That morning Prime Minister Winston Churchill had announced his intention to go to sea with the fleet and witness the invasion from HMS Belfast. [22] On 9 October Belfast intercepted a German liner, the 13,615-ton Cap Norte, 50 miles (80km) north-west of the Faroe Islands. She was launched on St Patrick's Day 1938. of preserving an entire ship. [18] Under the Admiralty's prize rules, Belfast's crew later received prize money. [46], During 1951 Belfast mounted a number of coastal patrols and bombarded a variety of targets. The T124T records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on tugs. On October 9, 1939, Belfast successfully seized the . HMS Formidable was an Aircraft Carrier of the Illustrious class. [91], HMS Belfast also serves as the headquarters of the City of London Sea Cadet Corps,[92] and her prestigious location in central London as a result means she frequently has other vessels berthed alongside. In late 1939, she had to self-refit in the Falkland Islands, which led to the remainder of . Or perhaps additional information?If you wish to add a crewmember to the listing we would need most of this information: ship name, nationality, name, dob, place of birth, service (merchant marine, ), rank or job on board. HMS Nelson was a Royal Navy battleship, built by Vickers-Armstrong at the Walkers Yard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Made the first complete record of British registered ships, from 1855 to the 1950s, with 200,000 entries from the Appropriation Books at RSS in Cardiff. The National Archives (TNA) guide to Royal Navy Ratings service records, 18531928, The National Archives guide to officers' service records, The National Archives guide to Royal Naval Reserve service records, The National Archives guideto Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve service records, The National Archives guide to Royal Marines' service records, The National Archives guide to Royal Naval Division service records, our guide to tracing your Royal Navy ancestry, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's services 18531924 (ADM 188) on, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's services 19251929 (ADM 362) on, Royal Navy Seamen's services Continuous Record cards 19251939 (ADM 363) on, Officers and Ratings Service Records Series II (ADM 29) on, Officers' Service Record Cards and Files (ADM 340) on, Ratings' Records of Service mainly men who served during the First World War (BT 377) on, Ratings' service cards for 140,000 ratings at, Officers' Service Records (First World War) (ADM 240) at, Officers and ratings who served up to 1946 sample of Record of Service cards (BT 164) on, Service records for officers who served 1914 to 1922 and ratings who served 1903 to 1919 (ADM 337) on, RN and RNVR ratings who served 1888 to 1923 Engagement and Enrolment Papers at, Registers of Service 1842 to 1936 (ADM 159) on, Approximately 60,000 Royal Marine Attestation Packs for Royal Marine Light Infantry (Plymouth, Chatham and Portsmouth Divisions and some other formations) at, Approximately 50,000 original service records at. in detail the crews of a hundred thousand ships. In some cases there may be only a single sheet recording the release of a crew member; on the other hand, in later years, several documents sometimes make up one crew list. The T124X records detail the sea service of merchant seamen who served on Royal Navy ships (or Royal Navy auxiliary vessels). [60] She was towed to her berth above Tower Bridge on 15 October 1971 and settled in a huge hole that had been dredged in the river bed; then she was attached to two dolphins which guide her during the rise and fall of the tide. michael sandel justice course syllabus. Belfast remained in Hong Kong during 1949, sailing for Singapore on 18 January 1950. [43] She sailed for Hong Kong on 23 October to join the Royal Navy's Far East Fleet, arriving in late December. These records have been selected on the basis that they reflect the economic, social and demographic condition of the UK, as documented by the state's dealings with individuals, communities and organisations outside of its own formal boundaries (2.2.2.1 of PRO's acquisition policy). The Imperial War Museum, the National Maritime Museum and the Ministry of Defence established a joint committee, which reported in June 1968 that the scheme was practical and economic. [16] She was launched on Saint Patrick's Day, 17 March 1938, by Anne Chamberlain, the wife of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. HMS Belfast dropped anchor for the last time of its career in London, in the Thames river near the London Bridge where it can be visited today. ww2dbaseRetaliation came quickly on November 21, 1939 for as Belfast left the Firth of Forth, she ran into a German magnetic mine that the German submarine U-21 left behind. Two infantry companies, 30 officers and 230 other ranks, would be carried. [72] The production of the masts, to replace corroded originals, had been supported by a number of Russian businesses at a reported cost of 500,000. [64] By 1974, areas including the Admiral's bridge and forward boiler and engine rooms had been restored and fitted out. [2] She was propelled by four three-drum oil-fired Admiralty water-tube boilers, turning Parsons geared steam turbines, driving four propeller shafts. [38][56] On 14 April 1967 museum staff visited Gambia, a Crown Colony-class cruiser also