By registering with our site you will have full instant access to:
268,000 posts on every subject imaginable contributed by 1000's of members worldwide.
25000 photos and videos mainly relating to the British Merchant Navy.
Members experienced in research to help you find out about friends and relatives who served.
The camaraderie of 1000's of ex Merchant Seamen who use the site for recreation & nostalgia.
Here we are all equal whether ex Deck Boy or Commodore of the Fleet.
A wealth of experience and expertise from all departments spanning 70+ years.
It is simple to register and membership is absolutely free.
N.B. If you are going to be requesting help from one of the forums with finding historical details of a relative
please include as much information as possible to help members assist you. We certainly need full names,
date and place of birth / death where possible plus any other details you have such as discharge book numbers etc.
Please post all questions onto the appropriate forum
-
10th July 2019, 04:18 PM
#1
Movement between Ships
Hi Terry,
I will put the Post up as you suggested,it is quite long so i hope it dosen't bore the pants off you.My dads name was Daniel Egan R141879 and he was at sea from 1936 to 1946 when he reluctantly finished,he spent all his days doing various engine room jobs:Trimmer,Fireman,Greaser and Donkeyman.His list of Ships were:-Fullerton Rose-15/5/36 to 4/7/36. Brookwood-20/8/36 to 7/10/36. Sheaf Crown-28/11/36 to 9/2/38. Casanare-16/3/38 to 19/4/38. Rockpool-26/4/38 to 20/6/38. Kingswood-6/7/38 to 20/8/38.Ditto-29/11/38 to 18/3/39. Wearwood-21/3/39 to 4/4/39 Dis.Sick.
Briarwood-17/4/39 to 10/6/39. Maplewood-17/6/39 to 4/8/39. Daleby-16/8/39 to 23/10/39. Kurdistan-1/11/39 to 20/12/39. Lackenby-29/1/40 to 26/3/40. Ullapool-8/4/40 to 26/6/40. Towerfield-5/8/40 to 7/10/40. Empire Gold-1/2/41 to 21/4/41. Mahia-4/7/41 to 25/12/41. Empire Rowan-24/2/42 to 4/5/42. OCTANE-21/5/42 to 21/8/42 FREETOWN? War Nizam-30/11/42 to 17/12/42. Empire Flamingo-22/12/42 to 21/1/43 Dis.Greenock Ship collision. Duke of Athens-3/2/43 to 16/4/43. Indian Prince-20/4/43 to 24/9/43. Dominence-11/10/43 to 17/10/43. Elizabeth Massey-10/11/43 to 18/2/44. Runswick-3/3/44 to 21/5/44. Fort Remy-3/8/44 to 24/9/44. EMPIRE SHEARWATER-11/10/44 to 26/11/44 THREE RIVERS. Geisha(Norwegian)-31/12/44 to 19/1/45 Liverpool. 27/1/45 to 13/6/45 National Dock Labour Corp.(Tugs- Port Talbot and Swansea).
Danby-8/8/45 to 13/9/45.Ditto 14/9/45 to 3/12/45. Empire Daughter-15/1/46 to 10/2/46. Empire Patriot-27/2/46 to 14/3/46 Dis.Sick Samannan-19/3/46 to 12/4/46. Ubari-7/5/46 to 13/5/46. Delilian-15/5/46 to 22/6/46.Ditto-26/6/46 to 7/8/46.Ditto-7/8/46 to 22/8/46.
CRS 8 issued 4/9/46 Port Talbot-Termination of War Service. All these details taken from his Seamans Pouch and Discharge book.I have obtained copies of some of his surviving Crews Lists and Ships Logs from Kew and University of Newfoundland but the two items of help i would love to have assistance with i obviously have no clues whatsoever.The two queries concern the two Ships i have written in capitals.My father was Discharged from the SS Octane on 21/8/42 in Freetown as the ship needed quite extensive repairs which according to Ships Movements took until 1943 before she sailed again but how would that Crew have got back to uk. and how there seems to be no record of it as he next sailed from Port Talbot on War Nizam on 30/11/42.My next query concerns the ss Empire Shearwater where he was discharged in Three Rivers on 26/11/44 and yet the ship was back in UK by Xmas 1945.My father signed on a Norwegian boat in Halifax(n.scotia) carrying explosives to Liverpool and i would like to know how he would have got from Three Rivers on the St Lawrence Seaway to Halifax Nova Scotia in wartime Canada without any entries on his Dis. Book. All is on his book is Dis.26/11/44 and conduct VG.My Dad died in 1960 aged 51 from a respiratory disease not helped by annual bouts of malaria contracted on ss Indian Prince in East Africa where he was hospitalised for a short time then his treatment continued on board and i didn't start researching his Merchant Navy Career until 1990 so there was no one to ask for little details.I will keep my fingers crossed,thank you everyone, Danny Egan.
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
10th July 2019, 09:14 PM
#2
Re: Movement between Ships
Hi Daniel, Answer to the first question, Your dad would probably be sent back to UK as a DBS, Distressed British Seaman, a system used often after their ship lost by enemy action, an illness, wounded, or other reasons, and signing on as a supernumerary for the voyage home.
The answer to how he got from Trois Rivieres Three Rivers, to Halifax was not hard to do. That place is halfway between Quebec City and Montreal. Train ride would have take a day or two at most. In those days the St Lawrence would be ice bound and no ocean shipping could sail that far upriver. Halifax and other smaller N. Scotia ports and N'foundland were ice free.
It was not uncommon for British seamen to sign on and off allied shipping in Halifax. My case was similar, I signed on a Danish ship in Manchester, first in July '44, then in Halifax signed off and back on same day Aug '44, then seven more times doing the same trip back to L'pool - Halifax 'till Aug'45. This is all in my Disc Book which I still have. Will answer anything I can
Good Luck in your search Daniel, for me, memories are both good and bad. My 95th in Dec. Cheers, Eric
-
Post Thanks / Like
-
12th July 2019, 09:17 PM
#3
Re: Movement between Ships
Thank you very much Eric this puts a couple more pieces into the jigsaw,i appreciate you taking the time to answer.
Regards Danny Egan.
-
Post Thanks / Like
Tags for this Thread
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules