Did French Seamen Join the US Merchant Marine in WWII?

How do I find out if someone was in the merchant Marines?

The public can access these records in two ways: through a request made via an offsite reference request (with reproduction provided for a fee), or via onsite viewing at the National Archives at St. Louis Research Room. The collection opened to the public on December 2, 2019.

Who were the merchant marines in ww2?

They are civilian sailors who operate ships carrying commercial goods to worldwide ports. During wartime or a national emergency, the U.S. military can call the merchant mariners into service to transport personnel and supplies to wartime theaters.

Are merchant mariners considered military?

The Merchant Marine is not a government agency or a military service, so there is no central hiring agency. This means there is not a common pay scale that applies across the agency or industry roles within it.

Are the merchant mariners of ww2 considered veterans?

PL 105-368, Section 402, provides that the qualified service of certain merchant mariners between August 16, 1945, and December 31, 1946, is deemed active duty service for purposes of all Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial benefits, including: burial flags.

Are merchant seamen veterans?

While in service, Merchant Mariners held rank, wore uniforms, saluted, and served under military justice. But, they got paid union wages, could choose the ships the sailed, and could quit any time they wanted. Because of this, Merchant Mariners of WWII were denied veteran’s status until 1988.

Are merchant seamen military?

It is civilian-manned ships



Merchant Mariners are not part of the military. Now, some of them run a number of ships that support the U.S. Navy, like the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships, as well as the sealift vessels like the Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo chips.

Did merchant seamen get war medals?

Nine types of medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in the Second World War and who met the qualifications for each medal.

How do I find my merchant seaman records?

You can search and download (charges apply) merchant seamen records 1835-1857. These are digitised records from a variety of record series held at The National Archives: the register of seamen series I in BT 120 (1835–1836)

What did merchant seamen do in ww2?

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.



How do you trace a merchant seaman?

Sometimes the only way to track down a record of a seaman is to trace the records of the ships he served on.



You can use the CLIP (Crew List Index Project) website to trace a ship by the:

  1. ship’s name.
  2. ship’s port of registration.
  3. ship’s official number.


Can you look up marine records?

In the National Archives, researchers can find records on the United States Marine Corps ranging from the capturing of the shores of Tripoli to the doctrine of modern amphibious and combined arms operations.

How do I find a merchant seaman?

The best websites for finding Merchant Navy records



  1. Crew List Index Project (CLIP) The Crew List Project will help you find crew lists held in county collections, which you can search by ship’s name or official number.
  2. 1915 Crew Lists.
  3. The National Archives (TNA)
  4. Irish Mariners.
  5. Welsh Mariners.



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