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Carrie Meerten
07-04-2006, 3:37 AM
Not real sure what I am after at the moment but anyone with any links or info etc on Merchant Navy and/or Unit - S.S. Mona's Queen (Douglas, Isle of Man) would be great.

An ancestor of mine was a casualty of this regiment and unit. His memorial is at the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

As his service number is not registered on the CWGC site, I cannot order his medal card. Not sure on how to obtain any other information on him from here.

Peter Goodey
07-04-2006, 8:10 AM
Merchant Seamen's medals are described here -

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=133

pompylen
07-04-2006, 8:12 AM
Have you seen

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/IOMSP4.html#anchor2292365

Dennis Harker
07-04-2006, 10:02 AM
Carrie,

You don't mention what date your ancestor was in the Merchant Navy but if it was post WWII then this site may help with medals if you think he was awarded one.

http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/post_war_medals_issued-2.xls

If your ancestor was in the MN then he would not have a service number as we are all civilians. You mention regiment but the Merchant Navy doesn't have regiments. Was your ancestor in the armed forces but serving on MN ships during the war manning guns, etc?

If he was MN then each seafarer must have what is called a Discharge Book Number. This is similar to a service number and the book used to also double up as a passport in the days when international travel wasn't hampered so much by security concerns. If you are looking for details of him and can find his Discharge Book No. then it would help you. The Discharge Book contained details of every ship 'signed on' and 'signed off'. The National Archives link posted earlier will explain how to search using Discharge Book numbers.

Carrie Meerten
07-04-2006, 10:18 AM
Here is a link to the CWGC site that I found his details on http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2792127

He died in 1940.

I do not have his Discharge Book Number. :(

Dennis Harker
07-04-2006, 11:08 AM
Carrie,

That explains a lot. The form is obviously a pro-forma set up for service records which is why is shows the MN as a regiment as opposed to a civilian organisation.

I've had a quick look on the web but not found a lot other than that posted already. Here is one site that may help - http://www.nmm.ac.uk/server/show/conWebDoc.1391/setPaginate/No Unfortunately I think viewing records requires actual visits to the museum. However, some of the guides listed might help.

The reason that they only hold records for years ending in '5' is that all other records have been sent off to the University of Newfoundland who are compiling a more comprehensive record of Merchant Navy personnel. Unfortunately this does not cover 1940. Here is a site that will give you more guidance for your research and which does mention the Newfoundland site. http://www.port.nmm.ac.uk/research/c4.html

Or you can buy a book that might help from this site (Amazon may be suitable alternative once you have the title etc) http://homepages.tesco.net/~ct_watts/books1.htm

<FONT style="BACKGROUtyle="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">The reason that they only hold records for years ending in '5' is that all other records have been sent off to the University of Newfoundland who are compiling a more comprehensive record of Merchant Navy personnel. Unfortunately this does not cover 1940. Here is a site that will give you more guidance for your research and which does mention the Newfoundland site. http://www.port.nmm.ac.uk/research/c4.html </FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"&gtt.nmm.ac.uk/research/c4.html" target=_blank>http://www.port.nmm.ac.uk/research/c4.html

Or you can buy a book that might help from this site (Amazon may be suitable alternative once you have the title etc) http://homepages.tesco.net/~ct_watts/books1.htm

<FONT style="BACKGROUtyle="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">The reason that they only hold records for years ending in '5' is that all other records have been sent off to the University of Newfoundland who are compiling a more comprehensive record of Merchant Navy personnel. Unfortunately this does not cover 1940. Here is a site that will give you more guidance for your research and which does mention the Newfoundland site. http://www.port.nmm.ac.uk/research/c4.html </FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Or you can buy a book that might help from this site (Amazon may be suitable alternative once you have the title etc) http://homepages.tesco.net/~ct_watts/books1.htm </FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Your ancestor was a fireman which means he worked down in the engineroom and would be involved in keeping the boilers going (necessary for a steam ship!). You will need to be looking for crew records as opposed to officers' records.</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Hope that helps.</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
;</FONT> </P><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Or you can buy a book that might help from this site (Amazon may be suitable alternative once you have the title etc) http://homepages.tesco.net/~ct_watts/books1.htm </FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Your ancestor was a fireman which means he worked down in the engineroom and would be involved in keeping the boilers going (necessary for a steam ship!). You will need to be looking for crew records as opposed to officers' records.</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff">Hope that helps.</FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>

<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>
<FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #f5f5ff"></FONT>

Dennis Harker
07-04-2006, 11:10 AM
Well my last post was hit by the repetition bug (and another one too by the look of it). However, all my words are in there if you can pick them out of the rest of the computer gibberish.

Carrie Meerten
07-04-2006, 11:39 AM
Thanks for that |cheers|. Will look at all these links and see what I can come up with.