I am looking at the below gent who was aboard the ship SS Florian when it was sunk by a German Submarine on the 20th Jan 1941. Able Seaman Wilfred Hunter B 1998, died Aged 43 Lived in Hull wife A M Hunter 67 Melrose St, Hull I am not cracking at looking on the NA but can anybody assist please and tell me if there is anything on there relating to him? I have found the Florian's log book I think it is but nothing on Walter. I am going to apply for his service record but I know it is taking 8 months or so to get them.
Hunter, Wilfred, Merchant Navy 43 Able Seaman Florian + Crew list of Ships hit by U-boats Wilfred Hunter Merchant Navy. British Born 1898 Died 20 Jan 1941 (43) Roster information listed for Wilfred Hunter Ship Type Rank / role Attacked on Boat Florian Steam merchant Able Seaman 20 Jan 1941 (+) U-94 Personal information Husband of Alice May Hunter, of Hull. Crew list for Ships hit by U-boats Florian (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
Think you mean 1898 UK, Merchant Seamen Deaths, 1939 -1953 Name: Wilfred Hunter Age: 43 Birth Date: abt 1898 Birth Place: Hull, England Death Date: 20 Jan 1941 This might be connected to him Medal listing of Hunter, Wilfred | The National Archives TD Forgot to add this image But I think you already have his NOK and address details Able Seaman Wilfred Hunter (Unknown-1941) - Find A... FLORIAN SS was a British cargo steamer of 3,174 tons and built in 1940 and owned by Ellerman & Papayanni Lines Ltd. On the 20th January 1941 when on route from Hull 6th January 1941 for New York via Oban 18th January 1941 in ballast she was torpedoed by U-94 and sunk. All 44 crew were lost Cargo ship Florian, 3,174grt, (Ellerman & Papayanni & Co.) had been sailing independently from Hull to New York in ballast, sailing from Oban on the 18th January 1941 and disappeared along with her forty-one crew. The ship was officially recorded as missing/untraced on the 26th March 1941 by Lloyd's and a Missing Ship Committee considered her lost on the 20th. Information from German sources state that on the 20th January 1941an unidentified two masted vessel of around 2,500grt was sighted proceeding in the direction of Iceland, West of the Faroe Islands and was torpedoed and sunk in position 61' 14N 12' 05W. The Germans reported the ship sank in 42 seconds. This ship is believed to be the Florian.
Photos of Tower Hill Memorial panel for S.S.Florian from my collection. ABLE SEAMAN WILFRED HUNTER Regiment & Unit/Ship Merchant Navy S.S. Florian (Liverpool) Date of Death Died 20 January 1941 Age 43 years old Buried or commemorated at TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Panel 49. United Kingdom Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom Additional InfoHusband of Alice May Hunter, of Hull. Download certificate Click to view BURIED OR COMMEMORATED AT TOWER HILL MEMORIAL LondonUnited Kingdom Number of casualties: 35837 View cemetery details
Hi, I think you are referring to armed forces records when you mention it is taking 8 months - MN records are different and are perhaps a bit more complicated as to where they are and what they detail. Unfortunately, that does not help us though as he died in January 1941 which means his service if it has survived will be held in card form CR1, CR2 in the Fourth Register of Seamen 1913-1941. Sadly, it appears there are no surviving cards for him in the Fourth Register of Seamen so unfortunately there is only one way to go and that is to obtain the last crew agreement for FLORIAN - with a little luck you can use crew agreements to backtrack his service but it really means visiting Kew as otherwise it is a costly business. It appears, if I have found the correct man, that he has a service record for WW1 where he served in the army from 1913 - 1919 so he may have not chosen a Merchant Navy career and only joined for the war [my speculation] if I am correct a check of the crew agreement for FLORIAN hopefully would show his previous ship and then you could find the CA for that etc etc. I am still double checking that WW1 connection. You mention you have found the logbook for FLORIAN - have you? The logbook includes the crew agreements for the whole year and for 1941 it is held in BT 381/1657 But as the ship was lost in January there may not be a lot there as the actual logbook went down with the ship only the shoreside copy is available. If he joined the ship in 1940, I would get the 1940 logbook which is held at Kew in piece BT 381/1179 and that may list his previous ship, if he had one.. Here is his medal file: BT 395/1/47025 Although it does not give up any valuable information I am 100% confident it is our man through the link given by TD in his post re his MN death - on the rear of the card it links to his medal file reference. It can be downloaded for free once signed in. He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star and War Medal. Any questions, please feel free. Regards Hugh
Might be that we need to know a bit more about him - searching throws this possible up UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 Name: Wilfrid Hunter Gender: Male Birth Date: 28 Sep 1897 Birth Place: Whitby Yorks First Service Date: 12 Feb 1916 First Ship Served On: Victory I Last Service Date: 16 Mar 1921 Last Ship Served On: Victory I Service Number: SS6952 UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920 Shows 10 Wilfred Hunter, but without service number or regiment ...................... TD
Hi TD, If you can tell me who Alice May Hunter's [his wife] maiden name or his father and mother I can then confirm the WW1 record for you. Regards Hugh
Probably England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Name: Alice M Wilson Registration Date: Jan 1920 [Feb 1920] [Mar 1920] Registration Quarter: Jan-Feb-Mar Registration District: Sculcoates Inferred County: Yorkshire East Riding Spouse: Wilfred Hunter Volume Number: 9d Page Number: 253 TD Leads me onto UK, British Army World War I Pension Records 1914-1920 Name: Wilfred Hunter Gender: Male Birth Date: abt 1896 Birth Place: Holy Trinity, Yorkshire, England Marriage Date: 23 Mar 1920 Marriage Place: Dairycoates Hill Age: 17 Document Year: 1913 Regimental Number: 6224 Regiment Name: 3rd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment Form Title: Army Reserve (Special Reservists) Attestation Number of Images: 12 Other Records: Search for 'Wilfred Hunter' in other WWI collections Family Members: Name Relation to Soldier Wilfred Hunter Self (Head) Alice May Wilson Spouse Possibly him 1939 England and Wales Register Name: Wilfred Hunter Gender: Male Marital Status: Married Birth Date: 28 Sep 1896 Residence Year: 1939 Address: 187 Residence Place: Leeds, Yorkshire (West Riding), England Occupation: Fronch Polisher Line Number: 21 Schedule Number: 349 Sub Schedule Number: 3 Enumeration District: KGIK Borough: Leeds Registration district: 500- 2 Inferred Spouse: Alice Hunter
Thanks TD. For what it's worth, I think Alice May Wilson was the spouse and John Henry Hunter & Amy Hunter his parents. Regiment Name: 3rd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. It is just my opinion as you know army is not my forte. But I suppose we digress as the o/p was looking for MN records which as I have said appear not to have survived. Regards Hugh
Gents as usual you are the font all all knowledge and I thank you for the time spent looking for me, I am not surprised he was in WW1 as well for his age. Sorry no good with ships logs etc but have attached a copy of what I found from the NA. National Archives
That is the ship's movement card. A ships logbook covers a whole year and includes many parts such as the crew agreements i.e. a list of all of the members of her crew. Ship's logbooks are best viewed at Kew unless you know what you are looking for. Regards Hugh