Want to find out more about your relative's service? He listed drowning as the probable cause of death. Medal record of Alfred Harry Badman, BT 395/1. One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. He describes why . These records have been selected on the basis that they reflect the economic, social and demographic condition of the UK, as documented by the state's dealings with individuals, communities and organisations outside of its own formal boundaries (2.2.2.1 of PRO's acquisition policy). research. The library does have collections of books, dealing with . Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. Order records to view when you visit. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday 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. Consult series BT 128 for details. . . This collection records the movements of ships ordinarily engaged in foreign going trade. Little did I know, but back home I was considered missing and presumed dead. 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 Navy seamen in service since 1918, About our Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Also awarded, with no minimum service requirement, if service was terminated by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war. - Merchant Navy during the Second World War -. At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. 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. He died on 21st Aug 1973. 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. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. 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. research. Visit the Crew List Index Project (CLIP) website, which has information about merchant seamen on British registered ships from 1861 to 1913. 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. To view all records for an individual, select 'ALL' in the Service box. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. After four months aboard the raider, we were transferred to a prison ship. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. Services and information Second World War death records Search the war dead service files from the Second World War. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy. 09:00 to 17:00. On 28th of May 1943 he was buried in El Alia Cemetery Algiers. "The World's largest shipping company". You can find out whether a medal was issued by looking at the markings on the records. Birth, Marriage & Death, including Parish ; Military ; Wills & Probate ; Immigration & Travel ; Schools, Directories & Church Histories ; Public Member Trees ; . Then, as European-built iron-hulled sailing ships replaced wooden square-riggers, Canadian shipbuilders found it harder to compete. A register entry for a foreign trade voyage, from BT 124. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. 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 Arctic Star. 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. Some of these records are alsoavailable on the subscription websitewww.findmypast.co.uk. 1939-1945. research. Merchant Navy Day. 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. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. 3 hold. On the Samaria crew list and report of character, James Wafer and Matty Towers are consecutive number 59 & 60. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. 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. 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. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). 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. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. He survived. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs Have you found an error with this catalogue description? What ship was Admiral Harold Stark on during D-Day? For example, MacDonald will not appear under the letter M but under D. 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. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. He may have been in the Devon or Dorset Regiment. 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. 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. 3rd Radio Off. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. If you don't have an account please register. You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. The movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. Add a Name to this List : s.n., between 1939 and 1940) AWM call number: 387.5071094 M554; Online. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. 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. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. I hope to also take a digital diary when it is finished to the Arctic Convoy Museum at Loch Ewe. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? 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. TNA has detailed research guides on the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen and other records. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . World War Two 1939-1945 - Archives New Zealand Skip to main content Our reading rooms are open. We are now on Facebook. In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. Service Number . She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. ","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. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, Merchant Navy ships records: movement cards 1939-1945, Friends of The National Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. While in Freetown news came through that the Japanese had landed in Java and Batavia and the Dutch East Indies had surrendered which would mean no more convoys to the Far East. 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. Description. Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943) James Wafer started service as an Able Seaman during World War 1 and had survived active service as a teenage merchant man on a ship called Romney. In themerchant navy the term officer can refer to a master, mate, engineer, fishing boat skipper, second hand or cook. 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. Like this page to receive our updates. 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). Ronnie stayed with the Merchant Navy during the war and was torpedoed off the east coast of the USA at some point. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. The cards are presented in alphabetical order by ship's name. 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. (M.N. Other ways to find service records. The minimum qualifying period was one day. 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) Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. 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 1939-1945 Star was also awarded to recipients of a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. 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. 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 We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served at sea. Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. In 1939, a third of the world's merchant ships were British, and there were some 200,000 sailors. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. 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. Merchant Navy mariners were recorded in the 1841 census but unfortunately not those on board ships either stationed on shore or at sea. The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. 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. The cards record the movements of both British-registered and Allied vessels engaged in the war effort. Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. Contents Part Two 11. It does not, however, include: You may be searching for a ship using a former name. Registration of cooks in the Merchant Navy began on 30 June 1908. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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. 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. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . 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. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. You need to sign in to tag. You can search for ships official numbers through the Crew List Index Project. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. George James William "Dick" Durling BEM. Anyone who qualified for both the France & Germany Star and the Atlantic Star would be awarded the first Star earned, with a Clasp. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. Thomas Andrew "Tots" Storey (d.7th Sep 1940), L/Bdr Norman Power Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery. The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. They subsequently sailed on convoy WS 17. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. A total of 254 officers and men lost their lives in the sinking of Anselm, of which 176 were RAF, 70 from other services and 4 crew. These entries record a single voyage during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. After a change of orders she eventually left the Clyde with escorts on 30th June. 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. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. Let us know. 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. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. Merchant Seaman records sometimes identify a vessel an individual served on only by the Ships' Official Number. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. 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. For information on how to order an Official Military Personnel File for a veteran who separated from service before 1957, . United States Merchant . 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. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. Registers were created to record the awarding of these certificates to officers and what they had done to qualify for them. Generally the qualifying service period for the Italy Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Unfortunately, all their hard work diverting troops and stores came to nothing because Singapore fell into Japanese hands. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. By 1878, Canada was the fourth largest ship-owning nation in the world, with a merchant fleet of 7,200 vessels. The medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. 09:00 to 17:00. If you don't have an account please register. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Many were singing songs while the boats were being lowered. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. I believe, SS Port Sydney also survived the war so, I am uncertain on which ship Ronnie was serving when torpedoed. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Generally the qualifying service period for the Burma Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. The T124X records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships (or Royal Navy auxiliary vessels). ConsultBT 122-126and BT 128 (index in BT 127). giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces.