merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. 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 I hope to also take a digital diary when it is finished to the Arctic Convoy Museum at Loch Ewe. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. 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. The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. If you have any unwanted . giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. On the 23rd November the convoy was ordered to split into slow and fast convoys. 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. At 7.45 p.m. the Samaria was about to sail. We landed in Bordeaux a few weeks later and were taken to the prison camp Caserne Colonial Bordeaux. Historically many vessels have had their names changed, sometimes on more than one occasion. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. 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. 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. Archives, Open Government Licence Before 1747 no formal record keeping of crews on merchant ships existed. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. 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. Search 5: service details of Merchant Navy cooks 1913-1956 This is a search in record series BT 319. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. 09:00 to 17:00. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. The War Medal 1939-45 was awarded for 28 days full-time service in the Armed Forces between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. Catalogue entries for this series have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers. The Crew List Index Project (CLIP) offers a searchable index of ships by official number. 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. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. What ship was Admiral Harold Stark on during D-Day? privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. Visit the Crew List Index Project (CLIP) website, which has information about merchant seamen on British registered ships from 1861 to 1913. This information will help us make improvements to the website. (M.N. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. 2. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. List view Image view. From 1850 onwards, an officer was only officially qualified or certified as an officer if he had been awarded a Certificate of Competency (by passing an exam) or a Certificate of Service (for long service). 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. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. 1939 194 Yeah, reviewing a book Embleme Wappen Malings Deutscher U Boote 1939 194 could . By 1895, they were essentially out of business. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Archives, Open Government Licence Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. research. They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. 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). Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. The Miramar ship index can be useful for obtaining this information. At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. 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. 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 For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Merchant mariners or merchant seamen are assigned to vessels that primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Giron. Using testimony from new witnesses and hitherto undisclosed public records, he seeks to explain why they were reported missing: believed killed. The cards give the name of a ship and details of its movements, namely, the ports at which it docked, and passage between ports. 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. 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. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Archives, Open Government Licence 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 (d.13th October 1945), Capt. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Edit Search New Search. The stokehold and engine-room were soon flooded and with the engines stopped, the ship lost way and within eight minutes, Captain Elliott reported that Anselm was badly down by the head. A merchant seaman could qualify after six months service with at least one voyage in an operational area. The records are held in alphabetical order by seaman's name . SA. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? To access the records in this section you will either need to visit usor, where you can identify a specific document reference, order a copy(). . Monarch of Bermuda left Durban on 24th March and returned to Liverpool via Cape Town and Freetown arriving back on 23rd April. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. The minimum qualifying period was one day. As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. He describes why . Dad signed off the ship on 8th May. Showing 1-30 of 261 records. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, guide on Merchant seamens medals and honours, World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen, records of merchant seamen serving after 1917, Abbreviations in merchant seamens records, Friends of The National I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. 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 National Archives' catalogue Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Database of World War II Medals issued to Merchant Seamen Search within or browse this series to find. Digital copies of Merchant shipping movement cards 1939-1945 can be searched and downloaded. 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. Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. Service Number . When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache. The book's structure follows the chronological evolution of geographical opinions and retains a geohistorical narrative. To determine eligibility for a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD Form 214, or a Report of Casualty, DD Form 1300, customers will be directed to to, View the National Archives Operating Status. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. Matthew Towers was 48 years old when he lost his life. Search indexes to crew lists from 1861 to 1913 by name on findmypast (). 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. 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. First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records can also be accessed online. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. However the majority are held by the Maritime History Archive. v3.0, the day by day movements of the ship (in Athenias case the final entry records her sinking), anticipated movements, i.e. 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. Description. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. You do not have to fill in all fields to search. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Some of the seamen discharged during this period. Also awarded, with no minimum service requirement, if service was terminated by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war. Domestic and Foreign Policy (1945-1958) 17. If you can provide any additional information, please add it here. In 1939, a third of the world's merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. There have been times when I've thought about the few months of kindness and friendliness shown by Frau Wilmbrock and her family in the village of Kirch, where I and fellow Stalag X-B prisoner Jock Reid worked their farm. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. Some are at TNA, while a few are held by theNational Maritime Museum. 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. In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. 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). Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. Also some happy times with the Indian Army who were great allies and enjoyed partying English style, as a relief from the war time battles. Merchant Navy mariners were recorded in the 1841 census but unfortunately not those on board ships either stationed on shore or at sea. MO has 20th Century military records for discharged and deceased veterans. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. There were no portholes, and ventilation came from the open access hatches which had to be closed at night when the ships were darkened. 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. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. What are these records? He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. Merchant Navy service Records of pre-World War I and colonial service World War I service with the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force an War gratuity cards for World War I and World War II Records of Navy service after 1970 Other contacts We hold the following records about service in the Royal Australian Navy: On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Services and information Second World War death records Search the war dead service files from the Second World War. "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. Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. Index record for Ryan, John McMahon in the World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 from Ancestry.com, historical military records. 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. Records include photos, honours, service files and death records. 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. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. 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. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Many years later he wrote a short fictional story about a Maritime Regiment gunner who brought nothing but bad luck. All were willing and did their best to help abandon ship quickly in the short time available. 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. *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. Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. 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. If you don't have an account please register. 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. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. Most of the casualties were considered to have been killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding in No. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. You need to sign in to tag. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. The world has been led by intensive and extensive waves of darkness from renaissance all the way down to the Covid crisis. "The World's largest shipping company". Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. Read tagging guidelines. 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. Merchant Navy 1939-1945. At 8.00 a.m. Matty Towers looked in his bunk and then reported Grandad missing to the Bosun, J. Hynes. Like this page to receive our updates. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by 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. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. We are now on Facebook. Results 1-4 of 4 View Record Name Birth Date; 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. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B.

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