presumed dead. 1. 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. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results ; . In 1939, a third of the world's merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. 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 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. Awarded for service between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945, in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. During the war this fleet underwent tremendous expansion as Canadian shipyards produced 403 merchant vessels. "The World's largest shipping company". research. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. 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. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. The convoy was originally supposed to sail at the end of October 1942 as WS 13 but its designation was changed to WS 12Z (a lucky omen?). 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. Increased Centralization and the Ikhwan Movement (1926-1934) 13. Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . 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. A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. The ship turned out to be a disguised German raider. This was simply a record of the. 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. Most of the prisoners, including myself, were sent from Drancy to concentration camps. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. Merchant mariners or merchant seamen are assigned to vessels that primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. 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 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. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. 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.