WW2 Merchant Seamen

Post by **Pandabean** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:24 am

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone here has done research into WW2 Merchant Seamen? I have found the Medal Index fo the person I am looking for and noticed the NA has service records but I do not know if you have to go to Kew to access them or if you can request them online.

I need to prove it is the correct man, William Ross (Great Uncle) but the evidence is stacked up in my favour however I do still have doubt. His DOB on the Medal Index is given as 6/12/1923 yet I have his DOB as a year later on the same date. So it seems that he may have lied when signing up. He would be 16 at the start of the war in 1939.

Also another piece of evidence on the Card is that something (possibly the medal ribbon for the War Medal) was sent to Australia in 1950, which is about when William's family moved out there. Anyone want to have a go at transcribing the writing?

http://www.talkingscot.com/gallery/disp ... ?pos=-1201

I am wanting to know if anyone has done research into Merchant Seamen during WW2?

I might make a quick reference post as to how to interpret these cards if anyone is interested.

Andy

Maisie · Post by **Maisie** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:05 pm

Hi Andy

It's CRS 101 which is the number of the form used to apply for the ribbon for the 1939/45 star.

See http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cata ... ri2281.htm

Maisie

Post by **Pandabean** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:21 pm

Thanks for that Maisie. You dont happen to know what PC means in the second row on the right hand side? Also why would he only just want the ribbon rather than the medal?

Maisie · Post by **Maisie** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 5:18 pm

Afraid I don't know what PC means. It seems the ribbons were issued first and the medals later since they were made to order. Your man appears to have been issued only with the ribbon since there is just a circle round "1939". If he'd got the medal too there would have been a cross through it (like the entry above). Perhaps he never got round to applying?

Quick edit

Just had a thought that maybe CRS 101 to Australia means they received an application and sent it to Australia for the ribbon to be issued locally, and PC could be something to do with confirmation that it had been issued?

Maisie

Post by **Pandabean** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 6:04 pm

I had a look at the other records for Merchant Seamen during WW2 and there are various service records at the NA. I have no idea if NA would do a search for me for a service record or whether you have to go to Kew and check these records, if so then it wont be possible. It also mentions that items are held elsewhere such as applications for medals (i think).

If he was issued with the medal as well as the ribbon would they not update the card?

Maisie wrote:Afraid I don't know what PC means. It seems the ribbons were issued first and the medals later since they were made to order. Your man appears to have been issued only with the ribbon since there is just a circle round "1939". If he'd got the medal too there would have been a cross through it (like the entry above). Perhaps he never got round to applying?

Quick edit

Just had a thought that maybe CRS 101 to Australia means they received an application and sent it to Australia for the ribbon to be issued locally, and PC could be something to do with confirmation that it had been issued?

Maisie

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:00 pm

My Grandfather was in the merchant navy during WWII. I was lucky enough to locate his seaman's pouch on the National Archives site (UK one). I didn't feel so lucky however after having to part with £100 to get the documents scanned.

In the pouch was an ID card which was one of my best finds so far as it had his photograph when he was in his early twenties. There was also his forms from when he was medically discharged as well as a few bits and bobs which were really not of much use.

Always ask about first though. I was disappointed to find his service book was not in there and when I told my uncle he said that's because he has it.

Two months later a person I was corresponding with offered to do any lookups or scans I needed at Kew as he went there often. That could have saved me £100.

All the best,

Rab

Post by **Pandabean** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:34 pm

That sounds great Rab. I thought that you were his grandson you would be entitled to the records. How did you go about locating them within the records?

Also I don't think many people on here go to Kew that often. The only place I know where people go to Kew is over at the Great War Forum and they are mainly concentrating on the First World War.

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 9:49 pm

Hi Andy,

I thought I might be entitled to them too but apparently there is no FREE in Freedom of information.

To find my grandfather's pouch I went to this page first:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cata ... TREF=bt372

From there click on the search box and type in the name as SURNAME then FIRST INITIAL. For My grandfather that was 'MARR R'. Fortunately his date of birth was spot on and it stated he was born in Glasgow so I knew for sure it was him. It was a while back. From memory you have to pay £10 for the enquiry to get the documents scanned and that is refundable against the payment if you go ahead to get the documents scanned. For my ton I got 4 PDFs.

Cheers

Rab

Post by **Pandabean** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 10:06 pm

Found him. I searched under the bt372 for Ross, W and found the entry:

R215896 ROSS W 06/12/1923 FALKIRK

Now this proves it is him. Simply because of the DOB and place. Fair enough the year for DOB is out by one. Maybe because he lied about his age. How do I proceed from here? Do I just contact NA? I am not sure I can handle parting with a £100 at the moment.

Thank You Rab

Rab · Post by **Rab** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 1:54 pm

Hi Andy,

Sorry for the delayed reply but I was making use of having the wife and kids shipped off for a day.

It was over 2 years ago that I did it so it's a bit sketchy and it might have changed a bit now. It was done through their digitizing department:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/digitalexpress/

Basically I have to make a request and pay £10 up front. A month or so later they came back with a quote and I paid it then was sent links to the 4 PDFs I'd paid for to download. I would say that at that time anyway they would not reveal what the pouch contained which really worried me as I thought I may be splashing out alot of money for something that could prove useless. The pouches as far as I know do not all contain the same thing.

Rab