Merchant Navy Day

[Airspeed]

Are you having any luck with your search, Joe?

[airboatr]

I've found that believing things told to me are (sometimes) like believing what you're told when buying a two story house ... you're told one story when you buy it,
and find out there is a whole other story after living in it for awhile.

I've been told my great grand was on two ships that were destroyed by enemy fire. so my workload has doubled!

[Airspeed]

But no names to go on yet,Joe?
Dates?
Many hands make light work.

[airboatr]

actually my two hands have made many a light work.

.......
waiting for some info from cousin Carl.

[airboatr]

I think I've lost DB a page or two back, Mike. so here ya go

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.u ... r/C2617539

Germany: Prisoners, including:

British merchant seamen and officers interned in Germany, including
.......
Captain Robert Glasper and Chief Officer Alfred Hirst: arrangements for payments to them while interned at Brandenburg.

http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?70015

SS Knarsdale [+1915]

On December 21st, 1915, Knarsdale, on a voyage from Blyth to Sheerness with a cargo of coal, was sunk by a mine from the German submarine UC-7 (Georg Haag), 2.75 miles ExS of Orfordness. 1 person was lost

well,, a lot of interesting info I read along the way finding the above.

Joe

[DaveB]

I'm still here Joe

Did you find anymore about his second ship?
ATB
DaveB

[airboatr]

Well, Dave, I'm putting some things together. I was told only two things about the other ship: It sank in the Atlantic, and all souls were rescued.
oh and he wasn't sent to prison.. so that'd be three things.. I reckon
The archive website doesn't mention another incident besides the Knarsdale ...

the search continues.

[DaveB]

Well.. I have to admit I'm a little lost too. The reference Mike found is obviously not the right Chiverston(e) if it was torpedoed in the Atlantic as that ship went on for years! The Knarsdale must have been the first ship he ended up getting wet feet on if he was later interned by the Germans. He was too close to the UK to have been picked up by them (I'd have thought).
This is the problem when folk die.. they take a lifetime of knowledge with them and no matter what you thought you knew.. there are always questions that only they could have answered.

Good luck with the continuing search
ATB
DaveB

[DaveB]

Joe.. was he born in Newcastle, 1869? Perhaps not. The chap in the shot looks older than being in his 40's.

ATB
DaveB

[Airspeed]

Joe,
I think I've seen Glasper in connection with you, so this is probably a point of reference for you:
KNARSDALE, 1,641grt, 21 December 1915, 2¾ miles E by S from Orfordness, mined and sunk, 1 life lost
The National ArchivesRemove BT 99Remove
Date
1900 - 1924 (6)
Collection
BT - Board of Trade and successors (6)
Descriptions of records and information about how to access them
1 - 6 of 6 results
Sorted by:
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Registry of Shipping and Seamen: Agreements and Crew Lists, Series II. Official Nos: 129772, 129773, 129774, 129774, 129775, 129778, 129779, 129780, 129781, 129782, 129785, 129786,... Ship: Knarsdale; Official number: 129790. Robert Glasper; rank/rating, Master; age, 45; place of birth, Newcastle; previous ship, same. James H Morrow; rank/rating, First Mate; age, 52; place of
Held by: The National Archives - Board of Trade and successors
Date: 1915
Reference: BT 99/3161/26A and later: Reference: BT 99/3161/28A
Subjects: Caribbean | Europe and Russia | Merchant seaman | Shipping

I think that Grandfather may have just been visiting the Chiverstone; both ships were freighters around the UK.

More info MAY be available here: http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz/