His Seaman's Book has emerged, showing that he joined "Lord Byron" at Vancouver in January and she passed through Hawaii. However, still no confirmation she was at Christmas Island during the blasts. Nevertheless, the timings and direction of travel are right for the second explosion on 28...

My father-in-law was a a sailor aboard the merchant ship "Lord Byron" during the British nuclear tests at Christmas Island in the South Pacific in 1958. He is now entitled to a medal if he can prove he was present. Among other things, he has to prove that the ship was present at at least o...

Hi Siri, Sorry to mistake your gender! I would like to say how much I appreciate the service you offer here and on the old Warsailors site. I have used both for a good 10 years and with extremely good results from your members. I tend to ask some fairly obscure questions here and a high percentage o...

Hi davidships, I think there were two vessels named Silva . I suspect the one you have found a painting of is this one (from some old notes of mine): "The Polar Whaling Company’s four whale catchers Shiba (189t), Signa (189t), Spina (189t) and Silva (221t) were requisitioned on 19 February 1940...

The details given of the Norwegian motor vessel Silva in the Ships Index here are very sketchy and I can't find a copy of the 1939 Norges Skibsliste on line. (Perhaps something this site might consider putting up?) Can anyone tell me the Silva 's tonnage and dimensions? She was apparently used by th...

Hi davidships,

Thanks for your help.

I have also taken your advice and contacted the editor of the site you recommended. I await his reply

Cheers,

Sid.

Hi GeorgeT,

Many thanks. I will contact you by message as soon as I work out how to.

Cheers,

Sid.

I am unclear what role the Danish Islands Falk performed in the Faroe Islands over 1939-40. I have seen her described as a fishery protection vessel, but I see that she also carried the last mail from Denmark to the Faroes on 23 February 1940 and had to turn back from another mail delivery on 9 Apri...

Hi George T, Many thanks. I see that another Danish ship, the Sildberin (spelling?), may have arrived a little later. Can your friend confirm her as well? I was looking through some Britush documents on line and it would appear that over 1941-43 (and perhaps earlier and later) Torshavn was used by t...

I am beginning to narrow it down. If my translation is correct, on 9-10 April the following Danish merchant ships were ordered to Thorshavn: Ulla, Tennessee, Kirsten Maersk, Grenaa, Amerika and Sonja Maersk. Fredensbro was the former name of the Tennesse. This leaves one or two unidentified Swedish ...

I have read that when the British occupied the Faeroe Islands on 13 April 1941, there were eight Danish and Swedish merchant ships already sheltering there from the war. Does anone know (1) their names and (2) what happened to them? I have identified only one, the Danish Fredensbro , which was taken...

Further to the above: On the internet there are earlier references to an HMCS in the West Indies in the Napoleonic Wars and two such vessels in the colony of South Australia in the 19thy Century, before unification of Australia into a Commonwealth in 1901. The designation "His/Her Majesty's Col...

The prefix "HMCS" (His/Her Majesty's Colonial Ship) seems to have been used by government run vessels in British colonies dependent on the open sea, rivers or lakes still administered by the Colonial Office in London. In peacetime they appear to have periodically conveyed the Governors on ...

Hi Guys, Just to mention that I have bought online the book The Empire Ships by Mitchell and Sawyer (Lloyds of London Press, 1990) as a result of a recommendation on the Warsailors forum and am delighted with it. It not only has histories of all the Empire ships, but also of the shipyards that built...

Hi Guys,

Just to say thanks for the The Empire Ships lead. I have bought a very good, ex-library, copy of the book at the ridiculously low price of £2.50 (less than the postage) and am highly delighted. So much so that I will buy some of the authors' other books.

In appreciation,

Sid.