Father's WWII M.N. diary needs proper archiving - any suggestions welcome!

[Elizabeth Copp]

Hello Jacqueline and Valerie, what an interesting post! It is indeed so important that you find a good home for your dad's diary in WW2 as well as all his other documents. In June I went to Kew to look at my dad's records (John Sclater was my dad) as he too was in the Merchant Navy in WW2. I also went to the Guildhall for information on the convoys his ships were on - an excellent tip to go to the Guildhall from some on this forum - thank you! I found out a lot. I was shown my dad's British Seaman's Identity Card in Kew when he was on the Dorrington Court, which was a bit emotional for me as it had his fingerprints on the card as well as his photo. What was interesting was that it was handed to the Archive in 1958, well after the war, so I assume my dad handed it in himself, knowing it was important that it was preserved in an archive. ( I am only glad he didn't hand all his documents in or I wouldn't have been able to find out so much about his time at sea.) So might you consider Kew as a place of safe keeping? When I finish my research on my dad I will hand in his remaining papers to the Orkney Archive which is excellent. Is there a local archive which might be a good home for your dad's papers?

[Brian Hill-Samuel]

The following received from my colleague Prof J Smith, Curator at the American Merchant Marine Museum located within the grounds of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Great Neck, Long Island, New York

[I] "I would think the National Maritime Museum would love to have this, or the Imperial War Museum. Keep me posted on this—I’d really like to know where this collection goes."

Prof J Smith

[Ivan Cloherty]

[QUOTE=Elizabeth Copp;419932 Is there a local archive which might be a good home for your dad's papers?[/QUOTE]

See #1, they live in Geneva, which had very little interest in WWII apart from secreting funny money and artworks. I was a Marine Supt for a Swiss Shipping Company based in Lausanne, the exploits of the Swiss in WWII are not talked about in Switzerland, so very little chance of a local archive there. Although the Swiss people I worked with convinced themselves that Hitler did not invade Switzerland because of the superior quality of their own Armed Forces. Would have made a good sketch for the Two Ronnies.

[Joseph Caruana]

I agree with the suggestion that such a treasure should be passed on for posterity. My father did not leave a lot, but the very little he had i passed it on the Malta maritime museum and Heritage Malta.

[Valerie Mitchell]

Jacqueline and I are extremely grateful for all the very helpful suggestions on this thread and congratulations to those of you who have published after a similar experience! As I have just said to Brenda, we have made some progress already: we have scanned both the diary and the account book and I have transcribed the diary, as the yellowed paper and tiny handwriting, with many specialised abbreviations, would be difficult to read for most people. Considering the suggestions received, we intend, after a thorough proof-read, and the inclusion of a few photos and an introduction that we will write, to try self-publishing, with help from friends and possibly a professional publisher. We hope to print only a very few copies but to make the electronic version available to all the institutions mentioned in this thread as well as any interested 'BMN Old Friends Plus'. We will keep you posted about its completion - though I am sure this will not be in the immediate future! Many thanks to everyone for your very helpful comments.
Best wishes, Valerie and Jacqueline

[David C S Thompson]

Dear Valerie,

Your father was indeed the boss of the NE Division - now known as the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA). I have at least two pals, still living, who worked for him in the 1970's. He was known to them as Jack Mitchell. A good guy from their reports.

Kind regards, Capt David Thompson Chief Surveyor MCA (Retd)

[Fouro]

Re #26
I wonder if this Captain Thompson is related to the owners of the Sunday Post Ñewspaper.Co in Scotland.

Fouro.

[Terry Foskett]

Our father, John Falconer Mitchell (1914-2010), was born and educated in Sunderland, and after working at Wm. Doxford & Sons' shipyard and then at the drawing office at Geo. Clarkes Ltd. he joined the Merchant Navy as a marine engineer in 1937.
Again: what to do with this archive? Our hope is that some member of the British Merchant Navy Old Friends might have an idea of where to deposit the diary and other material related to our father’s service in the M.N. so as to make them available to anyone interested in this period of history. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Jacqueline and Valerie

Try the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Email contact for the Curator is Sarah.Starkey@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk