Merchant navy grouping - help please.

[bratwurstdimsum]

Hi there,

My first real posting here other than the rarity stats.

I'm thinking about buying a grouping that belongs to a vet

Serial: 14445451
Name: TH G Williams

It is a very interesting one, the man I'm purchasing it off says the vet was a fellow in the merchant navy and the grouping is as follows:

Stars: (all stars with serial and name engraved on reverse)
39-45
France & Germany with an ATLANTIC bar
Africa with an AFRICA 42-45 bar
Burma with a PACIFIC bar

Medals: (no engravings)
Defence
War Medal with a Mentioned in dispatches leaf on the ribbon


Questions:
1) Where can I get information on the internet about this vet?
2) In your learned opinions, what would this grouping be worth?

BDS

[leigh kitchen]

Try the National Archives:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/

Drop down the menu under "Popular Searches" & you find Merchant Navy.
All you find in the main is general information about the records & contact address es & e-mail addresses to follow up.

Follow the link to Merchant Navy on this link to do an on-line search for £3.50.

http://www.documentsonline.nationalarchives.gov.uk/


I had a quick look & threw up 9 x Williams, none of them look like your man.
With that kind of serial number & engraving on the medals, is he likely to be Canadian, South African?

Is Pacific bar on Pacific Star a typo?

I think it's possible to check the London Gazette on - line now for the MID, just a tedious process to do it.

Your mans serial number falls within the block of numbers issued to the General Service Corps from 1943 during WWII.
I wonder if he's Royal Artillery serving on board Merchant vessels, with privately engraved (Boots or otherwise) Stars?

[bratwurstdimsum]

Leigh,

I'm in Australia, so I'm assuming as the grandson sold it here, the man could be Australian or Commonwealth settled here.

Any idea on worth?

BDS

[leigh kitchen]

Sorry, I've no idea of the price Merchant Navy stuff commands, it sounds likely that he's Australian, but how does that serial number match up with Aus. serial numbers.

I don't know why somebody'd bother to get their Stars named but not their medals, but I would'nt discount his having been Britiash Royal Artillery, I would'nt go firm on any particular nationality or service at the moment.
Grandson should be able to provide details of his nationality, if he's next of kin ask him to do the research, or at least put his signatures on the forms you submit?

[bratwurstdimsum]

Leigh, correction to the post above thanks! It is a Burma Star with pacific bar, not a pacific star. The oakleaf is a MID "clasp".

Corrections made to the 1st post.

[1stcanpara]

MM Medals recently sold...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Here is a set of medals that just sold in Canada...from a MM vet, this is a particularly good set...hope this helps!

Gary