Help Finding Out About My Great Grandfather

[Keith at Tregenna]

Obviously a lot of Murphy's.

I think if correct Francis had an initial C for a middle name. Also, possibly different mothers ? Vincent - Miller and Francis - Cox ?

Registered at Chorlton

Births Dec 1916***Vincent

Births Sep 1923***Francis C.



.

[Hugh]

Service records - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/requests...vice-personnel
Cost =£30.

You will get a lot of information quickly on here so just take stock on what you have but don't rush into getting anything until you are sure otherwise you will spend money without reward. I presume the photo shows your relations and is not one that they had in their possession?

Regards
Hugh

[Frederick Lacey]

??? These give both with mothers maiden name MILLER.

Vincent Murphy, mmn Miller. Oct-Nov-Dec. 1916. District. Chorlton. Vol.8c. Vol.1145.

Francis J Murphy. mmn. Miller. Jan-Feb-Mar. 1923. District. Chorlton. Vol.8c. Vol.1248.

F.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Hi Gavin,
No only the RN would have the Union Flag flown on the Jackstaff. This is definately a Royal Navy warship. Merchant Navy defensive armament would normally be sited aft.
Regards
Hugh

Sorry Hugh, I hate to question your expertise because I envy it so much. However Merchant ships did fly the union flag on the jackstaff, the union flag was surrounded by a white border to show it was not an RN vessel. Also you will find that merchant vessels (not all, but certainly 2704 Liberty ships) had guns mounted on the foc'le and the poop as well as oerlikons (maybe spelt incorrectly) in pods just aft of the bridge wings. I sailed on several vessels with strengthened areas for these guns. Of course they never had the big guns as in the photo which definitely shows RN uniforms.

Gavin continue your search as at wars end some RN seamen were demobbed they then registered with the MN Pool (a centre which appointed MN personnel to ships), so he may have served in both RN and MN

[Keith at Tregenna]

??? These give both with mothers maiden name MILLER.

Vincent Murphy, mmn Miller. Oct-Nov-Dec. 1916. District. Chorlton. Vol.8c. Vol.1145.

Francis J Murphy. mmn. Miller. Jan-Feb-Mar. 1923. District. Chorlton. Vol.8c. Vol.1248.

F.

Thanks Fred, my check was with freebmd, possibly a few murphy's in Chorlton also. Will take another look, not so much a double check as I am certain that you are correct, more to see where I went wrong. possibly Gavin can add death dates and where. It may help.

K.


.

[Hugh]

That's ok Ivan - we all have a contribution to make. I was making more of a general comment re the Jack at the bow. You will always see one on a Navy vessel alongside between morning Colours and Sunset. I wouldn't say a merchantman would not fly the Union Flag at the bow but I would say it was rare. It is clearly the Union Jack without any border though and clearly a Royal Navy warship. I take your point re the guns on the bow and the oerlikons on the bridge wings. In the main merchantmen were armed defensively with the main gun at the stern.

Your advice to Gavin re both RN and MN is good too and certainly worth considering.

Regards
Hugh

[Keith at Tregenna]

Thanks Fred, my check was with freebmd, possibly a few murphy's in Chorlton also. Will take another look, not so much a double check as I am certain that you are correct, more to see where I went wrong. possibly Gavin can add death dates and where. It may help.

K.

.

In my haste did miss: Francis J

https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

[Gavin Walsh]

Hi Everyone! I want to thank you all so much for your help! I really appreciate it! And yes you're exactly right! The two Murphy 's whose mother's maiden name was Miller are the men I am looking for! If anyone knows how to use that information to find them I'd appreciate it! As far as I am aware the men in the photo are my relatives. Certainly when my grandmother looked at the photo years ago she was able to name the men in the photo. On the back it's actually written, "Three Rumuns". Again thank you so much! I would never have guessed that photo was such a treasure trove of information!

[gray_marian]

Hi Gavin, Not having any joy with Vincent so far.

This is from Ancestry world wide.

Name: Francis Joseph Murphy
Birth: Mar 1923 - Lancashire
Death: 04/12/1976 (4 Dec 1976) - Manchester
Parents: Francis Murphy, Mary A Miller

Name: Francis J Murphy
Arrival Date: 6 Dec 1943
Birth Date: abt 1924
Age: 19 Rank: A.Cook
Gender: Male, 5'6" 140lbs
Ethnicity/ Nationality: English
Port of Departure: Avonmouth, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Aquitania

Do you have a tree on Ancestry named "Joseph's Family tree" as Francis is listed on that?Unfortunately no access to that at present will need to try tonight.

[Gavin Walsh]

Hi gray_marian. Wow! The first entry is 100% correct, that's the man I am looking for! Is the second entry, about Naval service the same man? Or is there no way of knowing? Also, sorry for my ignorance but why would he have sailed to New York? To pick up supplies and American soldiers? Thank you so much for this! I cannot express how much I appreciate it!