The Merchant Marine, motivated by their deep love of country and noted for valor, were mourned with the loss of 9,300 mariners killed at sea, 12,000 wounded, and 663 men and women taken prisoner. How to obtian a US WWII Merchant Marine Record? London, England: Public Record Office, 1983. 178.10 Records of the San Francisco, CA, Field Office 1942-47 The public can access these records in two ways: through a request made via an offsite reference request (with reproduction provided for a fee), or via onsite viewing at the National Archives at St. Louis Research Room. February 8, 1943. U.S. House Approves Bill to Recognize Merchant Mariners of WWII Allied merchant convoy south of Newfoundland, July 28, 1942 (USN) By The Maritime Executive 09-24-2019 04:43:54 The Merchant Marine actually served in a military capacity before the U.S. Navy OR the Coast Guard ever existed. (Subscription required.). "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. 5879 & S. 2127 By Capt. The prewar total of 55,000 experienced mariners was increased to over 215,000 through U.S. Maritime Service training programs. Application for Merchant Marine Veteran Status DD214. If one of your ancestors served in the United States Merchant Marine, then you’ll be especially interested in the conversation that our recent blog post on the topic of the Merchant Marine has generated about the records that may be available for your genealogy research. Many lives were lost in service of USA.”. A Google search for NARA U.S. merchant seaman finds several excellent National Archives resource pages there, including some for Ship’s Logs. ). Before the war ended, it is estimated that some 60,000 Allied merchant mariners died in service – 333 of whom were from Newfoundland and Labrador. All of these records are part of the Records of the U.S. Maritime Commission, 1917 - 1950 (Record Group 178) and located at the National Archives in College Park, MD: Merchant Marine Ships' Logs, 1918 - 1941-- About half of these logs contain lists relating to officers and crew. Determining the exact number of fatalities, however, is problematic. (Subscription required. A Williamsport, Pa., man was listed as a member of the crew. The National Archives website has finding aids for log books. To Request WWII Marine Personnel Records please click here: Request a WWII Marine Personnel File WWII Marine Corps military service records can provide genealogical researchers with countless resources for tracing the steps of an ancestor who served during the war. According to the website, American Merchant Marine at War, the Merchant Marine can trace its history to 1775, when “a party of Maine mariners, armed with pitchforks and axes, inspired by the news of the recent victory at Lexington, Massachusetts, used an unarmed lumber schooner to surprise and capture a fully armed British warship, HMS Margaretta, off the coast of Machias, Maine. These records come from The National Archives' record series BT112, BT113, BT114, BT115, BT116, BT119 and BT120. You are so welcome Denise! Central Index Register (aka Fourth Register of Seamen), 1918-1941. During wartime, merchant mariners can be called on by the Navy for military transport. These files have joined our collection in an effort to better serve the public who are looking for proof of their ancestor's service, The first block of this series contained 4,800 cubic feet of records, The Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC)  is the approving official for World War II Merchant Marine separation documents. Over 6,835 American Merchant Marine were killed and over 11,000 wounded. For details of the Arctic Star see our guide to Merchant seaman’s medals and honours. World War II Shows Why We Need the Merchant Marine. If the file is not in their custody, it is possible it is still in the hands of the Army Human Resource Command located at Ft. Knox, KY. Merchant Marine in World War II - A Little-Known Story. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. These document applicants who applied to be commissioned officers with the Merchant Marines, including men designated as Masters, Pilots, Engineers, or Vessel Operators. As the outbreak of World War II edged closer in 1939, the British merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. From what I’ve learned, the Master of the vessel would have reported the deaths of his crew to the vessel owners, who would have reported to the Coast Guard, and I asked Michael whether following Coast Guard records through the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots would be a good route to a death record for Raymond. He liked that idea and said it’s worth the effort. Recently, that search became a little easier for those who are researching in the early 20th century. Instructions and an online form can be found on their website: How to submit an ATIP request to Veterans Affairs Canada. 1. Sadly, the mariners suffered the highest rate of casualties with one in 26 killed in World War II. In this Section This section contains the following topics: Topic Topic Name See Page 36 General Information on Veteran Status Based on Merchant Marine Service 2-F-2 37 Information Required for a Claim 2-F-5 38 Merchant Marine Service Record Requests 2-F-8 39 Service Treatment Records (STRs) for Merchant Marine Service Under the Jurisdiction of the Army or Navy 2-F-11 40 … The history of the Merchant Marines begins shortly before World War II. It was known right from the beginning that Canada's merchant ships would have an important role to play in the war effort. Two valuable pamphlets on researching merchant marine records are: Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen. Vessel utilization reports, 1946-48. He is Raymond R. Burkholder, able seaman. Last night the third naval district reported that a South American steamship sighted a lifeboat containing a number of bodies off the Atlantic coast yesterday, but was forced to flee when a submarine popped up in the vicinity.”. The announcement of the W. L. Steed’s fate was made yesterday with the arrival of three survivors, who had been picked up semi-conscious after drifting for two icy days in an open boat. "The World's largest shipping company" When Germany invaded Norway on April 9-1940, the Norwegian ships that were in allied waters at the time were requisitioned by Royal Norwegian Government, which early on in the war managed to escape to the U.K. (the King was evacuated on June 7). If your Merchant Mariner was killed during World War II, request the Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF). The US Navy didn’t come into being until 1797. However, service was considered military in nature for those who served between December 7, 1941, and December 31, 1946. Despite the fact that merchant crews were not compelled to sail on the dangerous ocean passages, most indeed did. “You can also access the files by mailing in (Standard Form #180, downloadable here), and fill in the information requested about your Mariner. New Jersey? Michael writes that these records during World War II “can be somewhat confusing, but not impossible to search. Of the 250,000 merchant mariners deployed, an estimated 8,300 mariners lost their lives, and another 12,000 were wounded. The collection opened to the public on December 2, 2019. Related collection: Lists of Merchant Seamen Lost in WWI, 1914-1919. Due to the multifaceted nature of the Merchant Marine, we are very grateful to obtain this collection in order to provide clarity to their service," said Theresa Fitzgerald, “Along with this new series have come some new experiences. According to the American Merchant Marine at War website, over 1500 merchant ships were sunk during the War, and hundreds of others were damaged by enemy attacks and mines. World War II Young American Patriots, 1941-1945 World War II Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Casualties, 1941-1945 World War II Japanese-American Internment Camp Documents, 1942-1946 WWII U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Muster Rolls, 1939-1949 U.S. WWII Military Personnel Missing In Action or Lost At Sea, 1941-1946. He says: “Although not considered to be a military arm of the United States, the Merchant Marines were an integral part of the war efforts in WWI and WWII and should be considered in genealogy. That brings us to Vicki’s question about her relative. Textual Records: Annual reports of waterborne commerce of the United States, 1923-49. Individuals beginning a search of military records would be well served by first getting a general overview of the subject area. Even if you don’t have relatives who served in the Merchant Marine, keep reading because you may get some ideas about records to discover for other family members who may have served in the military in other capacities. This collection of records, BT 395, lists the medals awarded to merchant seamen for their service in the Second World War (1939-1945), with the exception of the Arctic Star. The medals were claimed and issued from 1946 to 2002. This is largely due to the nature of the service – most merchant mariners served on privately owned vessels commandeered by the state and sent to war in the national interest. Well, in a beautiful expression of genealogy serendipity, a Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast listener has written in with a specific question about researching relatives in the Merchant Marines. By Jim Davis January 06, 2006 at 08:31:04. A search of Standard Oil tanker W. L. Steed “Burkholder” in Google Books leads to the book Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II (Standard Oil Company, 1946). Raymond Ralph Burkholder was a Merchant Marine Able Seaman killed when his ship the Standard Oil tanker W. L. Steed was torpedoed by a German sub off … As I discuss in my Premium eLearning video class Google Books: The Tool I Use Every Day, Google Books is a treasure trove of genealogical information. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration Before we jump into answering that questions, let’s learn more about Merchant Marines so we better understand where to search. Logs can name assignments for crew members, among other log entries of the day to day activities of the ship. These records consist mostly of unit historical reports, after action reports, unit journals, and general orders. Thank you. It refers to the death of a mariner. I suggested checking the death certificates of the county of his last residence, which may now be held at the state level. by Lisa Cooke | Aug 8, 2018 | 01 What's New, Military | 2 comments. Click here to learn more about ordering OMPFs. My Grand-Uncle was in the US Merchant Marines during WWII. This file is separate from the OMPF file and is also at the National Personnel Record Center. At the end of the war, they received no government pensions or … Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II — literally enabling the country to defend itself. Here’s where I put my head together with Michael. This collection has 8 boxes of material containing details on Merchant Mariners killed, wounded, and those missing in action as a result of combat during World War II. Norwegian Merchant Ships in WW II. Michael says, “These files are a wealth of genealogical information about veterans who died during World War II and other war periods. And that’s what happened during World War II. Able-bodied seaman Louis Bartz, 38, of Philadelphia, and Ralph Mazzucco, 23, and Joaquim R. Vrea, 39, both of New York, said the submarine