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. By war's end 410 merchant ships had been built in Canada. At 6.25 p.m. Wednesday 26th of May 1943 P.C. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results ; . 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. This camp bordered on primitive in every sense of the word. LOG BOOKS AND CREW AGREEMENTS 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. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. U.S. Rosters of World War II Dead, 1939-1945; . The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. If you don't have an account please register. ","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. Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. The date commemorates the sinking of the first British merchant ship in 1939, just hours after Britain declared war on Germany. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). 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. To determine eligibility for a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD Form 214, or a Report of Casualty, DD Form 1300, customers will be directed to to, View the National Archives Operating Status. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. In early 1945, in the face of advancing British forces, the camp was evacuated, and we were marched to Marlag und Milag Nord, from where I was later repatriated. 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. He may have been in the Devon or Dorset Regiment. The cards give the name of a ship and details of its movements, namely, the ports at which it docked, and passage between ports. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. During that period the ship may have been on several voyages, and he may have been engaged for some or all of the period. Most of the casualties were considered to have been killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding in No. 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 28th of May 1943 he was buried in El Alia Cemetery Algiers. Divided first by country and then by shipping company, the book includes the ships of such great The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. He listed drowning as the probable cause of death. We are now on Facebook. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. 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. 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) 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. These records have only been held at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Sanitary arrangements were, as usual, inadequate. 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. Robert Malcolm Barber MV Patella (d.16th Feb 1944). AB. They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. Although the design of this website looks rather old-fashioned, it's still updated and is a good resource for Welsh Merchant Navy records. 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. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration 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 British Merchant Navy was the largest in the world and required more crew than Great Britain had merchant seamen, as a result large numbers of Indian, Chinese and West African seamen were engaged to crew ships which regularly traded from Great Britain to ports in those areas. I have a record of him being on HMS Leonian in 1941/2 from a list of people he wanted to write telegrams to from the ship. Samaria sailed out of Liverpool on Friday 14th of May 1943 and was on the Clyde Monday 17th of May. All First World War records for these formations have been transferred to TNA. Search and download ( charges apply) records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. 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, You need to sign in to tag. By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. Anyone who qualified for both the France & Germany Star and the Atlantic Star would be awarded the first Star earned, with a Clasp. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . Consult series BT 128 for details. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. How do I find out where my uncle was stationed during his stint in the Navy? If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small For information on how to order an Official Military Personnel File for a veteran who separated from service before 1957, . was taken ashore by the military authorities for burial. 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. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. 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 . 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. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. In general Second World War Royal Naval Reserve officers' records and post 1950 records are held by CN Pers (Commodore Naval Personnel). 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. recording and preserving recollections, documents, photographs and small items. Owners and gross tonnage (G.T.) They give the seaman's name, age, rank, rating/grade etc with details of the ships on which they served. You can find out whether a medal was issued by looking at the markings on the records. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. Most of the masters and mates were from West Wales. 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 Lloyd Captains Registers were compiled from the records of certificates issued to foreign-going masters. Also awarded, with no minimum service requirement, if service was terminated by death, disability due to service or capture as a prisoner-of-war. The less said about our stay at Drancy the better. Captain Elliott concluded that Anselm was abandoned without panic or unnecessary confusion. This information will help us make improvements to the website. If anyone knows of my father, Captain Len Chapman I will be pleased to hear! Read tagging guidelines. By 1895, they were essentially out of business. 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. To view all records for an individual, select 'ALL' in the Service box. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Digital copies of Merchant shipping movement cards 1939-1945 can be searched and downloaded. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. 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 The records are held in alphabetical order by seaman's name . 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. 1939 194 Yeah, reviewing a book Embleme Wappen Malings Deutscher U Boote 1939 194 could . heavily illustrated book presents the details of those ships and describes the fate of those lost between 1939 and 1945. Instead, these details were recorded on movements cards held and maintained at the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The struggle for control over the Atlantic shipping routes, which would eventually become known as the Battle of the Atlantic, was one of the longest campaigns of WWII. 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 pouches are arranged in three sequences: Each sequence is in alphabetical order by the seaman's last name. "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. (6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. Fireman. After the First World War King George V, in recognition of the contribution made to the British war effort by merchant ships, granted the title of Merchant Navy to non-military sailors. The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served at sea. 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. Nortraship. First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve recordscan also beaccessed online. 