Q-Ships Crew Lists?

[MarkMcM]

Hello All, I was wondering if anyone has or is aware of any Q-Ship crew lists that may be available for research purposes? Have a full list of ships names along with details of sinkings, etc., but am coming up empty as regards the names of serving crews. Anybody?? Thanks in advance! Mark ~

Edited 28 January , 2015 by MarkMcM

[horatio2]

You will find the names of crew members lost when Q-Ships sank but there is no such thing as a 'crew list' for a particular ship on a particular date. Members of ships' companies could come and go almost on a daily basis. Navy Lists will give the names of officers but only for the 'effective date' of any given List.

[MarkMcM]

Thanks! Where can I find the crews lists of ships sank?

Regards,

Mark ~

[wightspirit]

You'll need to find the Official Number of each ship (try here if in doubt: www.crewlist.org.uk) then search under the number and/or ship's name on the National Archives website (www.nationalarchives.org.uk). If no joy for the year you want, try here: www.mun.ca, which holds a vast number of crew agreements. Years ending in a 5 may be found at the National Maritime Museum www.nmm.org Finally, if still no joy, it's probably because the ships were commissioned in the Royal Navy, in which case you'll almost certainly be out of luck.

Dave W

[horatio2]

Since Q-Ships were RN, Mercantile Marine records are not applicable. See this link and enter for Q-Ship and date of sinking:-

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1003-Intro.htm

[Whalebone]

On completion of a successful action the whole crew where awarded distinctions, Q19 HMS Privet for example.

[Kath]

Horatio, would the crew be completely different men once a a ship became a Qship?

Kath.

[horatio2]

Yes. A ship of the Mercantile Marine (MM) would have an all-civilian (MM) crew, unless a Defensively Armed Merchant Ship (DAMS) when she would carry a small naval gun's crew of two (usually RN/RNR or RMLI). When a merchant ship was taken up as a Submarine Decoy Vessel (Q-Ship) she was commissioned into the Royal Navy, manned by a naval crew (RN, RNR or RNVR) 'in disguise' and flew the white ensign when in action.

For a typical crew see HMS FIRST PRIZE, lost on 14 August 1917, on this link:- http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1917-08Aug.htm

[Kath]

"When a merchant ship was taken up as a Submarine Decoy Vessel (Q-Ship) she was commissioned into the Royal Navy, manned by a naval crew (RN, RNR or RNVR) 'in disguise' and flew the white ensign when in action."

Thanks, Horatio.