On Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:44:08 -0700, Martin Willcocks <martinwill2@comcast.net> wrote: >As always, Forrest, your replies are tremendously valuable to everyone >on this list. Thank you. I try to mention things which might be of interest to other members of the list, as well as to the original poster. >Another greatuncle, Arthur Henry SAWDON, had previously owned and >captained a merchant ship in Whitby, Yorks, the LIBEA (renamed WYFAX), >and served during WW II as a merchant ship Captain on the Atlantic >Convoys. He was discharged at Glasgow, presumably returning to Whitby >from there. That was about the only item about him I could find on TNA... Was that the following entry in the catalogue at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/search.asp ...? ------------------------------------------------------------------ BT Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies BT 372 Board of Trade: Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen: Central Register of Seamen: Seamen's Recor ... 1913-1972 BT 372/2265/59 R721876 SAWDON A 01/10/1943 GLASGOW 1913 - 1972 ------------------------------------------------------------------ >and I don't know if serving on the convoys would entitle anyone to a >medal or only if a ship he was on happened to be engaged in enemy >action. Regarding qualification for the various WW2 campaign medals, there was no requirement to be in contact with the enemy. The National Archives have recently made their WW2 medal records for merchant seamen available on-line. These records form the BT 395 collection, and the page describing the collection and the relevant medals at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/seamens-medals.asp says: -------------- BT 395 contains a record of World War Two Medals claimed and issued to Merchant Seamen from 1946 to 2002. Medals were not automatically issued, but had to be claimed by the veteran. Following the war, medal papers were raised including details of a seaman's service. These were sent to ports for the veteran to sign, confirming the accuracy of the information, and were then returned to the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen (RGSS) in Cardiff. Each entry in BT 395 gives details of the seaman's name and the medals, ribbons and clasps issued, together with a reference to the medal papers file, held at the Registry of Shipping and Seamen (RSS). Usually, his discharge book number and date and place of birth are listed too. -------------- The search page is at <http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/browse-refine.asp?CatID=12&searchType=browserefine&pagenumber=1&query=*&queryType=1> and you can input the details of any WW2 merchant seaman to see if there is a medal record. However, there is a catch, which you may have spotted. The leaflet goes on to say: ------------- 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. ------------- This means that quite a lot of searches come up with nothing. There has been a campaign for a medal specifically for taking part in the Arctic convoys in WW2, which is currently covered by the Atlantic Star. See http://www.veteransagency.mod.uk/medals_folder/medals_artic_convoy.htm for an official Ministry of Defence webpage about this. Forrest -- Forrest Anderson, Edinburgh, Scotland. E-mail: forrest@military-researcher.com Website: www.military-researcher.com Forrestdale Research - Military Genealogical Researcher