Help with WWI trio please

[AndyC_65]

Hello,

I have a WWI trio, named to. F.H. Clayton with various alphabet spaghetti and no number - leading me to believe he was Merchant Navy.

Any help deciphering the following would be greatly appreciated.

1914-15 star = F.H. Clayton GSR. M.F.A.
Victory & BWM= F. Clayton DKNY. M.F.A.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Cheers,

Andy C

[Peter Brydon]

Andy,

One if not both answers are here:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/r...reviations.htm

GSR is Greaser and I thought there was another abbreviation for Donkeyman which may be what the second rank is but I may be wrong.


Peter

[Peter Brydon]

This might be him- Francis H. Clayton who was a Donkeyman.

Peter

[AndyC_65]

Many thanks Peter!

Can I assume that is some sort of MN number?

Any idea where I can find more info on him? Ancestry seems sparse on MN.

Also, anyone any idea if there was such a thing as a standard badge or insignia for the MN in WWI?

Cheers,

Andy

[Mike_2817]

M.F.A. stood for 'Merchantile Fleet Auxiliary'

During WW1 a 'Royal Fleet Auxiliary' was a vessel owned by the Admiralty with a Merchantile Marine Crew.

A 'Merchantile Fleet Auxiliary' was a vessel taken up on charter by the Admiralty with a Merchantile Marine crew.

He was probably also entitled to the Mercantile Marine War Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercant...rine_War_Medal

The Flag of the Merchant Marine (later Merchant Navy) in WW1 was the Red Ensign

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ensign

The RFA & MFA used the Blue Ensign of various designs

http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/gb-rfas.html

[Peter Brydon]

Andy,

I have some information on my Great Uncle Walter Brydon who served in the Merchant Navy before, during and after WW1. He tried to join the RNR during the war but was turned down on medical grounds.

He had a six figure number ( see photos ) and I presume 602543 was Francis H. Claytons Mercantile Marine number ( assuming this is your man ).

I did manage to find some of the ships my Great Uncle had served on through Ancestry and there was a link to his RNR papers at the National Archives which required a payment to get access to the copy papers.

Peter