Mercantile Marine

[ronmarsden]

Looking for information on this man.

William P Kelly.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/7UId7Cx.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/7UId7Cx.jpg[/img][img]https://i.imgur.com/7UId7Cx.jpg[/img]

[KizmeRD]

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q=William+P+Kelly&_col=200&_hb=tna&_d=BT
 

MB

[DavidOwen]

As it is WW2 moved to Skindles.

[ronmarsden]

Thank you MB.

Sorry Admin brain not engaged today.

Ron.

[58 Div Mule]

Ron,

The two medals on the right of your photo look to be the British War Medal (silver) and Mercantile Marine Medal (bronze), which I’m sure you know. So a WW1 connection somewhere?

58 DM. (Frank).

[chaz]

I was looking at that as well, there are a few William P Kelly's in WW1

[ronmarsden]

Frank,

Mercantile Marine medals were issued in 1919 and always with BWM.

William P Kelly was from Chadwell Heath, Essex. Also have his sons medals.

Sgt Lawrence Henry Kelly 151 Squad RAFVR. died 9/3/1942 Boulten-Paul Defiant 11 AA403. Convoy patrol,1945 Hrs off Skegness. His name is on the Runnymeade Memorial.

Was hoping his fathers card would show name of a ship, but he may have been shore based.

Ron.

[DavidOwen]

OK now we are sure he was WW1 I have moved it back to Sailors for a wider audience, apologies for the confusion.

[ernest james]

Hi Ron

CWGC has son as Lawrence Henry  Kelley

I assume his father's medals have William P Kelly on them.

TNA have a ww1 mercantile marine medal card for a William Percy Kelley, born Plaistow, London 1892

Discharge A no:  794993. RS2 no: 819705 

findmypast have a matching CR10 card copy in BT 350 with passport style photo from 1918-19. He was a steward.

Voyage start details given

27/11/1918           ship official no (ON) 105654  (Brighton?)

03/12/1918                                     ON  139053     (Newhaven?)

20/01/1919                                     ON 136369     (Minnekahda?) still serving 13/05/1919

I hope this matches your information

best wishes

ernestjames

 

[ronmarsden]

Thanks Earnestjames,

That is most helpfull.

Go raibh mile maith agat.

[ernest james]

Hi Ron

Thanks for the thanks in Irish and its good to be called earnest.

If I have the right man I think you will find those voyages interesting.

Let me know your conclusions.

best wishes

ernestjames

[ronmarsden]

Hi Earnest,

Yes this is the right man. On those dates Brighton was a hospital ship, Newhaven an Ambulance Transport and Minnekahda a troop ship for US troops returning home.

Ron.

 

[ernest james]

Great!

[KizmeRD]

Brighton ceased being a ‘hospital ship’ from May 1917 onwards, thereafter she was officially referred to as ‘H.M. Ambulance Transport’.

What with the torpedoing of a number of hospital ships during the period of unrestricted submarine warfare, it soon became apparent that the protection previously afforded to formally registered hospital ships was no longer being respected. Worse still, the obligations that they were expected to comply with as hospital ships (as laid down in the Geneva Convention) only served to make them a more vulnerable target (things like having to sail at night with navigation lights displayed and with the hull illuminated). Therefore many former hospital ships de-registered and switched to being HMAT’s instead.

Brighton transported a lot of former PoW’s home after the war, and also hosted a couple of (extremely) VIP cross-channel passengers too.

War Diary, TNA reference WO-95-4142-6_018

MB