# Researching my grandfather's WWII Royal Merchant Navy service



## NScott (Nov 25, 2009)

My Grandfather William (Bill or Mick) Scott was a member of the Royal Merchant Navy from Oct. 1942- Dec 1944. He sailed on freighters Empire Magpie and Loriga, with several runs across the North Atlantic and to North Africa. He also served on the coastal freighter S.S. Freeman Hatch around D-Day, witnessed the sinking of the HMS Boadicea and took part in the rescue of surviviors. 

I'm in the process of compiling a family history and any information related to these ships and particularly the rescue of survivors from the HMS Boadicea would be appreciated.

With thanks,
Neil Scott


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## hawkey01 (Mar 15, 2006)

Neil.
information for you on the above ships.

Empire Magpie.
Built 1919 by Federal, Kearny USA - Yard No30 as the US Govt vessel BELLEMINA.
Cargo.
6517 tons.
Length PP 120.5m Beam 16.8m.
Single screw turbine - 11 knots.
Name Changes:
1941 EMPIRE MAGPIE - British Govt.
1948 Jui Hsin - Chinese Maritime Trust.
1950 Oriental Dragon - C.Y. Tung.
1955 Atlantic Unity - C.Y. Tung.
Broken up in Tokyo 9.4.1959.

Loriga.
Built 1919 by Harland and Wolff - Yard No512G as the GLENARIFFE.
Cargo.
6795 tons.
Length PP 123.7m x B16.5m.
Twin screw diesel - 10 knots.
Name Changes:
1923 LORIGA - Pacific Steam Navigation Co.
1951 Ocean Venus - C.Y. Tung.
Broken up in Osaka 30.3.1953.

HMS Boadicea.
Built completed 1931 by Hawthorn Leslie - Yard No566.
Destroyer.
1360 tons - 1815 Dwt.
L98.5m x B9.9m.
Twin screw turbine - 35 knots.
Aircraft attack 50.26N 2.34W 13.6.1944.

I am unable to help with the other information on the rescue but I am sure someone will help.

Hawkey01


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## charles henry (May 18, 2008)

I am a bit puzzled by the expression "Royal" merchant navy. Dont remember it being called that during the war.

de chas


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## Steve Woodward (Sep 4, 2006)

Bodicea was lost to an early form of guided missile - a HS293 off Poole, Dorset, 13th June 1944
The HS 293 was more like a small aeroplane than what we know as a missile today, for a small vessel like a destroyer this was a terrible adversary 10'06" long and with a 10'02" wingspan it weighed 1,120 lbs of which 600lbs of Trialene 105 was the warhead, rocket propelled the engine burned for just 10 secs, it was airdropped from a Dornier Do217 and guided down by the launching plane. 
On the 13th June 1944 Bodicea commanded by Cmdr F W Hawkins had sailed from Milford Haven as SO with a convoy (EBC-8) bound for Omaha beach of six merchant ships other RN vessels escorting the convoy were Bluebell and four trawlers- two being HMS Pearl and Cornelian
Huge numbers of allied planes were streaming back to the UK to re-arm and re-fuel after work over the invasion beaches, tagged in with them was a Junkers 88, when over the convoy it peeled off from it's cover of allied planes and attacked the Bodicea with a torpedo, this torpedo missed and exploded just astern of the ship, at the same instant she was hit by the HS293, the explosion at about 0440 hrs destroyed the entire foreward section of the ship, everything fwds of the funnels literally disappeared.
Freeman Hatch an American built liberty ship ( British crew) , part of the convoy, disobeyed orders and stopped to pick up the survivors, she had been just 400 yards from the Bodicea at the time of the incident.
Freeman Hatch's captain was Captain Sidney Davies, the brave merchant ship stopped, lowered her lifeboat and searched for the twelve men they saved, an hour later they were transferred to HMS Vanquisher, another destroyer which landed them at Portland.
Freeman Hatch continued her voyage to Omaha beach and landed her load of small arms munition, whisky and cigarettes into DUKW's from the anchorage
Out of Bodicea's crew of 182 men just 12 survived

I hope this short note is of some help 
Steve


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## chris wad (Oct 23, 2012)

Hi Neil
My grandfather has exactly the same history as yours and picked up 7 of the 12 survivors, he is still alive and well and would love to talk to your grandfather if possible
Regards Chris


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## donald h (Aug 24, 2005)

Hello Chris.
According to the last activity record, Neil hasn`t visited the site since December 2009 so it may be more useful to try and contact him by personal message or by e-mail. This can easily be done by clicking on his name tab at top left of his post, then select the preferred option from the drop-down menu that appears.

regards, Donald


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## IAN M (Jan 17, 2009)

The HS.293 was a glider bomb, the first 'air to surface' missile to sink a ship. The first merchant ship struck by this weapon was the Samite, on 4th October, 1943, when in Convoy UGS.18, and I was her 3rd radio officer. 

Regards

Ian


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## NScott (Nov 25, 2009)

Hi Chris,

I lost my login information so I've been away from this site for a while. I've been in touch with a fellow who was on the merchant ship by the name of Thomas. Is it your grandfather by chance?

Neil


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## donald h (Aug 24, 2005)

Neil, re: my post #6, similarly, Chris hasn`t been on the site since the 23rd of October last year, so it could be better to make contact by pm or e-mail if desired.

regards, Donald


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

During the war it was known as His Majesty's Merchant Navy..
Stan


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## Samsette (Sep 3, 2005)

*World War II*



stan mayes said:


> During the war it was known as His Majesty's Merchant Navy..
> Stan


Seems to me that the further away we get from the 'Big One' the more splendid it all becomes.


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Originally it was the Merchants' Service and then, as the result of war, it became known as the Merchant Navy.
I have never, before this post, heard it called the Royal Merchant Navy!
It has, sometimes, been referred to as the Fourth Service.


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## charles henry (May 18, 2008)

stan mayes said:


> During the war it was known as His Majesty's Merchant Navy..
> Stan


Getting a bit old now but who exactly was "His Majesty during WW2, according to my memory we had a queen reining. 
Also
I was in the MN during WW2 and it was called "Merchant Navy" no other words; so lets keep it straight and stop this rather idiotic play on words trying to glorify a rather miserable period.
Chas R271348
(Pint)(Pint)


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

The monarch was King George VI.
Initially known as the Merchant Service and Mercantile Marine during WW1. Renamed the Merchant Navy by King George V after WW1 in gratitude to the service shown during the Great War. In February 1928 King George V created the title 'Master of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets' and appointed the then Prince of Wales to that office. This symbolic role has since been adopted by successive monarchs. Seafarers of the time still continued to use the term Merchant Service or Mercantile Marine. It was only during the Second World War that Merchant Navy became normal usage. 

Chas, I don't follow you - who is trying to glorify a rather miserable period? Surely this forum is the place for anyone interested in the MN to discuss, appreciate and remember what happened - no one is glorifying it. 

Regards
Hugh


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## Binnacle (Jul 22, 2005)

Hugh MacLean said:


> Seafarers of the time still continued to use the term Merchant Service or Mercantile Marine. It was only during the Second World War that Merchant Navy became normal usage.
> Regards
> Hugh


Exactly Hugh.
I note that on British Certificates of Competency, the issueing authority, the Minister of Transport, contrary to Charles opinion, writes thus -
"Whereas you have been found duly qualified to fulfil the duties of master of a foreign going steamship in the *Merchant Service* the Minister of Transport in exercise of his powers etc etc"

NB - certificates issued since British entry into the EEC will probably be worded differently . The quote above is the wording on mine issued over fifty years ago.


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

I have just posted verification in gallery -Life onboard' that during the war the 
Merchant Navy was known as 'His Majesty's Merchant Navy'
I can remember the term being used often in news bulletins and newspapers..
Stan


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## Allan Wareing (Apr 23, 2006)

Binnacle said:


> Exactly Hugh.
> I note that on British Certificates of Competency, the issueing authority, the Minister of Transport, contrary to Charles opinion, writes thus -
> "Whereas you have been found duly qualified to fulfil the duties of master of a foreign going steamship in the *Merchant Service* the Minister of Transport in exercise of his powers etc etc"
> 
> NB - certificates issued since British entry into the EEC will probably be worded differently . The quote above is the wording on mine issued over fifty years ago.


 Quite right Binnacle. See attached pic. However ,pre war I served in the Merchant Service. During the war it became the Merchant Navy (and we had M.N. badges to wear) then after the war I found myself back in the Merchant Service. 
That's my take on it. Regards Allan.


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## John Dryden (Sep 26, 2009)

Confusion reigns but I always blame the civil service for these discrepancies..they were masters at it.
Maybe still are for all we know, they could still be at it but not under the guise of the B.O.T!


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Here are my thoughts which are from someone looking into the time period rather than someone who was there.

I have no doubt, Stan, that you are correct to a point. I am sure the MN was referred to as His Majesty's Merchant Navy certainly by newsreels and media but it was never officially the case. By that I mean nobody wrote that title into statute. There were other names banded about such as the Fourth Service, again, an unofficial name but one that resonated with a lot of people.

When King George V made the appointment of Master of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets to the Prince of Wales it was explained that the change in no way entailed the introduction of military status into the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet, the idea being to do honour to the fine body of officers, men and stewardesses and bring them into closer touch with the Crown.
During WW2, however, there was a body of opinion that couldn’t separate the fact that the MN was taking the same risks as the RN and suffering proportionally more losses. It is equally true that where MN awards were concerned there was also a discussion going on at the time as to why MN personnel were in the main given Civil Division awards as opposed to Military Division awards. Many at the time argued the case for the same military awards to be given to the MN.

The term ‘Merchant Navy’ was rarely used by ship-owners or people in related business who spoke of ‘the shipping industry’. The term ‘Merchant Navy’ implied an organisation with a resemblance to the armed forces and if this was true in wartime it was certainly untrue of peacetime when shipping firms were businesses just like any other.

With all that going on it is easily seen why there was confusion about the name, especially, 1939 – 1945.
Regards
Hugh


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## stan mayes (Jul 22, 2006)

Hugh,
Thankyou for a thoroughly plausible explanation.
Regards,
Stan


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## Allan Wareing (Apr 23, 2006)

Allan Wareing said:


> Quite right Binnacle. See attached pic. However ,pre war I served in the Merchant Service. During the war it became the Merchant Navy (and we had M.N. badges to wear) then after the war I found myself back in the Merchant Service.
> That's my take on it. Regards Allan.


Hi, I've just found proof that I was issued with a M.N. Badge. Pity it was printed upside down. Allan


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