Pages: [1] 2

Author Topic: Merchant Navy WW1  (Read 1701 times)

Offline ansteynomad

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 242
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Merchant Navy WW1
« on: Friday 17 May 24 11:08 BST (UK) »
Good morning

Just a very quick question.

How does someone who was born in November 1902 get to serve in the Merchant Navy and be awarded medals for service in WW1?  He was not 16 until two days after the war ended.

Could he have joined as a boy of 14 or so?  Or is it more likely he lied about his age?

This is an area I know absolutely nothing about, so I would be grateful for any insight.

Thanks in advance.
Nottinghamshire: Billyard; Fletcher
Lincolnshire: Beck; Smith
Leicestershire: Goadby; Iliffe;
Warwickshire: Bradbury; Friswell; Gilliver; Beesley

Offline Neale1961

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,359
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #1 on: Friday 17 May 24 22:23 BST (UK) »
The term “Merchant Navy” refers to a nation’s commercial shipping and crews. During the First World War, merchant ships were requisitioned to act as transports, hospital ships and cargo carriers.

The Merchant Navy was not the same as the army where there was an age requirement. Someone born in 1902 could have been 'apprenticed' to a merchant ship as a 14 year old. Yes, he may have lied about his age, if he looked older than he was.
Have you looked for his ships records to see what date he first appears and at what age?
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline ansteynomad

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 242
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #2 on: Saturday 18 May 24 12:25 BST (UK) »
No, I haven't. Where do I need to look please?  The only thing that A* shows up is his medal card.
Nottinghamshire: Billyard; Fletcher
Lincolnshire: Beck; Smith
Leicestershire: Goadby; Iliffe;
Warwickshire: Bradbury; Friswell; Gilliver; Beesley

Offline GrahamSimons

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 3,145
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #3 on: Saturday 18 May 24 15:21 BST (UK) »
Simons Barrett Jaffray Waugh Langdale Heugh Meade Garnsey Evans Vazie Mountcure Glascodine Parish Peard Smart Dobbie Sinclair....
in Stirlingshire, Roxburghshire; Bucks; Devon; Somerset; Northumberland; Carmarthenshire; Glamorgan

Offline ansteynomad

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 242
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #4 on: Saturday 18 May 24 16:31 BST (UK) »
Bingo! Thanks. His record card from 1918 to 1920 is on another well known genealogy website, complete with photo.

Still don't know how he ended up in NZ about 1923, but between 1918 and 1920 he was on a ship called the Kia Ora.
Nottinghamshire: Billyard; Fletcher
Lincolnshire: Beck; Smith
Leicestershire: Goadby; Iliffe;
Warwickshire: Bradbury; Friswell; Gilliver; Beesley

Offline Neale1961

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,359
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #5 on: Saturday 18 May 24 17:02 BST (UK) »
The Kia Ora became a troopship at the end of the war, and returned soldiers home to NZ.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19190508.2.28
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline ansteynomad

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 242
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #6 on: Monday 20 May 24 14:44 BST (UK) »
Thanks. That's interesting. 

I have a record card now that shows him signing on with the Kia Ora on various dates, starting with 18 December 1918 running through to 26 February 1920.  There us a six figure reference number to the left of all but the first of these dates and I wonder what these numbers signify.

One of the dates is 5 April 1919. If that was the start of a voyage, wouldn't they have been going some to get to New Zealand in just over a month?
Nottinghamshire: Billyard; Fletcher
Lincolnshire: Beck; Smith
Leicestershire: Goadby; Iliffe;
Warwickshire: Bradbury; Friswell; Gilliver; Beesley

Offline Neale1961

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 7,359
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #7 on: Monday 20 May 24 16:49 BST (UK) »
Milligan - Jardine – Glencross – Dinwoodie - Brown: (Dumfriesshire & Kirkcudbrightshire)
Clark – Faulds – Cuthbertson – Bryson – Wilson: (Ayrshire & Renfrewshire)
Neale – Cater – Kinder - Harrison: (Warwickshire & Queensland)
Roberts - Spry: (Cornwall, Middlesex & Queensland)
Munster: (Schleswig-Holstein & Queensland) and Plate: (Braunschweig, Neubruck & Queensland & New York)

Offline HMac

  • RootsChat Veteran
  • *****
  • Posts: 838
  • www.sscityofcairo.co.uk
    • View Profile
Re: Merchant Navy WW1
« Reply #8 on: Monday 20 May 24 19:25 BST (UK) »
Quote from: ansteynomad on Monday 20 May 24 14:44 BST (UK)
There us a six figure reference number to the left of all but the first of these dates and I wonder what these numbers signify.

The six figure numbers that you mention are ship's official numbers which distinguishes one ship from another. These numbers can be transposed to ship names.

Regards
Hugh
Merchant Navy Research
ss CITY OF CAIRO
Pages: [1] 2