Dad's discharge mystery

[Nick Thompson]

From Nick Thompson. First post
Hello all, I am the proud son of a merchant navy seaman who had amazing wartime experiences. Dad died aged 86 in 2002 and I am struggling to write an account of his deeds using mainly online info and his discharge book which I treasure. I am now 82 and I hope I can complete his memoirs before long with the aid of a few letters he wrote and one or two accounts of his time at sea. His discharge book is a replacement for one he lost when his ship, the Efos, went down off the Humber in 1940 after a collision with a wreck. I have been able to document that incident quite thoroughly as he, after many years of silence on the matter, began to tell his story. Looking to his discharge book for clues about his career I come across one or two anomalies and in the signature column I find what appear to be entries made after the actual engagements. Almost rubbers tamped as it were. The references are written as "Extract from CRS1" and "CRS2". I question the entries correctness as I have short accounts written by him of events that don't tally with the discharge entries and put him on two ships in a different date order. One of these engagements is shown in "Description of voyage" as "Special Operations", this at the time of D-Day when his ship, the "Olev" was involved in the transport of troops and equipment, June 5th 1944.
Apologies for my long windedness, but I am looking to be enlightened as to what Extracts CRS1 and CRS2 refers to. I would be very pleased with any assistance. Fingers xd. Nick Thompson

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Nick
Welcome to the site.
A very noble thing you are doing as regards putting things together for your dear Father, its always so rewarding once all is in place! Good Luck.

As for your Question.
Hope this may enlighten you a bit/

CRS 1	Merchant Navy personnel, seamen discharged and immediately re-engaged on articles for further service in the same ship
CRS 2	Transfer from ship to leave and reserve pool

Later on these two Documents ( Record Cards) were almagamated with what is called a CRS10 so now everything is within the CRS10.

Do you have a list or indeed any Medals he may have been awarded! That would be great too!

If i may ask what was his First name and where was he Born. Just of interest that all. Must have been Born 1916 by your Figures!???

Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

For Interest only

1941 - 1972: Fifth Register of Merchant Seamen

In 1941 the Essential Work (Merchant Navy) Order created a Merchant Navy Reserve Pool. To ensure that seamen would always be available for service, the Government paid them to remain in the Reserve Pool when they were ashore. Thus continuous paid employment instead of casual employment was available to all seamen, and comprehensive and effective registration became possible.
All those who had served at sea during the previous five years, and those who were intending to serve during WWII, were required to register. A new Central Register of Seamen (known as the Fifth Register of Seamen), was established. CR 1 and CR 2 cards of seamen who were still serving in 1941 were removed from the old Fourth Register (see previous section), placed in 'pouches' BT 372 (see section on Seamen’s Pouches) or re-sorted into BT 364 and their details carried forward to the new register in BT 382 located at The National Archives. The Fifth Register of Seamen was maintained until 1972, although occasionally records after this date can be found.


The front page of the CRS10 Docket book provides the following information:

• Name
• Date and place of birth
• Discharge 'A' number
• Rank or rating, with relevant certificate details
• Details of any other qualifications
• Date CRS10 first page was created
• British Seamen's Identity Card Notations. The entries refer to correspondence and issuing of cards, certificates, applications etc. The originals in general do not survive except where they have been filed in the Seaman's Pouch (see below)
• Merchant Navy Establishment [licensed] Agencies (MNEA) Contracts
• While the continuation page of the CRS10 Docket book shows:
  
  
  • A list of ships and their official numbers with date and place of engagement
  • rank or rating
  • F or H (for Foreign or Home trade voyage)
  • date and place of discharge from the ship
  • character grade
  • National Insurance contribution code
  • Registry clerk's initials and date of the entry
  • When ashore the sheet may bear the entry MNRP (Merchant Navy Reserve Pool) with date and place
  • 1973 - 1999
    
    No records are available from the Registry of Shipping and Seamen, as after 1973, the Registrar General was no longer required by legislation to keep records of individual seafarers.

