merchant navy records 1939 to 1945

Other ways to find service records. 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. Arrangements for those who succumbed to seasickness consisted of 40 gallon drums which slid about the deck with unpleasant splashings. ","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. Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. The Guildhall Library does not hold crew lists. 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). This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. 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. When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. 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. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. In themerchant navy the term officer can refer to a master, mate, engineer, fishing boat skipper, second hand or cook. please Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. 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. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. 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. I believe, SS Port Sydney also survived the war so, I am uncertain on which ship Ronnie was serving when torpedoed. At 8.00 a.m. Matty Towers looked in his bunk and then reported Grandad missing to the Bosun, J. Hynes. the-raf-in-camera-1939-1945 1/11 Downloaded from uniport.edu.ng on March 2, 2023 by guest . The qualifying service period for the Atlantic Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. You can search ()the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by filling in the form below. 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. She was torpedoed and shelled by the German U-boat U30 without warning, becoming the first merchant vessel casualty of the Second World War. A man was washed overboard from one of the escorting destroyers but was not recovered. 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 movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. IWM collections. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. Remember, you'll need to show photo ID to be issued with records. 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. The image you order will usually come with a number of medal records for other seamen. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for ae. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. 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. 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. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. 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. In these instances the cards have been separated and placed alphabetically according to the name shown without a deletion. 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. Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. 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. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. The book's structure follows the chronological evolution of geographical opinions and retains a geohistorical narrative. 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 The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. ", JEng. They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. 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. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). The minimum qualifying period was one day. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. Merchant Navy mariners were recorded in the 1841 census but unfortunately not those on board ships either stationed on shore or at sea. Some are at TNA, while a few are held by theNational Maritime Museum. Add a Name to this List You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. 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. card and his grey suit jacket. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. 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. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943). 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. The two Ellerman ships City of Lincoln and City of Edinburgh had to return to Liverpool and the Clyde because cargo had shifted. (6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. 3rd Radio Off. LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS 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. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. You can search for ships official numbers through the Crew List Index Project. ","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. 09:00 to 17:00. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Consult series BT 140 for details. Fireman. 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. There was no minimum time qualification for a Merchant Seaman. Records include photos, honours, service files and death records. A merchant seaman could qualify after six months service with at least one voyage in an operational area. Let us know. 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. By 1895, they were essentially out of business. You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small Once you have obtained a certificate number from the index in BT 127, consult the table below for the respective record series reference: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. 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). 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. Want to find out more about your relative's service? USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration 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. Archives, Open Government Licence A merchant seaman had to have served a minimum of 28 days at sea. This information will help us make improvements to the website. 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 Miramar ship index can be useful for obtaining this information. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. 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. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. At 5.00 p.m. on Thursday 13th of May 1943, my grandfather Jim reported for duty on troop ship S.S. Samaria to J. Lowe 2nd officer. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. Furthermore, the MID does not appear on the Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards approved from time . 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 only good thing I remember about Drancy was the kindness of the French women who had nothing themselves, but nevertheless threw loaves of bread to us past the guards. "The World's largest shipping company". Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. Records of Merchant seamen serving in the Royal Navy under T124X and T124T contracts The UK National Archive (formerly the Public Record Office) holds the following records which are available for online access: The reference BT 391 includes the T124X records which detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships. 