SS Nerissa's Masters in WW2

[Bill Dziadyk]

I am doing some research for a 2nd edition of my book S.S. Nerissa, the Final Crossing

There were 3 Masters of the Furness Bermuda ship SS Nerissa during WW2.

• William A Charlton from the beginning of the war until July 1940.

• H. Dawson for one wartime crossing (21 July – 7 Aug 1940) from Liverpool to Halifax.

• Gilbert Ratcliffe Watson from Aug 1940 until his ship was sunk by U-552 about 100 nm NW of Ireland on 30 April 1941.

I have been unsuccessful in finding any details of either Charlton’s or Dawson’s MN career in Furness or in other MN ships before and after their being Masters of the S.S. Nerissa.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

[Doc Vernon]

I guess you may already have looked here, which would give you the Crew list for the dates hopefully?
Then from there it may say which were the either following or previous ships ?
Not too sure on this though
Cheers

https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...=BT110/1778/10

Search results: 147369 | The National Archives 1940

Search results: 147369 | The National Archives 1941

Of course then there is their CRS10 Documents which would hold all their Sea Service Records would have to apply and pay of course!

Any ideas on their Birth Years , and place of births????
Cheers

[Bill Dziadyk]

Doc
Thankyou.
I will follow the Nat Archives threads ...
Bill

[Bill Dziadyk]

One of the readers of my book “S.S. Nerissa, the Final Crossing, 2nd Edition” was Anthony Hickey, a retired journalist. Anthony is also a member of this forum and he has been doing research related to the impact of the Battle of the Atlantic on neutral Ireland. The main impact being the bodies and wreckage washing ashore onto the Irish coast. We have been collaborating in further research related to bodies from the Nerissa washing ashore in Ireland.

Based upon our analysis of historical records, we believe that the remains of a merchant navy officer which washed ashore at Ashleam, Achill Sound, on or about 28 June 1941 (buried in Achill Sound Church of Ireland graveyard; the CWGC headstone bearing the inscription "A Master") are those of the Master of the S.S. Nerissa, Gilbert Ratcliffe Watson. The supporting evidence includes that the body was wearing the uniform of a Merchant Navy ship’s Master with four gold braid bands with the two centre bands knotted. Watson was wearing this uniform when he fired three flares and yelled 'Good luck boys' as he went down with his ship.

In the last week of May 1941, the body of a woman washed ashore near Rossport, Co. Mayo. This body could be that of either the passenger Elizabeth Lomas (age 26) or the Nerissa stewardess Hilda Lynch (age 34). The related police reports, which would offer further evidence and clues, have not yet been located in the Irish Archives.

Also in the last week of May 1941, the body of a young man dressed in a naval officer’s uniform was washed ashore at Doonfeeney, Upper Ballycastle, Co. Mayo. Based upon our analysis of the historical records, we now believe that these remains are those of Sub Lieutenant Barnett Harvey (age 20), Royal Canadian Navy (buried in unmarked grave number 814 in the Ballycastle church cemetery).

Anthony’s web site provides a summary of our current findings.

A related addendum “The Atlantic Northwesterlies” has recently been included with my book.

Bill Dziadyk