moored in Fareham Creek at the time. Following the visit the possibility was raised[by whom?] None of what CLIP has achieved would have been possible without the kind assistance of many people. She was towed from Portsmouth to London via Tilbury, where she was fitted out as a museum. This work is still very much in development but we have about one-third of the people who died already listed. [64] By December 1975 Belfast had received 1,500,000 visitors. Depending on your point of view, the project either grew a life of its own, or got out of hand. from our data, or from other data sites, or by helping you find the original documents so that you can order copies. transcribed are only a small sample of the huge volume of crew documents scattered across many archives. . var monthlist= ['January', 'February', 'March', 'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August', 'September', 'October', 'November', 'December']; No enemy vessels were found. she was launched in 1925 and played an active part in several battles of the Second World War, including, the Malta convoys 1941-2, North Africa 1942-3, Sicily 1943, Salerno 1943, Mediterranean 1943, Normandy 1944 as well as . [56] While Belfast lay at Fareham Creek the Imperial War Museum, Britain's national museum of twentieth-century conflict, became interested in preserving a 6-inch turret. He did, however, agree to postpone any decision on the scrapping of Belfast to allow the Trust to put together a formal proposal. Thank you. If you need help, we're glad to assist. Changes included: individual MRS8 directors for the new twin Mk 5 40mm and the twin 4-inch mount; the 4-inch guns training and elevation speed was increased to 20 degrees per second; and protecting key parts of the ship against nuclear, biological or chemical attack. Early June 1945, it was deployed to the Far East. People missing from this listing? [94] The ship was closed to visitors following the accident. Scroll down to see more. [18], On 31 August 1939 Belfast was transferred to the 18th Cruiser Squadron. I think the tag '' should be removed from: Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, BT - Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies, Division within BT - Records of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen and successor, Merchant Navy seamen in service since 1918, About our [19] On 25 September, Belfast took part in a fleet operation to recover the submarine Spearfish, during which the ship was attacked by German aircraft, but suffered no damage. HMS Belfast Association was formed in 1998 from past Crew members and is for members who served on HMS Belfast at any time no matter in what capacity. On June 6, 1944 and as the flagship of bombardment force E as part of the Eastern Naval Task Force, Belfast participated in the D-Day landings. The documents are stored by year in numerical sequence of registered number, as they were received, and have not been rearranged under the names of individual ships. Launched on 3 April, the bombers scored fourteen hits, immobilising Tirpitz for two months, with one Barracuda shot down. resources which are widely used by maritime researchers. Terms and Conditions | Photographs. 30.06.1900 Portsmouth, Hampshire 03.02.1940 (KIA) [age 40] [Edinburgh (Seafield) Cemetery, Scotland, sec. [64], Since being brought to London Belfast has twice been drydocked as part of the ship's long-term preservation. The National Archives (TNA) holds most of the service records for men who served up to the 1920s. The service records of those who served from the 1920s onwards are held by the Ministry of Defence (Naval Disclosure Cell). Secondly, we claimed vessels which had been built in Southampton and, thirdly, ships which mainly used this port, especially the passenger liners which were so important to Southampton but few of which were registered here. [95] An investigation later established that the collapse of the gangway had been caused by a subcontractor cutting through the gangway's structure during refurbishment work. However, we know that the records of ships and seafarers are a These records consist of the Crew Lists and Ships' Agreements, with some Official (Crew) Log Books, which were required by law to be sent to the Registrar of Shipping and Seamen for ships registered in the United Kingdom. She evaded them by weighing anchor and moving to the concealment of a smoke screen. Her November 1942 radar fit included one Type 284 set and four Type 283 sets to direct the main armament, three Type 285 sets for the secondary guns, and two Type 282 sets for the 2-pounder anti-aircraft guns. In June 1944, Belfast took part in Operation Overlord supporting the Normandy landings. Aboard HMS Belfast (35) when hit on 21 Nov 1939 For long distance voyages, the authorised destination is often given in the most general terms and the only clues lie in entries made at various ports of call. Object description Captain Frederick Parham, Commanding Officer of HMS BELFAST, with members of the crew of HMS BELFAST during the traditional Christmas exhange of uniforms, 1942. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy. Vessels engaged in coastal or cross-Channel trade made a return half-yearly, while ships going to more distant ports completed an agreement for each voyage. and one of ten Town-class cruisers, began in December 1936. Crew lists, originally termed muster-rolls or muster-books, began in the 18th century and were initially kept in order to collect a levy from seamen's wages for a relief fund, and as a record of the names, ratings, dates of entry and final discharge for all men serving on board a ship. HTML tags are not allowed. [51] Her close-range armament was standardised to six twin 40 mm Bofors guns, and her close-range fire direction similarly standardised to eight close-range blindfire directors fitted with Type 262 radar. All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB. Description: Registers, arranged numerically giving date of birth, ship or shore establishment and an account of service. [21] On 8 October the ship sighted the Swedish merchant ship C. P. Lilljevach but, in poor weather, did not intercept or board her. 1875. [3] Her secondary armament comprised twelve 4-inch guns in six twin mounts. Originally part of the US Navy's Task Force 77, Belfast was detached in order to operate independently on 5 July 1950. [32], On 26 December 1943, Belfast participated in the Battle of North Cape. Entries in them continue for many years according to the length of service of each seaman . One man, Painter 2nd Class Henry Stanton, was hospitalised but later died of a head injury, having been thrown against the deckhead by the blast. You can click on any of the names for possible additional information. From the Chairman [48], In reserve, Belfast's future was uncertain: post-war defence cuts made manpower-intensive cruisers excessively costly to operate and it was not until March 1955 that the decision was taken to modernise Belfast. After Scharnhorst turned away from the convoy, Admiral Burnett in Belfast shadowed her by radar from outside visual range, enabling her interception by Duke of York. During the First World War. [56] On 4 May 1971 Belfast was "reduced to disposal" to await scrapping. Please refrain from using strong language. HMS Belfast with a very different crew Written by Godfrey Dykes RN Communications Branch Museum/Library . In January 1966 parts of the ship and power systems were reactivated and from May 1966 to 1970 she served as an accommodation ship (taking over those duties from Sheffield), moored in Fareham Creek, for the Reserve Division at Portsmouth. The National Maritime Museum - holds 10% of surviving agreements and crew lists for the periods 1861-1938 and 1951-1976 The National Archives holds the following proportions of surviving crew. Only one of the ship's two boiler rooms would be used, which together with the reductions in armament would allow the ship's crew to be reduced so freeing up space to carry troops. Work began on 6 January 1956. [tender to HMS Caroline (RN base, Belfast)] 03.12.1940-05.02.1941: HMS President (for special and miscellaneous services: for duty outside . Veterans of the Arctic convoys were in attendance to receive medals from the Russian Ambassador Yuri Fedotov. As Scharnhorst attacked again at noon she was intercepted by Force Two and sunk by the combined formations. 15 British carrier aircraft from HMS Illustrious attacked an Italian convoy off Kerkennah islands, Tunisia between 0515 and 0615 hours, sinking two of the three ships in the convoy. 11 czerwca 2022 . Cumberland was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Kent-subclass. Each of the pages has its own set of notes (linked from a button top-right) to explain where the data came from and any points to look out for when using it. The following day she boarded Tai Yin, a Norwegian ship. By May 1945, Belfast mounted thirty-six 2-pounder guns in two eight-gun mounts, four quadruple mounts, and four single mounts. [59] Among the MPs who spoke in support of Morgan-Giles was Gordon Bagier, MP for Sunderland South, who served as a Royal Marine gunner aboard Belfast and was present at both the sinking of Scharnhorst and the Normandy landings. An intervention by the King eventually prevented Churchill from going. [64] As of 2011, nine decks are open to the public. [13] In May 1936 the Admiralty decided to fit triple turrets, whose improved design would permit an increase in deck armour. However, in early 1971 the Paymaster General decided against preservation. Belfast saw action escorting Arctic convoys to the Soviet Union during 1943 and in December 1943 played an important role in the Battle of North Cape, assisting in the destruction of the German warship Scharnhorst. Sorry, we do not carry out privately commissioned research. Made the first full transcription from the shipping registers for a group of ports. Commissioned into service in Apr 1945, carrier HMS Glory departed for Australia shortly after with No. During her repairs, work was carried out to straighten, reconstruct and strengthen her hull. She had steamed over 80,000 miles (130,000km) in the combat zone and fired more than 8,000 rounds from her 6-inch guns during the Korean War. Over the last twenty years we have worked with hundreds of people Her beam had increased to 69ft (21m) and her draught to 19ft (5.8m) forward and 20ft 2in (6.15m) aft. No attempt has been made to indicate whether the information covers the whole year, though this can sometimes be deduced. On 31 January 1961, Belfast recommissioned under the command of Captain Morgan Morgan-Giles. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB. Although described as only an extended refit, the cost of 5.5 million[49] was substantial for this large middle-aged cruiser. ww2dbaseIn September World War II, HMS Belfast saw action as part of the maritime blockade Britain imposed on Germany. [15] The launch was filmed by Path News. 1959: 4x3x6in, 4x2x4in QF Mk XVI, 6x2x40mm AA, Two Supermarine Walrus Aircraft (removed in the later part of WW2). ILLUSTRIOUS-Class Fleet Aircraft Carrier ordered on 19th March 1937 from Harland and Wolff Ltd. at Belfast under the 1937 Programme. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. [93], On 29 November 2011, two workmen suffered minor injuries after a section of gangway, connected to the ship, collapsed during renovation works. We'll do our best to advise. British shipping, at that time the largest merchant fleet in the world, is also well documented and we explain how to access those records too. The British fleet engaged destroyers of the German Navy . From left to right: Bugler Volker, Marine Askew, Boy Blakely, Captain Parham, Boy Wallis, Colour Sergeant Oldfield, A B Stratt and Master at Arms Taylor. Opened to the public in October 1971, Belfast became a branch of the Imperial War Museum in 1978. There she paid off into reserve, and underwent a refit during which her turbines were opened for maintenance. Tai Yin had been listed by the Admiralty as suspicious, so a prize crew from Belfast sailed her to Kirkwall for investigation. Let us know. Seaplanes carried aboard would enable shipping lanes to be patrolled over a wide area, and the class was also to be capable of its own anti-aircraft defence. [37][39] During her five weeks off Normandy, Belfast had fired 1,996 rounds from her six-inch guns. Unfortunately, it proved impossible to manufacture the main armament so the British Admiralty settled for a main armament of twelve 6-in guns in four turrets. [6] Her displacement had risen to 11,550tons. [17] From March to August 1939, Belfast was fitted out and underwent sea trials. [36], The invasion was to begin on 5 June but bad weather forced a 24-hour delay. The amount of information in the documents varies greatly. The two cruisers would have a main armament of sixteen six-inch guns in four turrets and weigh in at 10,000 tons, which the Washington Naval Treaty would allow. We enjoy dealing with awkward questions; we don't think there is such a thing as a silly question, and we often The efforts of the Trust were successful, and the government transferred the ship to the Trust in July 1971. British registered ships aimed at assisting researchers to finding their crew documents. Alongside that we provide data and image sets relating to Italian merchant ships Gloria Stella and Maria Eugenia were also sunk. The World War II Database is founded and managed by We explain how the systems worked and how to go about research. By the time she arrived in Sydney on 7 August Belfast had been made flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet. A joint committee of the Imperial War Museum, the National Maritime Museum, and the Ministry of Defence was established and then reported in June 1968 that preservation was practical. As the Cap Norte was the largest enemy merchantman capture thus far and under admiralty law, the crew of the Belfast received a substantial monetary compensation. General Register and Record Office of Seamen, 1835-1872, Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen, 1872-1992, Have you found an error with this catalogue description? On the morning following the sinking, Belfast left for Loch Ewe. [14] This modified design became the 10,000-ton Edinburgh subclass, named after Belfast's sister ship HMSEdinburgh. [34][35] Belfast underwent minor repairs at Rosyth from 23 April to 8 May, while her crew received a period of leave. [36], For the invasion of Normandy Belfast was made headquarters ship of Bombardment Force E flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton, and was to support landings by British and Canadian forces in the Gold and Juno Beach sectors. Her initial role during the Second World War was to accompany a convoy to Capetown from December 1940 to January 1941. Second, it is to showcase [7], Belfast departed for Portsmouth on 3 August 1939, and was commissioned on 5 August 1939, less than a month before the outbreak of the Second World War. Object details. This information will help us make improvements to the website. With our small band of volunteers from around the world, and with the help of many archivists, we have: We have now completed all the transcription projects that we manage. This was opposed by the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and the First Sea Lord, Sir Andrew Cunningham. The plan was rejected in December 1961 as the time required to carry out the conversions was too great.[55]. On 27 September 1952 Belfast was relieved by two other Town-class cruisers, HMSBirmingham and HMSNewcastle, and sailed back to the UK. [4], Her radar fit now included a Type 277 radar set to replace her Type 273 for surface warning. Please note that we do not do privately commissioned research, not at any price - we'd like you to have the fun. ww2dbaseAfter participating as an escort for a British carrier strike against the German battleship Tirpitz in March of 1944, HMS Belfast would head back to England. That year also saw the refurbishment of the ship's Operations Room by a team from HMSVernon, and the return of Belfast's six twin Bofors mounts, along with their fire directors. HMS Belfast technical sheet . IWM collections.
