Crs10

[vic mcclymont]

In simple terms how do you access these records online?
I have tried everything, any help appreciated.
Vic

[DeepSea]

You can't access these records on line. You can find the block an individuals records are held and the BT file needing to be checked, but to see the actual records of an individual you need to visit Kew in person or get a researcher to do it, once you have the BT file number.

[Doc Vernon]

As said by Deep Sea Vic one can only access these by going in Person or getting a Researcher,you can make a Request Online once you have the Reference abd Batch Number ,but have found that doing that,in most all cases you only get a reply that is somewhat negative,but there are those that i know have managed to obtain theirs online,just lucky i would say.
It is also costly a process to say the least,wheras to go in Person is Free.

To start you have to look in BT382 Series in name order search so sat for EG you want to look for a name between

	Heywood F M to Higgins A You would search and come up with this Reference: BT 382/2458 Dates: 1941 Jan 01 - 1972 Dec 31 From there with the Internet Link you follow the Instructions as a Request ,but as said ?? Heywood F M to Higgins A | The National Archives Example only and this is for Years indicated,there are also Years earlier Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

Earlier Years another EG only Vic is

NB If ever requesting any of these online make sure that if possible you have the persons Seamans Pouch Reference as well as the CRS10 Ref of course,and as much other info as possible,this will make it a lot easier for them at Kew,and make sure you request only the Person in question ,as otherwise you will land up with many many Documents that would be impossible to give to you.
Cheers

Walker Edward to Walker Kevin John | The National Archives

Walker Edward to Walker Kevin John

Dates:	1941 Jan 01 - 1972 Dec 31 Walker Edward to Walker Kevin John | The National Archives

[Doc Vernon]

Just of General interest may I add that many CR1 CR2 and CRS10 and some CR10 Cards are available to be seen on Find My Past,this is of course at a cost of being a Member,either a Yearly Sub,or one can Pay as you Go Credits.
Cheers

The Seamans Pouches are most all available for direct Download on the NA Website, again though at a cost after Requesting that now cost some 8 GBP which was free at first for the Request,so now a double Whammy!
Cheers

[DeepSea]

Just to add a bit more to Doc's post. The findmypast MN records are from the Fourth Register covering 1913-1940, except all the records from 1913-1918 actually no longer exist.

[John Arton]

Following on Vics inquiry, I have my father's discharge book and many other pieces of information about him that I put together in a open office document that I made up for my brother and sisters. The only missing information I had was the period from 1941-1945 when he was captain on rescue tugs. I know which tugs he was in command of but only have a single piece of paper regarding what the Admiralty term " services given" to a vessel what I would love to have is a full record of what towage/salvage/convoy duties he carried out during the period he was in rescue tugs. I don't know if Kew would hold such records or if the voyage record cards at the London guildhall would have any such information. If anyone on the site can point me in the right direction I would be most grateful as all my internet searches have come up blank.
Rgds
J.A.

[DeepSea]

I’ve never researched Log Books for the DSRT, but It is possible the records you require are held the same as other Merchant Navy vessels, held at Kew under the ships Official No. These numbers should appear next to the tugs name in his Discharge Book.

Information on Deep Sea Rescue Tugs from my old website

The service which had been disbanded at the end of WWI was reintroduced in September 1939. These Rescue Tugs were first crewed by volunteers from the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet until the Tug Neptunia, 798grt (Overseas Towage & Salvage Co.) was sunk on 13th September by U-29. The Admiralty introduced an armed Rescue Tug Service on 12th October 1939 were suitable Tugs were used by the Navy. Merchant Seamen would be used to crew some of these Tugs after signing what was called a T124T agreement which brought them under the authority and discipline of the Royal Navy whilst keeping their Merchant Navy pay and conditions.

A base camp and barracks were created in the fishing village of Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre and named HMS Minona, another was set up across the North Atlantic in ST Johns Newfoundland where some 216 men from Newfoundland joined under the T124T agreement. The Tugs were based at ports near to the Atlantic including Loch Ewe, Oban, and Londonderry, but as the submarine war spread further across the Atlantic some ships were based in Iceland. Later on in the war as the production grew of these Rescue Tugs they could be found in Algiers, Malta, Gibraltar, Alexandria and out into the Indian Ocean at Colombo. Initially the Tugs would be required to only respond to casualties which had been under the Commander in Charge of the Western Approaches until the time when enough Tugs were in circulation so one could accompany its own convoy. A single Tug would accompany the slower Atlantic Convoys which could take up to three weeks to complete the crossing sometimes in the most atrocious weather the North Atlantic could offer.

During the war years the Rescue Tugs were responsible for saving, excluding fishing vessels and ships under 500grt, 750 British & Commonwealth, 140 American, and 245 allied and neutral Merchant ships, saving 3 million tonnes of supplies and equipment as well as 254 allied Warships. To try and put this in to some perspective, the Tanker Athelviscount was towed 750 miles in ten days with the whole of her aft end blown away, was rebuilt and traded for another fifteen years which would of been impossible without the work of these men and ships.

In the build up to the Normandy landings on 6th June 1944 the immense task of transporting the Mulberrry Harbour which would be used to supply the allies in the invasion of Europe was left to the Rescue Tugs of which 160 were deployed for this task which also included the towing and sinking 59 Merchant ships to form a breakwater. Tugs were also used to tow the huge drums for the Pluto pipeline which supplied 1.25 million gallons of fuel every day to the liberating armies.

The unbelievable work done by these men of the Rescue Tugs had a high price to pay. Below is a list of all the British & her Commonwealth Rescue Tugs that were lost during WWII, either through enemy action or overcome by the forces of nature.

Adept, Adherent, Alliance, Assurance, Athelete, Captive, Caroline Moller, Coringa, Daisy, Englishman, Fairplay II, Guardsman, Hellespont, Hesperia, Horsa, Indira, Muria, Napia, Neptuna, Peuplier, Roode Zee, Salvage King, Saucy I, Sea Gem, Sesame, Sir Bevois, St Abbs, St Breok, St Cyrus,, St Dominic, St Fagan , St Issey, St Just, St Olaves, St Samson, Tien Hsing, Twente, West Cocker, West Dean, Wo Kwang, Yin Ping.

[Doc Vernon]

Hello JA
If you can supply the Names of those Tugs he was on i will look and see what there may be at the Archives,no promises mind but will look for you.
Also will need his Full name DOB and Place of Birth this will assist in any research
Cheers

[j.sabourn]

Towing is a branch of seamanship on its own. My limited knowledge was with mainly with oil rigs , but have also towed barges. I was always willing to listen to more experienced people in towing and learned more from them than elsewhere. There is a foreign going tugmasters cert. of competency , but have only met 3 people who held this. Most were like myself just ordinary mariners who had to learn as fast as possible.Your seamanship and bosuns manuals may be alright for the basic rules of towing, but nothing is as good as actual experience. To get to the nitty gritty parts of towing is best to talk to an experienced tug master and try and pick his brain. F.G. Tugs observed the samerules as all foreign going vessels and their masters names and cert. numbers would be on the vessels certificate of Registry as always. Does anyone know what happens to a vessels cert. of Registry when that vessel ceases to exist?. JS