Samaria sailed from Clyde 19th of May to Algiers and arrived 27th of May 1943. This information will help us make improvements to the website. MERCHANT NAVY SEAMAN'S SEA SERVICE RECORDS Sea Service Records . Personnel records available to the public are now held byThe National Archives (TNA), formerly known as the Public Record Office, the website has helpful research guides. Some idea of the danger awaiting convoys is given by the following story. 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. Ships & Convoys. 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. 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. James Wafer S.S. Samaria (d.14th May 1943) James Wafer started service as an Able Seaman during World War 1 and had survived active service as a teenage merchant man on a ship called Romney. In the eleven months on the ship Dad had spent three months in Liverpool. *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 come from The National Archives' record series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116, BT119 and BT120. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results . The only good thing I remember about Drancy was the kindness of the French women who had nothing themselves, but nevertheless threw loaves of bread to us past the guards. Hello, I have just started to look for my deceased fathers merchant navy records. Find answers to your research questions at, How to File a FOIA Request for Archival Records. Genealogical enquiries should be made in writing and search fees are 30. This series contains records of Merchant Seamen's Service on Royal Navy Ships. These entries record a single voyage during which the seaman was engaged on a particular ship. ","spans":[]}]}},{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceText","type":"slice-text","primary":{"__typename":"PrismicArticlePage1939BodySliceTextPrimary","content":[{"type":"paragraph","text":"After the declaration of war in September 1939, the Ministry of Shipping then under the control of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Gilmour took control of the merchant fleet. Our By the 26th of June 1943 the crew of the Samaria had heard of the body of Jim Wafer being found in Liverpool. Other ways to find service records. Even if a person had several mentions, he would only have one emblem. Against J. They contain the following information: Search BT 352, a combined index to masters, mates, engineers and fishing officers certificates of competency covering home and foreign trade. He died on 21st Aug 1973. For skippers and mates of fishing boats, registers of certificates of competency are in BT 129and registers of certificates of service are in BT 130 (index in BT 138). We landed in Bordeaux a few weeks later and were taken to the prison camp Caserne Colonial Bordeaux. These records are digitised cards recording the movements of British and Allied merchant ships during the Second World War. Helping people find out more about their relatives wartime experiences since 1999 by giving a true reflection as to when the name-change was made. This is the story of my Grandad, James Wafer and his best friend and shipmate Matty Towers. Unfortunately, many cards contain a lot of abbreviations and there is no known key for them. A merchant seaman had to serve in the Atlantic, home waters, North Russia Convoys or South Atlantic waters. While the crew were preparing and lowering the lifeboats which were filled with personnel as they calmly filed up from the troop decks, HMS Challenger approached and skilfully placed her bow under the port quarter of Anselm, Many men jumped on board before the two ships became separated. By 05.47 all remaining boats were being rapidly filled by the use of side ladders and side decks while the remaining personnel jumped into the sea to grasp the lifelines of boats and rafts. Welcome to the The British Merchant Navy - Old Friends Plus. A little after 1.30 a.m. the last person to speak to Grandad was Able Seaman M. Towers. Many were singing songs while the boats were being lowered. If a seaman is not listed, it may be because they have not claimed their medal entitlement. 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. Search and download ( charges apply) records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). Edit Search New Search. Remember, you'll need to show photo ID to be issued with records. These were to be my grandfather's final words on earth. The records are held in alphabetical order by seaman's name . Generally awarded if the seaman qualified for one of the Stars. 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. (6th June 1944 - 8th May 1945). Ordinary Seaman Charles Lomax served with the Merchant Navy in WW2. You need to sign in to tag. The swell was of considerable height and the ships became almost unmanageable and steering had to be assisted by engines. Merchant Navy 1939-1945. . The convoy arrived in Freetown on 1st March. 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. In any case, there might be a legitimate reason why only some cards indicate the latest name, i.e. The Guildhall Library does not hold crew lists. Photographs CAPTAIN CHARLES FRYATT to help with the costs of keeping the site running. 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. You may also like to read ourguide on Merchant seamens medals and honours. (d.13th October 1945), Capt. 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. Many years later he wrote a short fictional story about a Maritime Regiment gunner who brought nothing but bad luck. 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. Saudi Arabia and the Second World War (1939-1945) 16. Next Apply for your own . As fast as they drew up new convoy plans, the instructions would change. He was torpedoed and sunk twice but fortunately rescued on both occasions. For information on how to order an Official Military Personnel File for a veteran who separated from service before 1957, . We place some essential cookies on your device to make this website work. Research guidance for records relating to World War 2. card and his grey suit jacket. The card entries do not all start or end at the same time. On the 18th the weather worsened to force 6 with a rough sea and short, heavy swell with poor visibility. To find out about a seamans entitlement, contact the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. 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. 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(). The trip back to Liverpool was via Durban, Capetown, Trinidad and Halifax. A Clasp would be worn to signify service for the other Star. 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. 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. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Coast Guard Nav Bouy Patrols in Pacific 1964 Ship name Grisham. : s.n., between 1939 and 1940) AWM call number: 387.5071094 M554; Online. Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck Evan McGilvray 2020-09-30 This military biography explores Royal Australian Navy History, WWII Merchant ship movement records - Australia; Ron Wylie, Australian merchant navy: stories of the war at sea Background information. 2. In the longest campaign of the war, the British merchant fleet, with its naval escorts, struggled to bring food, fuel, equipment and raw materials from America and elsewhere across the Atlantic,. Merchant seamen who were discharged from the navy between 1940 and 1972 had their records filed in what became known as 'seamen's pouches'. - Merchant Navy during the Second World War -. 1939-1950. Search and download () records of World War Two Medals issued to Merchant Seamen (BT 395). Want to know what life was like during the War? Up to 1854 records are arranged by port and registry number; subsequently by ship's official number. 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. They do not contain details of any passengers or crew. 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. AncestryDNA Activate a Kit ; AncestryDNA Learning Hub ; What's Included in Your Results ; .