Martin Blanchfield BEM

[Hugh]

You need to firstly obtain his CRS 10 from Kew.

His CRS 10 - service record from Jan, 1941 - should be held at The National Archives Kew in piece BT 382/140 - Blakeman A to Bland W J | The National Archives
This file should, if it has survived, give details of all his ships from this date and once you have that information we can go check whether any served in the Arctic and hunt down crew agreements if you need them.
He has a Combined Office Merchant Navy Office (COMNO) Pouch held at Kew in piece BT 391/9/50 - Name: Blanchfield, Martin. Service number: 1043709. Date of birth: 29/11/1899. | The National Archives - this means he must have served at Normandy around D Day and beyond.

Regards
Hugh

[Hugh]

Use ConvoyWeb to find out about convoys - put in the name of the ship in this link - Arnold Hague Convoy Database
BRITISH STATESMAN was on a Russian convoy RA 56 in February 1944 - Arnold Hague convoy database - RA convoys
Also on JW 55B.

Regards
Hugh

[Deasy]

Hi Hugh that's really helpful. Will contact Kew again to see what they have. You are correct about D-Day, we know he was there a couple of days after invasion.

Can you please send me the reference you found linking him and his BEM to the mv British Statesman, that would be very useful.

Thanks again

[Doc Vernon]

A great minefield of info Hugh! As always you are a Genius on all this!
Great stuff !
Cheers

[Hugh]

See the attached from my copy of Seedie's Awards to the Merchant Navy.
What we cannot be sure of at this stage is what the award was for. He was listed in the 1944 Birthday Honour's List and the ship name is given. That can mean the award was retrospective to the action in 1941or something else. The proof would be what the CRS 10 says about the dates of service on this ship.

Regards
Hugh

[Ron B Manderson]

Hi Deasy ..Welcome... to the site.,
Enjoy the banter
Ron the batcave

[Deasy]

Much appreciated Hugh. Will try to join those two dots and will let you know the result. Cheers.

[Ivan Cloherty]

A great minefield of info Hugh!
Cheers

I think you may mean 'a mine of information' Doc, a minefield is a dangerous place to be, but I do agree with you that Hugh always comes up trumps for which we are ever indebted.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Deasy.
Welcome to the site, Hugh's list of ships given in post 9# is just that, ships he served on, they wouldn't have been in convoys like you asked in your post 10# as he served on them prior to 39, just thought I'd mention that.
Cheers Des

[Evan Lewis]

An Amazing Man! for sure.

Apart from being only Fifteen -Sixteen yrs. of age. First or second Battle of the Somme.

Surviving such a severe wounding. Then joining ,the Wartime M.N. With all those extra dangers involved,and surviving that too.

Just the physical demands of the job .Specially those high Masts ,Crosstrees Stays etc.,on the B.T.C's .He no doubt had to contend with, during his progress to Bos'n.

We hear so much now ,of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Only today, reading of one ex seaman.Went to Vietnam seven times, as a Crew ,member on two large R.A.N. ships. He doesn't sleep well. Big Deal!