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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: Pabloabadul on Saturday 19 October 13 22:47 BST (UK)
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hello all,
I am searching for some trace of Gerald Birch who was born in 1925 in Liverpool in terms of merchant navy seaman service or naval service in the latter post couple of years in the war?
Any help would be much appreciated
thanks
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See BT 372/721/125 for his seaman's pouch at the National Archives. Not digitised so you would need to visit, or get someone to visit, or pay for a copy to be made.
More at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/records/looking-for-person/merchantseamanafter1917.htm
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Do you mean BT 382 I can`t identify which subsection I`d need to search. If I wanted a copy to be made estimating how much would that cost and what information would I need
thanks alot
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You or your researcher have firstly to search BT 372 and BT 391 to see if the seaman's pouch survives, there is a note that many pouches do not survive, many were thrown out in 1988.
To get an estimate of a copy should be straight forward if you contact TNA or a research agent however for either to track the item down may take time which the agent would charge but you could ask the agent their hourly charge and agree a maximum number of search hours.
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His CRS 10, service record from Jan 1941, should be held in BT 382/128 - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/details?Uri=C10988354
The Kew research service will deem looking for this file as research and charge you accordingly. The CRS 10 and seaman's pouch are of course best obtained by visit to Kew but there are other more cheaper options out there if you are unable to visit in person.
Regards
Hugh
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Will his record definitely be there, is there any way of checking or would I have to go ahead with the research. It says I can order a copy would this be worth doing?
thanks
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The reference I gave leads directly to his pouch.....go to the catalogue, Discovery, and enter that reference - it'll show up.
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The CRS 10 held in BT 382, unlike the pouch, is not a direct reference to his actual file as it is held in surname block order, that is why Kew would deem it as research. There is no guarantee that his record exists but there is only one way to find out.
Regards
Hugh
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where and how would I contact the national archives to tell them to do this research?
thanks
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You can contact them by using this online form: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/contact/contactform.asp?id=1
Cost of their research service is approx £20 per 15 minutes. I have yet to see them copy a CRS 10 in 15 minutes. You can of course use other independent researchers.
Contact me by private message if you wish me to provide you with a cheaper and more reliable alternative option.
Regards
Hugh