Post by Admin on Apr 19, 2022 19:08:16 GMT
"Let those who come after see to it that his name be not forgotten".
No crosses mark the ocean waves;
No monuments of stone.
No roses grow on sailor's graves,
The Sailor rests alone
His tributes are the sea gulls' sweeps,
Forever wild and free . . .
And teardrops that his sweetheart weeps
To mingle with the sea
Anon
Many remain without commemoration.
Some families and loved ones did bury those lost privately without Commemoration. Relatives refused war graves for many reasons, including the delay involved with dealing with officialdom and a desire to lay to rest and eternal peace the person involved, or simply for personal or religious reasons. This would account for the many, countrywide that are buried without a Commonwealth War Grave Commission headstone. Others in the case of the Merchant Navy simply did not meet the criteria set for Commemoration. Vast amounts of Merchant Seamen have no known grave but the sea.
Families then apparently had the choice or erecting their own headstone which was known as a PM or Private Memorial, but in doing so forfeited the right to have it maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, where they would have erected a CH (Commission Headstone). The CWGC, if contacted, may possibly erect a CH now if the family gave permission.
Unfortunately only those merchant seamen who died while their ship was involved in military operations were commemorated. So, for example, if a ship was lost after a bombing, mine or torpedo attack then clearly that would be defined as military operations, but if a ship foundered in a gale or a collision then casualties from that occurrence would not qualify.
Similarly, if a merchant seaman died of an illness or an accident then they were not remembered on the memorial.
If a merchant seaman was lost through a war cause, however, but was buried ashore, then his name would also not possibly be on the Tower Hill Memorial because only those who have no known grave are remembered there.
Barry Merchant Seamen of the Forgotten Service
“We should remember all of them”
'But for the Merchant Navy who bring us the food and munitions of war, Britain would be in a perilous state and indeed, without them, the Army, Navy and Air Force could not operate' Winston Churchill said on 27 January 1942. However, unlike the armed forces, whom are remembered / commemorated regardless of event, the Merchant Navy has to meet strict criteria to be included in National Commemoration.
We shall remember them "LEST WE FORGET" should mean all of them. Over 40,000 seamen lost their lives in WWII. Men whose wages were stopped the moment a torpedo struck their ship. Men who still vividly remember the horrors of watching their shipmates drown or horribly burn to death when ships carrying high octane blew up in a fiery ball. Men who survived and returned home only to sign on and ship out yet again to face the enemy with guts and determination to make their heroic contribution to the war effort.
No matter what enemy action they faced, or medals won, in both World Wars, to die in port would not fit the criteria to be commemorated even today and the brave young men of the forgotten service remain forgotten.
Some survived the First World War and much action, survived attacks in the Second World War and experiences that may have led to an early loss of life. But, without a direct hit from an Heinkel or a U.boat torpedo for example, they simply do not fit the official criteria.
LEST WE FORGET
Included below are the names of a number of men from my home town of Barry, who may also be missing from any local memorial.
Marylyn 161369 10/09/1939 Avonmouth. Daniel Lee. 51 Bosun Barry Dock. Fractured Base of Skull from accident.
King Edward 141921 26/12/1939 Lat. 02' 26S Long. 02' 33W Trevor Mears 31 2nd Mate Barry, Glam. Presumed Heart Attack.
Runswick 161016 17/02/1940 At Sea William Geary 53 4th Engineer Barry. Heart Disease.
King Edward 141921 26/12/1939 02' 21S 02' 33W Jenkin Trevor Mears 31 2nd Mate Barry, Glam. Presumed Heart Failure.
Nariwa 143562 08/05/1940 Buenos Aries James Hopkins 30 Fireman & Trimmer Barry Island. Injury to head.
Daru 149652 13/08/1940 39' 25N 21' 36W Edward O'Toole Unknown DBS Barry Dock. Malaria.
Graiglas 167801 25/07/1940 Hospital, Canal Zone Charles Brown aka Bya Pau 53 Fireman Barry. Pulmonary Abscess.
