This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. On being examined by the ship's surgeon life was found to be extinct. 1939-1950. We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. After a change of orders she eventually left the Clyde with escorts on 30th June. During that period the ship may have been on several voyages, and he may have been engaged for some or all of the period. This information will help us make improvements to the website. heavily illustrated book presents the details of those ships and describes the fate of those lost between 1939 and 1945. 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. Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. Many thousands of POWs died there. He said he always craved the soil under his boots. Use the name indexes (indicated below in brackets) to locate a certificate number. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. ","spans":[]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Main image:Allied convoy crossing the North Atlantic in 1942 during World War 2. In some cases, not all the cards relating to a vessel have been amended to reflect the latest name-change. The details are in an appendix entitled An Alphabetical List of all the Masters and Mates in the Merchant Service. Merchant ship movement card (catalogue reference: BT 389). 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. I remember him telling me that he was actually on his first day of a period of survivors leave when D Day commenced. Show all records. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. ","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. She was torpedoed and shelled by the German U-boat U30 without warning, becoming the first merchant vessel casualty of the Second World War. There were still some men on the after deck, but could not see if they had jumped clear before the ship sank. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Our Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by 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). You may be searching for a vesselfor which these cards were never used. It was the Knights of Columbus Hostel on Harvey Road which was frequently used by the servicemen. The registers survive at TNA in BT 120, BT 112, BT 113, BT 114, BT 116 and BT 119. By war's end 410 merchant ships had been built in Canada. the Armed Forces Memorial roll of honour. 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. We weren't sorry to leave there in a cattle truck three days later, when we were taken to Drancy Prison in Paris. This guide will help you find and interpret records of Merchant Navy officers from 1845 to 1965. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. Military ; Card Catalog ; Member Search ; DNA. Discovery is a catalogue of archival records across the UK and beyond, from which you can search 32 million records. My name was and still is on the wall of remembrance in the Mission to Seaman in South Shields. These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth. He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. In 1939 the Admiralty instructed the Board of Trade, for reasons of security, to prevent masters of merchant vessels from using ships logs or crew lists and agreements to record destinations or ports of call. (These were originally described as 'Asian seamen' but that is misleading. In themerchant navy the term officer can refer to a master, mate, engineer, fishing boat skipper, second hand or cook. The World S Merchant Fleets 1939 The Particulars And Wartime Fates Of 6 Generally the qualifying service period for the Burma Star could only begin after the 1939-1945 Star had been earned by six months service. The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. 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. 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. Seamen's records ('pouches') are in: BT 372, Crew agreements and log books are in: BT 380, Coast trade crew agreements and log books are in: BT 381, Fifth Register of Seaman's Service is in: BT 382, Crew agreements and log books for requisitioned or chartered Allied foreign ships are in: BT 387, Special Operations Records, merchant seamen, are in: BT 391, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992, Have you found an error with this catalogue description? Help us improve catalogue descriptions by adding tags. WWII Military Unit Records at the National Archives - History ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceQuote","type":"slice-quote","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceQuotePrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"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. Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. 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. 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 If you don't have an account please register. Add a Name to this List Object category. She left on 3rd of August with four other troop ships and three ships carrying military equipment still as part of convoy WS 9B. An incomplete set of captains registers is available on microfilm in The National Archives reading rooms. 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, . duty by S. Pentith 3rd officer. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Coast Guard Nav Bouy Patrols in Pacific 1964 Ship name Grisham. On 5th July when she was 300 miles astern of convoy WS 9B she was torpedoed by U-96 under Capt. To view all records for an individual, select 'ALL' in the Service box. The seamens discharge book numbers are usually listed, and you may find the date and place of birth too. 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. American Merchant Marine Databases includes: . From the mid-18th century, masters or owners of most British-registered merchant ships were required to keep a record of their crew before the ship left port. 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. According to a later report by the ship Cathay, the previous nights U-Boat dispositions siutuated a submarine close to the position of Anselm and which, despite the three corvette anti-submarine screen, allowed U-96 to put in a successful attack at 05.37 when a torpedo struck the port side reserve bunkers of Anselm. Whilst it is only short, it gives a vivid account of life on board ship as a RA gunner during WW2. Search and download ( charges apply) records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). 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. Consult series BT 128 for details. Much of the information would have come from the Royal Navy. Divided first by country and then by shipping company, the book includes the ships of such great It lists nearly 24,000 Welsh merchant masters, mates and engineers who were active between 1800 and 1945. Inicio; FAQ's; Biblioteca; Ayuda; Bsqueda avanzada; Comentarios/sugerencias . On August 26, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took control of all shipping. photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them. If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. Merchant Navy in the Second World War 1939-1945 - Wartime Memories 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. All Web: UK, World War II Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 results for Giron. Records of Merchant Navy from other sources. War Medal 1939-1945 | ADF Members & Families | Defence Medals were not automatically issued, but had to be claimed by the merchant seaman. These entries record a single voyage during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. If you provide contact details, we will be in touch about your request within 10 working days. The cards are presented in alphabetical order by ship's name. Not all changes in ships names are logged on the cards and in such cases it will be necessary to obtain the ships official number (not usually recorded on the cards) and check against that number for all possible name changes. Read My Ancestor was a Merchant Seaman by Christopher and Michael Watts (Society of Genealogists, 2002) this title is also available in our shop. Registry of Shipping and Seamen: War of 1939-1945; Combined Office If they appear on the same page, you should only pay one fee. 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. 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. Roll of Honour, 1939-45 - The Merchant Navy - NZHistory To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. A register entry for a foreign trade voyage, from BT 124. Search 5: service details of Merchant Navy cooks 1913-1956 This is a search in record series BT 319. Art . Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. The certificate number obtained from the index indicates: Certificate numbers with a letter(s) prefix NWS were issued in the colonies. Maurice John Case MBE: 20 . Awarded for service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. (M.N. Underneath, the caption reads: `The life-line is firm thanks to the Merchant Navy`. Canada's Merchant Navy: The Men That Saved The World - Legion Magazine Some of the seamen discharged during this period. It does not, however, include: You may be searching for a ship using a former name. We'd like to use additional cookies to remember your settings and understand how you use our services. 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. 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. Alternatively, search more than 1 million objects from IWM collections Menu. Search Discovery, our catalogue, by name of person or ship in T 335 to find what the award was, the persons rank at the time, and the ship they were serving on. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImage","type":"slice-image","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceImagePrimary","image":{"dimensions":{"width":1200,"height":1882},"alt":"Propaganda poster for the Merchant Navy during World War II. Merchant Navy campaign medal records 1939-1945 - The National Archives