Missing information

[Helen Carter]

Hello
I’m looking for any information about my uncle, Kenneth R. Simon. We believe he served in the Merchant Navy during WW2, although we’re not sure in what capacity. There are no records for him at the National Archives and we don’t know his discharge number. He was born in 1924 and lived in West Yorkshire.
He regularly attended reunions until his death in 2017 though.
Hopefully somebody can help. Thank you

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Helen
Yes i have also checked and find no Record for him.
Have you yet tried to Email Southampton Archives and ask them there??

Also the possibility that he was not in the Merchant Navy and possibly the Royal Navy, that said you would have to get onto the MOD for any information.

I will still look around in case, as there are other avenues i can look into.
If i do find anything will post here for you
Good Luck
Cheers

Question

Would there have been any other spelling of his Surname ? Simons ? Was he born 4/12/24 ?
Just checking!

I now see that it is correct. Born in Dewsbury County of West Riding, Yorkshire. Mothers Surname "Benson"
So that puts us in a position of where is his Records!?? Mmmmm!

The search continues!

[Helen Carter]

Thank you so much. He is puzzling us all!
You have the correct person. His mother’s surname was Benson and he was registered at Dewsbury, born in Batley.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Helen
I know you have said that the NA had told you there wee no records, however i think that it was only a good guess at most, as they i doubt would have had time to search the full Archives, and would have had to charge you if they did, therefore i do suggest that possibly if you are willing to Pay a search fee to them (Initial fee of 8GBP) then they would sent you an Email to tell you if they have found any Records for him.

So to start if you first Join the Archives (Free Service) or you may already be a Member) then just follow this Link, it will guide you through the Process.
If your Uncle was in the Merchant Navy and according to dates i have worked out, then he should for sure have a CRS10 Cards Record.
Wishing you best of luck, and PLEASE let us now how things go.
Thank You
Good Luck
Cheers

Simms J to Simpson Albert William | The National Archives

Please give as much info as you possibly can when applying Helen, the more the better.

[Helen Carter]

Hello I’ve just spent 3 days at TNA. A lot of the files had to be gone through for redaction and so were checked through. A very helpful member of staff suggested other avenues and helped with the search. Still no luck. The whole family believes he was in the Merchant Navy and once he sailed to Australia on a merchant vessel and said how he’d loved it as it reminded him of his service days. So we’re mightily puzzled!

[Doc Vernon]

Weird and very strange Helen indeed if he was in the Merchant Service!??
But if there are no Files well i guess that possibility is there that he was not!??

Do you know of hand if they checked that particular Series i gave the Link for though???

Very Puzzling!
Cheers

Dont forget the Southampton Archives Helen

Added

PS Helen i have sent an Email to Southampton,to try and see if they have any inf on him, so in the meantime just sit tight and lets see what i get back. They say it may take up to 21 days to reply .
Cheers

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Merchant Navy RecordsHIDE

Southampton Archives hold a wealth of Merchant Navy and shipping records, including records of merchant naval personnel, crew lists and records of shipping lines. Sources include:

• Crew lists for Southampton-registered vessels (or some other vessels which regularly sailed from the port), 1863-1913
• The Central Index Register of Seamen, including over a million and a quarter record cards with details (and sometimes photographs) of those serving on board British-registered vessels 1918-1941
• Records of shipping lines, including Furness Withy Shipping Line (incorporating Royal Mail Line and Prince Line); Shaw Savill & Albion service records

Records are available to view in the Archives; additionally, the Central Index Register is available via Find My Past, which is accessible for free in Southampton City Libraries. We also offer a research service to search the Central Index Register on your behalf.


Our collections

[Johnny Kieran]

The only thing that I can think of, is did he obtain and use a monkey discharge book?
They were available at times in certain places. I don't know how records were kept, but I did know of seamen that lost their books for some reason or another, that obtained monkey books, and sailed using such books.
An example was too many DRs, or confiscation of a genuine book for some reason or other.
There must be others on here that had knowledge of such. One guy I knew, never had a genuine discharge book to start with. He had been in the RN, then, for some reason, failed to get a genuine book, hence the monkey one. As far as I know, he was never rumbled.

[j.sabourn]

#7. Wasn’t only discharge books Johnny was certificates of competency . You could if knew the right people for a price buy in Taiwan , previous to that was I believe in Hong Kong.. I know of 3 cases of such but all 3 were finally exposed , one of them had no reason to use, but the other 2 did . The DTI did at various times do a check and the first and obvious giveaway was the number on the certificate , there were other pointers however going in deeper if the holder had ticked a registered number in use.Cheers JS.
As regards Dis.A books if he dumped on purpose,it would say it was replacement book, where the original had been lost, and the one now in use was a replacement. His DRs however would have been kept on record probably in Cardiff with all the other log book entries. You could buy counterfeit dog licences to marriage Licences or any other licence or forgery at one time in Taiwan, most people bought them for a keepsake however , only the crooks tried to use them. Cheers JS.

[Johnny Kieran]

The only place I knew of where you could get a monkey book, was in the pub near the Seamans union at the London royal docks, can't remember the name of it. Can't even remember how much they cost. I think they supplied any other paperwork involved, like certificates and such.