Glaisdale 161012 23/09/1940 Manchester Evangelos Gianakulias 41 Greaser Barry. Coronary Thrombosis.
Daldorch 161935 28/10/1940 Princess Docks, Hull John Kasak 49 AB Barry Dock. Fell in Princess Dock and believed drowned. Body recovered.
Royal Crown 149440 16/12/1940 Cardiff Docks John Moore 42 Master Barry. Asphyxia due to drowning.
Tewkesbury 148259 29/01/1941 Jarrow Dry Dock James Ernst 21 Fireman & Trimmer Barry. Fell in dry dock.
Trevarrack 142568 23/09/1940 Hospital, Port Said John William Parker 51 3rd Engineer Barry. Shock following fracture of femur.
Mariston 147905 02/01/1941 Cardiff Abdul Hamed 36 Fireman Barry. Killed in air raid at Bute St, Cardiff.
Start Point 142834 09/02/1941 Philadelphia Felix Fredrickson 50 Carpenter Barry. Motor accident while ashore.
Warkworth 148105 23/04/1941 Hospital, London Emanuele Vassallo 38 Fireman & Trimmer Barry. Fractured skull.
Toward 147862 07/05/1941 Greenock John McNaughton 56 Chief Engineer Barry. Heart Failure
Dayrose 148304 26/06/1941 Hospital, Manchester Manoel Almeda 50 Fireman & Trimmer Barry Dock. Unknown.
Information via Billy McGee.
HARRIS, Galley Boy, RONALD JAMES, S.S. Empire Osborne.
Merchant Navy. 2nd March 1945. Age 16,
11 St. Teilo Ave. Barry, Glamorgan. Buried Ste Marie Cemetery.
While at Le Harve the young Galley Boy Ronald Harris died from a perforated appendix. He is buried ashore and recorded as non war dead, though his grave is attended and looked after by the CWGC. Both the Deaths at Sea Register and CWGC record Ronald as age 16, though his headstone was marked age 17.
No crosses mark the ocean waves;
No monuments of stone.
No roses grow on sailor's graves,
The Sailor rests alone
His tributes are the sea gulls' sweeps,
Forever wild and free . . .
And teardrops that his sweetheart weeps
To mingle with the sea
Anon
Many remain without commemoration.
Some families and loved ones did bury those lost privately without Commemoration. Relatives refused war graves for many reasons, including the delay involved with dealing with officialdom and a desire to lay to rest and eternal peace the person involved, or simply for personal or religious reasons. This would account for the many, countrywide that are buried without a Commonwealth War Grave Commission headstone. Others in the case of the Merchant Navy simply did not meet the criteria set for Commemoration. Vast amounts of Merchant Seamen have no known grave but the sea.
Families then apparently had the choice or erecting their own headstone which was known as a PM or Private Memorial, but in doing so forfeited the right to have it maintained by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission, where they would have erected a CH (Commission Headstone). The CWGC, if contacted, may possibly erect a CH now if the family gave permission.
Unfortunately only those merchant seamen who died while their ship was involved in military operations were commemorated. So, for example, if a ship was lost after a bombing, mine or torpedo attack then clearly that would be defined as military operations, but if a ship foundered in a gale or a collision then casualties from that occurrence would not qualify.
Similarly, if a merchant seaman died of an illness or an accident then they were not remembered on the memorial.
If a merchant seaman was lost through a war cause, however, but was buried ashore, then his name would also not possibly be on the Tower Hill Memorial because only those who have no known grave are remembered there.
Barry Merchant Seamen of the Forgotten Service
“We should remember all of them”
'But for the Merchant Navy who bring us the food and munitions of war, Britain would be in a perilous state and indeed, without them, the Army, Navy and Air Force could not operate' Winston Churchill said on 27 January 1942. However, unlike the armed forces, whom are remembered / commemorated regardless of event, the Merchant Navy has to meet strict criteria to be included in National Commemoration.
