# SS Blairmore and more



## rachman

Good day everyone - just joined and hoping some of you may be able to help me in my quest to find out some more info on the Uncle I never knew.

My father's brother, Kenneth D S Dawson, was born in 1912 and was killed by the Japanese invasion/bombing of Hong Kong harbour in December 1941 whilst on secondment from the merchant navy to the RN. In between times, he became a merchant seaman and was enjoying seeing the world up until WW2.

I have a discharge card for him which shows that, amongst several other ships, he worked in 1932 on the SS Blairmore. I have found a couple of photos of this vessel on this site, thanks!

Attached are some photos for reference.

What I would specifically appreciate any help on is information re the following :-

1/ What are the different cap-badges on the 2 enclosed photos of my Uncle?

2/ Is there any on-line reference point by which it is possible to search for ships via their O.N. (several of which are on the discharge card, attached)?

3/ Does anyone have any specific information of how or why he, as a merchant seaman, might have found himself in Hong Kong on detachment to the RN in 1941?
According to a memory of my aunt, Kenneth's sister, he was on harbour patrol duties when their patrol boat came under attack from Japanese fighters and were bombed and/or strafed out of the water.

Thanks in advance for any info you may have. My father was a ship-broker in Cardiff, my Grandfather before him was a ship-owner/broker/Merchant in Bilbao at the beginning of the last century, so shipping and a love of ships runs in the blood!


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## Roger Griffiths

rachman said:


> 2/ Is there any on-line reference point by which it is possible to search for ships via their O.N. (several of which are on the discharge card, attached)?


http://www.crewlist.org.uk/data/data.html

If there are any O/N's that are not there, just make another post

Roger


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## rachman

Thank you, Roger, this link found every O/N on the discharge card. Most helpful.
Regards
Phil Dawson


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## Hugh MacLean

His medal file can be downloaded from Kew - *BT 395/1* for £3.50


Regards
Hugh


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## Roger Griffiths

According to CWGC he was a member of the Hong Kong dockyard defence corps.
A google search gives plenty of info. There are also some files at the National Archives.
If you wish to know where he sailed prior to his secondment, crew agreements can be obtained from Memorial University of Newfoundland
http://www.mun.ca/mha/holdings/searchcombinedcrews.php
If MUN have nothing, try the National Archive, and for years ending in "5" NMM Greenwich.
Search via O/N.

Roger


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## Hugh MacLean

rachman said:


> 1/ What are the different cap-badges on the 2 enclosed photos of my Uncle?


Looks to me like the cap badge of Frank S. Dawson & Co Ltd, Cardiff. If I am correct the background is red with a white diamond and blue letter D.

Could that company be related to your family?

By the way I can only see one cap badge photo am I missing something? 

Regards
Hugh


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## rachman

Hey folks, this is fantastic! Thank you all so much for your replies.

@Hugh- Yes, that makes perfect sense - Frank S Dawson was his uncle - my great uncle - and Kenneth's first ship, and some later ones, were Cardiff-registered vessels. Sorry about the second cap photo - for some reason it would not register as a .jpg even though it is. I've attached it here now from a different source. Fingers crossed.
Thanks also for the medal link - I wasn't expecting there to be a war medal. I've downloaded it now but am unsure what it is telling me exactly. What are all the 2-letter codes in the boxes? His entry appears to have a cross over 1939 (presumably date of first secondment?) and a cross over the letters PA?

@Roger - thanks for the Hong Kong info and the links. I had read some stuff on the attack but nothing pertinent to the navy defence role there.

Well, I am well happy with all this - first day on the site and Uncle Kenneth has gone from someone I barely new existed for most of my life to a real, identifiable person with whom I can now relate. What a shame we never spoke more about the past when Dad was still with us.

