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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Merchant Mariners on armed auxillaries


Ian Underwood

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I've been wondering for a little while now as to whether the merchant mariners who served on the Armed Auxillaries were volunteers or whether they were given no choice as to the kind of ship they served on.

Obviously men who were crewing the large liners (for example) that were pressed into service at the beginning of the war would've remained on their respective ships, but I'm more interested in men who signed up in the middle of the conflict.

Could the more 'daring' (or silly) of these chaps have volunteered to serve on the armed auxilaries, as a way of seeing more action....or was it purely pot luck to what ship you were posted. It could be a armed merchant cruiser or it could be a tramp steamer.

cheers...Ian.

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Ian,

I admit not only to my interest being aroused by your question but also to my total ignorance on the subject (still, he says, that never stopped me before, so here goes)

http://www.gwpda.org/1916/merchant.html

should bring up a translation of a German memorandum of Feb 1916 which claims that Britain was making preparations (arming) its merchantmen from March 1913 onwards. If this is correct then the crews must surely have had a good idea of what was going on and what they were letting themselves in for well before Aug 1914. Regarding the crews the Germans note also says that they will be treated as belligerents and not as pirates!

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/rnamc.html

should bring up an article about AMCs (Armed Merchant Cruisers) and notes that 17 were sunk and that 3 anti-submarine Escort Merchant Vessels were also lost.

And it mentions a book covering the subject 'Liners in Battledress' by David Williams (1989)

Looking forward to learning more on this one

Regards

Michael D.R.

Second URL does not seem to work, so

go to www.gwpda.org

then click on VII The Maritime War

then scroll down to British Empire and Commonwealth under which find

British Armed Merchant Cruisers

then click

(and keep fingers crossed)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Michael, (and all)

I have that book 'Liners in Battledress' in front of me. It's an interesting read and has quite a lot of information about the liners that were converted into armed merchant cruisers, troopers and hospital ships during the Great war. It's main focus however, is to document the striking camoflage and distruptive patterns painted onto said ships during the war (and subsequent conflicts)....so in that regard was'nt a great deal of help.

I have a personal interest in the question I posed as my Grandfather served on armed auxilaries and I had been wondering whether he'd volunteered or had been posted to these ships by chance. In his case, I can imagine he would've jumped at any opportunity to see more 'action', given he had already run away to enlist twice whilst being underage. (The first time he spent 3 months in the RND, the second time was more successful). I imagine he was young enough and daft enough to be up for anything!

There appears to be a general lack of documentation on the Merchant Marine available. Obviously tales of hauling mules across thre Atalanic in an old steamer pale in comparision with Dogger Bank and Jutland...but the stories of the civillian mariners crewing these converted liners and steamers, armed with 6 inch pop guns patrolling the high seas, are stories that I'd like to read.

cheers all...Ian.

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