TheGenealogist has just released a range of records that will appeal to many British family historians with seafaring ancestry. As an island nation, Brits have seen countless ancestors go to sea, especially in the two World Wars. Whether our forebears served in merchant vessels or in warships, this latest release has records of interest for those with both types of sailors in their family trees.
Researchers can use these records to reveal names, dates and information about ancestors who were recorded in a number of Navy Lists for the Royal Navy (RN) that cover both WW1 and WW2. Family historians looking for Merchant Navy (MN) mariners killed or who died on service in WW1 will also find something in this release for them, as well as gaining access to names for merchant seamen honoured with medals and awards between 1914-1918.
For those who have lost seafarers, whether in either the Royal Navy or the Merchant Navy, then this collection of records is a useful addition. Family history researchers will be able to look for ships that were sunk. The new resources include Merchant Shipping Losses 1914-1918, and the British Merchant Vessels Lost or Damaged by Enemy Action During the Second World War 1939-1945. For the Senior Service’s vessels, the Returns Showing the Losses of Ships of the Royal Navy 1914-1918 will give details of the ship and where it was sunk.
Fully searchable by name or keyword from TheGenealogist’s Master Search. The new additions include records from a variety of sources, including:
- The Navy List 1914
- The Navy List January 1916
- The Navy List April 1918
- The Navy List August 1937
- The Navy List October 1937
- The Navy List July 1943
- The Navy List April 1945
- Return Showing the Losses of Ships of the Royal Navy 1914-1918
- Merchant Adventurers 1914-1918
- Merchant Shipping Losses 1914-1918
- British Merchant Vessels Lost or Damaged by Enemy Action During Second World War 1939-1945
To learn more about how this collection of records helped TheGenealogist in the research of a mariner whose daring deeds earned him a VC read TheGenealogist’s article: Under the “Red Duster” and the White Ensign: https://thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/20
Image Source:
- The Crisis at Zanzibar – British War Ships: Picryl
