How do I find out where my uncle was stationed during his stint in the Navy? Fireman. Not all changes in ships names are logged on the cards and in such cases it will be necessary to obtain the ships official number (not usually recorded on the cards) and check against that number for all possible name changes. Search All Records ; . TNA has detailed research guides on the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen and other records. Results 1-2 of 2 View Record Name . Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. 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In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). The funeral for 46 year old Jim Wafer was held on Tuesday 1st of June 1943 at St Dominic's Roman Catholic Church then burial at Ford Cemetery. The Lloyd Captains Registers were compiled from the records of certificates issued to foreign-going masters. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. Archives, Open Government Licence At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. By 1895, they were essentially out of business. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. The movement control staff in Durban were receiving signals from London changing the instructions for the destinations of the various troops. The pouches are arranged in three sequences: Each sequence is in alphabetical order by the seaman's last name. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. However the majority are held by the Maritime History Archive. Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . (d.13th October 1945), Capt. Friends of The National As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. 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. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. 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. Generally the qualifying service period for the Italy Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. Maurice "Ginger" Archer SS Wendover. Like this page to receive our updates. This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. You can find out whether a medal was issued by looking at the markings on the records. When they reached Aden on 15th August the convoy was disbanded. Although the design of this website looks rather old-fashioned, it's still updated and is a good resource for Welsh Merchant Navy records. Registers were created to record the awarding of these certificates to officers and what they had done to qualify for them. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. Art . On the Samaria crew list and report of character, James Wafer and Matty Towers are consecutive number 59 & 60. Awarded for service in the Pacific Ocean, South China Sea or the Indian Ocean between 8 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. It sank many submarines, but it also lost a large number of warships. Consult series BT 128 for details. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. Showing 1-30 of 261 records. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. Awarded for service between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945, in the Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Ships & Convoys. 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. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945; . 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. Merchant Navy Day. 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. Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . 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. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. . Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. Samaria sailed out of Liverpool on Friday 14th of May 1943 and was on the Clyde Monday 17th of May. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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. 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. Records of masters and mates passing the voluntary examination are in series BT 143 (which includes a name index) and in BT 6/218-219. The less said about our stay at Drancy the better. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. The story is called The Jinx. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 09:00 to 17:00. 2. The world has been led by intensive and extensive waves of darkness from renaissance all the way down to the Covid crisis. Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. Next Apply for your own . 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. A man was washed overboard from one of the escorting destroyers but was not recovered. 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, In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. 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 medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. 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. They contain the following information: Search BT 352, a combined index to masters, mates, engineers and fishing officers certificates of competency covering home and foreign trade. Gunner) fell from the gun platform on A deck to B deck, receiving head injuries. These entries record a single voyage during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them. 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. 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. The cards give the name of a ship and details of its movements, namely, the ports at which it docked, and passage between ports. He survived. Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. The staff had been working 48 hours without sleep planning the convoy and then tearing up the plan and movement orders as changes took place. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. I myself [Captain Elliot] slid into the water shortly before the ship took up a vertical position stern up and then disappeared completely at 05.59. This was 22 minutes after first being torpedoed. Little did I know, but back home I was considered missing and presumed dead. Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. Log book and Crew Agreements to be found in BT 381, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992. . 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 convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. 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. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. To have have kept all the cards together would have rendered them out of alphabetical order (in contravention of the specification) with possible adverse consequences for the list. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. the National Archives. Merchant Vessel Files: Also included among the Coast Guard records is a series of Merchant Vessel Information Files, 1939 - 1952, which is arranged alphabetically by name of vessel and contains information about merchant vessels that entered U.S. ports during World War II. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. Then, as European-built iron-hulled sailing ships replaced wooden square-riggers, Canadian shipbuilders found it harder to compete. Most of the prisoners, including myself, were sent from Drancy to concentration camps. 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. 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. IWM collections. The column on the right of each record contains a reference number to the entitlement file held by the Registry of Shipping and Seamen. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. By now the United States had entered the war and Japanese forces were invading Malaya. This information will help us make improvements to the website. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Coast Guard Nav Bouy Patrols in Pacific 1964 Ship name Grisham. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImage","type":"slice-image","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImagePrimary","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":742},"alt":"Black and white photo of a group of officers on the SS City of Manila, a cargo steamer of the Ellerman City Line","copyright":"Mary Evans/Pharcide","url":"https://images.prismic.io/findmypast-titan/16661bfe-a635-4d82-a616-66a6b14d10d7_group-photo-officers-of-ss-city-of-manila-a-cargo-steamer-of-the-ellerman-city-line-sunk-in-the-atlantic-by-a-german-torpedo-in-1942-with-just-one-crew-member-lost-mary-evans-pharcide.jpg?auto=compress,format"},"caption":"Group photo, officers of SS City of Manila, a cargo steamer of the Ellerman City Line, sunk in the Atlantic by a German torpedo in 1942, with just one crew member lost. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. By 08.20 both escorts were proceeding at 6 knots towing Anselms empty boats, but as speed increased to 13 knots these gradually broke away and were lost. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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). Digital copies of Merchant shipping movement cards 1939-1945 can be searched and downloaded. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. The book's structure follows the chronological evolution of geographical opinions and retains a geohistorical narrative. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! Edit Search New Search. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Catalogue entries for this series have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers. 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. 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. Search The Gazette for lists of masters and mates who passed officer examinations. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. 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. 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. 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). Woodman here relates the Merchant Navy's colourful history and brings to life the day-to-day experiences of the seamen. Gunner, R. W. Orr D.E.M.S. Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. 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. If you don't have an account please register. Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? 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. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). Conversely, it was fortunate that fair weather allowed the rescue of 80 per cent of the total on board. Results 1-4 of 4 View Record Name Birth Date; 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. Each set of cards records: The cards also show if the ship was torpedoed, mined, damaged or sunk. First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve recordscan also beaccessed online. 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. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. The troop decks in this compartment contained many RAF and RAOC and the number of casualties was probably increased by the wooden laddersbeing smashed by the explosion. Anselm was indeed unfortunate to have been sighted and torpedoed whilst within the supposed protection of an anti-submarine screen by an isolated homeward bound U-Boat. ", JEng. 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. Women also sometimes served at sea in the Merchant Navy. (M.N. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. 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. You need to sign in to tag. In the eleven months on the ship Dad had spent three months in Liverpool. Records 1939 - 1946. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. Order records to view when you visit. On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. AB. Let us know. On August 26, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took control of all shipping. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). 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. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. This enabled them to arrive at Freetown on the 25th for fuelling and water before sailing on 28th for Durban. Although the Merchant Navy was a civilian service, during the periods of hostilities some mariners served in uniform with the Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve Trawler Section, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. Fort Pepperrell was in St. John's and many American servicemen were to resident in the capital city. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs 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. Nine types of medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in the Second World War and who met the qualifications for each medal. This was simply a record of the. "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 3 hold. 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). 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.
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