Hello. I am trying to find information about my great grandad Harry Patrick Hadley who died on the Lancastrian Prince, on behalf of my Nan who was born after his death. My Nan knows little information about her parents as she was given up for adoption. I have attached all the information that have found so far and was wondering if anyone could help me understand what the documents mean and maybe even find out more. I would hopefully like to find some photographs to show her many thanks
This link has a photograph of the Lancastrian Prince and details of the ships loss. Lancastrian Prince (British Steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
This link gives the crew list for the Lancastrian Prince. Your great grandfather is on the list. Crewlist from Lancastrian Prince (British steam merchant) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net
Hi Cecilia Welcome to the forum. Document 1: These are Medal Roll Index Cards for Soldiers who served overseas in the British Army in World War One, so will not be Harry, but maybe his relations. Document 2: The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's Tower Hill Memorial shown here. It is very moving as it lists men ship by ship & shows just how high a propotion of merchant seamen lost their lives. Document 3: This is the list of medals he was entitled to & also indicates on line two if he was entitled to a clasp with the medals. Your image is not clear enough for me to see the initials of the medals, but its a standard form & you hopfully can match the initials to the list in this link. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939–1945_Star The ones circled or crossed through were his entitlement & I think means they were actually issued. For the army, soldiers or their next of kin had to claim their medals post WW2 so maybe the Merchant Navy was the same. The Arctic Campaign Star will not be on this form as it was only instituted in 2012, but can still be claimed by next of kin if he qualified. Travers
Hi Cecilia and welcome. His full service record from joining the MN until his loss on LANCASTRIAN PRINCE will be held at Kew in peice BT 382/707 this document will show you all his ships including ports of engagement and discharge etc. You should also obtain his seaman's pouch which is held at Kew in piece BT 372/272/90 The CRS 10 in BT 382 is best obtained by visit to Kew or via a researcher. His medal file states his next of kin obtained the following medals: 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star, Africa Star and Clasp, Pacific Star and the War Medal. Regards Hugh
Record of Harry Patrick Hadley's death at sea from National Maritime Museum record card held on ancestry.co.uk. This card also records his wife Sarah's address as his next of kin.
Unlike the three armed services during WWII who automatically received their medal entitlement, Merchant Seamen had to apply separately for theirs. At the conclusion of World War 2 an initial medal assessment was carried out and medal papers were raised including details of a seaman’s service. These were sent to ports to await the signature of the veteran, as to the accuracy of the information, and then returned to the old RGSS (now MCA). Medals were not automatically issued but had to be claimed by the veteran. These papers are still retained by the MCA but, due to the ravages of time and the process, are not now totally complete. This series contains Database of World War II Medals issued to Merchant Seamen 1946-2002 which is a record of medals claimed and issued. This gives details of the ribbons and medals issued to individual seamen for their service in World War 2. It records each seaman’s name plus, usually, his discharge book number and date and place of birth as well as the medals, ribbons and clasps issued together with a reference to the medal papers file. The medals awarded are indicated by: 1939: 1939-1945 Star AT: Atlantic Star AF: Africa Star PA: Pacific Star BU: Burma Star FR: France and Germany Star WM: War Medal IT: Italy Star CL: Clasp OLE: Oak Leaf A cross (×) drawn through a symbol indicates the issue of that medal; a circle (O) drawn through a symbol indicates that only the ribbon for that medal has been issued. If a cross and a circle have been used then both a medal and a ribbon have been issued. An R sometimes appears and signifies that an application for that medal was reviewed and refused. Cargo ship, Lancastrian Prince, 1,914grt, (Furness Withy & Co.) sailed in ballast from Liverpool on the 31st March 1943 in the 44 ship New York bound Convoy ON-176. Once across the Atlantic the Lancastrian Prince was to head for Boston, Massachusetts. At 01.30 hours (CET) on the 12th April East of Newfoundland U-404 fired a spread of four torpedoes at the convoy, claiming two ships sunk and one other damaged. In fact only the Lancastrian Prince had been hit and sank in position 50’ 18N 42’ 48W. The Master, all thirty-seven crewmembers and her seven DEMS were lost.
An R sometimes appears and signifies that an application for that medal was reviewed and refused. However, the R would be marked on the actual medal file stamped on top of the medal name. There is an R on his medal entitlement but that is just part of his discharge number R 212323 and does not indicate any medal was refused. This medal file actually shows that all of the medals were issued or claimed by his next of kin so will have been within his family at some point. Regards Hugh