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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Thomas R Walker


trin1054

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Good evening,

Thomas Richard Walker is listed as serving as a Wireless Operator on the SS ANCHISES on the Absent Voters List for Warcop, Westmorland.

Can anyone advise me on finding medal cards and records as I haven't got a clue when it come to the Navy. For a while I only had his rank and thought WO stood for Warrant Officer!

Cheers for any help,

Marc

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I think Petty Officer was an equivalent to warrant officer- but will stand corrected

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Marc

BT351 microfiches on the Locations Table in the Microfilm Reading Room at the National Archives.

Alpha fiches giving first 4 or 5 letters of surname. One index lists Mercantile Marine and British War Medals.

I am assuming that your man was MN with a ship's name like that.

Best wishes

Sotonmate

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Thanks gents,

yes - I did think Merchant Navy. I'll try and have a look at the NA today.

Cheers,

Marc

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I think Petty Officer was an equivalent to warrant officer- but will stand corrected

In the Royal Navy warrant officers were the equivalent to army warrant officers; Petty Officer was an equivalent to serjeant.

Also on microfiche at Kew are BT 348-350 which are the merchant seamen register of seamen cards 1918-41. On microfilm in ADM 171/130-3 are the medal rolls for Mercantile Marine Reserve: Ratings, you want ADM 171/133.

All wireless operators before the war had to take an exam by the Marconi Company(not sure how long the requirement lasted). I think the Marconi files are at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

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Also on microfiche at Kew are BT 348-350 which are the merchant seamen register of seamen cards 1918-41. On microfilm in ADM 171/130-3 are the medal rolls for Mercantile Marine Reserve: Ratings, you want ADM 171/133.

All wireless operators before the war had to take an exam by the Marconi Company(not sure how long the requirement lasted). I think the Marconi files are at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool.

Thanks for this - much more info to follow up. I got hold of ADM 171/118 on Saturday and found a Thomas R Walker. Not so sure if this was the right one now?

Cheers,

Marc

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  • 2 weeks later...

I received the following reply to an enqiry to clarify my earlier post:

Merseyside Maritime Museum 'hold Radio Officers examination results from 1910 to 1952, but no collection of examination papers or certificates.'

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

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Thanks for this - much more info to follow up. I got hold of ADM 171/118 on Saturday and found a Thomas R Walker. Not so sure if this was the right one now?

I'm sorry I've only just spotted this post. What you saw was the medal roll for Royal Navy ratings; what you should have been told is that their service registers are online and are free to download while you are at Kew so you could check out if his date of birth, birth place and second name match. You can check that out online too, but a download will cost £3.50. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...amp;queryType=1

I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that you were not recommended to look at RNR records having gone all that way it would have helped to get the right information.

You could also try medal rolls: ADM 171/ADM 171/124 Royal Naval Reserve: Ratings Sha-Z

As a long shot: ADM 171/129 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: Ratings Sid-Z

Edited by per ardua per mare per terram
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You could also try medal rolls: ADM 171/ADM 171/124 Royal Naval Reserve: Ratings Sha-Z

As a long shot: ADM 171/9 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve: Ratings Sid-Z

Thanks for the continued advice - I did find the naval part of the archives completely baffling. I have also tried the online service registers but with no positive match found for a Thomas Richard Walker born in Westmorland, 1891. The only info I have is from a 1919 absent voters list, stating that he was a Wireless Operator on SS ANCHISES. I shall perservere next time I'm at Kew.

Cheers,

Marc

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Please note my modified post, I made a typo on the medal roll.

From tthe information you have so far it looks like he was in the Merchant Marine, so working through the BT (Board of Trade) records are your best bet, but they only run from 1918.

I have't had a match with any Thomas Richard Walker's using the online serach. Did you put the service number of the man you found on ADM 171/118 into the Other keywords search?

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