Again, thanks to one and all.
Phil


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## ray1buck1

If it is of any help, 
There was a Kenneth Dawson age16 signed on “Lady Brenda” owners The Dawson line This was his first ship signed in Immingham 27th October 1928 as an Apprentice. The ship arrived Boston 10th December 1928 having sailed from Swansea via Northern Range Port 13th November 1928
Ray


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## rachman

Ray,
Super! Yes, that would be him. He turned 16 in June of 1928 and my photo of him at top is captioned 'Lady Breuda' - a typo I can now correct. The very specific date on the original photo I have to take as correct - March 4th, 1929 - he could well have been still assigned to the Lady Brenda then. One anomaly though - the discharge card above shows him on O/N 139629 which comes up as 'Maindy Dene' on exactly that date - 27 Oct 1928. (Maindy is an area of Cardiff and could well have been another Frank S Dawson line ship, though I can't find any record of it) Any thoughts?


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## Hugh MacLean

rachman said:


> Thanks also for the medal link - I wasn't expecting there to be a war medal. I've downloaded it now but am unsure what it is telling me exactly. What are all the 2-letter codes in the boxes? His entry appears to have a cross over 1939 (presumably date of first secondment?) and a cross over the letters PA?


Phil,

Looks like he claimed or his NoK claimed his medal entitlement. By what you say he received the following:

1939 - 1945 Star.
The Pacific Star. 

I am rather surprised there is not a cross through the WM = War Medal as he would be entitled to that also - maybe you could post the do***ent and I will have a look. (Thumb)

Regards
Hugh


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## ray1buck1

Just to add a little 
There is another manifest for Kenneth Dawson Dis A No 109136 age 24 with 7 years service when he signed on as A.B. the “Gothic Star” Blue Star Line in North Shields 7th May 1936. The ship arrived in Tacoma Wash: 26th June 1936 having sailed from the Tyne via Vancouver 

Also Kenneth Dawson Dis A No 109136 age 22 with 6 years service when he signed on as O.S. the “Harlingen” owners J & C Harrison Ltd London, in South Shields 15th November ? 1934, the ship arrived Marshfield Oregon 4th (7th) March 1935 having sailed from Wakamatsu Japan 

Kenneth Dawson age 19 with 3 years service when he signed on as an Apprentice, “Blairmore” owners Blair Line in Glasgow 10th November 1931
The ship arrived in Boston Mass; 28th November 1931 having sailed from Glasgow 

Again Kenneth Dawson age 20 with 3 years service when he signed on as an Apprentice, “Blairatholl” owners Blair Line in Swansea 24th February 1932 
The ship arrived in Boston Mass; 14th March 1932 having sailed from Swansea 
she sailed again for Norfolk Va: 19th March 1932

a further manifest Kenneth Dawson age 20 with 4 years service when he signed on as an Apprentice, “Blairatholl” owners Blair Line in Barrow 24th October 1932 
The ship arrived in Boston Mass; 15th November 1932 having sailed from Glasgow 

Ray


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## Hugh MacLean

rachman said:


> One anomaly though - the discharge card above shows him on O/N 139629 which comes up as 'Maindy Dene' on exactly that date - 27 Oct 1928. (Maindy is an area of Cardiff and could well have been another Frank S Dawson line ship, though I can't find any record of it) Any thoughts?


'MAINDY DENE' was later renamed 'LADY BRENDA' same official number. So your records are correct.

Regards
Hugh


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## rachman

Hugh MacLean said:


> Phil,
> 
> Looks like he claimed or his NoK claimed his medal entitlement. By what you say he received the following:
> 
> 1939 - 1945 Star.
> The Pacific Star.
> 
> I am rather surprised there is not a cross through the WM = War Medal as he would be entitled to that also - maybe you could post the do***ent and I will have a look. (Thumb)
> 
> Regards
> Hugh


Here enclosed is the medal listing - I see now that the War Medal is crossed after all and now understand that the 2-letter codes stand for the area(s) of conflict he was involved in.

One further question on this is the date; they all seem to say 1939 - were these medals assigned at the outbreak of European hostilities as a 'blanket' assignment to all Merchant Seamen at the point I assume they all became seconded to the war effort? 

