CR 10 Seamans History Sheet

[64aussie]

Can anyone please tell me when these forms were issued for merchant seamen and for what purpose.
Cheers

[Colin D Gronow]

This link has a good explanation of the form in question.
opens as a pdf file.
(Edit couldn't get the link to work)

So here is the relevant bit.

2.2 Aug 1918- Dec 1921. BT350. CR10 card index (The Special Register)
In the spring and summer of 1918 the British Government faced a manpower crisis on the Western Front. The British army had suffered 300,000 casualties, including 40,000 dead, in the German attacks of March and April.1 Conscription age limits were extended and those who were exempt from conscription like the 270,000 multinational workforce in the British Merchant Marine were subjected to closer scrutiny. This so-called special register was designed to allow the Government to check that the merchant seaman’s exemption from conscription ‘ is not abused by men taking an unduly long period ashore between voyages.’2
The CR10 cards were introduced in August 1918 together, with a new identity and service certificate (RS2 book) to be carried by the seaman. The introduction of the seaman’s passport style photograph is an important feature. It also appears that seamen who were engaged solely in home trade, and who did, therefore, not need a discharge book, were brought into the central index system for the first time. The CR1 card was phased out, but the CR2 card continued in use referenced to the new identity number (RS2 no).
CR10 cards are arranged alphabetically and provide personal, photo, and voyage details with the new id no as numerical identifier. This number is often referred to as the RS2 no. The personal details can be more detailed than found on a CR1 card as they include date of birth rather than just the year, and also next of kin details for perhaps one in eight seamen. The Discharge A number may also be noted.
If the seaman already possessed a discharge book then the Board of Trade asked that the id no (RS2 no) should be marked at the top of page 1.3
For numbering purposes seamen were placed in one of five groups
Group a ; 5001 to 100,000. Masters and navigating officers.
Group b: 100,001 to 200,000. Engineer Officers, refrigeration engineers and electricians.
Group c; 200,001 to 300,000. Surgeons, pursers, apprentices, and wireless operators.
Group d; 300,001 to 800,000. Sailors, firemen and other men and boys of the deck and engine room.
Group e; 800,001 to 999,999. Stewards, cooks and other members of the catering staff.

[64aussie]

Hi Colin, thank you so much for you reply, I am a newcomer to Rootschat and at the moment I am just struggling a little with the layout of the page, I should have replied to you earlier, it has taken me this long to get myself sorted out, but hopefully you will receive this message.

I downloaded a bunch of documents the other day Colin from Findmypast, all of which relate to Merchant seamen, and the CR 10 forms were among them.  They relate to three brothers, all Ebbett ancestors, and we now have photographs of these three people to add to our collection.

There are lots more different documents that I have yet to decipher Colin, so please do not be surprised if you notice further cries for help from me in my attempts to understand all my new information.

Cheers and thanks again

Sue Collett

[Colin D Gronow]

Not a problem, good luck with your research Sue

[64aussie]

Hi Colin, hope you do not mind a couple more questions re the CR 10 forms - what does "No. and Grade of B/T Certificate" stand for and also what is "Dis. A No".  I am also trying to find death records for one of my people who, I am led to believe, was killed in WW2 while in the Merchant Service.  Do you know how their deaths were recorded?  There does not seem to be anything for him in the usual "Births, Marriages and Deaths" records, and I suppose they were not really Military people either, yet there must have been many of these men killed in the wars.  Any help or advice appreciated.
Cheers Sue Collett

[Colin D Gronow]

Sue,
I'm not 100% but I would imagine "Board of Trade" certificate & "Discharge Number"

Registers and indexes of Deaths at Sea 1891 - 1964 these records are held at The National Archives under category BT 334: ("In an ideal situation, all these entries should appear in the GRO Marine Registers but in practice there are many omissions as records were not always forwarded. The GRO Marine Registers themselves began much earlier than the BT records mentioned above but again there are many omissions in the early years. In order to search for a record of an event at sea, it may be necessary to search all of the above sources.") http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/UKDeathsAtSea.html

You could also check "Second World War Medals issued to Merchant Seamen" at the National Archives.
This might list your person your looking for.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/seamens-medals.asp

[crimea1854]

Hi

You could also do a search of the War Graves Commission Website, this does include Merchant Seamen.

Martin

[64aussie]

I am still trying to process all my new naval documents from Findmypast - I have one National Archives sheet showing the Royal Navy history for two people. The print of the page also shows a small amount of the facing page, and each of the four entries shown is stamped "EM(N)GT TO R.A.F.  Does anyone know what this might stand for please.
Cheers

[seaweed]

I am also trying to find death records for one of my people who, I am led to believe, was killed in WW2 while in the Merchant Service.  Do you know how their deaths were recorded?  There does not seem to be anything for him in the usual "Births, Marriages and Deaths" records, and I suppose they were not really Military people either, yet there must have been many of these men killed in the wars.  Any help or advice appreciated.
Cheers Sue Collett

If its possible to give a name, I will check my Deaths at Sea registers and indexs.
Merchant Seamen were not automatically given war grave status by the CWGC, the criteria seems to be "killed as a result of direct enemy action".
The CWGC acknowledge a number of Merchant Seamen from both world wars have been awarded war grave status outside  of their criteria and it was decided that these names should be left on the Debt of Honour so as not to cause their families further distress.
I have been involved with several attempts to commemorate merchant seamen  only to be turned down by the CWGC.
I don't know the figures for the first world war but my understanding is there are over 6000 Merchant Navy personal who died in WW2 who remain uncomemerated. Apart from many more who are not even recorded is the DAS register and have no known grave but the sea.
Incidentally, members of the other three services where automatically given war grave status regardless of their cause of death. An injustice to this day and one that the MNA and other groups are still attempting to reverse. Sadly with little success.