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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: dustybaby on Sunday 15 September 13 19:42 BST (UK)
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does anyone know anything about british army in relation to the port of new York coast guard 1942
my father in law who died in 1972 has a card stating that he was the captain of the port of new York 1942. any idea where I could find out more information.
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The only reference to the American Coastguard and "British" I found was in the days of prohibition the range of the "Rum Runners" extended from British Columbia (and Nova Scotia) to British Honduras in the South. Perhaps If you could give us some details, name, residence, occupation. etc. of your father-in-law someone may be able to help.
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this is the only thing that says anything about that he was in the british army which seems strange to be captain of the port of new York. however, anything at all relating to this would be appreciated.
this is just a card about the same size of a credit card the other side has his photo and fingerprint
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The US Coast Guard were involved in the D-Day Landings if I remember correctly. Their tugs and personnel (from New York perhaps?) were used to tow stuff across the Channel. This may well have been Mulberry Harbour components but other equipment is possible.
Alan
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I don't think this card identifies him as the Captain of the Port. Rather, it was issued to him by the Captain of the Port to identify him as a mariner employed by Cunard White Star Ltd. The US Coast Guard was in charge of defense in US ports and coastal waters.
http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/h_CGatwar.asp
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There are several references to " Gribben J " in Merchant Navy records in The National Archives catalogue. I don't know if any of the persons in the link is your man.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=%22gribben+j%22&_cr1=bt&_cr2=&_cr3=
If he was in the Army, there is a chance that he belonged to one of the Royal Artillery Maritime Regiments. These personal were what is known as "DEMS" gunners. DEMS = Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship.
For legal reasons he was part of the ships crew and would have signed the vessels Crew Agreement as a deckhand.
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I don't think this card identifies him as the Captain of the Port. Rather, it was issued to him by the Captain of the Port to identify him as a mariner employed by Cunard White Star Ltd. The US Coast Guard was in charge of defense in US ports and coastal waters.
http://www.uscg.mil/history/articles/h_CGatwar.asp
that makes things a lot clearer now thank you
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There are several references to " Gribben J " in Merchant Navy records in The National Archives catalogue. I don't know if any of the persons in the link is your man.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/s/res?_q=%22gribben+j%22&_cr1=bt&_cr2=&_cr3=
If he was in the Army, there is a chance that he belonged to one of the Royal Artillery Maritime Regiments. These personal were what is known as "DEMS" gunners. DEMS = Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship.
For legal reasons he was part of the ships crew and would have signed the vessels Crew Agreement as a deckhand.
had a look at the archives on line. thank you but not relevant to my man he was Scottish born 1909 and entered ww11 1941 but thank you