Grandads service record

[neil edwards]

Hello All

A while ago I asked for help trying to find out if my Grandad was on the Arctic convoy. I now have Grandads service record and was wondering if someone could help me with translating it. Or I could scan and email if this is easier. Doc was very kind and helped me a lot last time when all I knew was that he was Royal Artillery and escorted on the boats. His records mention details such as 6th Regt Maritime RA and he was in 4th Maritime AA Battery too. He was also at Royal Navy Dems. Am I looking for help in the right place

Many thanks and kind regards
Neil

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Neil If you can Scan any Docs that you want info on,and what details you need on each one (details please) and Post those Scans here we will see what we can do to assist you! There are others that have a lot more knowledge than me ,but I will of course also look and try and assist where I can! Cheers Doc

[neil edwards]

Thank you Doc, I have scanned my Grandads service and casualty record, cas form 1 page 1.jpgcas form 1 page 2.jpgcas form 2 page 1.jpgcas form 2 page 2.jpg, we now that he was in India as it appears else where on his records, and we know he was awarded the Atantic star, Burma star and the Italy star, but due to a lack of knowledge we cant work out where else he served or which boats he was on. Any help deciphering these records would be greatly appreciated.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Neil Well I hope that others too will try to assist you with whatever they can,i cannot make out too much with the Scan but will copy to Puter and try and increase the size,and see what if anything I can make out! Thank you for posting these! My old Eyes are not the best! haha! Cheers and good luck

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Neil Think this info may connect with your first Scan,i will post more as I find anything.Cheers http://www.ra39-45.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/laa/page6.html Don't know if this site will help at all,you will have to join,but could be help but as I am not a member there not sure!??? http://www.12regraoldboys.com/

[Hugh]

Hello Neil,

The attachments could do with being scanned at a higher resolution as they are blurred when I try to zoom in.

I suggest you post the attachments on WW2 Talk - http://ww2talk.com/forums/index.php, they know about army stuff.

With regard to DEMS service, I don't see a Maritime Card with the attachments. This card would detail the names of MN ships he served in. However, few have survived.

Regards
Hugh

[neil edwards]

Hi, Hugh unfortunately we didn't get a maritime card with his records, this and his transfer to reserve paperwork was all that we got. i will try the link you have provided.
Thank you

[neil edwards]

Doc, i have been in touch with the Royal Artillery Museum to see if they could help or add any information i thought that the return email might be interesting to you or useful to other people on this forum:

RA personnel were posted to Maritime Units to become DEMS Gunners this was only the first part of their journey. The RA Maritime Regiment then posted them to a port, the port received the RA Gunners and then posted them to a Merchant Navy manning office where the RA personnel in question were enrolled into the Merchant Navy, given a Merchant Navy Continuous Discharge Book and then posted, as a Merchant Seaman, to a Merchant Ship – they were now in the Merchant Navy and had nothing more to do with the Army or indeed the Maritime Regiment. All personnel on board a ship who are armed must be a members of the ships company according to Merchant Law, if you were on a ship, armed, and not a Merchant Seaman you were (and indeed still are) classified as a Pirate, Pirates according to International Maritime law can be hanged, the Germans stated early in the war that they would enforce this law for any Army personnel found on board a ship who were active in the defence of the ship, hence all RA Gunners were enrolled into the Merchant Navy.



Now the problem arises that a Merchant’s Seaman’s record of ships is only kept in his personal Continuous Discharge Book all ships, voyages and destinations are in this one document (it also acted as a passport), the key therefore to your question is do you have this book? I suspect not, on return to the Army an index card was completed taking the information from the Continuous Discharge Book called the “Maritime Card” those cards that still exist are at present held by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office to help them sort out the applications for the Arctic Star.



If you do not have his Continuous Discharge Book then your only hope for an award of the Arctic Star is to apply to the Medal Office and let them conduct a search for his Maritime Card. I know this is not the answer you were hoping for but I hope it explains the position; I do wish you every success in your endeavours, I know this very point is causing many problems for the Medal Office as well as for those applying.

I have been in touch with the medal office and i am awaiting an application form to apply for medal information.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Neil, always heart warming when the lads get a response from the enquirer, alas so many people do not bother, but the lads keep on helping, so keep up the good work as all aboard this ship appreciate it when some one keeps us up to date, Regards

[neil edwards]

Thank you Ivan, it might just be that if I do get hold of his Discharge book and we can see what ships he was on, that someone on this forum may have been on board with him at that time too and that makes it all the more important to share my information with you all. Just wish Grandad was here to re-live this with me.