I have recently discovered, via a fascinating do***ent found on line, that at the time of Honk Kong, Dec 1941, Kenneth was employed as a second officer by the India-China Steam Navigation Co and he and several crew members were in Hong Kong 'between ships', waiting for a new ship assignment. As it became clear that the Japanese, who already held China, were about to invade the British colony of Hong Kong, Kenneth and his crew were enrolled in the HKDDC, Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps and were in charge of a tug-boat _Gatling_ about to leave the Aberdeen Dockyard to assist with evacuation on another part of the island when they took a direct hit from an Imperial fighter-bomber. None survived. He is commemorated at the Sai Wan memorial in Hong Kong province and has an unknown grave. I enclose a few attachments for anyone who may be interested.

As a final request, can someone point me towards possibly finding out what his last voyage might have been, and the ship involved?
I-C.S.N.C from ? to Hong Kong.

Again, a thousand thanks to all members who have helped piece together my Uncle's seafaring life. I now know 100% more about him than I did last week. Brilliant!


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## rachman

Hugh MacLean said:


> 'MAINDY DENE' was later renamed 'LADY BRENDA' same official number. So your records are correct.
> 
> Regards
> Hugh


Thanks Hugh - this became clear to me eventually!


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## rachman

Thank you Ray, all helps! See my latest reply to Hugh - perhaps you might be best placed to help trace Kenneth's last voyage and ship to Hong Kong with India-China Steamship Navigation Company? Much appreciated if you can help out here.
Regards
Phil


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## Roger Griffiths

Are you sure The shipping company was *India* China SN co and not *Indo* China SN co.
I suspect it was the later. If so it puts a new direction on things. Could you confim or otherwise.

Roger


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## Hugh MacLean

rachman said:


> One further question on this is the date; they all seem to say 1939 - were these medals assigned at the outbreak of European hostilities as a 'blanket' assignment to all Merchant Seamen at the point I assume they all became seconded to the war effort?


Phil,

Eight medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in the Second World War and who met the qualifications for each medal. The Mercantile Marine Office usually issued the ribbons at the port, with the medal normally following on some time later, after it had been produced by the Mint. It is believed that the Atlantic Star and the 1939-1945 ribbon were issued in advance of the others.

Merchant seamen had to claim their medals as they were not automatically issued. BT 395/1 at Kew is an incomplete record of medals issued or claimed after the year 1946.

Regards
Hugh


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## daisy1942

Hi Rachman,

Sorry can't help you - but perhaps you can help me? Do you happen to know how your uncle ended up on secondment to the RN from the Merchant Navy? My father in law was in Singapore just before the fall - escaped successfully- but do not know whether he was there under the auspices of the RN or MN.

Any information gratefully received!(Wave)


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## rachman

Roger Griffiths said:


> Are you sure The shipping company was *India* China SN co and not *Indo* China SN co.
> I suspect it was the later. If so it puts a new direction on things. Could you confim or otherwise.
> 
> Roger


Hello Roger, sorry for being so long in getting back to you: yes, my mistake, it was the Indo China SN co.

Thanks

Phil


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## rachman

daisy1942 said:


> Hi Rachman,
> 
> Sorry can't help you - but perhaps you can help me? Do you happen to know how your uncle ended up on secondment to the RN from the Merchant Navy? My father in law was in Singapore just before the fall - escaped successfully- but do not know whether he was there under the auspices of the RN or MN.
> 
> Any information gratefully received!(Wave)


Hi there, sorry, I have no more information other than that which appears in these threads - it appears that he and several others in his crew were 'between ships' in Hong Kong and as Merchant Seamen, were eligible to be drafted on the spot as RN ancilliaries to help the war effort there when it became apparent that the Imperial army were on the verge of taking Hong Kong. Hence he and his crew were drafted into the Hong Kong Dockyard Defence Corps. Perhaps the difference with Singapore was that it was not a British Territory, as was Hong Kong? I don't really know enough about it - just a thought. Hope this helps. Regards / Phil


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