Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. 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. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Another important archive open to the public is theLloyds Marine Collectionat the Guildhall Library which holds the Captains Registers for the period up to 1948, voyage record cards 1927 to 1975 and runs of theLloyds Registers, Lloyds ListsandMercantile Navy Lists. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. 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. For more information on the Arctic Star and advice on how you can still apply for it, see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. 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. If anyone knows of my father, Captain Len Chapman I will be pleased to hear! One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. ","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. His brother Francis David Short was in the First War but I have no details on his service. 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. To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. List view Image view. 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. IWM collections. On the 23rd November the convoy was ordered to split into slow and fast convoys. For each officer registers provide: Look for a certificate entry in theregisters of certificates (they are arranged by certificate number) listed below. Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. Records of Royal Naval Reserve ratings in service between 1914 -1955 are available online atwww.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/royal-naval-reserve-service-records.htm. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Friends of The National Those giving evidence included J. Cornwall M.N. You may be searching for a ship on dates before or after movement cards were in use on that vessel. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. . Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . to help with the costs of keeping the site running. 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. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. 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. 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. Records 1939 - 1946. A man was washed overboard from one of the escorting destroyers but was not recovered. Some idea of the danger awaiting convoys is given by the following story. We landed in Bordeaux a few weeks later and were taken to the prison camp Caserne Colonial Bordeaux. Our Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). (M.N. Most of these men were not born in Asia; many were Egyptian. They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. They sailed up the Irish Sea to join with the Clyde portion to form convoy WS 9B. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Giron. The image you order will usually come with a number of medal records for other seamen. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. All were willing and did their best to help abandon ship quickly in the short time available. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. A certificate came with a number (and new numbers were assigned if a replacement certificate was issued following the loss of the original). privacy policy, Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Shipping Movement Cards, Available in digital format unless otherwise stated. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. Archives, Open Government Licence 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, . A register entry for a foreign trade voyage, from BT 124. These records have only been held at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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 Monarch of Bermuda embarked 2,287 troops and was one of ten liners in this convoy which eventually sailed on 12th November. 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. 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. 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. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. British seamen who served under the T124X agreement; British seamen who served under the T124T agreement; Non-British seamen who served under the T124X agreement. 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. This information will help us make improvements to the website. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. 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. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Many years later he wrote a short fictional story about a Maritime Regiment gunner who brought nothing but bad luck. 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. 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. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. Generally the qualifying service period for the Italy Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. Records we hold This website Search . It should be noted that the cards do not always reflect changes in the ship's name and that it may be necessary to search for a ship under its various names. 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 swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. Second World War (1939-1945) Archival records and resources from the Second World War Archival resources from Canada's participation in the Second World War. Consult series BT 128 for details. Anyone who qualified for both the Pacific Star and the Burma Star would be awarded the first Star earned. From things he had said prior to his death, the family believe that the story could actually be based on himself and those he served with. Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday She was ordered into the Clyde and the 990 RAF and 419 troops on board were going to disembark. But by the time its recommendations were implemented in 1994, the 15-year- old deckboys would have been in their mid-60s, while a seaman of 50 when the war ended would have been 100. Object category. For service before 1845, when registers of Merchant Navy officers were not kept, you must look for records kept for other purposes (such ascrew lists, agreements and log books) but which may include incidental mention of officers. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. Fireman. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. Merchant Navy 1939-1945. In the indexes, names beginning with Mc or Mac are usually found under the letter following that prefix. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. How do I find out where my uncle was stationed during his stint in the Navy? Merchant seafarers were involved in the Second World War from the first day to the last. He describes why . Information is contained in pouches and includes personal details such as name, age, rank, rating/grade and qualifications, together with details of the vessels on which the individual served. The official records state the purser took possession of his discharge book, his I.D. The T124X records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships (or Royal Navy auxiliary vessels). SA. Despite sharing the word Navy in their titles, the difference between the Royal and Merchant Navies was that sailors in the latter were classed as civilians. Merchant Navy Awards 1939-1945 This collection details over 9,000 awards made to those who served in the Merchant Navy from 1939-45. This information will help us make improvements to the website. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. Let us know. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. Records of people younger than 100 and still alive, or who died after 1991 are officially closed. This information will help us make improvements to the website. are also recorded at the top of the card.From left to right, the six columns on the card will tell you: You can search the records in Discovery, our catalogue, by using thesearch boxbelow. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. 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. The third statement, quite surprising, from W. Orr, is missing from the official records although he is listed as giving evidence to the inquiry into Matty Towers death. Art . We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. Some copies of the latter have been digitized and put online by theMaritime History Archivein Canada. If a ship had a former name this would be written in brackets. 3 hold. 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. 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. 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 poster shows an ultra-realistic drawing with a coxswain at a ship's wheel, and an officer with binoculars drawn by Charles Wood. Registration of cooks in the Merchant Navy began on 30 June 1908. 1. Thomas Andrew "Tots" Storey (d.7th Sep 1940), L/Bdr Norman Power Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. please Visit the Crew List Index Project (CLIP) website, which has information about merchant seamen on British registered ships from 1861 to 1913. At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. For Matty Towers the three witness statements into his death are very contradictory. Become a Member The steamer Anselm had left Liverpool with Monarch of Bermuda to join convoy WS 9B but hadnt been able to maintain the 12 knots speed. These records come from The National Archives' record series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116, BT119 and BT120. It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. 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. 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. When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache. 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. 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. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. The Crew List Index Project (CLIP) offers a searchable index of ships by official number. Generally the qualifying service period for the Burma Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of. 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. . This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. Want to know what life was like during the War? American Merchant Marine Databases includes: . If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. 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). By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. Another brother Thomas was in the British Army. In themerchant navy the term officer can refer to a master, mate, engineer, fishing boat skipper, second hand or cook. 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. I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. All First World War records for these formations have been transferred to TNA. 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. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. Want to find out more about your relative's service? This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. 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, ConsultBT 122-126and BT 128 (index in BT 127). James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943).
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