Pleasure steamer

[Jon Bee]

I'm looking for information about my brother's late father.

He worked as a steward on a Brighton pleasure steamer around 1939/40. Would he have been a member of the Merchant Navy? He later joined the Royal Navy, as a steward.

I have no idea what ship he worked on, but I believe the majority of ships were owned by P & A Campbell. Are their records still available?

[Keith at Tregenna]

Full name, DOB and place of birth etc, may help.

Keith.

[Jon Bee]

Thanks for your reply.

He was Michael Joseph Banner. Born in 1920, Dundalk, Co. Louth. That's all we have. Sorry to be so vague.

My brother never met Mr Banner, his parents were divorce shortly after WW2 and he moved away from Brighton.

Mr Banner received a MID during the war for rescuing passengers from a torpedoed troop carrier, SS Yoma, when he was serving on a minesweeper, HMS MMS 105
His RN service number was LTLX30097.

[Doc Vernon]

Will look into this later , as at present looks like the NA Site is down??
Cheers

If you are after his R N Service Record read the following link.
Cheers

Finding Service Records | National Museum of the Royal Navy (nmrn.org.uk)


Remembering Campbells' Steamers (livingmags.co.uk)

Bristol Channel (paddlesteamers.info)


And just for interest

SS Yoma torpedoed – 451 troops lost – World War II Today (ww2today.com)

[Keith at Tregenna]

RE: Brighton pleasure steamer around 1939/40 - I would take this as a paddle steamer, period between wars -
in peace time and a Public service vessel, the crew being MN. Many PS vessels were requisitioned in World War II
as minesweepers, hence becoming RN. Some of the crew may have been retained under agreement.

K.

.

[Jon Bee]

Hi

Thanks for what you've discovered.

I've seen most of the info that's on Ancestry and the tree's you've found were created by his daughter, who wants to find more about her family history - which is tangled to say the least. Awkwardly, my brother is now living in New Zealand and has changed his surname, which is probably going to cause issues getting the RN service info.

The MID was for rescuing survivors of the SS Yoma. I've been unable to find the full details why he was given the award, his Captain's report on the awful event.
I'm confused by the journey to the US in 1942, but after this length of time I'd be daft to believe I'd find every event detailed.

I did wonder if he had continued to work in the Merchant Navy, thanks for finding he was working on ships in 1957.

Thank you for continuing to look, my niece passes on her thanks.

[Jon Bee]

I guessed it was probably one of the Campbell ships. I only recently discovered he worked ships based in Brighton. I'd been under the impression he was a Merchant seaman who was travelling the world. There's a possibility he went to France as crew on one of the "Little Ships" who bought the troops back from Dunkirk. We'd need his RN service record to find out if he was.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Possibly the Paddle steamer Brighton Belle.

https://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk...dle-steamers-9

[Doc Vernon]

I guessed it was probably one of the Campbell ships. I only recently discovered he worked ships based in Brighton. I'd been under the impression he was a Merchant seaman who was travelling the world. There's a possibility he went to France as crew on one of the "Little Ships" who bought the troops back from Dunkirk. We'd need his RN service record to find out if he was.

See my post #4 for Link to apply for his RN Records
Cheers

I find no record of him in the Merchant Navy but could well be there somewhere, possibly applying to the Southampton Archives for Original if he was in Merchant Navy??


Re post by Marian ?

Steward in the Royal Navy 1940. J.X.164344 RN. ??

Just wondering why there would be different Service Numbers for one person?? I have not heard of such. ??

Original post by you

His RN service number was LTLX30097 ????

[Jon Bee]

I wouldn't be surprised if they steamer companies took on non-skilled people like Mr Banner as seasonal staff would be in restaurants in the town. I'm sure they still work this way with those huge floating cities that are parked up all over the world.

Mr Banner was born in Eire and wouldn't have had to have signed up for the forces in the war, but like so many thousands of others he did. That could possibly be why he had 2 different service numbers. I'll be leaving my niece to sort out his RN records, she's far more organised than I'll ever be.