We shall remember them "LEST WE FORGET" should mean all of them. Over 40,000 seamen lost their lives in WWII. Men whose wages were stopped the moment a torpedo struck their ship. Men who still vividly remember the horrors of watching their shipmates drown or horribly burn to death when ships carrying high octane blew up in a fiery ball. Men who survived and returned home only to sign on and ship out yet again to face the enemy with guts and determination to make their heroic contribution to the war effort.
No matter what enemy action they faced, or medals won, in both World Wars, to die in port would not fit the criteria to be commemorated even today and the brave young men of the forgotten service remain forgotten.
Some survived the First World War and much action, survived attacks in the Second World War and experiences that may have led to an early loss of life. But, without a direct hit from an Heinkel or a U.boat torpedo for example, they simply do not fit the official criteria.
LEST WE FORGET
Included below are the names of a number of men from my home town of Barry, who may also be missing from any local memorial.
Marylyn 161369 10/09/1939 Avonmouth. Daniel Lee. 51 Bosun Barry Dock. Fractured Base of Skull from accident.
King Edward 141921 26/12/1939 Lat. 02' 26S Long. 02' 33W Trevor Mears 31 2nd Mate Barry, Glam. Presumed Heart Attack.
Runswick 161016 17/02/1940 At Sea William Geary 53 4th Engineer Barry. Heart Disease.
King Edward 141921 26/12/1939 02' 21S 02' 33W Jenkin Trevor Mears 31 2nd Mate Barry, Glam. Presumed Heart Failure.
Nariwa 143562 08/05/1940 Buenos Aries James Hopkins 30 Fireman & Trimmer Barry Island. Injury to head.
Daru 149652 13/08/1940 39' 25N 21' 36W Edward O'Toole Unknown DBS Barry Dock. Malaria.
Graiglas 167801 25/07/1940 Hospital, Canal Zone Charles Brown aka Bya Pau 53 Fireman Barry. Pulmonary Abscess.
Glaisdale 161012 23/09/1940 Manchester Evangelos Gianakulias 41 Greaser Barry. Coronary Thrombosis.
Daldorch 161935 28/10/1940 Princess Docks, Hull John Kasak 49 AB Barry Dock. Fell in Princess Dock and believed drowned. Body recovered.
Royal Crown 149440 16/12/1940 Cardiff Docks John Moore 42 Master Barry. Asphyxia due to drowning.
Tewkesbury 148259 29/01/1941 Jarrow Dry Dock James Ernst 21 Fireman & Trimmer Barry. Fell in dry dock.
Trevarrack 142568 23/09/1940 Hospital, Port Said John William Parker 51 3rd Engineer Barry. Shock following fracture of femur.
Mariston 147905 02/01/1941 Cardiff Abdul Hamed 36 Fireman Barry. Killed in air raid at Bute St, Cardiff.
Start Point 142834 09/02/1941 Philadelphia Felix Fredrickson 50 Carpenter Barry. Motor accident while ashore.
Warkworth 148105 23/04/1941 Hospital, London Emanuele Vassallo 38 Fireman & Trimmer Barry. Fractured skull.
Toward 147862 07/05/1941 Greenock John McNaughton 56 Chief Engineer Barry. Heart Failure
Dayrose 148304 26/06/1941 Hospital, Manchester Manoel Almeda 50 Fireman & Trimmer Barry Dock. Unknown.
Information via Billy McGee.
HARRIS, Galley Boy, RONALD JAMES, S.S. Empire Osborne.
Merchant Navy. 2nd March 1945. Age 16,
11 St. Teilo Ave. Barry, Glamorgan. Buried Ste Marie Cemetery.
While at Le Harve the young Galley Boy Ronald Harris died from a perforated appendix. He is buried ashore and recorded as non war dead, though his grave is attended and looked after by the CWGC. Both the Deaths at Sea Register and CWGC record Ronald as age 16, though his headstone was marked age 17.