# Trying to find name of ship my great-grandfather served on during WWI



## rrratina

My great-grandfather served on a ship - how do I start researching to discover which ship(s) he served on? Many thanks.


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## Billieboy

Welcome aboard rratina, have a look around and enjoy the site.

You could start by putting the name of your granddad and his discharge book number or seamans card number, up here and then the boys can find it for you.

Good Luck!


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## rrratina

*Grandfather navy Service*

Hi - not sure why I said great grandfather but am looking for grandfather's Naval military history. His name is Frederick Edward Goller Sr., born October 23, 1900, South bend, Indiana. My father says he lied about his age in order to join the navy. He says he served on a ship. 

I am still trying to get the information you listed. 

Many thanks.

Wendy


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## surfaceblow

Hello Wendy

Welcome to the site from Pennsylvania. 

Since you are looking for US Navy records the National Archives have most of the records that you are looking for. There was a fire in 1973 that destroyed some of the records. A few years ago the records started to be transfered to the second site. You can start your search at the two sites below. The sites will tell you what information is required and you can down load the forms to request your Grandfathers records. 

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/archival-programs.html

Best of Luck
Joe


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## rrratina

*Found Father's Records: U.S.S. Kansas*

Hi - We found my grandfather's War Service Certificate. He served on the U.S.S. Kansas sometime from July 19, 1918 to July 28, 1919. Where was the ship during these dates? 

Also, he used to have a photo of him in a large group standing before the ship. Does anyone have any idea how to find this photograph? Many thanks! One mystery solved! More to uncover. 

Thanks.

Wendy


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## jimmyc

rrratina said:


> Hi - We found my grandfather's War Service Certificate. He served on the U.S.S. Kansas sometime from July 19, 1918 to July 28, 1919. Where was the ship during these dates?
> 
> Also, he used to have a photo of him in a large group standing before the ship. Does anyone have any idea how to find this photograph? Many thanks! One mystery solved! More to uncover.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Wendy


some pictures of USS Kansas
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/21b.htm

http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_kansas_bb21.htm

http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/us_navy_pages/uss_kansas_bb21_message_board.htm

http://www.greatwhitefleet.info/GWF_Sailor_DeMoss.html

http://www.genealogy.com/users/h/a/r/S-Harrison/PHOTO/0009photo.html


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## jimmyc

rrratina said:


> Hi - We found my grandfather's War Service Certificate. He served on the U.S.S. Kansas sometime from July 19, 1918 to July 28, 1919. Where was the ship during these dates?
> 
> Also, he used to have a photo of him in a large group standing before the ship. Does anyone have any idea how to find this photograph? Many thanks! One mystery solved! More to uncover.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Wendy


U.S.S. Kansas sometime from July 19, 1918 to July 28, 1919. 
After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Kansas served in training and escort roles until the conflict's end in November 1918. Next assigned work as a troop transport, she made five round-trips to France from then until mid-1919, helping to bring home veterans of the "Great War". In June 1920, Kansas passed through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, taking Naval Academy midshipmen on a training cruise that reached as far west as Hawaii. Returning to the Pacific in October 1920, she steamed to Samoa and Hawaii. She made a final voyage to Europe on a midshipmen's training cruise in mid-1921. Kansas was inactive after the conclusion of that trip. Decommissioned in December 1921, she was stricken from the Navy list in 1923 and broken up in 1924.
Kansas was still in the Philadelphia yard on 6 April 1917 when the United States entered World War I. She arrived in York River from Philadelphia on 10 July and became a unit of the 4th Battleship Division, spending the remainder of the war as an engineering training ship inChesapeake Bay occasionally making escort and training cruises to New York.
After the Armistice, she made five voyages to Brest, France to embark and return veterans home.
She was overhauled at the Philadelphia Navy Yard from 29 June 1919-17 May 1920. Three days later she arrived at Annapolis where she embarked midshipmen and sailed on 5 June for a practice cruise to Pacific waters, transiting the Panama Canal to visit Honolulu, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Pedro, California. She departed the latter port on 11 August, transited the canal, and visited Guantanamo Bay before returning to Annapolis on 2 September.
Proceeding to Philadelphia, Kansas became flagship of Rear Admiral Charles F. Hughes, Commander of BatDiv 4, Squadron 2 (BatRon 2), and future Chief of Naval Operations. She sailed for Bermuda on 27 September and was inspected by HRH Edward, Prince of Wales, atGrassey Bay, Bermuda on 2 October. Two days later, she was underway for the Panama Canal and Samoa. She was at Pago Pago, Samoa, on 11 November when Captain Waldo Evans became Governor of American Samoa. After visiting Hawaiian ports and transiting the Panama Canal, she cruised in the Caribbean Sea and the Panama Canal before returning to Philadelphia on 7 March 1921.
Kansas embarked midshipmen at Annapolis and sailed on 4 June, with three other battleships bound for Kristiania, Lisbon, Gibraltar, and Guantanamo Bay. She returned on 28 August to debark her midshipmen before visiting New York from 3-19 September. She entered the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 20 September and decommissioned on 16 December. Her name was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 24 August 1923, and she was sold for scrap in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty limiting naval armament.


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## Oliverjack

*Looking for some help please?*

I've been doing the family tree for about five years and a while ago my grandpa said about being a chef during ww2 on a ship which due to his age at the time he could remember the name of id really like to try to find out which ship it was so the rest of the family can be told . I don't have his service number and I'm not sure he would know it if I asked him. 

Is there anyway to find out with just a name and dob and known gone place he said he was docked ?


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## Erimus

You say service number...do we therefore assume he was in Royal Navy not Merchant??

geoff


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## Roger Griffiths

Hello,
If he was Merchant Navy it is possible to find his personal records. Could you give us his Full name, date and place of birth.

regards
Roger


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## Oliverjack

His name is Edward Henry Ernest Wing born in shoreditch London 5th September 1926 not sure if it was merchant or navy . Thank you in advance for your help X


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## Roger Griffiths

Hello again,
I can find no primary Merchant Navy records for him online. This in its self is not unusual.

If he was MN he should have had a form CRS 10.
A standard form CRS 10 relates to the service of individual merchant seamen and lists the ships on which they served with relevant dates.
The CRS 10s give personal details of each seaman; the front page of the service entries includes:
name;
date of birth;
place of birth;
discharge A number;
rank or rating, with relevant certificate details;
details of any other qualifications;
date CRS 10 first page was created;
in the seaman's pouch.
The continuation pages show:
a list of ships and their official numbers with date and place of engagement;
rank or rating;
F or H (for Foreign or Home trade voyage);
date and place of discharge from the ship;
character grade;
National Insurance contribution code;
Registry clerk's initials and date of the entry;
when ashore the sheet may bear the entry MNRP (Merchant Navy Reserve Pool) with date and place.
This information about service was extracted from ship's logs and crew agreements lodged by ship owners. 
If it is anywhere it should be here

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_st=adv&_cr1=bt382/1983&_dss=range&_ro=any

These records are stored in blocks of 60 names, arranged alphabetically. You best bet therefore is to visit the National Archives yourself.

If you find nothing, then it could well be he was Royal Navy. 
Get in touch with

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records 


regards
Roger


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