all Trying to find service record of the above seaman My mistake Walter J F Harris not WJR harris I believe he is same one on box below Awarded 39-45 star Atlantic star Italy star War medal Cannot find any records on find my past Any help greatly appreciated Regards James
The medal listing is : Reference: BT 395/1/40882 Description: Medal listing of Harris, Walter J F Discharge number: R104809 Date of Birth: 17 March 1914 Date: [1946-2002] Held by: The National Archives, Kew Legal status: Public Record(s) Closure status: Open Document, Open Description Access conditions: Open on Transfer But thats for a Walter J F - not Walter J R ???? TD
Ancestry: UK, WWII Medals Issued to Merchant Seamen, 1939-1945 Name: Walter J F Harris Birth Date: 17 Mar 1914 Service: 1939-1945 Medal Issued/Claimed: 1946-2002 Discharge Number: R104809 URL: http://discovery.nationalarchi... Looks as though he worked pre war for the Post office in wireless communications British Postal Service Appointment Books, 1737-1969 Name: Walter J F Harris Date Appointed: Mar 1932 TD
You wont find it on FMP - Just accept that for now and I will explain later. I will tell you where to look when i get some time but really busy at the moment. Regards Hugh
Hi James, MN records are not the easiest to work through and there are many reasons for that. But generally speaking they are either in the Fourth Register of Seaman which effectively covers 1918 - 1940 - these records are held at Southampton City Archives with microfiche copies at Kew and also on £pay site FMP. Any seaman who served during that time period but who also continued to serve during WW2 had their records transferred into the Fifth Register of Seamen 1941-1972. You will find on occasion records held in both registers. So If I were you I would look for his CRS 10 in the Fifth Register of Seamen in the following file reference at Kew. BT 382/741 His file should be in that piece reference with up to 60 other names - if it has survived. You may want to contact Lee or Drew to obtain it if you can't go yourself. Hope that helps. Regards Hugh
Without wishing to hijack this thread - thank you! My father's cousin (well, half-cousin, if such a thing exists) was Sydney Thaiss Atkins who was a steward on the troopship SS Nerissa and died when she was sunk on 30/04/1941. If/when I get to Kew I'll know where to hunt for his records if they survive. Cheers, Pat.
Hi Pat, Now this is where the Fourth and the Fifth Register of Seamen get a little complicated. As Sydney T. Atkins died in April 1941 - if he even has a CRS 10 it will hold minimal information. This is because he died in April 1941 and the CRS 10 only starts in Jan, 1941. His records are mainly in the Fourth Register. I have found a couple of cards and I can send them on to you if you wish - just pass me your email via private message. In the meantime I have transcribed them for you below. Sydney T. Atkins – Asst Steward. Dis.A – R152016. b. 17.4.1914, London. d. 30.4.1941 – missing supposed drowned. NERISSA. 146025 – OTRANTO – 12.2.1937. 164493 – ORION – 1.10.1938 141866 – ORMONDE – 29.5.1940 147369 – NERISSA – date of engagement unknown – see last Crew Agreement for sign on. When you go to Kew just check on any surviving CRS 10 – it should be held in piece BT 382/49. But as I said there won’t be much there if anything. Regards Hugh
I have his crs10 file from national archives What is a N.R. Number It looks very much like a RN number as his is PMX 1466 Regards James
James, NR = National Register [of 1939] The letters and number are not related to RN numbers in any way. Regards Hugh