torpedoed the tanker at 12:45 p. m. and that after the crew got off in lifeboats the enemy craft fired 17 shells into the sinking ship. Over 2,199 Canadian Merchant Navy Seaman were killed in both World Wars. The Merchant Marine, as an umbrella term, refers to a body of civilian mariners and government-owned merchant vessels: those who typically run commercial shipping in and out of the country. The Revenue Cutter Service, the forerunner of the Coast Guard, wasn’t founded until 15 years later, in 1790, to prevent smuggling. Unlike the armed forces, the merchant navy did not maintain consistent records of its recruits and casualties. This collection includes Merchant Navy Seamen records held at The National Archives. The article was on how to find military service records. I have some records for both and would love to learn more. Ths US Coast Guard is in charge of the National Maritime Center, which holds US Merchant Marine records. You’ve given me plenty of resources to check out. The men of the Armed Guard served primarily as gunners, signal men and radio … Conventional history states that the war caught America largely off guard – in 1939, the US Army had only 190,000 soldiers, ranking it 17th in the world – but in fact, shrewd military planners had the foresight to plant the seeds of eventual victory long before war broke out in Europe. It even details his last torturous hours in the lifeboat before he became delirious and died, only hours before the other survivors were rescued! Young, Midshipman; E. B. Hlubik, Midshipman; C. Blackman, Radio Operator; T. A. Smith, Chief Engineer; Hugh Mulzac, Captain of the ship; Adolphus Fokes, Chief Mate; Lt. H. Kruley; E. P. Rutland, Second Engineer; and H. E. Larson, Third Engineer.” Captain Hugh Mulzac is fourth from the left on the first row. Captain and crew of a new Liberty Ship SS Booker T. Washington just after it completed its maiden voyage to England. United States Merchant Marine applications for the licensing of Officers, 1914-1949 is available on Ancestry.com. 5.) In fact, early information gathered by British intelligence agents about German ship movements led Canada to conscript all merchant ships two weeks before the war actually began. The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II. Both my father and my uncle served in the USMM during WWII and long after. A reader named Steve endorsed that brief remark in the article’s comments section, and expressed a desire to hear more on the Merchant Marine. There was a Continental Navy in 1775, but it ended with the Revolutionary War. In a beautiful expression of genealogy serendipity, a Genealogy Gems Premium Podcast listener has written in with a specific question about researching relatives in the Merchant Marine. This book is an invaluable resource that actually provides a detailed, eyewitness account of Raymond Ralph Burkholder’s final acts on the ship before having to abandon it. Note that the service record is likely to be under the heading of the United States Coast Guard when filling out the form—check that box. Military Minutes contributor Michael Strauss made this comment about the United States Merchant Marine: “Although not officially a branch of the military, the Merchant Marines sacrificed and lost lives since the days of the Revolutionary War, carrying out their missions of supply and logistics during times of war.”. Service Records for Army Transport Service. The history behind this phrase:  a sandbar can be found at the entrance of many rivers and bays, and crossing the bar has come to mean leaving the safety of a harbor for the unknown. Merchant Marine have to be creative with their searching, as the records aren't as plentiful as they are for the U.S. Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard. During my research of the U.S. Here are six excellent places to look. The National Maritime Center website has links to records, forms, and general info. Official Military Personnel Files (known as OMPFs) are maintained by the National Personnel Record Center in St. Louis, MO. World War II merchant ship movement records for Australia. Do let us know what you find , COPYRIGHT © LISA LOUISE COOKE’S GENEALOGY GEMS -, United States Coast Guard, Record Group 26, United States Merchant Marine applications for the licensing of Officers, 1914-1949, Lists of Merchant Seamen Lost in WWI, 1914-1919, Podcast Episode #159. Cargo, mail, and passenger reports, 1918- 46 (957 ft.). Vicki writes: “I have a distant relative who was a Merchant Marine during WWII. U.S. Navy Armed Guard and U.S. During World War II, the seamen of the U.S. Yes, joining World War II as the crewman on a merchant ship was more dangerous than joining as a Marine, and the Marines had it the worst of all the Department of Defense branches in the war, suffering 10 percent of all U.S. casualties despite being only 5 percent of the total force. After World War II, merchant mariners sought through legislation to gain recognition as veterans. Making an afternoon time sight (NARA, Public Domain). They suffered the highest per capita casualty rate in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, with one mariner out of every 26 lost. Our Military Minutes contributor, Michael Strauss, says that “On February 28, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized the transfer (Under Executive Order #9083) of all maritime agencies to the United States Coast Guard. You can find out whether a me… Contact the Archives to request this file. On August 26, 1939, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) took control of all shipping. Don’t send any money; the Archives will notify you if the file is located.”