A microfiche index to their holdings is kept by TNA. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. A merchant seaman might also qualify serving in operations off the Moroccan coast between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. At this point the body of Matthew Towers A.B. For ability and general conduct both men are reported as very good. 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. Consult series BT 128 for details. please Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by Friends of The National Consult series BT 140 for details. 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. The cards give the name of a ship and details of its movements, namely, the ports at which it docked, and passage between ports. If you don't have an account please register. "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. 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. 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 . 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. Genealogical enquiriesshould be made in writing and search fees are 30. 1939-1950. Most of the masters and mates were from West Wales. Monarch of Bermuda left Durban on 24th March and returned to Liverpool via Cape Town and Freetown arriving back on 23rd April. The British Merchant Navy fleet was the largest in the world in 1939 and around 185,000 men served in it during the war. (6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). 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. To access the records in this section you will either need to visit usor, where you can identify a specific document reference, order a copy(). In the Merchant Navy there is a requirement that the 28 days should have been served at sea. The convoy was originally supposed to sail at the end of October 1942 as WS 13 but its designation was changed to WS 12Z (a lucky omen?). Anyone who qualified for both the France & Germany Star and the Atlantic Star would be awarded the first Star earned, with a Clasp. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. Please ensure the tag is appropriate for the record. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events.Sign up, All content is available under the Open Government Licence E. A. Huntbatch SS Orama (d.15th July 1941), Fireman James Gilbert Goodwin S.S. San Casto (London). 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. Most of the casualties were considered to have been killed by the explosion and subsequent flooding in No. As well as the registers of certificates of competency for engineers at The National Archives (in series BT 139, see above), the National Maritime Museum holds registers for the following years and certificate numbers: The National Maritime Museum holds the registers, bearing numbers 5001-41021 (reference RSS/CO/1-6). All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Ruth Mcmillen. IWM collections. 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 these men were not born in Asia; many were Egyptian. I remember him telling me about runs to Malta and how soldiers shouldn't have been on ships. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Saudi Arabia and the Second World War (1939-1945) 16. Against J. 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. 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. A register entry for home trade voyages, from BT 126. During wartime, however, they can become an auxiliary to the United States Navycalled upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military. 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. The less said about our stay at Drancy the better. Wafer it states "he failed to re-join ship" and for M. Towers it reads "died as result of accident". Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. 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. There was also no minimum qualifying period if service was terminated due to death or disability while on active duty. 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, . Medal record of Alfred Harry Badman, BT 395/1. As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . *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. This information will help us make improvements to the website. AB. 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 often slow-moving shipsand the civilian merchant mariners who maneuvered themwere easy targets for enemy fire. 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. Awarded for service between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945, in direct support of land operations in France, Belgium, Holland or Germany, in the North sea, the English Channel or the Bay of Biscay (service off the coast of the south of France could qualify for the Italy Star, see below). First World War Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve recordscan also beaccessed online. 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. 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. The ship turned out to be a disguised German raider. was taken ashore by the military authorities for burial. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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 swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. 2. This information will help us make improvements to the website. Medals and awards Refer to our research guides: Campaign and service medals Australian military honours and awards Where to look for photographs We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. 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. 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. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. Voyages in the registers were usually recorded either as: Home trade voyages (repeated or reported voyages). 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. When Germany invaded Norway on April 9-1940, the Norwegian ships that were in allied waters at the time were requisitioned by Royal Norwegian Government, which early on in the war managed to escape to the U.K. (the King was evacuated on June 7). AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results . Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. This guide will help you find and interpret records of Merchant Navy officers from 1845 to 1965. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation run by volunteers. This caused miserable conditions throughout the overcrowded and claustrophobic troopdecks. Awarded for service in the Burma Campaign between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945. Object category. He said he always craved the soil under his boots. 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. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. 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. 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. 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) There were no clasps awarded with the Italy Star. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. 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. A merchant seaman qualified serving within a restricted area in the Bay of Bengal. Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck Evan McGilvray 2020-09-30 This military biography explores 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. You need to sign in to tag. He died on 21st Aug 1973. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday These files have joined our collection in an effort to better serve the public who are looking for proof of their ancestor's service, The first block of this series contained 4,800 cubic feet of records, The Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) is the approving official for World War II Merchant Marine separation documents. Let us know. Then, as European-built iron-hulled sailing ships replaced wooden square-riggers, Canadian shipbuilders found it harder to compete. Search and download () records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). 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). Use our guide Abbreviations in merchant seamens records to interpret the records. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. ). We weren't sorry to leave there in a cattle truck three days later, when we were taken to Drancy Prison in Paris. Search The Gazette for lists of masters and mates who passed officer examinations. Other ways to find service records. Records available only at The National Archives in Kew To access the records in this. The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK.