02 September
To commemorate Merchant Navy Day on Saturday 3 September findmypast.co.uk, in partnership with The National Archives, have made one million Merchant Navy Seamen records available online for the first time.
Rarely-seen photos
Among the records of UK merchant ships' crew members, which date from 1918 to 1941, released online today, family historians may be able to find rarely-seen photographs of their seafaring ancestors. The records also provide detailed descriptions of individual mariners, such as Ordinary Seaman Henry Duncan Abbot from Dundee, who proudly displayed his extraordinary tattoos, including a Chinese death head with the inscription 'Death is Glory' on his right arm.
Britain's 'fourth service'
The Merchant Navy were named Britain's 'fourth service' by Winston Churchill. Consisting of all seagoing vessels with commercial interests and their crews, the service was integral in placing Britain on the trade and industry world map.
Sometimes described as a 'floating United Nations', many ships' crews were made up of international seamen from across the world, from Canada to China, from Somaliland to Scandinavia.
Valuable family history resource
Janet Dempsey, Marine and Maritime Record Specialist at The National Archives, said: 'The Merchant Navy Seamen records cover a very significant era in nautical history commencing at the very peak of the popularity of ocean travel. These newly digitised records make a fascinating social record as well as a valuable family history resource.'
Around 1.5 million people were employed in the Merchant Navy at various points in the last century, so many researchers are likely to find ancestors in these records.
Debra Chatfield, Marketing Manager at findmypast.co.uk, commented: 'A large proportion of the UK population will have Merchant Seamen in their ancestry. Hopefully these records will help fill the gaps and people will enjoy learning about what life was like for the brave, seafaring merchants who helped the island nation of Britain prosper.'
Research help
Merchant Navy records at findmypast.co.uk
Looking for records of a merchant seaman serving after 1917 - The National Archives' research signpost