. The men used the captured guns and ammunition from the ship to bring in additional British ships as prizes. (FHL book 942.1/L1 A3pa no. Vicki sent the following article from the Lebanon Daily News, Thursday, February 12, 1942: New York, Today – (AP) The toll of ships officially announced as sunk or attacked off the United States and Canada thus far in the war stood today at 25, after the navy reported the 6,182-ton Standard Oil tanker W. L. Steed was sent to the bottom by an enemy submarine off New Jersey Feb. 2. Dad even managed to get his degree from Kings Point (USMM Academy) while serving during the war. Vicki’s question is this: Where do you think I would look for a death certificate? Watts, Christopher T., and Michael J. Watts. Merchant Marine for this article, I came across the phrase, “crossing the bar.” You may have heard this yourself. Following is a newspaper article about the incident:”. 178.9 Records of the Division of Research and Statistics 1918-49 . (L-R) C. Lastic, Second Mate; T. J. The United States Merchant Marine provided the greatest sealift in history between the production army at home and the fighting forces scattered around the globe in World War II. American privateers soon disrupted British shipping all along the Atlantic coast.”. Vicki writes:“I have a distant relative who was a Merchant Marine during WWII. The main series of WWII Army unit records is the World War II Operations Reports, 1940-1948 in Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917- (Record Group 407). He said that instead, he would go directly to the Records of the Merchant Marines. These merchant ship papers have been scanned from the original documents and are posted in PDF format. Request records with this downloadable form. No word has come from the remainder of the crew of 38 as three of the tanker’s four lifeboats still are missing. Merchant Marine suffered a higher casualty rate than any service branch. Get military service records for the army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines or RAF from 1920 - who can apply, how long it takes, cost, how to apply You will find Merchant Mariners collections at the National Archives cataloged under the records of the United States Coast Guard, Record Group 26. The Archives will let you know the exact location.”. The page is in English. You can hear more about Merchant Marine records in Genealogy Gems Premium  Podcast Episode #159. Since these records are considered Archival 62 years after the date of separation, these are open for Merchant Mariners and others who served during World War II who were discharged by the end of the war. "Service in the Merchant Marine was considered civilian service under several different civilian personnel agencies. Moreover, more than 250,000 American Merchant Marine sailed the treacherous oceans of the world. As many as 9,500 perished at sea, from their wounds, or in prisoner of war camps. This order was a redistribution of maritime functions and included the United States Merchant Marine.”, Training Officers of the Merchant Marine on the Government Training Ship at New Bedford, Mass. A CASE TO SUPPORT American Merchant Marine Veterans Legislature H.R. No metho… Overview. Legislation was introduced either to provide benefits to merchant mariners comparable to those provided under the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944 (P.L. Where can you find Merchant Marine records for World War II? Other records pertain to medals and other citations, court martials, and miscellaneous records. Wartime records for the Merchant Navy, 1939 to 1947 and 1951 to 1953, are held by: Merchant Navy Registry Veterans Affairs Canada PO Box 7700 Charlottetown, PE C1A 8M9 Requests should be submitted through Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) at Veterans Affairs Canada. I wish all of you in search of your ancestors who crossed the bar good fortune in your genealogical pursuit. The records for your sailor during the war can be located at several different locations.”. Wh… Medals were not automatically issued, but had to be claimed by the merchant seaman. To determine eligibility for a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD Form 214, or a Report of Casualty, DD Form 1300, customers will be directed to to. This number made up around one third of the entire global merchant fleet at the time, with many of the seamen coming from all over the Empire, including India, Hong Kong and West Africa. Mariners in “ocean-going service” during World War II have Veteran Status. This collection covers both World Wars. circa 1942: A poster showing the role of the Merchant Marines in bringing supplies to soldiers abroad and … U.S. Army Human Resources Command ATTN: AHRC-PDR-V 1600 Spearhead Division Ave. Fort Knox, KY 40122. The National Archives at St. Louis does not provide information for benefits or separation documents, such as DD-214s, for these records. People researching members of the U.S. If you know the name of the vessel that the Merchant Mariner served on, then try a search for the logbooks. Discusses records available at The National archives. Excellent resources in this regard include the \"Frequently Asked Questions\" publication prepared by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Raymond Ralph Burkholder was a Merchant Marine Able Seaman killed when his ship the Standard Oil tanker W. L. Steed was torpedoed by a German sub off New Jersey Feb. 2, 1942. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, SAINT LOUIS, December 16, 2019 — The public now has access to previously unavailable information concerning former merchant mariners and their maritime service through Merchant Marine Licensing Files, made available by the, The public can access these records in two ways: through a request made via an. 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