Merchant seaman - tracing medals awarded

[steve_gus]

Hi

Im trying to find information on my father in laws war service.

He was in the merchant navy, and during that time was sunk at least once, and was awarded a medal by Mountbatten for saving his ship in a boiler room incident. He worked I think in the engine room and wasnt an officer.

Towards the end of the war he served on HMS Ruler.

And thats where I get confused. Im not sure how a merchant seaman ends up on a royal navy ship, and wether I should be looking at records on merchant navy sites, or royal navy sites.

He had no middle name, was called George Coles, and was born approx 1915, London. There is a george coles on the merchant navy site, but at 1918 birth thats a little late.

Any help on searching, or info on what process there would be for a sailor to tranfer, or how I would find out when it happened, would be useful.

Primarily im trying to find out what medal, or medals, he was awarded. In particular if the Mountbatten link is true, thats worth finding out about.

best regards

steve

[seaweed]

Its not unheard of for a person to be transferred from the Merchant Navy to the Royal Navy and vice versa.
I cannot find any online record of him being in the MN and I cannot find any record of him being awarded medals of any description. Thats not to say he did not serve in the MN  or was not awarded medals.
If you are convinced he was in the Merchant Navy you need to get hold of his form CRS10

This form records  the service of individual merchant seamen and lists the ships on which they served with relevant dates. The CRS 10 will give personal details of each seaman including, name, age, rank, rating/grade and qualifications. They provide details of ships served on, the names of ships and their official numbers, the dates of engagement and discharge and rank served. This information about service was extracted from ship's logs and crew agreements lodged by ship owners. 
If it has survived it should be here
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/details?Uri=C10988579
You cannot see the content of the records online and your best bet is to visit Kew as these records are stored in boxes containing 60 such individual service records. Catalogued alphabetically.
Bear in mind he may have been recorded as COLE

If he served in the RN, his records will be at the veterans agency. Be prepared for a long wait.
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_records/service_records.html

[steve_gus]

Hi

thanks for the information. Its not in doubt that he was in the Merchant Navy, and my wife (his daughter) has seen the medals. however, these are in the hands of her elder sister. Im told that he was on Ruler, and I also know from a conversation with him that he was once on a ship at Sydney Australia, which is where Ruler would likely have been at the end of the war. im told he was on Ruler but thats not confirmed.

I note there is a george coles on the records, but 1918 not 1915. I wonder if there is a transcription error with the 5 as an 8

best regards

steve

[seaweed]

I note there is a george coles on the records, but 1918 not 1915. I wonder if there is a transcription error with the 5 as an 8

Could you expand on the records you refer to and where you obtained them?