Merchant Navy Reserve Pool

[broaway]

HI can anyone advise me please,
 I have now received my fathers pouch from WW2 from National Archives
He enlisted in 1942 at Liverpool and was in the Merchant navy reserve pool until 1946 on paper
His pouch only shows his last ship the Atlantian and he was a trimmer and was on that ship for his last 6 months
I know he had been to Italy and a convoy from Africa  but where would he have been for the service previous to this last 6 months
My Mother told me he had hearing loss  due to being torpedoed prior to this on a different ship but I can find no records of ships or crew lists
Any Ideas please

Regards

Broadway

[Maggsie]

Try here.......
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/archive/objects/1115413.html
Maggsie

[broaway]

Thank you Maggsie will give it some study

thanks again

[HMac]

Hello,
It depends what documents you have received. You  state you have his pouch, if correct this should have come from BT 372 at Kew and is not his full service record which should be his CRS 10 held in BT 382. Can you clarify what year he aboard ATLANTIAN (149686)? If you wish to give his name, date, and place of birth I could perhaps advise.
Regards
Hugh   

[broaway]

Hi Mac thank you so much
his Name Frank George Smith
DoB 16/8/1911  Nottingham
They sent me   BT 382-1628 and
BT 372/732/125
His last ship was The Atlantian 149686 and the dates were 30/10/1944   till 4/12/1944 as a Trimmer I think that term was a stoker National Archives were not that informative really
He was in the Merchant Navy Reserve Pool from 1942 - 1945
So bit confused as to where and what ships he served on   I know he had been to Italy
Hope this helps

Kind Regards

Broaway

[seaweed]

No doubt Hugh will reply.
Are you sure the the reference that TNA sent you was from BT382/1628
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_cr=bt382%2F1628&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv
Not BT382/1658?
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_cr=bt382%2F1658&_dss=range&_ro=any&_st=adv

Just a small point. Stoker  was a Royal Navy rank. In the Merchant Navy the term was Fireman or Fireman/Trimmer.
The Trimmer literally broke up the larger lumps of coal to pass to the Fireman to shovel into the ships furnace.
Whatever your fathers position, He was a Hard man by definition. Shovelling coal, 4 hours on 4 hours off 24/7. Try and read "No Longer Required" by Bill Linskey.
 This book describes in detail the condtions endured by a MN fireman in WW2.
It will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

[broaway]

Hi Seaweed

Thank you very much for the reply
Yes it is definitely BT382-1658
Not very much information from national archives really for what you pay

will check that book out , I never knew what a trimmer was either , what a hard difficult time they had

[seaweed]

Could I ask how much did you pay. I have just corresponded with a guy from OZ who claims he received a form CRS 10 for £3.60. I must say I found this a little surprising.
You can download for free after signing in, the WW2 movement card of ATLANTIAN

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8661110

[broaway]

you may ask
I thought it quite expensive at £87.66