Most of the casualties were considered to have been killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding in No. 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. . You can find more details here. 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. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. 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 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. At first it was voluntary and applied only to foreign-going vessels. to help with the costs of keeping the site running. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. Consult copies of the Mercantile Navy List for 1860 to 1864 in The National Archives reading rooms for alphabetical lists of masters and mates (with certificate numbers) as well as one-line obituaries for deceased seamen. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. The trip back to Liverpool was via Durban, Capetown, Trinidad and Halifax. They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. This collection records the movements of ships ordinarily engaged in foreign going trade. During wartime, however, they can become an auxiliary to the United States Navycalled upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. 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. Dad signed off the ship on 8th May. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . Alternatively, search The National Archives Library to see what is available to consult at Kew. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, SAINT LOUIS, December 16, 2019 The public now has access to previously unavailable information concerning former merchant mariners and their maritime service through Merchant Marine Licensing Files, made available by the, The public can access these records in two ways: through a request made via an. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS Let us know. Each set of cards records: The cards also show if the ship was torpedoed, mined, damaged or sunk. 10thFeb 2023 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. Want to know what life was like during the War? This information will help us make improvements to the website. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. The minimum qualifying period was one day. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. 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. ", JEng. 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. He was rescued, repatriated and managed to survive the war. Registration of cooks in the Merchant Navy began on 30 June 1908. Our first night there we had doors for beds. 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) I remember him telling me about runs to Malta and how soldiers shouldn't have been on ships. By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. At 6.25 p.m. Wednesday 26th of May 1943 P.C. v3.0. 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). Archives, Open Government Licence The Lloyd Captains Registers were compiled from the records of certificates issued to foreign-going masters. heavily illustrated book presents the details of those ships and describes the fate of those lost between 1939 and 1945. William Gibb and Sgt Fox found my Grandad's body in the South West corner of the West Huskisson dock. The library does have collections of books, dealing with . Little did I know, but back home I was considered missing and presumed dead. This meant that Monarch of Bermuda with eight other liners and the cruiser HMS Royal Sovereign increased speed from 13 knots to 16 knots. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. The database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. IWM collections. Many thousands of POWs died there. From 1835, details of seafarers were recorded in registers by the Register Office for Merchant Seamen, later the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, using information from the crew lists. 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. As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. Merchant Navy mariners were recorded in the 1841 census but unfortunately not those on board ships either stationed on shore or at sea. Search and download () records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). Divided first by country and then by shipping company, the book includes the ships of such great v3.0, the day by day movements of the ship (in Athenias case the final entry records her sinking), anticipated movements, i.e. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. Archives, Open Government Licence When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. Contact the appropriate state or national archive. Narrow your search by using double quotation marks to find a ships or persons full name, such as Sydney Star or John Williams. Germany turned submarines, battleships, aircraft and mines on Britains supply lines, while British and American shipyards worked tirelessly to replace those ships that were sunk. 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. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. George James William "Dick" Durling BEM. Merchant Seaman records sometimes identify a vessel an individual served on only by the Ships' Official Number. Records 1939 - 1946. Unfortunately, all their hard work diverting troops and stores came to nothing because Singapore fell into Japanese hands. American Merchant Marine Databases includes: . *Estimated delivery dates - opens in a new window or tab include seller's handling time, origin ZIP Code, destination ZIP Code and time of acceptance and will depend on shipping service selected and receipt of cleared payment. These records were compiled at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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. 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. Next Apply for your own . Increased Centralization and the Ikhwan Movement (1926-1934) 13. AB. 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. Service Number . The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. Awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. 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). The cards are presented in alphabetical order by ship's name. At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. 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. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. A merchant seaman might also qualify serving in operations off the Moroccan coast between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. 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. In the top left corner of the record is the ships name. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence 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. 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 We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. Results 1-9 of 9 View Record Name Birth Date; View Record. Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during World War Two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. Awarded after the Battle of the Atlantic for service between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. The Miramar ship index can be useful for obtaining this information. He describes why . Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. Friends of The National 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 On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. This enabled them to arrive at Freetown on the 25th for fuelling and water before sailing on 28th for Durban. Shortly after, Samaria set sail for Algiers via the River Clyde, Glasgow. The following books may also prove useful: In general, seamens records for the period 1913-1972 can be found at TNA (unfortunately, most records for the First World War period do not appear to havesurvived). The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. I was held in Stalag X-B for two years, and I will never forget that smell it lingered constantly. All First World War records for these formations have been transferred to TNA. 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.

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