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). 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. (M.N. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389). www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-reserve-service-records.htm, First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. The records are held in alphabetical order by seaman's name . You can search ()the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by filling in the form below. 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. E. A. Huntbatch SS Orama (d.15th July 1941), Fireman James Gilbert Goodwin S.S. San Casto (London). 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. Archives, Open Government Licence 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. Fort Pepperrell was in St. John's and many American servicemen were to resident in the capital city. 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). the-raf-in-camera-1939-1945 1/11 Downloaded from uniport.edu.ng on March 2, 2023 by guest . The National Archives' catalogue This record (browse from here by hierarchy or by reference) Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service. 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. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. 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. Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a ships or persons full name, such as Sydney Star or John Williams. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). 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. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. List view Image view. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. Many thousands of POWs died there. Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. 3rd Radio Off. Fireman. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. There was no minimum time qualification for a Merchant Seaman. 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. At 7.45 p.m. the Samaria was about to sail. One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. Two days later the Coroner held an inquest into Grandad's death and the verdict was given as unascertainable. The trip back to Liverpool was via Durban, Capetown, Trinidad and Halifax. The minimum qualifying period was one day. It may help to know the number of a ship as ships are sometimes referred to in the records by their number rather then their name. 1939 194 Yeah, reviewing a book Embleme Wappen Malings Deutscher U Boote 1939 194 could . Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. 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 mariners or merchant seamen are assigned to vessels that primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime. Seamen's records ('pouches') are in: BT 372, Crew agreements and log books are in: BT 380, Coast trade crew agreements and log books are in: BT 381, Fifth Register of Seaman's Service is in: BT 382, Crew agreements and log books for requisitioned or chartered Allied foreign ships are in: BT 387, Special Operations Records, merchant seamen, are in: BT 391, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992, Have you found an error with this catalogue description? He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results . Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. These records come from The National Archives' record series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116, BT119 and BT120. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. 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. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. How do I find out where my uncle was stationed during his stint in the Navy? This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. Registration of cooks in the Merchant Navy began on 30 June 1908. We are now on Facebook. 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. 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 SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . The ship turned out to be a disguised German raider. Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck Evan McGilvray 2020-09-30 This military biography explores Sanitary arrangements were, as usual, inadequate. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. After five days of normal transportation (i.e., in cattle trucks), we arrived at Bremervorde in northwestern Germany near Bremen, and were then marched several miles to Stalag X-B in Sandbostel, where we were greeted by the stink of death. The 1939-1945 Star was also awarded to recipients of a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. 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. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Awarded for service between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943, serving in the Mediterranean. 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). Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. 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 When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. United States Merchant . The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. 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. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 This collection details over 9,000 awards made to those who served in the Merchant Navy from 1939-45. Want to find out more about your relative's service? . He describes why . Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. 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. 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. 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. Image: Mary Evans/Pharcide"}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"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. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Become a Member 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. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. 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. Contact the appropriate state or national archive. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. 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. The Royal Canadian Navy was the third-largest fleet in the world by the end of the war, having enlisted 100,000 men and 6,500 women. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. 1939-1945. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. From 1845 onwards a system of examinations was introduced for masters and mates. heavily illustrated book presents the details of those ships and describes the fate of those lost between 1939 and 1945. Friends of The National In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. 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. research. 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. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. the National Archives. Records of people younger than 100 and still alive, or who died after 1991 are officially closed. TNA has detailed research guides on the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen and other records. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. 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). By 1895, they were essentially out of business. privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. please In these instances the cards have been separated and placed alphabetically according to the name shown without a deletion. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy campaign medal records 1939-1945. are on the same page. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. If there is no entry on a card for the early or later part of the war, check the crew lists and agreements in series BT 99, BT 100, BT 380or BT 381which may hold further details. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. The story was hand written and falling apart but I have typed it up for preservation. 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. This website is paid for out of our own pockets, library subscriptions and from donations made by visitors. When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. 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 Socio-political Structure of Saudi Arabia after its Creation 14. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small Awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. reference to the medal papers file (held at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen), DNA: Director of Naval Accounts (the Royal Navy medal issuing authority) or, more recently, Do Not Authorise, Refer to Aust: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the Australian authorities, Refer to NZ: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the New Zealand authorities. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy. The following codes may be found on the record: Markings found on the record may include: The letter R over a code can signify that an application for that medal was reviewed and refused. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. Other ways to find service records. If you don't have an account please register. The poster shows an ultra-realistic drawing with a coxswain at a ship's wheel, and an officer with binoculars drawn by Charles Wood. *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. Operations in and around the Dodecanese, Corsica, Greece, Sardinia and Yugoslavia after 11 June 1943 would also qualify. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"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. They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. 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. From 1835, details of seafarers were recorded in registers by the Register Office for Merchant Seamen, later the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, using information from the crew lists. During that period the ship may have been on several voyages, and he may have been engaged for some or all of the period. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Log book and Crew Agreements to be found in BT 381, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992. This information will help us make improvements to the website. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. Up to 1854 records are arranged by port and registry number; subsequently by ship's official number. Nortraship. 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. I hope to also take a digital diary when it is finished to the Arctic Convoy Museum at Loch Ewe. She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. Results 1-2 of 2 View Record Name . U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945; . Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. We are researching his time in India but know of some stories but not a lot except playing hockey against and Indian Team and winning! (d.13th October 1945), Capt. The slower ships left the convoy at Capetown and the convoy increased speed to 14 knots rounding the Cape into a full gale which eventually turned so that they had a following sea. Our first night there we had doors for beds. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) 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. 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. "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. For example, MacDonald will not appear under the letter M but under D. 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. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. Conditions on the raider were passable, but the prison ship was deplorable. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. The often slow-moving shipsand the civilian merchant mariners who maneuvered themwere easy targets for enemy fire. v3.0. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. 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. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. As well as the registers of certificates of competency for engineers at The National Archives (in series BT 139, see above), the National Maritime Museum holds registers for the following years and certificate numbers: The National Maritime Museum holds the registers, bearing numbers 5001-41021 (reference RSS/CO/1-6). The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Next Apply for your own . At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. 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. ","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. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday ","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. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943).
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