I'm here as I'm researching my family tree and would like to find out as much as I can about my dad's service in the MN.
His name was Roy John Coyle, born in 1919. He was a captain with Furness Withy for nearly all his working life - my mother told me that it wasn't long into WWII before he was promoted to captain due to severe crew losses and for a while he was the youngest in the MN! I don't know if that is true or not.
I'm having a lot of trouble finding him in the various available archives. I was hoping that the National Archives would be fruitful, but all I can find are his medal records. I'm just starting the application for his posthumous Arctic Star as I know he made the trip to Murmansk carrying crude a few times. I would like to find out as much as I can about him as he rarely spoke about work and, due to long voyages, I rarely saw him when I was growing up.
I will now delve into the forums and see what is what!
Was he from Liverpool at all??
No, he wasn't from Liverpool, although I suspect he sailed from there a few times. His DOB was 14/12/1919. His discharge number was R133894. I can't quite believe that searching on that number only produces his medals record.
If you can access his Medal Card then his Seamans Records should be there somewhere. Will have a futher look?? Where exactly was he From?
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 9th November 2018 at 07:45 PM.
Have you yet tried the Southampton Archives?? They may have his Original Record!
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 9th November 2018 at 08:11 PM.
Thanks to both of you, Doc and Keith.
His discharge number only gives his medals, and there's nothing in the CSR10 index. It's very perplexing that a man who was in the MN for ~40 years should be so hard to find.
I think my elder brother might have some of dad's service papers. I'll see there's anything useful among them.
I too find this rather unusual, as you say if there is a Medal Card and Discharge Number there should also be Records on his Service.
Did you or have you actually looked or asked the NA about his CRS10 Docs.
Where did you get hat info about there being nothing there?? Curious.
The only other thing that I can think of is like the Southampton Archives sate that many Records were destroyed in the 1960 period for whatever reason,and this could unfortunately just have been one of them?
Need to do more research on all this so let me know as much as you know too please!
I will ask the NA for guidance as I am drawing a complete blank. They have a live chat service that is open tomorrow and I'll see what that brings.
I didn't know that some Southampton records were lost in the 60's - it would be just my luck if his were among them. Even so, he was active into the 70's and I would have thought something should still be there.
I have found a thread on shipnostalgia.com on the Sagamore (Furness Withy) that I know dad captained as I went on it in London as a nipper. We even had a photo of it on the wall. That doesn't relate to his records but perhaps, just perhaps, someone sailed with him when they were young.
I hope I will know more tomorrow.