Help with medals & records history please.

[jomcd967]

Hi all,

My mum has asked me to see what, if anything I can find out about her fathers medals and war service. She would like to have them framed for my brother but would like also to have information on what they are for, where and how he served, etc. I had always thought that he was in the navy, on mine sweepers in the North Sea but could easily be way off base. How I wish that I had asked all those years ago as I am sure he would have loved to have shared some stories of his "glory days'.

Any help, insight, advice would be greatly appreciated as I would love to "build a picture" to go with the framed medals.

Thank you,

Jo 

[crimea1854]

Hi Jo

From left to right the medals are:

1939 - 45 Star
Atlantic Star with clasp for France and Germany
Africa Star
Italy Star
1939 - 45 War Medal.

Re his service, I found it difficult to read his postings from your copy of his service record. However, I did read HMS Paris this was the base ship for minesweepers out of Plymouth. I suspect that the names in brackets next to Paris are those of the ships he actually served on. Perhaps a transcription of his record could produce more info.

Martin

[KGarrad]

Wikipedia is a good source for info re medals:

1939-1945 Star
The 1939–45 Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War. The medal was awarded for operational service between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
•   Army personnel had to complete 6 months service in an operational command. Airborne troops qualified if they had participated in any airborne operations and had completed 2 months service in a fully operational unit.
•   Air Force personnel had to participate in operations against the enemy providing that 2 months service had been completed in an operational unit. Non-aircrew personnel had to complete 6 months service in an area of (overseas) operational army command.
•   Naval personnel qualified if they completed 6 months service, and at least 1 voyage was made through an operational area.
•   Royal Observer Corps personnel for service of 1080 days.

Africa Star
The Africa Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in the Second World War.
The Star was awarded for a minimum of one day service in an operational area of North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943. The whole of the area between the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar is included, together with Malta, Abyssinia, Kenya, the Sudan, both Somalilands and Eritrea. The areas not bordering the Mediterranean only qualified for the Africa Star from 10 June 1940 to 27 November 1941.

Italy Star
The Italy Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The medal was awarded for operational service (on land) in Italy, Greece, Yugoslavia, Pantelleria, the Aegean area and Dodecanese Islands, and Elba at any time between 11 June 1943 and 8 May 1945. Other areas to qualify for the award are:
•   Sicily - between 11 June 1943 - 17 August 1943
•   Sardinia - between 11 June 1943 - 19 September 1943
•   Corsica - between 11 June 1943 - 4 October 1943

Atlantic Star
The Atlantic Star was a campaign medal of the British Commonwealth, awarded for service in World War II.
The star was awarded for six months service afloat, in the Atlantic or in Home Waters, within the period 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945. Also awarded to aircrew who have taken part in operations against the enemy at sea within the qualifying areas for Naval personnel, subject to two months service in an operational unit. The 1939-1945 Star must have been earned before commencing qualifying service for the Atlantic Star.

War Medal 1939-1945
The War Medal 1939–1945 was a British decoration awarded to those who had served in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy full-time for at least 28 days between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945. In the Merchant Navy, the 28 days must have been served at sea. It is sometimes described as the "Victory Medal" for World War II, although that is not its correct name.

[jomcd967]

Thank you both, I will try to rescan his service record as I can't read it clearly either and I would love to have a clearer idea of where and when he served.

Your time and efforts are very much appreciated,

Regards,

Jo 

[jomcd967]

Is this better??
I think it is as follows,

Royal Arthur - Aug 40/Sept 40
Pembroke - Sept 40/Dec 40
Europa - Dec40/Feb 41
Miranda(?) (Blighty) - Feb41/May 41
Miranda (Concentrator?) - May 41/Feb 42
Paris (Concentrator) - Mar 42/Jun 42
Paris (Ben ***) - Jun42/Aug43
Europa - Aug 43 - Oct 43
Cormorant - Oct 43/Feb 44
Cormorant (Anglia?) - Feb 44/Jun 45
Europa - Jun 45/Jan46.

Is there anyway I can find out what these ships were involved in during those time frames???
Again, any thoughts, advice, insight is greatly appreciated,

Regards,

Jo 

[KGarrad]

Ok, this is what I can find:

HMS Royal Arthur was a shore establishment of the Royal Navy, initially at Ingoldmells near Skegness.
The first Royal Arthur was previously a Butlins holiday camp and was commissioned as a training establishment on 22 September 1939. It served during the Second World War, becoming the central reception depot for new naval entries after HMS Raleigh was transferred to the Army in February 1944. Royal Arthur continued in service until being paid off in 1946.

HMS Pembroke was the name given to a number of shore barracks.
HMS Pembroke I - accounting base at Chatham between 1940 and 1960.
HMS Pembroke II - accounting base at Chatham between 1940 and 1957.
HMS Pembroke III - accounting base at London and outstations between 1942 and 1952.
HMS Pembroke IV - accounting base at Chatham between 1919 and 1920, and the Nore between 1939 and 1961.
HMS Pembroke V - naval base at Dover between 1919 and 1923, secret base at Bletchley Park between 1941 and 1942, and the name for WRNS personnel in London between 1945 and 1946.
HMS Pembroke VI - accounting section at Chatham in 1919.
HMS Pembroke VII - depot ship for auxiliary patrols at Grimsby between 1919 and 1921.
HMS Pembroke VIII - naval base on the Humber between 1920 and 1921.
HMS Pembroke X - headquarters of the Royal Navy Patrol Service at Lowestoft between 1939 and 1940.

HMS Europa was the name of the Central Depot for the Royal Naval Patrol Service in Lowestoft from early in the Second World War until she was decommissioned in 1946. It was originally the garden of a private house and was called Sparrows Nest. When first opened in September 1939 it was called Pembroke X.

HNS Miranda was a shore base in Great Yarmouth.

HMS Paris, the base ship for minesweepers operating out of Plymouth.

HMS Cormorant II was the Royal Naval Air Station at Gibraltar between 1943 and 1944.

[crimea1854]

He looks to have spent his entire war serving on requisitioned trawlers and drifters:

HMS Blighty, pennant No. FY 505 (Ex RN John Cottrell), built  1919, minesweeper became the Polish Podole.

http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/2008/12/st-blighty-fd68/

HMS Concertator, pennant No. FY 637 (ex RN John Thorling), built 1917, 275 tons, minesweeper.

http://www.fleetwood-trawlers.info/index.php/category/steam-trawlers/steam-trawlers-picture/page/35/
This website takes a little while to load, so be patient, it's worth it!

HMS Ben Urie, pennant No. FY 1569, built 1916, 234 tons, minesweeper. Served with Western Approaches Escort Force.

These ships were returned to their owners at the end of the war.

Martin

[jomcd967]

Thank you, it gives me a great starting point to see what I can dig up. I really appreciate your time and efforts.

Best wishes,

Jo