Merchant Navy Casualty

As part of my research in to what amounts to 337 casulaties associated withthe Town of Widnes, I have the following listed on the local cenotaph. I have searched the CWGC, but cannot match with anything remotely.

Does anybody else have any ideas.

ATKIN.G.D. DECK BOY M.V. ATLANTA

I now think, Ive tracked down his Birth details.

Name:George D Atkin
Mother's Maiden Surname:McGreevy
Date of Registration:Jan Feb Mar 1927
Registration district:Prescot
Registration county:Lancashire

 

Hello Phil,
Difficult one, but I will ask the question on another forum.
Regards
Hugh

 

Hello Phil,
Difficult one, but I will ask the question on another forum.
Regards
Hugh

Thanks Hugh, and if you cant come up with the goods then no one can

P

 

Hello Phil,
A real mystery this fella.
It would appear that George Atkin is not mentioned in the Register of Deaths at Sea 1939 - 1945. No mention in the Register of Deaths England and Wales 1942-1945. The only mv ATLANTA was a Finnish ship but there are others of a similar name so I suspect this is a typo. He could have died as a result of an accident hence the non commemoration on CWGC.
A check of any surviving CRS 10 (service record) at Kew possibly the only way to go. This could indicated the the name of the ship then a check of the actual ship's official log/crew agreement could give us more.
Regards
Hugh

 

Hello Phil,
A real mystery this fella.
It would appear that George Atkin is not mentioned in the Register of Deaths at Sea 1939 - 1945. No mention in the Register of Deaths England and Wales 1942-1945. The only mv ATLANTA was a Finnish ship but there are others of a similar name so I suspect this is a typo. He could have died as a result of an accident hence the non commemoration on CWGC.
A check of any surviving CRS 10 (service record) at Kew possibly the only way to go. This could indicated the the name of the ship then a check of the actual ship's official log/crew agreement could give us more.
Regards
Hugh

Hugh, thanks for trying. Given that he is on the local centotaph, I may have to search through the local paper archives.

Once again, thanks for looking

Phil

 

Phil have you tried Widnes Cemetery ? He may also be a Non Commemorated casualty.

 

Phil have you tried Widnes Cemetery ? He may also be a Non Commemorated casualty.

Not yet Izzy, I need to go back to do a few more headstones, so just getting my list together, then will do them all together.

P

 

Phil ask at the lodge they are very helpful you can even phone them as there system is computerised. All the times i have been they have printed a report which gives you a picture of the headstone so you know what to look for and grave reference.Have you tried the National Archives site there used to be a facility to check a Merchant Seamans Medal entiltlement he may get a mention on that

 

Phil ask at the lodge they are very helpful you can even phone them as there system is computerised. All the times i have been they have printed a report which gives you a picture of the headstone so you know what to look for and grave reference.Have you tried the National Archives site there used to be a facility to check a Merchant Seamans Medal entiltlement he may get a mention on that

Nothing in the WW2 date range Izzy

Phil

 

Well, after hour's of Googling, and a few match sticks in my eye's, I think I finnaly found my my boy, although I expect the geanology reseach to prove me right or wrong

Name: AITKEN, GEORGE
Initials: G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Steward's Boy
Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy
Unit Text: M.V. Melbourne Star (London)
Age: 18
Date of Death: 02/04/1943
Additional information: Son of David and Margaret Aitken, of Liverpool.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 69.
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

 

Hello Phil,

If you are correct then they couldn't have got his commemoration at Widnes more wrong. Wrong name, wrong rank, wrong ship.

I think I can point you to [George Atkin] his medal file, seaman's pouch and CRS 10 should you need it. Also there is a crew agreement for 1943.

I had already checked TNA for a medal file/seaman's pouch for G.D ATKIN - there is none.

Regards
Hugh

 

Hello Phil,

If you are correct then they couldn't have got his commemoration at Widnes more wrong. Wrong name, wrong rank, wrong ship.

I think I can point you to [George Atkins] his medal file, seaman's pouch and CRS 10 should you need it. Also there is a crew agreement for 1943.

I had already checked TNA for a medal file/seaman's pouch for G.D ATKIN - there is none.

Regards
Hugh

Cheers Hugh, I am not 100% sure that I have he right lad, as his Birth record is Aitkin, so as I have his mothers maiden name I will be able to cross reference against the CWGC entry.

What this space on this one....

Thanks for the assistance

Phil

 

Widnes Library have the Absent voters registers for Widnes, Halebank ,Hale,Tarbock and Halewood. He may have had relatives in the Forces. Wade Deacon has a memorial for WW2 he may be mentioned on that. Using his parents names from the c.w.g.c site and his mothers maiden name check the G.R.O marriges as they may have been married local.Also use the names for the cemetery if they are buried in Widnes he may get a mention on there Headstone.

 

Well, after hour's of Googling, and a few match sticks in my eye's, I think I finnaly found my my boy, although I expect the geanology reseach to prove me right or wrong

Name: AITKEN, GEORGE
Initials: G
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Steward's Boy
Regiment/Service: Merchant Navy
Unit Text: M.V. Melbourne Star (London)
Age: 18
Date of Death: 02/04/1943
Additional information: Son of David and Margaret Aitken, of Liverpool.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 69.
Memorial: TOWER HILL MEMORIAL

I don't think so Phil.

Further research from my friends at Mercantile Marine has found that G.D. ATKIN was lost on mv ATALANTA note spelling. Counter to what I said in a previous post he is mentioned in the Deaths at Sea index for 1941 for April. At this stage we do not know what happened to the ship but possibly marine accident. Further research is ongoing.
Regards
Hugh

 

I don't think so Phil.

Further research from my friends at Mercantile Marine has found that G.D. ATKIN was lost on mv ATALANTA note spelling. Counter to what I said in a previous post he is mentioned in the Deaths at Sea index for 1941 for April. At this stage we do not know what happened to the ship but possibly marine accident. Further research is ongoing.
Regards
Hugh

Hugh, sorry I should have updated this thread. Izzy found the below in the newspaper archives at Garston. He is not listed on the CWGC, and at this stage this is all I have.

In memory of George Derek Atkin. Lost his life in the River Mersey 03/02/1942. Beloved youngest son of A and G Atkin and devoted brother of Jeff [R.N] Leslie [M.N] and Frank [R.A.F] of 141 Derby road Widnes.

 

Phil just wondering if his death will be in the coroners files. They are in the Liverpool[ local history] library on the 4th floor.

 

Hugh, sorry I should have updated this thread. Izzy found the below in the newspaper archives at Garston. He is not listed on the CWGC, and at this stage this is all I have.

In memory of George Derek Atkin. Lost his life in the River Mersey 03/02/1942. Beloved youngest son of A and G Atkin and devoted brother of Jeff [R.N] Leslie [M.N] and Frank [R.A.F] of 141 Derby road Widnes.

Phil,
I may have missed something here but I don't think the above G D Atkin is the same person you were asking about in post #1.

Regards
Hugh

 

Phil,
I may have missed something here but I don't think the above G D Atkin is the same person you were asking about in post #1.

Regards
Hugh

Hugh, the only details I have on Atkin, is the fact that he is listed on the local Cenotaph at Widnes, as a Deck boy on Atlanta. He is not listed on the CWGC Roll of Honour, and to date, the death of George Derek Atkin from Widnes on the 3rd Feb 1942 is the nearest i have got to any link.

WHat makes you think, its not the same lad. I've got some time off over XMAS, so hoping to get to the local library and see if I can track anything else down.

Phil

 

Hello Phil,
I am assuming that if someone went to the trouble of putting up a plaque naming G.D. Atkin as being a Deck Boy on "mv ATLANTA" then they must have had good reason to do so. As we know there is not a ship called "ATLANTA" that fits but we now know there was a G.D. Atkin lost aboard "ATALANTA" note the spelling difference. He is noted on the 1941 Deaths at Sea Register for the the month of April. The other G.D. Atkin you have already mentioned was lost on the River Mersey in 1942.

I will keep you posted with any further information that is forthcoming.
Regards
Hugh

 

Possible he's a non comm although i would put my money on the casualty i found. Apart from Coroners records i think you may have to order a death certificate. Check the absent voters records in Widnes library to see if his brothers were still living in the district. Check Widnes Cemetery to see if any family are buried there he may get a mention on a headstone. I wonder if his body was actually found ?