Richard woodman here relates the merchant navys colourful history and. Winning the battle of the atlantic was critical to britains survival in the second world war. For the first time ever, the crew lists of the british merchant navy from the year 1915 have been digitised and made available to search for free. Crew agreements for britishregistered merchant ships, crew lists or musterrolls. A war office report of 1922 entitled statistics of the military effort of the british empire during the great war 19141920 listed british merchant navy losses at a figure of 14,661. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. British merchant navy images by lloyd and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Navy seals have long been considered among the finest, most courageous, and professional soldiers in american military historyan elite fighting force trained as parachutists, frogmen, demolition experts, and guerrilla warriors ready for sea, air, and land combat. Merchant navy records including merchant navy apprentices. A history of the british merchant navy ships nostalgia. This is a guide to some of the earliest records of individual merchant seamen, including officers. 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. These records come from the national archives record series bt112, bt1, bt114, bt115, bt116, bt119 and bt120. No he is just a seaman of the british merchant service. The first of five volumes it details the surprising history of british merchant shipping which had a profounder influence on great britain. The east indiaman william kite naval adventures book 3. They include registers of engagement, articles of agreement, registers of discharge, registers of deserters, and employment history records. By registering with our site you will have full instant access to. The naval diplomats top 10 books about the sea the diplomat. The audio books for sale on this website have all been written and read by the author ian m malcolm read his biography.
A short history of the merchant navy imperial war museums. Where to find merchant navy records imperial war museums. The united kingdom has always considered its merchant marine to be part of its armed forces during wartime. The merchant navy seaman pocket manual 19391945 the pocket. List of books and articles about merchant marines online.
For over 90 years the only source of information on british warships lost, and merchant and fishing vessels lost, damaged and attacked in world war 1 has been his majestys stationery office official publication british vessels lost at sea 19141918 bvls or. How would you fare as a british merchant and navy sailor. Sailing through uboat wolfpacks across the atlantic, or on the perilous routes to malta and murmansk, took a special kind of courage. British merchant marine genealogy familysearch wiki. Records of merchant shipping and seamen by kelvin smith, christopher t and michael j watts richmond, surrey. For much of its history, the merchant navy was the largest merchant fleet in the world, but with the decline of the british empire in the mid20th century it slipped down the rankings.
A history of the british merchant navy book 5 by richard woodman 4. The british merchant navy suffered enormous losses of both ships and men, particularly in the early years of the war. In this important, moving and exciting book, drawing extensively on firsthand. Brian lavery returns with the second volume of his engaging social history of the royal navys lower deck. If you are interested in receiving our weekly friday briefing newsletter showcasing new books, bargain books, navy news and photos. Many mariners while serving in the merchant navy or, who lived in or near greater london, attended one of the following greater london churches. By creating an account with our store, you will be able to move through the checkout process faster, store multiple shipping addresses, view and track your orders in your account and more. The activities of mariners of sw europe included discovery and conquest in the new world. This work examines his original selection and traces each vessels subsequent career, as far as has been possible. 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. Click on bt 98 to search by date and name of british port where the ship was registered. Series was designed to cover groups of books generally understood as such see wikipedia. Common knowledge series a history of the british merchant navy.
Shop the british merchant navy books and collectibles abebooks. The merchant navy has been in existence for a significant period of british history, owing much of its growth to british imperial expansion. The national archives of australia has a large number of record series concerning ships crews and the merchant navy. World war 1, royal navy warships and british merchant. There are many different aspects to merchant navy history and considerable information survives about british merchant ships, which you can explore. Navybooks specialist publishers of royal navy books and warship world magazine.
United kingdom, merchant navy seamen records, 18351941. Browse and buy a vast selection of the british merchant navy books and. Crew lists and agreements and log books of merchant ships 1747. Talbotbooth attempted to record the principal ships and companies in his nowfamous book, ships of the british merchant navy. All this was achieved against a ceaseless struggle against the malice of the german uboat which brought britain close to surrender. When commandeered, they were largely floating platforms for archers and menatarms and tactics consisted. The battle of the oceans, the story of the british merchant marine.
Surprise by patrick obrian, lieutenant hornblower by c. So, you have to go beyond the influence of sea power upon history to. A history of the british merchant navy series by richard. The contents of the records vary, but they usually include name, age, place of birth, register ticket, ship names, and dates of voyages. Navybooks specialist publishers of royal navy books and.
Crew lists and agreements and log books of merchant ships. Membership is open to all that are interested in the british merchant navy both past and present. We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. Enter the name of the series to add the book to it. Richard woodman s ambitious fivevolume history of the british merchant marine begins with this book. Youve subscribed to a history of the british merchant navy. One might think that the history of the royal navy would outshine the efforts of what would become the national merchant navy, but the accomplishments of each are intertwined.
Only the dogged courage of an almost defenceless merchant navy avoided this catastrophe. In the medieval period there was no absolute distinction between merchant ships and warships. The title merchant navy was granted by king george v after the first world war to recognise the contribution made by merchant sailors. Britains merchant fleet was the largest in the world during both world wars. A history of the british merchant navy richard woodman ex blue funnel, ex trinity house and author of a number of books about the sea has published a history of the british merchant navy in 5 volumes covering the british merchant shipping from 1500 through to the present time. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. Merchant navy history is scattered through various sources in a number of libraries and archives, and what exists and the location of that information depends on the type of vessel, its history and. Registration of merchant ships the national archives. Leaders in shipping included the spanish, the portuguese, and the venetians. Merchant seamen serving since 1918 the national archives.
Ians merchant navy books kindle and paperback for sale on amazon. For the professional reader looking for a history of the british merchant marine during world war ii and its importance for the war effort at large the book will be a disappointment. One of the most notable observations from the records is that women were prevalent on the ships. Details about the role of the australian merchant navy and the role australian merchant ships played in world war ii can be found at merchant ships of australia in world war 2. The library does have collections of books, dealing with most aspects of. James holmes gives us his top ten books on naval warfare and diplomacy. So britains merchant navy, a disparate collection of private vessels, became the. After the first world war king george v, in recognition of the contribution made to the british war effort by merchant ships, granted the title of merchant navy to nonmilitary sailors. The merchant navy seaman pocket manual 19391945 the pocket manual series. These crs 10 forms are often referred to as seamens docket books and can. Booktopia buy maritime history books online from australias leading online bookstore. When new books are released, well charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the preorder period. Both organisations recognise that many people with a merchant navy background want to see their donations, gifts in memory and legacies used specifically in support of british merchant navy seafarers and their families.
Browse a new selection of discounted kindle books each month. A good rule of thumb is that series have a conventional name and are intentional creations, on the part of the author or publisher. British history online, guides and calendars, state papers domestic, calendar. The british merchant navy comprises the british merchant ships that transport cargo and people during times of peace and war. Masters under god presents the third of five books in richard woodmans groundbreaking history of the british merchant navy, covering the period from 1817 to 1884, from the end of the napoleonic war to the first steamships bound for australia, then in. Masters under god presents the third of five books in richard woodmans groundbreaking history of the british merchant navy, covering the period from 1817 to. Merchant navy casualties were very high in both world war i and world war ii. Like many concepts in the book world, series is a somewhat fluid and contested notion. In 1939, the merchant navy was the largest in the world with 33% of total tonnage. In time of war ships were commandeered from ports, particularly on the south coast. Just as in the great period of the nations expanding selfconsciousness the merchant navy was the finest embodiment of the national spirit, so when the war clouds burst in the summer of 1914, the real character of the british merchant seamen was revealed as the flash of artillery lit up the battlefields on the continent of europe. The merchant navy are the unsung heroes of the first and second world war.
Crew lists, originally termed musterrolls or musterbooks, began in the 18th. Chris mcnab is a writer and editor specialising in military history, with a major research. Readable, engaging and authoritative, it chronicles an important stage in the history of the royal navy and illuminates the inherent adaptability of the lower deck, as new. Personnel records available to the public are now held by the national archives tna, formerly known as the public record office, the website has helpful research guides.
Those of you who are familiar with richard woodmans books will be aware of his meticulous research and attention to historical detail and this professional ethos to his subject will inevitably ensure that this series of five volumes will become the definitive history of the merchant navy. Masters under god presents the third of five books in richard woodmans groundbreaking history of the british merchant navy, covering the period from 1817 to 1884, from the end of the napoleonic war to the first steamships bound for australia, then in the throes of a great immigration boom. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk. Spices and sl book online at best prices in india on. This chronicle of british merchant navy sea schools begins with the establishment of the royal mathematical school at christs hospital in 1673, and it then steps down through history to the latter part of the twentieth century by which time the british merchant navy had gone into terminal decline. In 1939, a third of the worlds merchant ships were british, and there were some 200,000 sailors. These are records of seamen serving on british registered vessels but the. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed services and. Take to the ocean with one of our royal navy or merchant navy histories, or stay closer to the shore with our everpopular books on fishing vessels and the. All these record series are indexed on the recordsearch database. By the end of the nineteenth century almost every british family had a member serving in merchant ships. Able seamen addresses a range of issues central to the evolution of the seaman through 89 years of change.
This collection includes merchant navy seamen records held at the national archives. A history of the british merchant navy series librarything. The great squandering 1921 2012 a history of the british merchant navy book 5 by richard woodman 4. The great modern merchant marines national fleets of commercial ships first appeared in the commercial revolution. This is a guide to locating records of merchant seamen in service since the end of the.
One million merchant navy seamen records published online. The merchant navy fund is a collaborative initiative by the merchant navy welfare board and the charity seafarers uk. The great squandering, 19212010 by richard woodman isbn. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers.
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