Does anyone know if the USA based RN shore base HMS Asbury kept records of personnel that passed through on their way to sea drafts?
Is their a particular record you are looking for (which may be easier to look for). I did a quick search and found these types of records on Fold3.com. Doesn’t give names, just transfer numbers BUT, there has to be records, having spent years in the military myself, they are “anal” about keeping records, so lists should be available somewhere……..BUT, if you looking for a specific person, of course any transfer to HMS Asbury or Saker II should be in their records. Let me know if I can help further or point me in the right direction for me to search records You may have this, but a link to more information on Asbury and British units stationed their: Quonset Point
Thanks for your reply. My Dad arrived in New York on Queen Mary 7 May 1943, after which he was discharged from the ship and never made the return journey on QM. My brother is convinced Dad was in the USA to join another ship and I know from doing some digging that Asbury was used as a transit base for RN personnel heading for newly acquired RN ships built in the US. His name was Signalman Lewis Hale, JX/165696, DoB 23 Apr 1921
I got it. But wouldn’t his records indicate a transfer to a “holding unit” and then his final unit (the new ship??) And from above, it does seem HMS Asbury was used as a transit point to US Training Schools, both British and Canadian personnel are mentioned. And this site says: Quonset Point HMS ASBURY was the RN Barracks and Accounting Base, Asbury Park, New Jersey (200 miles to the SW) which also commissioned 01 October 1942 - it is therefore possible that Quonset point should be 'on books of ASBURY' rather than ASBURY. And give more links that may help your search Admiralty publications CB 4368 (A) Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Home), (Text & Plates) August 1944 CB 4368 (B) Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations (Abroad), (Text & Plates) August 1945 BR. 1807 Admiralty Handbook of Royal Naval Air Stations Home and Abroad, March 1949 + Amendments BR. 1807 Admiralty Handbook of Royal Naval Air Stations Home and Abroad, September 1955 The Navy List, Feb 1939 - Jul 1945 editions +various post WW2 editions where available Admiralty Fleet Orders 1941 - 1945
Found this info on this Officer, so it look like HMS Asbury was used for accommodation for British Yard Minesweepers??? And the BYMS mention in his records was built in the US Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) Officers 1939-1945 -- W Wigzell, Percy Mackley "Mac" Son (with three brothers and one sister) of Arthur Mackley Wigzell (1871-1955), and Rosina Emmett (1866-1951). Married 1st ((03?).1938, Coventry district, Warwickshire) Elsie Stokes (30.07.1908 - 02.2002); two sons, one daughter. Married 2nd ((12?).1959, Surrey Northern district, Surrey) Pamela Anne H. Weaver (10.09.1917 - 27.09.2008). 19.01.1906 Greenwich district, London - 30.05.1981 St Austell district, Cornwall T/A/S.Lt. 05.03.1943 T/S.Lt. 05.09.1943 T/Lt. 01.06.1945 (reld 04.04.1946) (04.1943) - (06.1943) no appointment listed 28.06.1943 - (12.)1943 HMS Asbury (accommodation, Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA) (for British yard minesweepers) 22.12.1943 - 12.10.1945 HM BYMS 2167 (British yard minesweeper) (First Lieutenant, from c. 04.1945 Commanding Officer) HM BYMS 2167 Built by Dachel-Carter Shipbuilding Corp. (Benton Harbor, Michigan, U.S.A.) Ordered 8 Jun 1942 Laid down 5 Aug 1942 Launched 12 Jun 1943 Commissioned 9 Aug 1943
Found this info The Berkeley Carteret has been a fixture in Asbury since 1925. Like its neighbor the Monterey, it was conceived as a luxury Hotel, serving (as they used to say) "all the best people." The Berkeley shares an interesting history with the Monterey Hotel. During WW II, both places became receiving stations for the British Royal Navy under the name "HMS Asbury." At times, as many as 5000 officers and enlisted men from the U.K. were stationed in Asbury. Some waited for their ships to be repaired in U.S. dry docks; others recuperated from battle fatigue. The great actor Sir Alec Guinness was one of the officers stationed in Asbury Park. Asbury Park 1, Page 6 More info Asbury Park Press Asbury Park, New Jersey 02 Aug 1986, Sat • Page 15
Not in Dad's case. As was quite common with RN Ratings, his official naval records simply show shore bases - there is no mention of a ship anywhere, but I know for a fact that he served plenty of sea time in six years
Not directly related. Was there an equivalent hosting station or HMS on the US west coast? I recall a conversation with a RN newly trained cipher operator, whose first mission was Dieppe and he was then posted to an aircraft carrier being built, possibly at San Francisco. Most of the crew simply absorbed what was on offer, he preferred to work and so made his way to Vancouver where the RCN used him in signals with coastal shipping. Then many months later recalled to San Francisco, joining his ship.
I’m not sure if any accommodation like HMS Asbury was on the west coast…..but for your information, British Aircraft carriers built or converted on the West Coast and the shipyards that built or modified them: Shipyards Building basic C3 merchant hulls and those building complete Escort Carriers (*completed on site) Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Co. Tacoma, Washington, USA [AMEER, ARBITER, ATHELING, BEGUM, EMPEROR, EMPRESS*, KHEDIVE*, NABOB*, PATROLLER*, PREMIER, PUNCHER*, QUEEN*, RAJAH, RANEE*, RAVAGER, REAPER*, RULER*, SEARCHER, SHAH*, SLINGER, SMITER*, SPEAKER, THANE*, TRACKER, TROUNCER, TRUMPETER] Western Pipe & Steel, San Francisco, California, USA [ATTACKER, FENCER, STALKER, STRIKER] Shipyards completing installation of machinery, equipment, flight deck installation & fitting out (†completed fitting out) (Ω Additional equipment installation) Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon, USA [ARBITER, RAVAGER, SEARCHER, TROUNCER, TRUMPETER]† Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, USA [ATTACKER, FENCER, STALKER, STRIKER]† Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, USA [ATHELING, AMEER, BEGUM, EMPEROR]† Willamette Iron & Steel, Portland, Oregon, USA [PREMIER, RAJAH, SLINGER, SPEAKER, TRACKER]† Shipyards undertaking modification of U.S. CVEs to Admiralty standard, refits, and conversions for different roles Burrard Dry-dock Co. Ltd., North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada [ARBITER, ATHELING, AMEER, BEGUM, EMPRESS, NABOB, PREMIER, PUNCHER, QUEEN, REAPER, RAJAH, RANEE, RULER, SEARCHER, SMITER, SPEAKER, THANE, TRACKER, TROUNCER]
From this and other threads it appears that Popeye does not have the Service Record for his Dad. This is a four page form (S459) - it was given to the rating on discharge and no duplicate was retained by the Admiralty. I presume the S459 has been mislaid/lost/destroyed and that what Popeye has is a compilation from the Pay and Victualling Ledgers kept by ships and units. The accuracy of this compilation varies enormously as entries can be missed or wrongly transcribed, nor do they show the full ledger entry. They show where the Service Record is held not where someone is serving although a ship is often included in brackets. Minor warships and units did not hold their own ledgers with personnel being held on the ledger of the base establishment. All very frustrating. Sometimes even the S459 is not much help if for instance the rating was in Combined Ops or on LCTs etc. Tim
