Hello

[Hugh]

Hello Ros and welcome,

On the front it says 'not at present employed at sea' and he was an 'asst std'.
On the reverse of the card it says....'unfilled continuous certificate of discharge for the following reason: 1st issue' and I cannot figure out what that means. The date of discharge was March 1946, so does that mean my relative left the merchant navy for good?

Where are you seeing this as it is not on the CR1 card that Vernon posted?

For me a picture paints a thousand words and the actual copy of the document that you are quoting from actually helps quite a lot as It can give up information and context that can be easily missed by a transcription no matter how good that transcription.

Regards
Hugh

[Ros Fitz]

Hi Hugh,
Yes, the photo of the document I have of the CR1 was from the National Archives, so shows more information than the one kindly posted in this forum. I've had it since 2005 and was at a loss as to how to proceed! I am pleased to have come across this website but understand I might not get any further forward with what happened to my Uncle.
Thank you for your reply. Would it help if I posted a copy of the one I have?
Kind regards, Ros

[Hugh]

Yes please Ros.

Regards
Hugh

[Ros Fitz]

Thank you, Hugh
Here are the images of the CR1
Kind regards, Ros
NormanFitz_1.jpg
NormanFitz_1a.jpg

[Hugh]

Hello Ros,
Thanks for posting the CR1 card. The first thing to note is that they are not the same cards as posted by Vernon in #8.
The interesting thing that I picked up straight away on the card posted by Vernon was the penciled-in mark, T124T on the top left hand side next to the CR1 name. This indicates that he served on a T124 agreement the last T in this case indicates service on tugs. The second CR1 that you posted confirms this with the name of HM Rescue Tug MINONA - this was the base ship for the rescue tug service based at Campbeltown, Scotland. The rescue tugs were manned by merchant seamen on a T124T Agreement and they were effectively part of the Royal Navy while on the Agreement. They retained their Merchant Navy pay and conditions but were subject to the Naval Discipline Act.

Regards
Hugh

[Keith Tindell]

Well, there we go Hugh, we all learn everyday on this site. I never knew that agreement existed, regards KT

[Ros Fitz]

Thank you for this information, Hugh...something for me to think about! I appreciate it.
Kind regards, Ros

[Hugh]

Hello Ros,

#8

PS Cannot locate his CRS10 at this time,so possibly its not there or lost?
But Hugh may come up with it as he is very good at this too!

His service records will not be held in a CRS 10 as he was effectively administrated by the Royal Navy unless of course he only spent a short time there in which case there may be nothing there.
I suspect his service record will be held at Kew in piece BT 390/170 Best obtained by visit to Kew as it will be expensive to obtain online. If a visit to Kew is out of the question I can put you in touch with someone who will copy it for you for around a fiver.

#1

The date of discharge was March 1946, so does that mean my relative left the merchant navy for good?

No not necessarily so. The date of discharge on the CR1 would indicated a discharge from HMS MINONA. It is possible that he could then have continued at sea in the Merchant Navy and if he did then there is still the possibility of further service records held in his CRS 10.

Regards
Hugh

[Doc Vernon]

Just some offbeat Information!

All ratings engaged in U.K. will be directed to proceed to Campbeltown
to report to the Commander in Charge, Rescue Tug Base. On arrival th ey will
be medically examined as to their fitness for service a t sea, notwithstanding any
previous examination th a t may have been made, and if passed as fit will sign the
T.124T Agreement for H.M. Rescue Tug “ Minona ” a t the Mercantile Marine
Office, Campbeltown. Until appointed or drafted elsewhere both Officers and
ratings will be borne on th e books of H.M.S. “ Nimrod ” .
3. The agreement will be signed in quadruplicate, each copy being marked
either A, B, C or D in th e space printed a t th e top right hand corner and will be
distributed as follows :—
(A) To C.R.T.B., Campbeltown, for transmission to H.M.S. “ Nimrod ” .
This copy will accompany th e pay documents of the Officer or rating
when he is drafted.
(B) To the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen, Llantrisant Road,
Llandaff, Cardiff.
(C) (1) Officers—To the Captain in Charge, Rescue Tugs, Admiralty.
(2) Ratings—To C.R.T.B., Campbeltown, to be retained for record
purposes.
(D) The Director of Navy Accounts (Branch 4 for Officers ; Branch 3 for
ratings), Admiralty, Bath.
N .B .—To assist in the identification of personnel, th e instructions contained in
A.F.O. 129/43 for T.124X Agreements will also be carried out for T.124T

No engagement is to be effected unless applicant has been properly released
from any other previous contract of service, e.g., Merchant Navy Reserve Pool.
5. Personnel rejected as unfit for sea service are to be returned to the ir homes
(without pay or allowances) and issued with a free railway warrant for the journey.
6. For purposes of identification of every officer and rating, th e Merchant
Seaman’s Discharge Book (Dis A.) will be used and it is important to enter the
number of th e book preceded by the letters R.T.P. on th e agreement. This will
be regarded as th e official number and is to be quoted on all subsequent documents,
ledgers, reports, signals and correspondence.
7. The Discharge Books will be sent to th e Registrar-General of Shipping and
Seamen after th e engagement particulars have been entered. For a new entrant
who does n o t produce a Dis. A., either a continuation book or a new book will be
issued by the Superintendent of Mercantile Marine Office after he has enquired
from the Registrar-General of Shipping and Seamen whether or n o t a book is
already in issue. When a new book is issued th e form C.R.l which is forwarded
to R.G.S.S. by the Superintendent will be endorsed “ issued on engagement T.124T.”







Campbeltown



Base ship - NIMROD at Campbeltown



Anti-submarine Training Ship - NEMESIS at Campbeltown



39th Anti-Submarine Group - anti-submarine trawlers BRETWALDA (ex-ADMINISTRATEUR DE BOURNAT), French L’ATLANTIQUE, both at Campbeltown, anti-submarine whalers BEDLINGTON (ex-TERJE 3) at Ardrossan repairing, BOARHOUND (ex-TERJE 2), SPANIEL (ex-TERJE 1), both at Campbeltown, anti-submarine yacht TUSCARORA (SO, ) at Campbeltown



84th Anti-Submarine Group – French torpedo boats LE CORDELIERE in Clyde in care and maintenance repairing, LA FLORE at Campbeltown, L’INCOMPRISE at Ardrossan, British anti-submarine yachts SHEMARA (SO, ) at Campbeltown, ST MODWEN at Ardrossan repairing, VALENA at Ardrossan, anti-submarine yacht CARINA at Campbeltown



Anti-Submarine Target Vessel - ICEWHALE at Fairlie



Boom Defence Vessel - GIRARD at Campbeltown



Harbour Defence Patrol Craft - yachts JESTER, ROBIN HOOD repairing to comp 2 Feb, SILVER FOX, all in Clyde



Rescue Tug Base Ship - MINONA at Campbeltown



Rescue tug Accommodation Ship - VIGILANT at Campbeltown



Air Sea Rescue Service - rescue boat COCKAWEE at Port Ellen

[Ros Fitz]

Thank you again, Hugh...I will get back to you about the possibility of Kew...very helpful. Would he definitely have a service record? (this might be a silly question!)
Regards, Ros