britsh merchant nave WWII

Question

Hoping you can help.  
I have
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Tye-1050
Who died as a merchant navy sailor in WWII..... I almost want to count him as KIA, as fleet movements were part of the war effort.  Looks like Britain awarded them some military honor.  Maybe a link it to WWII categories?

What do we all think?

Comments

Hey Susan,

I think it's a great idea.  My Grandfather was in the Army in the US and a member of the Merchant Marines as a Troop Transport Commander.  Kindred spirit here!  Mags

Answer 1

According to the CWGC web site John William Tye died on 21 Feb 1942 while serving as a Sailor on the Norwegin Merchant Ship M. V. Kongsgoord the Memorial is on panel 132 (Addenda)

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx?cpage=1

There was four people died on that day onboard the Kongsgaard (note the spelling is different from the Commowealth Graves Commission Records. A photograph of the panel can be found on http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/Panels%20121%20to%20132.html

The owner of the web site has been collecting information about the ships actions for many years. His entry for the Konggsgaard is:

She was a 9,467 grt motor tanker that survived a torpedo attack on 27 June 1941 by German submarine U-564 at position 60° 00’ N, 30° 42’ W. Initially abandoned on fire, she was reboarded, the fires put out and continued to Belfast. She was sunk on 21 February 1942 by torpedoes fired by German submarine U-67 at a position 7 miles off North Point Curacao. See also entry for Panel 132 HERE.

 

Answer 2

The Merchant Navy were indeed a fundamental part of the war effort for the besieged United Kingdom and many merchantmen were armed to assist in protecting convoys. A good number of these otherwise 'civilian' vessels also carried men from the Royal Navy to man the guns.

The Merchant Navy is remembered on a large number of special war memorials in our port cities, such as Liverpool, Bristol, London, Southampton etc and they play an active role in the Rembrance Day services in London and elsewhere with the Naval and Military forces each year.

If you go to http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/merchant-seamen-medals-ww2.htm you will find that the UK Government awarded no fewer than nine different medals to merchant mariners.

The War Medal 1939-1945;

Atlantic Star !939-1945

1939-1945 Star

Africa Star 1940-1943

Pacific Star 1941-1945

Burma Star 1941-1945

France and Germany Star 1943-1945

Italy Star 1943-1945

Obviously it depended on the routes that their vessel plied and the dates in which they served in specific areas which were regarded as theatres of war for the time-being.

My uncle was on fast motor boats on the Atlantic approaches and the coastal waters around the UK and Ireland on the Atlantic coastline,. His boat was one of many active on anti-submarine activity to try and protect the Merchantmen on the final legs of their perilous journey from the USA and Canada. He was awarded the Atlantic Star.

Personally I think that the the civilian sailors of the merchant fleet richly deserve inclusion as war heroes!

Regards
John