[Graham Shaw]

Hi Nick.You may or may not have the following info from your own research:

from ConvoyWeb

ss OLEV.Movements April- endOctober 1944,including Normandy Landings period





Southend, Apr 3, 1944 FN.1316 (Southend - Methil) Blyth, Apr 4, 1944
Independent Warkworth, Apr 6, 1944
Blyth, Apr 6, 1944 Independent
Warkworth, Apr 8, 1944 FS.1416 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Apr 10, 1944
Southend, Apr 13, 1944 FN.1326 (Southend - Methil) Warkworth, Apr 15, 1944
Independent Blyth, Apr 19, 1944
Warkworth, Apr 19, 1944 Independent
Blyth, Apr 21, 1944 FS.1429 (Methil - Southend) Southend, Apr 23, 1944
Southend, Apr 27, 1944 FN.1340 (Southend - Methil) Blyth, Apr 28, 1944
Blyth, May 1, 1944 FS.1439 (Methil - Southend) Southend, May 3, 1944
Southend, May 5, 1944 FN.1348 (Southend - Methil) Tyne, May 7, 1944
Southend, Jun 5, 1944 ETC.2Y (Southend - Seine Bay) Seine Bay, Jun 6, 1944
Seine Bay, Jun 8, 1944 FTC.1 (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Jun 10, 1944
Southend, Jun 10, 1944 ETC.6 (Southend - Seine Bay) Seine Bay, Jun 12, 1944
Southend, Jun 28, 1944 ETC.21 (Southend - Seine Bay) Seine Bay, Jun 29, 1944
FBC.56 (Seine Bay - B Channel) Solent, Aug 16, 1944
Seine Bay, Aug 16, 1944 FBC.56 (Seine Bay - B Channel)
Spithead, Aug 17, 1944 FTC.70 (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Aug 18, 1944
Southend, Sep 10, 1944 ETC.94 (Southend - Seine Bay) Seine Bay, Sep 11, 1944
Seine Bay, Sep 20, 1944 FTC.14A (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Sep 21, 1944
Southend, Sep 26, 1944 ETC.110 (Southend - St Helens Roads)
Southend, Oct 9, 1944 ETC.123 (Southend - Seine Bay) Seine Bay, Oct 10, 1944
Seine Bay, Oct 17, 1944 MTC.8 (Seine Bay - Southend) Southend, Oct 18, 1944
Southend, Oct 21, 1944 TMC.12 (Southend - St Helens Roads) Seine Bay, Oct 22, 1944
Seine Bay, Oct 27, 1944 MTC.18 (St Helens Rds - Southend) Southend, Oct 28, 1944
Southend, Nov 1, 1944 TMC.23 (Southend - St Helens Roads) Seine Bay, Nov 2, 1944

Attachment 35095

CLICK LINK FOR OLEV ex Regis INFO


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SS EFOS O.N.147735 Infolink

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Nick
In addition to above from Graham, i also have Docs for the Ship Olev movements for various Years, not for 1944 though as it was Special Operations as shown on Convoy Web
Cheers

My Docs are too large to upload but can send per Email if you are interested, i can get you email address from the Admin database ! Cheers

[Nick Thompson]

Thank you for your comments and pointers. My Dad was Sunderland born, 1915. his wartime story is full of incident. He was proud of the oak leaves he was awarded and was mentioned in despatches when he and others from the Olev rescue of men from the torpedoed Norwegian destroyer Svenner off Sword beach 6/6/1940. The Swift came alongside and took over the rescue mission. The Swift was later sunk by a mine off Sword. I am gradually piecing together a journal I hope will be of interest to the family. I have his war medals but not to hand just now. They are safe.

[Nick Thompson]

Thank you for the information. That's brilliant and helps me greatly to understand a little better.

[Nick Thompson]

Thank you for this very interesting info. I am gradually gathering a picture of this time and this is very enlightening.

- - - Updated - - -

I would be very interested of course and thank you. All the more the merrier.
P.S. I hope my replies are going to the right place, I'm not sure about the procedure.

[Nick Thompson]

Yes please Doc Vernon, I look forward to that.

[Nick Thompson]

Thanks Doc, message received. Files opened successfully. Thank you, now to study all.