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T.S. Vindicatrix |
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Association HQ |
Medals and Memorials
Over a period of time, I have received many enquires and requests for help in finding details of any medals to which Merchant Seamen who served during WW2, might have been eligible to claim. Other enquiries have come from relatives, looking for records of those who were lost during the same war. To address both these requests I have brought together information from both the National Archive and C.W.G.C. websites .
Medals
To search the records for any MN WW2 Medals to which a seaman might be entitled, go to this search page at the National Archive.
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If you are able to come up with a positive result, you will then be invited to pay £3.50 online for a PDF file download, which will take the form of a photocopied page of the one in which you are interested, plus 18 other records on a Cardex system tray; part of a sample page I show below.
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To decode what the various abbreviations and symbols mean, go to this page which also describes the criteria used in the entitlement of the Medals as well as containing this important quote. Remember, a medal might have been claimed and issued, after records had been passed to the National Archive at Kew.
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BT 395 records the medals claimed and issued, rather than the entitlement to medals, which is held at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS). Remember that these medals were not issued automatically, but had to be claimed. If you are enquiring about a seaman's entitlement you should begin by contacting the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen at: Registry of Shipping & Seamen MCA Cardiff Anchor Court, Ocean Way CARDIFF CF24 5JW TEL: 029 20448800 FAX: 029 20448820
Campaign Medals: Campaign Medals for WWII and post war are issued to Merchant Seafarers or close family members if deceased, upon receipt of proof of sea service in specific theatres of war. Contact: Neil.staples@mcga.gov.uk Tel. 029 20448839 The RSS holds the most up-to-date records relating to the award of medals to merchant seamen during the World War Two. If they cannot find an entitlement listed and you would like to check whether there is one, they can advise you about the evidence they need. Have a look at the research guide Merchant Seamen: Medals and Honours in the Catalogue for more details and how to gather evidence. Please note that the medal papers retained by the RSS are no longer complete. |
At the moment, the the National Archive page hasn't been updated to include mention of the newly instituted Arctic Star, but you will find reference to it and other medal information on the website of the Veteran's Agency. or the Merchant Navy Assn. site
MN Veteran's Badge
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Full details of the rules of eligibility and how to obtain the MN Veteran's Badge can be found on the HM Government, Veteran's Department website, by clicking on this link.
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Memorials
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has a search page, which records Merchant Seaman, as well as the three Armed Services of both WW1 and WW2.
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As well as giving brief details, it also records the War Graves Cemetery or Monument on which the death was recorded.
You can find help with the Kew website, for searching other MN-related matters via this link. If you need any help, please contact me by e-mail.
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