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. v3.0, except where otherwise stated, guide on Merchant seamens medals and honours, World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen, records of merchant seamen serving after 1917, Abbreviations in merchant seamens records, Friends of The National During the war this fleet underwent tremendous expansion as Canadian shipyards produced 403 merchant vessels. Research guide C12: The Merchant Navy: Ship registration and Custom House records; Research guide E1: . 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. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. We weren't sorry to leave there in a cattle truck three days later, when we were taken to Drancy Prison in Paris. They cover masters with foreign trade certificates sailing either as masters or mates. Conversely, it was fortunate that fair weather allowed the rescue of 80 per cent of the total on board. One statement indicates he fell forward unhindered over the gun deck another says he staggered, gripped a rail and fell backwards to his death. Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Brian Roy Clarke SS Sithonia, Sea. Services and information Second World War death records Search the war dead service files from the Second World War. 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. His brother Francis David Short was in the First War but I have no details on his service. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389). They also record the location (by latitude and longitude) and date a ship was sunk. MO has 20th Century military records for discharged and deceased veterans. The two Ellerman ships City of Lincoln and City of Edinburgh had to return to Liverpool and the Clyde because cargo had shifted. Generally the qualifying service period for the Pacific Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. Visit The National Archives bookshop for a range of publications on the Merchant Navy. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. . Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. Catalogue entries for this series have been enhanced as part of a project supported by volunteers. "Along with this new series have come some new experiences. 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. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. The National Maritime Museum holds the registers (see below). At 5.10 p.m. he was assigned A.R.P. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. 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. 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. The Socio-political Structure of Saudi Arabia after its Creation 14. 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. The weather was initially fair but by the 16th November they were in heavy seas in a Force 8 gale which was right on the beam causing the ships to roll heavily. reference to the medal papers file (held at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen), DNA: Director of Naval Accounts (the Royal Navy medal issuing authority) or, more recently, Do Not Authorise, Refer to Aust: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the Australian authorities, Refer to NZ: the medals were not issued to an individual by the Registry of Shipping but referred on to the New Zealand authorities. Monarch of Bermuda sailed on Christmas Eve for Liverpool via Trinidad arriving back on 21st January 1942. 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. Few if any of the troops had ever crossed the English Channel let alone been exposed to the rigours of the North Atlantic. Merchant mariners or merchant seamen are assigned to vessels that primarily transport cargo and passengers during peacetime. research. It supported Britain's Bomber Command from 1943 to 1945, contributing a huge strike force. World War Two 1939-1945 - Archives New Zealand Skip to main content Our reading rooms are open. 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. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for ae. (BSLOC_2013_11_114) Everett Collection Mary Evans. 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. Search indexes to crew lists from 1861 to 1913 by name on findmypast (). On the Samaria crew list and report of character, James Wafer and Matty Towers are consecutive number 59 & 60. 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. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. IWM collections. What ship was Admiral Harold Stark on during D-Day? Many were singing songs while the boats were being lowered. Anyone who qualified for both the Pacific Star and the Burma Star would be awarded the first Star earned. 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. My mum told me that he did serve. At Halifax she embarked American troops to Reykjavik in Iceland and arrived back on 17th October a total journey time of three months. Consult series BT 140 for details. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! Art . The official record of these two mens' deaths falls so short of telling the whole story. Use our guide Abbreviations in merchant seamens records to interpret the records. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". 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. In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. Up to 1854 records are arranged by port and registry number; subsequently by ship's official number. 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 database includes every British registered ship from 1855 to the early 1950s with official numbers 1 to 200000. Historically many vessels have had their names changed, sometimes on more than one occasion. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence Merchant Navy service Records of pre-World War I and colonial service World War I service with the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force an War gratuity cards for World War I and World War II Records of Navy service after 1970 Other contacts We hold the following records about service in the Royal Australian Navy: 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. 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. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. The convoy would have various naval escorts during the trip which would join and leave as the convoy passed their bases. 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). Gunner and T. Moulton Sectionman. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. Many years later he wrote a short fictional story about a Maritime Regiment gunner who brought nothing but bad luck. This collection records the movements of ships ordinarily engaged in foreign going trade. Many merchant seamen came from parts of the British Empire, such as India, Hong Kong and west African countries. : s.n., between 1939 and 1940) AWM call number: 387.5071094 M554; Online. 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. On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. Below is the last movement card for the SS Athenia. The series generally contains information about radio equipment . Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence 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. In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office Merchant Navy Operations, Seamen's Pouches Search within or browse this series to find specific. Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. Edit Search New Search. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. SA. 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. please Search for the National Maritime Museums records of master and mate certificates (1850-1927) on Ancestry.co.uk (). Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Object category. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . 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