mnabackground - updated 10th November 2006

Our Association came off the slipway in 1989 and has been guided to seek more recognition and respect for our seafaring veterans, life at sea and our maritime history. This was in the minds of many seafarers, at that time, who felt that after nearly fifty years since the end of WWII little or nothing was understood of the Merchant Navy and the suffering and sacrifice of thousands of wartime merchant seafarers.

The forming of Merchant Navy Association was inspired by the initiative and untiring efforts of two ex-wartime merchant seamen, Fred Harrell and Barry Osborne. The response to their advert in the local press enabled the Midlands Branch to be established in 1989. The Exeter Branch was second off the stocks that year and then a few months after that the Plymouth Branch. Many branches have subsequently been established throughout the UK and abroad alongside others that have been launched but remain independent. The MNA has grown into a formidable and respected organization designed by seafarers to represent their interests and promote skills and opportunities in the years ahead.

At the core of our objectives is the recognition of the Merchant Navy Veteran and the critical and strategic role of the Merchant Navy in times of war and conflict. We must continue to acknowledge those seafarers. We must encourage a pride in our national maritime heritage and we must continue to present opportunities for future generations to heed the “call of the sea” and develop public awareness in future events.

Our Association brings together a variety of people with a love of the sea and ships. We provide contacts for welfare, research and careers as well as helping to keep shipmates in touch with one another. By uniting all our membership we have achieved a broad consensus for our policies at both at home and abroad. We have regular events, meetings and gatherings and these have gradually increased in number as the organisation has expanded. Often ideas that evolve in one branch are taken up by other branches and we have learned to take our campaigns to the heart of both local and national government. We have developed a strong voice at a national level that represents our member's views to government and other key organisations. We are invited to many events organised by other seafaring organisations as well as many more events organised by the MoD and Armed Forces organisations. We are an accepted part of the community of organisations that care for the interests of ex-service people and we have excellent welfare contacts to meet our members needs.

In those early years many individual seafarerswith very strong feelings had to fight hard for local recognition and support. What they started has evolved into something very special and many are still with us today. Great progress has been made as a direct result of their firm resolve and persistence. They raised the standard at parades, lobbied local councillors and government ministers and encouraging a unified voice for all merchant seafarers. It was much harder in those early days but their courage was borne of hardship and resolve drawn from wartime experience.

They remembered the unrecognised and as yet unsung service to the nation of thousands of Merchant Navy Veterans. They also gave voice to concerns that many seafarers felt somewhat overlooked and forgotten when the laurels and accolades were being bestowed after WWII. If those 'under command' during wartime campaigns had waited as long for Merchant Navy ships and seafarers to join them in such places as the North Atlantic, Western Approaches, Korea and the Falklands as it took for the Armed Services to invite them to the Cenotaph and government to acknowledge their contribution then there may well have been no national Service of Remembrance to attend.

The MNA gave support to the minting of a new medal produced by Award Productions to recognise the service of those who had been at sea for more than two years. We still hope to re-establish the long service medal issued in the First World War but although we had approval from the Queen we were advised by the Honours and Decorations Committee that it was not within the rules to allow this medal to be reinstated. Until we can develop another cunning plan we are unlikely to make any further progress in this matter. However, we do have a Merchant Navy Service Medal that is available to everyone. This award further helps to promote merchant seafarers and life at sea with lasting recognition.

National campaigns gradually evolved to give broad consensis with grass root support. Many wanted to establish Merchant Navy memorials in their own areas and those few places with existing memorials wanted to establish an annual service of remembrance dedicated to merchant seafarers in the same way as many other ex-service organisations had done for many years. In 1996 the ‘National’ organisation supported a new initiatives by the London and Greater London Branch of the MNA for a Service that recognised merchant seafarers to be held at Tower Hill. That first service was in July 1996 and it followed one organised by the MNWB two years earlier. It was moved to September 3rd in 2000 and continues to this day.

Another successful campaign was “acceptance” and official recognition, by the RBL to march in an official capacity at the annual service of Remembrance at the London Cenotaph…this after years of concerted lobbying activity. It is especially poignant to remember that although the Red Ensign has flown in every corner of the globe on vessels engaged in exploration, trade and transport as well as in support of the HM Armed Forces, it has never been more proudly displayed than at the London Cenotaph. It is the only “civilian” flag ever to be honoured in this way. We have since lobbied for the red ensign to be flown on every Government building in UK and abroad in Embassies, Consulates and representative addresses. Many Town Halls, Local Government Offices now fly the red ensign on Merchant Navy Day and we still want many more offices and homes to do the same. The Government has also agreed that their buildings abroad may also fly the red ensign on Merchant Navy Day, so please encourage as many places as possible to show their support. We have received wonderful support from government, politicians of all persuasions and many individual members who have lobbied their MEP’s to maintain this very important symbol of our maritime heritage. The Red Ensign is such an evocative symbol dating back to circa. 1625. We have engaged in three campaigns to stop the EU replacing this with and EU Ensign. Shipmates, this will not go away and the EU will try to bring this about by less obvious methods such as their attempt in the 'book' of legislation connected with the harmonisation of ship construction regulations.

Many seafarers will know that the national Merchant Navy Memorials, in Trinity Gardens at Tower Hill, record the names of some 40,000 seafarers of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who died in both World Wars. To commemorate and acknowledge the debt we owe those heroes we have established a special Merchant Navy Day Commemorative Service and Re-union that is held on the nearest Sunday to MN Day at Tower Hill. This further enhances the public awareness of what this county owes its seafarers, all its seafarers. In the Merchant Navy almost 1 in 5 were lost at sea and have no grave but the sea and many are still not properly commemorated, you could only be commemorated if someone witnessed the event.... How appauling is that? That is an ongoing campaign and one that will gather support when we have raised the funds to ‘buy’ the names from the Public Record Office. Of course this ruling does not apply to the Armed Services who are all commemorated even if they died in hospital, at home, on leave or in a prisoner of war camp. They were all commemorated but not if you were in the merchant service. This iniquitous and insensitive situation must not be allowed to continue and we will continue to challenge what was previously accepted by that post-war government charter.

The MNA’s earlier years of lobbying activities certainly made a positive contribution to the national lobby for a National Merchant Navy Day. At the time our Association was the only representative organisation voicing the views of grass root merchant seafarers and we were delighted when the Government announced that a national Merchant navy Day would take place on the 3rd September every year, that was in 2000. This day was the first day of the Second World War and the date of the first allied merchant ship casualty…just nine hours after Chamberlain’s announcement on the wireless. The SS 'Athenia', an unarmed merchant ship, was sunk by a U-boat with the loss of 19 crew and 93 passengers. It was the first casualty of the longest battle of WWII…the Battle of the Atlantic. The Arctic Convoys were another great strategic achievement of seafarers requiring all the skills and courage that could be ‘mustered’ in such persistently appalling weather conditions.

Recent Government acknowledgement now allows veterans to stand proud alongside the other deserving veterans of HM Armed Forces. MN Veterans have now been accepted by Government and the MoD to have been a critical part of what was achieved in times of war and conflict and are entitled to the same recognition emblems and badges that are being presented to all veterans. This has resulted in a unique honour...

The UK Merchant Seafarers Veteran’s Badge. The MN Styled Veteran’s Badge is a specially modified version of the HM Forces Veteran’s badge. The MNA and the FMM, who campaigned for this recognition, have also been selected as the two agents who will circulate the application forms, verify the returns and then distribute this special badge along with a certificate of acknowledgement from the Ministry of Defence. Another successful campaign and one we are honoured to continue taking our part in distributing to all those seafarers who so deserve this recognition. It is very likely that the qualifying period will be extended from 1969 to 1982 before June 2007 to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict.

Another success was to be part of the campaign for special recognition of all Arctic Convoy Veterans. This has resulted in Government and MoD acceptance, after eight years of relentless campaigning, for special recognition of those veterans. At last all veterans, whether on the sea, in the air or on land will be acknowledge for their courage during their service in the Arctic Circle, above 66° north. An Arctic Emblem pin has been designed to be worn essentially as a lapel badge but its design allows the wearer to pin the emblem on their medal ribbon. Although this last suggestion does not have the full approval Honours and Decorations Committee we have been advised that the MoD will not openly prohibit the wearing of this emblem in that way. We must acknowledge the great work of the other two members of the campaign, Cmdr ‘Eddie’ Grenfell and Cmdr ‘Dickie’ Dykes who were veterans of those convoys and many more. Their sheer persistence, over many years, finally producing a result that will be as recognisable as the unique white beret of the Convoy Club.

