Hello

[Richard Halton]

Thanks for allowing me on the forum. I am hoping to collect information about my father Joseph Eric Halton who I never met. He entered into an apprenticeship with the Sun Shipping Co. in 1930, became a Sub-Lieutenant in the RNR in 1939 and finished as a Master with Everards in 1952. I have a list of the ships he served on except for part of WW2 so I am trying to collate the information and hopefully try to find out about some of the places he visited.
Richard Halton

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Richard
Welcome to the site and hopefully we may be able to assist.
We will nedd the Full name and Place and DOB ,so we can try and see if his Records are online,if so from there you can start to search for the things you do mot have on him
In the meantime sit back and enjoy what is on offer here
Cheers

[Ron B Manderson]

Welcome to the site Richard
Enjoy like we do
Ron The batcvae

[Richard Halton]

Hello Doc,
Thanks for your reply. He was Joseph Eric Halton, born in Northampton UK on 28/01/1914. Identity number R123290. I am intending to look for information in the National Archives but it all seems a bit confusing.
Best wishes,
Richard

[Doc Vernon]

Just a start if you dont have it already is his Medal Card available for dowenload at 3.50 GBP
cHEERS

Search results: Halton Eric | The National Archives

Reference:	BT 395/1/39522
Description:	Medal listing of Halton, Joseph Eric Discharge number: R123190 Date of Birth: 23 January 1914
Date:	[1946-2002]

Although his Medal Card is available I think that his Seamans Documents may not be but this is not certain.
According to this it looks grim trying to locate them,but I will persue and see what comes to hand

Fourth Register of Seamen, was started in

1913

and maintained until 1941. The entries for

1913-1918

were destroyed, therefore the register covers the period from 1918 to 1940.

[Richard Halton]

Thanks Doc. I have tried a few on-line enquiries and nothing comes up. I know which ships he served on except for a period in WW2 1942 -1944 where he says “various ships”. Is there a way of finding out which ports the ships visited as his records just show UK home ports and type of voyage as foreign. I would also like to know where he visited in WW2. I only know that he was on the Pretoria Castle when it was converted in 1939 and was based in Freetown and served on a liberty ship Samsteel in 1944 which visited Algiers. I have plenty of time to find out these things for myself, it’s just knowing where to start.
Best wishes,
Richard

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Richard
As you have a list of his Ships,the only way to find out where they went is to obtain the Voyage Records Cards which normally would be available at the Guildhall Library in London.
I got all my VRC from there and it has a lot of info.
Good Luck

Guildhall Library holdings

• Lloyd's List from 1741 to date (some early years are missing).
• The years 1827-1945 and 1976-2010 are held on microfilm.
• All other holdings are in hard copy format until December 2013 when publication in hard copy ceased.
• Voyage Record Cards 1927-c1975. A minimum of four working days' notice is required for consultation.

https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/thin...e-history.aspx

[Doc Vernon]

The Movement Card for the Ship Samsteel is available as well at the National Archives free on a visit there or Online Download at 3.50 GBP Cheers

Ship Name: Samsteel Former Ship Name: J H Robertson Gross Tonnage: 7219 | The National Archives

[Doc Vernon]

Also the Pretoria Castle Ex Warwick Castle same applies as above

Ship Name: Warwick Castle Former Ship Name: Pretoria Castle Gross Tonnage: ... | The National Archives

or

Ship Name: Pretoria Castle Gross Tonnage: 17392 Type of Card: NC | The National Archives

NB You can get a preview of the Documents if you scroll down the page that opens I bit but they bare of course all covered with the National Archive Watermarks so very hard to see,so best to order them.
Cheers

If you have the names of any other Ships around that time please do post them and I will look them up for you as the previous two.
Cheers

[Doc Vernon]

A trip to London from where you are would be a good and restful trip only about 110km ,so you could take a nice Drive ot Train it.
Would be best to stay over the Night to give you time at the National Archives.
Cheers