SS Rother & Merchant Navy

[Hugh]

By the way if you need the Full Service of any Seaman that still has Records , you will need to obtain his CRS10 as that gives all his Sea Service . So not sure but there may then be CRS10 for those even if Died at Sea? Hugh ???

Vernon/Scott, they will both have a CRS 10 as they will have served between January 1941 and December 1972 - a death at sea will not affect that.

So i found this in the Deaths at Sea register, funny that only one of the two have other Records at the NA, BUT THAT IS NORMAL AS I HAVE FOUND THAT THOSE THAT DIED AT sEA DONT SEEM TO HAVE rECORDS KEPT AT THE na. Possibly somewhere else!? Hugh may come up with some answer on this??

I think what you mean is that there are usually no Seaman's Pouch [BT 372) for those that died at sea and this is quite common. Many of the Pouches were destroyed in 1969. Many researchers looking online for seamen's records assume incorrectly that there are no records if they don't find a Pouch. As we know not all records are easily available online.

Hi Vernon - your #27 unfortunately not the right man. George Alan Osburn R19497 was born in Goole Yorkshire on 7 August 1906. He first went to sea in 1927 aboard DOMINO official number, 148423, and as we know his last ship was ROTHER in 1943.

For those interested, records prior to January 1941 are held in the Fourth Register of Seamen (1913-1940) although the cards for (1914-1917) have mostly not survived. The originals are held at Southampton City Archives with duplicate copies available at TNA Kew and on £paysite FMP.

There are two cards held for George Alan Osburn which I will attach for you which pretty much give a full range of his voyages although with the premis that those records do contain omissions and some mistakes.

Regards
Hugh

[Hugh]

Hi Hugh,

Where do you find the info on Carpenter like he joined the ship in New York in 1943.
Reason I ask is so that I can look things up in future for myself.
But I will always come back to the forum and ask questions too.

Hi Scott,

If you have access to the New York Passenger Lists which are available on £paysites Ancestry or FMP you can check if there is any listings for any seaman who may have arrived at some point in NY as the crew manifests had to be recorded by the authorities. Glad to hear that you will share the results of your quest with the forum - it would be good to hear what you eventually find with regard to those seamen. I know from personal experience that researching can actually take years to get a result but very much worth it in the end and I wish you all the best in your quest.

Regards
Hugh

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Vernon - your #27 unfortunately not the right man. George Alan Osburn R19497 was born in Goole Yorkshire on 7 August 1906. He first went to sea in 1927 aboard DOMINO official number, 148423, and as we know his last ship was ROTHER in 1943.

Thanks for correction Hugh, and sorry for wrong info Scott! Get mixed up at times i guess with these!
But Hugh has given the correct one , so all good!
Cheers

[Scott McIntosh]

Hi All,

1 last mystery to solve.

Some time after the accident a few newspaper articles had surfaced about the accident and a reader had sent a letter in claiming to be a survivor.

His name is given as I W Laverack very similar to Walter Laverack.

He gives his address as MV Melrose Abbey.

It was largely because of this letter that none of the names were added to the memorial plate outside the British Legion in Longniddry.

I know its a long shot but is there any way to find an I W Laverack on any of the MV Melrose Abbey ships log and prove this part of the mystery.

I think it possible that a man with a very similar name to one of the victims survived and then wrote to the newspaper leading to the researcher and interested parties believing that they had a previously dead sailor now writing about surviving. Of course they couldnt publish the names. The names of all the victims hadnt been discovered at the time either so the list would have been incomplete.

It appears the letter appeared in the paper during 1968 If that helps with a time frame.

Over to you please help me solve this one. I am more than willing to look up records and dont expect you all to do the work but I feel this one is worth solving.

- - - Updated - - -

sorry for wrong info Scott! Get mixed up at times i guess with these!
Cheers

No apologies required Doc. We all do this its only human. Always good to have a second person there to pull you up too. Good things come from double checks.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Scott Hugh is offline for a while due to Computer Probs!
But i know when he has sorted that out he will see your latest post and reply!

I am in the dark a bit on this ?
Cheers

Only thing i know is that there may be a Crew list for that Ship at the Archives!, either in Canada or the one in Kew!
What Year are we talking of here please!

Melrose Abby old one.JPG

[Scott McIntosh]

I W Laverack writes to the newspaper during 1968 it appears as is stated in some personal documents from a previous researcher that I have copies of.

[Doc Vernon]

I W Laverack writes to the newspaper during 1968 it appears as is stated in some personal documents from a previous researcher that I have copies of.

So then i presume the Ship in Question would not be the old one as above , but a newr one >??
Excuse my ignorance here Scott! Cheers

[Scott McIntosh]

Possibly. It would depend on the length of service of the Melrose Abbey I guess. Tracking down the Melrose from era to era might be the way forward and hopefully get near to 1968 and get a good crew list with the right name on the list.

I am thinking that as he gives the MV Melrose Abbey as his address that in1968 he is still working onboard and that a period crewlist should showhis name.

Otherwise Im just clutching at straws and I dont know what time period his time with Melrose is based on.

A minor detail in the story that can be told without it and can be added in once the story is complete.

I have enough to tell tell the complete story now. I only hope I do it justice.

[Doc Vernon]

There were a few of them with the some name Scott.
But with what you say more than likely one of these three@!
Sure Hugh will come up with something when he can get back!

160830 5196830 1929 MELROSE ABBEY II 1908 1958 V1929 #444
162109 1162109 1936 MELROSE ABBEY 2472 V1936 #347
5231862 5231862 1959 MELROSE ABBEY 2741 V1959 #495

[Scott McIntosh]

I would say 1968 then its going to be the 1959 MV Melrose Abbey.