The series generally contains information about radio equipment . If there is no entry on a card for the early or later part of the war, check the crew lists and agreements in series BT 99, BT 100, BT 380or BT 381which may hold further details. Some of these records are alsoavailable on the subscription websitewww.findmypast.co.uk. Merchant Navy ships' records: movement cards 1939-1945; Merchant Navy ships' records: registration of merchant ships; Add a tag. When the war began, Canada had 38 ocean-going merchant vessels. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. Search All Records ; . Members Featured Photos by AJ Hawker Tankers-At Sea or in Rivers 2468 photos 4219 comments by AJ Hawker Cargo Ships---Engines midships 2392 photos 4199 comments by Russ Kennedy Tugs-Icebreaker & Research & Supply 955 photos 1720 comments by Gary L Tankers-At Sea or in Rivers 2468 photos Within the Returns of Births and Deaths of Passengers 1939-1963 there are for 1939-1945 also records of deaths of soldiers on hospital and troopships, but it is necessary to know the name of the ship. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. v3.0, the day by day movements of the ship (in Athenias case the final entry records her sinking), anticipated movements, i.e. Contact the appropriate state or national archive. The convoy arrived in Durban on 18th December. 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. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Don Fraser, "'Men of a service . If you have a general question please post it on our Facebook page. Awarded after the Battle of the Atlantic for service between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. On 1 September 1939 this passenger liner set sail from Glasgow with over 1400 passengers and crew aboard. Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. 3 hold. The ship left Suez on 27th August via Port Sudan to load commercial cargo at Mombasa for Capetown and the UK. The troops on Monarch of Bermuda were originally destined for the Far East but would now be discharged at Durban. For details of the Arctic Star see our guide to Merchant seamans medals and honours. At 7.05 p.m. Matthew Towers A.B. When he talked to my Grandad he was told that he had a bad headache. In Britain, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries, 3 September is Merchant Navy Day. If you are ordering more than one record for seamen with similar names, you should check if their records are on the same page. "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. 1.30 a.m. Friday 14th of May 1943 Jim Wafer was seen apparently asleep in Seaman Gunners Quarters by Able Seaman Stanley Poole. 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. Nortraship. 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). They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. However, it was still important to record the movements of merchant vessels and so the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen established this series of cards, now held by The National Archives in series BT 389. These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth. Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. TNA has detailed research guides on the Fourth and Fifth Registers of Seamen and other records. The Consolidation of the Arabian Territories around Najd (1918-1926) 12. I know that during 1939 to 1945 he served on a few Navy ships as an engineering officer RNVR and some time ago I sent a letter to obtain a record of the Naval ships he sailed in. : s.n., between 1939 and 1940) AWM call number: 387.5071094 M554; Online. In May 1943 S.S. Samaria was in West Huskisson dock at my grandfather's home port of Liverpool. Using testimony from new witnesses and hitherto undisclosed public records, he seeks to explain why they were reported missing: believed killed. At the National Archives, researchers can find information on the United States Navy ranging from the wooden hulled ships of the Continental Navy used in the Revolutionary War, to the deployment of massive Carrier Battle Groups and Navy Task Forces. The cards are of different colours depending on the type of qualification: Consult registers and renewals of certificates of competency ofmasters andmates in BT 317; masters, mates and engineers in BT 318; just engineersin BT 320 (1913-1935) (in process of transfer from National Maritime Museum under references RSS/ENG/5-6); and fishing officers in BT 396. Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. Anyone who qualified for both the France & Germany Star and the Atlantic Star would be awarded the first Star earned, with a Clasp. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. 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. duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. 1939-1945. 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. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. 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. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results . All surviving agreements and crew lists with their logbooks are held by The National Archives, . As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. The Wartime Memories Project is run by volunteers and the free to access part of the website is funded by donations from our visitors. 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. 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. The Atlantic Star was also awarded to those awarded a gallantry medal, with no minimum qualifying period. 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. 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. Fireman. After a change of orders she eventually left the Clyde with escorts on 30th June. You need to sign in to tag. The story was hand written and falling apart but I have typed it up for preservation. Find out dates of departure and arrival by consulting: Search the alphabetical register (BT 115) on Findmypast () which was compiled from crew lists. The National Archives' catalogue This record (browse from here by hierarchy or by reference) Catalogue description Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Merchant Seamen's Service. You can also search: the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. 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 family believed that the torpedoed ship was the Tacoma Star of the Blue Star Line but I believe that ship was lost with all hands and Ronnie's name does not appear on the casualty list. 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) As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea a cat- . Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. We are researching his time in India but know of some stories but not a lot except playing hockey against and Indian Team and winning! 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. For quick pointersTuesday to Saturday Merchant navy defence courses: general information ([Melbourne? . 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. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. The qualifying service period for the Atlantic Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. On the outbreak of the 1939-1945 war between the United Kingdom and Germany (3 September 1939), British-registered merchant ship masters were sent radio messages instructing them to open the sealed envelope which had been deposited in ships' safes as much as a year previously. Records include photos, honours, service files and death records. I believe, SS Port Sydney also survived the war so, I am uncertain on which ship Ronnie was serving when torpedoed. E. A. Huntbatch SS Orama (d.15th July 1941), Fireman James Gilbert Goodwin S.S. San Casto (London). Monarch of Bermuda arrived in Durban 30th July and carried out repairs. The first time a foreign team have ever beaten them! The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. Consult series BT 128 for details. 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. was taken ashore by the military authorities for burial. 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.