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, . She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". You might also find information about an officer by searching the records of ordinary merchant seamen. After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. Maurice "Ginger" Archer SS Wendover. Look at the websites of other archives and organisations which hold agreements and crew lists, including the Maritime History Archive in Newfoundland, the National Maritime Museum, the National Records of Scotland, the National Archives of Ireland, and local archives. If you don't have an account please register. Although the design of this website looks rather old-fashioned, it's still updated and is a good resource for Welsh Merchant Navy records. 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 you don't have an account please register. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. 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. He describes why . In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. The Canadian Merchant Marine had only forty-one ocean-going merchant ships at the outbreak of the Second World War. SA. 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. v3.0. At first it was voluntary and applied only to foreign-going vessels. Voyages in the registers were usually recorded either as: Home trade voyages (repeated or reported voyages). Dad signed off the ship on 8th May. Canada's air support was crucial throughout the war. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. 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. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . 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. The 1939-1945 Star was also awarded to recipients of a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. Most of these men were not born in Asia; many were Egyptian. research. For information on how to order an Official Military Personnel File for a veteran who separated from service before 1957, . The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. Most of the prisoners, including myself, were sent from Drancy to concentration camps. We also found evidence after 1943 of his return to the Army, promotion to Captain and his service in India, near Karachi. 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. 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. By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Archives, Open Government Licence The cards are presented in alphabetical order by ship's name. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Woodman here relates the Merchant Navy's colourful history and brings to life the day-to-day experiences of the seamen. You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. Results 1-4 of 4 View Record Name Birth Date; On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans","spans":[{"start":0,"end":131,"type":"em"}]}]}}],"metaTitle":null,"metaOgTitle":null,"metaDescription":null,"metaOgDescription":null,"metaCanonical":null,"addNoIndexTag":null,"_meta":{"__ref":"PrismicMeta:XgIZ8RAAACEA9U7G"}}},"TrustpilotTrustScore:4bdc84ff000064000505d022":{"__typename":"TrustpilotTrustScore","id":"4bdc84ff000064000505d022","trustScore":3.8},"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaTRAAACEA9VB8":{"__typename":"PrismicRelatedDocument","id":"XgIaTRAAACEA9VB8","lang":"en-us","type":"article-page-1939","uid":"the-merchant-navy"},"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaGBAAACEA9U96":{"__typename":"PrismicRelatedDocument","id":"XgIaGBAAACEA9U96","lang":"en-au","type":"article-page-1939","uid":"the-merchant-navy"},"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaORAAACIA9VAa":{"__typename":"PrismicRelatedDocument","id":"XgIaORAAACIA9VAa","lang":"en-ie","type":"article-page-1939","uid":"the-merchant-navy"},"PrismicMeta:XgIZ8RAAACEA9U7G":{"__typename":"PrismicMeta","id":"XgIZ8RAAACEA9U7G","firstPublicationDate":"2019-12-24T14:00:46+0000","lastPublicationDate":"2019-12-24T14:00:46+0000","alternateLanguages":[{"__ref":"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaTRAAACEA9VB8"},{"__ref":"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaGBAAACEA9U96"},{"__ref":"PrismicRelatedDocument:XgIaORAAACIA9VAa"}]}},"pathname":"/1939register/the-merchant-navy","publicPath":"/titan/dist/","browser":{"name":"Safari","fullVersion":"15.5","majorVersion":"15","osName":"Mac OS","isBot":false}}, Discover the sailors in your family history with the 1939 Register. Digital copies of Merchant shipping movement cards 1939-1945 can be searched and downloaded. During wartime, however, they can become an auxiliary to the United States Navycalled upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. Ronnie stayed with the Merchant Navy during the war and was torpedoed off the east coast of the USA at some point. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. 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? Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. Archives, Open Government Licence 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 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. Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve records can also be accessed online. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! Merchant seamen 1939-1945. His brother Francis David Short was in the First War but I have no details on his service. He signed up in 1915 at the age of 18. The ships formed up with the Clyde contingent for convoy WS 16 west of Orsay on the 17th. These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth. 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. 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. 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. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Contents Part Two 11. United States Merchant . Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. 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. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. . The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. The series generally contains information about radio equipment . "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. 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. Some of these records are alsoavailable on the subscription websitewww.findmypast.co.uk. Domestic and Foreign Policy (1945-1958) 17. Merchant mariners or merchant seamen are assigned to vessels that primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime. The family believed that the torpedoed ship was the Tacoma Star of the Blue Star Line but I believe that ship was lost with all hands and Ronnie's name does not appear on the casualty list. 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). The pouches are arranged in three sequences: Each sequence is in alphabetical order by the seaman's last name. These records have only been held at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Giron. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. Catalogue entries for this series have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers. 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). 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.