British Merchant Seamen Of World War II
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British Merchant Seamen Of World War II
Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II — literally enabling the country to defend itself. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed services and suffered great hardship. Seamen were aged from fourteen through to their late seventies. The office of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen calculated that 144,000 merchant seamen were serving aboard British registered merchant ships at the outbreak of World War II and that up to 185,000 men served in the Merchant Navy during the war. 36,749 seamen were lost to enemy action, 5,720 were taken prisoner and 4,707 were wounded, totaling 47,176 casualties, a minimum casualty rate of over 25 percent. Mr Gabe Thomas, the former Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman (Great Britain) stat ...
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Frederick Leathers, 1st Viscount Leathers
Frederick James Leathers, 1st Viscount Leathers, (21 November 1883 – 19 March 1965), was a British industrialist and public servant. Leathers was born at 47, Bromley Street, Stepney ("London's poor East End district"), son of carpenter Robert Leathers, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, and Emily Jane, née Seaman. His father died when he was four months old.Current Biography yearbook vol. 2, ed. Anna Herthe Rothe et al, H. W. Wilson Co., 1941, p. 503 He left school in 1898 at the age of 15 to work with Steamship Owners Coal Association (later merged with William Cory & Son), becoming managing director in 1916. He was concerned also with other companies dealing with coal or shipping services. He served in the management of the Pacific and Orient Lines, where he came to the attention of Winston Churchill, from 1931 a director of the firm. He served as an adviser to the Ministry of Shipping from 1914 to 1918 and 1940 to 1941, and as Minister of War Transport in 1941 for the duration o ...
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Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against France. The modern Royal Navy traces its origins to the early 16th century; the oldest of the UK's armed services, it is consequently known as the Senior Service. From the middle decades of the 17th century, and through the 18th century, the Royal Navy vied with the Dutch Navy and later with the French Navy for maritime supremacy. From the mid 18th century, it was the world's most powerful navy until the Second World War. The Royal Navy played a key part in establishing and defending the British Empire, and four Imperial fortress colonies and a string of imperial bases and coaling stations secured the Royal Navy's ability to assert naval superiority globally. Owing to this historical prominence, it is common, even among non-Britons, to ref ...
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Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabteilung'' of the Imperial Navy, had been disbanded in May 1920 in accordance with the terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles which banned Germany from having any air force. During the interwar period, German pilots were trained secretly in violation of the treaty at Lipetsk Air Base in the Soviet Union. With the rise of the Nazi Party and the repudiation of the Versailles Treaty, the ''Luftwaffe''s existence was publicly acknowledged on 26 February 1935, just over two weeks before open defiance of the Versailles Treaty through German rearmament and conscription would be announced on 16 March. The Condor Legion, a ''Luftwaffe'' detachment sent to aid Nationalist forces in the Spanish Civil War, provided the force with a valuable testing grou ...
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Lloyd's Medal
The Lloyd's Medal may refer to one of four separate awards bestowed by Lloyd's of London. The number of different medal types that have been awarded by Lloyd's is multiplied because there are variations within each of the four types: *Lloyd's Medal for Saving Life at Sea – Beginning in 1836 Lloyd's of London began to issue medals for saving life at sea; *Lloyd's Medal for Meritorious Service – this medal was introduced in 1893 * Lloyd's Medal for Services to Lloyds – this medal was introduced in 1913 for services to the firm. *Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea The Lloyd's War Medal for Bravery at Sea is one of the four Lloyd's Medal types bestowed by Lloyd's of London. In 1939, with the coming of the Second World War, Lloyd's set up a committee to find means of honouring seafarers who performed acts of e ... – introduced in 1940 These awards are occasionally still bestowed. References {{reflist Civil awards and decorations of the United Kingdom ...
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Order Of The British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V and comprises five classes across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. Recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the United Kingdom, the self-governing Dominions of the Empire (later Commonwealth) and the Viceroy of India. Nominations continue today from Commonwealth countries that participate in recommending British honours. Most Commonwealth countries ceased recommendations for appointments to the Order of the British Empire when they ...
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Second Engineer
A second engineer or first assistant engineer is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. This title is used for the person on a ship responsible for supervising the daily maintenance and operation of the engine department. They report directly to the chief engineer. On a merchant vessel, depending on term usage, "the First" or "the Second" is the marine engineer second in command of the engine department after the ship's chief engineer. Due to the supervisory role this engineer plays, in addition to being responsible for the refrigeration systems, main engines (steam/gas turbine, diesel), and any other equipment not assigned to the third engineer or fourth engineer(s), he is typically the busiest engineer aboard the ship. If the engine room requires 24/7 attendance and other junior engineers can cover the three watch rotations, the first is usually a "day worker" from 0800-1700, with overtime hours varying according to ship/company. The second engin ...
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Victoria Drummond
Victoria Alexandrina Drummond MBE (14 October 1894 – 25 December 1978), was the first woman marine engineer in the UK and the first woman member of Institute of Marine Engineers. In World War II she served at sea as an engineering officer in the British Merchant Navy and received awards for bravery under enemy fire. Childhood Victoria Drummond was born on 14 October 1894 at Errol, Perthshire, Scotland. Her father was Captain Malcolm Drummond of Megginch, Groom in Waiting to Queen Victoria and Deputy Lieutenant of Perthshire. Her mother, Geraldine Margaret Tyssen-Amherst was the daughter of William Tyssen-Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst of Hackney. She had two sisters, Jean and Frances, and a younger brother, John Drummond, 15th Baron Strange. She was named Victoria for Queen Victoria, who was one of her godmothers. September 2004. Drummond and her siblings were brought up in both the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Episcopal Church. All four worked as children: growing veg ...
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Victoria Drummond 1941
Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelles, the capital city of the Seychelles * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837–1901), Empress of India (1876–1901) Victoria may also refer to: People * Victoria (name), including a list of people with the name * Princess Victoria (other), several princesses named Victoria * Victoria (Gallic Empire) (died 271), 3rd-century figure in the Gallic Empire * Victoria, Lady Welby (1837–1912), English philosopher of language, musician and artist * Victoria of Baden (1862–1930), queen-consort of Sweden as wife of King Gustaf V * Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden (born 1977) * Victoria, ring name of wrestler Lisa Marie Varon (born 1971) * Victoria (born 1987), professional name of Song Qian, Chinese sing ...
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King's Commendation For Brave Conduct
The Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct, formerly the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, acknowledged brave acts by both civilians and members of the armed services in both war and peace, for gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. Established by King George VI in 1939, the award was discontinued in 1994 on the institution of the Queen's Commendation for Bravery. It represented the lowest level of bravery award in the British honours system, alongside a mention in despatches. There is no entitlement to post-nominal letters. Institution The Commendation for Brave Conduct was established in 1939 at the beginning of World War II. No Royal Warrant or other public statement was issued that specified the title, precedence and eligibility of the award, suggesting it was a prompt wartime solution to a gap in the awards available to reward gallantry by non-combatants, particularly those involved in Civil Defence and the Merchant Navy. Awards were published in the London Gazette ...
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