Researching my dad's Merchant Navy experience 1937-1944

Discussion in 'User Introductions' started by carolbell2, Feb 16, 2011.

  1. John Adams

    John Adams New Member

    Hello Paul, I think my late father Alfred Edward Adams was also abroad Orford when she was bombed in the Mediterranean. He would have been 19 at the time. His younger brother who was 7 at the time remembers him arriving home, in only a pair of jeans and a jumper, with glass fragments in his feet. Unfortunately I don’t know how he got home from the South of France. I’d like to establish if (a) he was in fact aboard the Orford and (b) where she had sailed to, from August 1939 until she reached her fate off Marseille.

    Many thanks

    John
     
  2. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Hello John and welcome,

    In answer to (a) - you would need to obtain the last crew agreement for ORFORD official number, 146026, which is held at Kew in piece BT 381/796
    In answer to (b) - you can download the movement card for ORFORD from the National Archives, Kew for £3.50 - piece BT 389/22/303 You can also cross refer the movment card to the Arnold Hague Ports database

    If you need any further help as regards where his records are held please feel free to ask. I would need a name, date and place of birth.

    Regards
    Hugh
     
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  3. John Adams

    John Adams New Member

    Hugh, thank you, this information is most useful and I’ll follow up with Kew. Best wishes, John
     
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  4. Julia Phillips

    Julia Phillips New Member

    I was talking to a friend who found a bible and personal notes relating to a Captain Evan Cameron. I have been helping her to try and find more information out about the person who the bible belongs to and found a newspaper article that suggested he might have been a Commander on the Orford, Orient Line. She is keen to try and reunite the bible and notes with his family or somewhere else that would look after it. She will be 90 this year and does not want it to be thrown away after she dies. Any information gratefully received.
     
  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Julia,

    His full name is Evan Percival Cameron, he was photographed in 1937 and the NPG purchased the photo in 1996. He was born 1880 and died 1950. Weirdly the NPG text does not show what Google has! It states:
    From: Evan Percival Cameron - National Portrait Gallery

    There is a passenger list (on the link) which shows he was the Captain for a voyage London to Brisbane in December 1938. Also shows him as RNR (see below). From: https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/840273/GRG_41_34_0_1940-1938_Orford.pdf

    He also wrote a book, published in 1934, on his part in the evacuation of people from the Russian Civil War. See: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Goodbye-Russia-Evan-P-CAMERON/dp/B000LC0VNS

    A little more via Google Books:
    More via: Odessa Operation (1920) - Wikipedia

    He was a RN Reserve Officer from 1908. From: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/28205/page/9559/data.pdf

    I expect he may be found minus Percival, a few places miss the surname.

    You may find more on genealogy websites; some are free to use. As he appears not to have had a WW2 role your request may not get attention here. Good luck.
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2024
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  6. Julia Phillips

    Julia Phillips New Member

    Thank you David. My friend will be so pleased to read up on him. Happy New Year.
     
  7. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    He had a very full career as a Merchant Navy officer and Royal Naval Reservist. By the time WW2 came he was on the retired list. However, he made himself available for mobilisation if required.
    He was mobilised in 1940 and he was sent to Southend, Naval Control of Shipping (NCS) as an NCS advisor. His active service appears to have ceased later in 1940 where he is once again placed on the retired list and in 1942 he becomes Northern District Inspector, assisting the RNLI. He had some health issues and took a stroke in a nursing home in 1948. He died two years later in 1950.

    The photo below as a Merchant Navy Master circa 1919.

    Regards
    Hugh
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Jan 1, 2024
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  8. Julia Phillips

    Julia Phillips New Member

    Thank you Hugh. My friend is loving hearing all about the person whose bible she has. She thanks you all for taking the time to respond
     
  9. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Julia,

    A little more as it is raining.

    He was born Apr-June 1880 @ Edmonton, Middlesex (i.e. London), christened 18/7/1880 and died 24/5/1950 @ Norwich, Norfolk. Probate was granted 19/10/1950 to Lillie Beatrice Cameron. From: https://www.familysearch.org

    Once more Google shows more from the NPG!
    Also probably born 1874 @ Norwich.

    She was a Governess in 1911, recorded on the Census, at Chieveley, Arlington Manor, Donnington, Newbury, Berkshire.

    Above three references from: https://www.familysearch.org

    She was born 27/7/1874. Id'd in church records transcribed from the Norfolk County Archives, on a site related to a church at:
    From: Trunch St Botolph

    There is no mention - so far - in online sources of children. Genealogy is not my forte.

    I hoped that a funeral etc would appear in a newspaper search of mainly national papers, alas no. The British Newspaper Archive is available for free via most public libraries, in-person only.

    Norwich has two newspapers, one is tiny, so excluded. the main one appears to be the Eastern Daily Press. There are two North Norfolk newspapers, though if he died in Norwich they may not be interested.
     
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2024
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  10. Julia Phillips

    Julia Phillips New Member

    Thank you. I do not believe that they had children. I have made contact with the Curator of the Cameron Museum who will give my friend a call and who are keen to take the bible and notes from her. So a fantastic result and such a fascinating end to a lovely conversation with her about a bible that her dad rescued from a second hand book shop over 60 years ago.
     
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