Joint action was again successful in achieving additional recognition for all WWII Arctic Convoy Veterans. The Arctic Star Emblem was the result of consistent and persistent lobbying over eight long years. The MNA became strongly involved during the final five years and represented merchant seafarers who had experienced those ferocious conditions. The MNA research showed that 104 ships were lost in action, 95 sunk at sea and 9 sunk in port. There were 77 convoys with over 700 casualties and 79 merchant seafarers were sent to POW camps.

The MNA would also like to acknowledge the Algerine Association and the Naval Coastal Patrol Boat organisation for their contribution, during the later stages of the campaign and in helping to agree the final design of the Arctic Emblem.

The Association believed it was an appalling error of judgement and supported the case brought to the High Court by the two daughters of one of the seamen who died aboard the vessel when it was sunk 10 miles off Hastings in 1943.

Should the colour of your ships ensign determine whether those who died in action deserve protection under the Act?

Frankly, it is appalling that anyone could possibly suggest that Merchant Navy Seafarers were less deserving, of protection from desecration of their graves, than Royal Navy Seafarers. A view strongly supported by all those we have discussed this with in the current Royal Navy, the other Services and many seafaring organisations. The campaign leader on this campaign was Dr Peter Marsden from the Hastings Shipwrecked Heritage Centre. Together with members of the MNA contact was made with the two daughters of Petty Officer James Varndell who was one of the 22 seafarers who died aboard the Storaa. James was aboard the ship as one of the DEMS Gunners. The SS Storaa had already ‘led’ a very interesting life as a Danish coaster sunk in a Moroccan port to stop it being captured at the beginning of WWII. It was then raised and put back into service when the area was recaptured.

The case researched by Dr Peter Marsden under the guidance of a solicitor Richard Buxton and was presented by a Barrister in the High Court in October 2005 on a no fee basis. The MNA organised MN Demonstration outside the High Court and many veterans went from the demo to the High Court to hear the case…they made an impressive sight in their blazers. This included Don Hunter who later made a written statement of his own experiences as a Radio Officer in those times and this is also thought to have had great impact.

The judgement reached was that all Merchant Ships in convoy should be considered as “in military service” as required by the Act and as able to received recognition under the Act as any Royal Navy vessel.

The MoD appealed that judgement and this was heard in October 2006 by the three Appeal Court Judges, headed by the master of the rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke. They rejected arguments by the defence secretary, Des Brown, that he had no power under the Military Remains Act to designate the ship as a war grave because it was not “in military service” at the time it was sunk, as required by the act. Their judgement was to support the previous judgement brought to court on behalf James Varndell’s daughters, Rosemary Fogg and Valerie Ledgard.

This has given concern to HM Treasury as many ships may need to be re-purchased from the salvers who bought the ship…£150 for the Storaa in 1985. There are other concerns about how many wrecks can be properly ‘policed’ and whether diving organisations will respect these decisions. However, the case for the Storaa should set a precedent for all future applications. This is still likely to be a long process for acceptance but the MNA will help with any future applications.

This is just part of what we have worked hard to achieve and day by day we continue to advance the interests of our members on behalf of all merchant seafarers. For many of us the sea is part of who we are and it is important to recognise what has gone before and to help develop what may follow in the years ahead.

It is not solely an organisation for veterans but welcomes seafarers of any age. It particularly wishes to encourage young people who show an interest in the sea. Join us in our endeavors. You will find further details and an application form HERE (Joining The MNA).

Further details can be obtained from:
National Chairman, Capt John Sail MNI
C/O Prelude Day Nursery, Ensign House, Osbournby, Sleaford, Lincs, NG34 0DG
Tel: 01529 455734

Click here to visit our join us page where you can download an application form.

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