Photos of DEMS Gunners

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by Chris Anderson, Jan 5, 2015.

  1. This is a very long shot but if you don't buy a lottery ticket you can't win a prize. I'm probably decades too late in asking this question but someone might recognise a father or an uncle.

    I'm attaching a photo of four DEMS Maritime Royal Artillery gunners on the Polish troopship SS Kosciuszko dated 4th February 1942. She was in Bombay on that date. My father Edward "Andy" Anderson from Cupar, Fife is front left. Arthur V Sykes of Brighouse Yorkshire is front right. Does anyone know who the two at the back are ? I know my father sailed with Alec Smith from Hull, John J Geoghegan from Moss-side Manchester and Albert John "Johnny" Kelly a Londoner. From the Crew Agreement I note that there were up to nine MRA and three RN Gunners on Kosciuszko. Also attached is a photo taken in Port Elizabeth, SA on 27th November 1941. My Dad is on the right and Johnny is on the left. The "Johnny" could be John Geoghegan or Johnny Kelly or someone else completely !. That was also while they were on Kosciuszko.

    On a wider note I'd be happy to hear from anyone who knows of any books by DEMS gunners or about DEMS generally. I've only found one but it's a cracking good read : "Passage" by Paul Redgrave.

    Cheers

    Chris
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Rattler

    Rattler Junior Member

    Chris,

    Regarding books about DEMS and their gunners, three books spring to mind (I was not aware of the one you have mentioned):

    1. "DEMS at War" by Max Reid -- covers the role of Canadian gunners in the Battle of the Atlantic.

    2. "The Merchant Navy goes to War" by Bernard Edwards -- features DEMS gunners in various chapters on the fate of individual merchantmen.

    3. "DEMS What's DEMS" by Alex Marcus -- stories of Royal Australian DEMS gunners.

    Note that if you perhaps live near Bristol there is a talk coming up in March on the subject at the Bristol Shiplovers' Society. They do have a website but I could not post a link.

    Rattler
     
  3. Thanks very much for your reply Rattler. I'll definitely follow up on these books. Given that there were 14,000 MRA DEMS gunners by the end of the war and, I believe, 40,000 altogether I'm surprised there's not more written about them. The one I mentioned, "Passage", is an autobiography by an RN DEMS gunner and covers his life before the war as an amateur/semi-professional weight lifter as well as his war experiences.

    I'm in Fife. Probably won't make that talk, unfortunately, but I'll check out the website.

    I've come across another photo. This one is taken on a ship moored or docked on the Tyne and dated March 1941. It was taken during training. They were billeted in a large house in North Shields requisitioned by the Army. Does anyone know anything about the house ? My father is on the right. Someone might know who is on the left.

    Cheers

    Chris
     

    Attached Files:

  4. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

  5. Tom, thanks for your reply. I'd come across the benjidog site before. It's a good one. The Whatdotheyknow item is interesting. I've got my father's service records from MOD Glasgow. I'd heard there were cards for individual gunners listing the ships they were posted to but it's not with his other records. I'd also heard that if it was not in the man's service records then it no longer existed. I'll now keep an open mind on that one. Although I think I know all the ships he was on I'd be fascinated to see his card. It may confirm or add to what I already know.

    If I can't get to the Bristol Shiplovers talk I may contact them for info anyway.

    Cheers

    Chris
     
  6. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Hello Chris,
    I have both (1) and (2) mentioned by Rattler in post #2. A good one to get hold of if you can is BR 282 D.E.M.S Pocket Book 1942.
    Maritime Cards are held with the MoD with MRA service records but most have not survived.

    Regards
    Hugh
     

    Attached Files:

    • DEMS.jpg
      DEMS.jpg
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  7. Hello Hugh,

    I've asked Lee to copy BR 282 for me at TNA.

    Regards

    Chris
     
  8. Rattler

    Rattler Junior Member

    Hello again Chris,

    I concur with Hugh in Post# 6 -- B.R. 282 is an excellent publication giving full information on all aspects of DEMS gunnery. My copy (looks to be about 1942) is in very good condition but it is 227 pages in length, so surely Lee will not copy this unless it is some specific pages you want.

    It occasionally comes up in ebay auctions.

    Regards
    Rattler
     

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