Caribbean Naval Bases

No mention of Stringer in the local newspapers - however the names of survivors were not always published. The Registrar General's office in Barbados would have his marriage details - you would need to write to that department in Barbados - Registration Department, Supreme Court of Barbados, Law Courts, Colleridge St, Bridgetown, Barbados, tel: (246) 426-3461

 

Hi Jerome,
Thanks for trying. In fact I have a copy of the marriage certificate and Dad (covering his trail?) gave his address as the same as Mum's in Barbados. So no joy there. Every piece of paper we have relates back to this address, it is as if he wanted his early years to disappear completely for some reason.
With regard to the survivors names - at least it closes one trail for me. We are fairly certain he was torpedoed at least twice, but do not know where. Knowing how many ships were torpedoed in Caribbean waters he could have been taken to any one of the other islands first before going to Trinidad. I would assume that ships that rescued survivors would carry on to their destination rather than divert to off load these men.
I take it that nothing survies of the Mariners Club or any records they may have made? If there is an address I can write to or email, perhaps you would be kind enough to let me know.

 

There is the Mission to Seamen which is the modern day equivalent of the mariners Club. It is a place I have been meaning to visit, but did not have the time. I will try to visit next week Tuesday and see how they can help. Have you tried Hugh or Billy Magee over at mercantilemarine.org?
This memoir is of a bajan TRNVR Officer and is interesting background info on service in Caribbean waters - Wartime Memoirs of Robin Austin.

 

Hi Jerome,
Yes I belong to Mercantile Marine and have been having some success there, I have been in touch with both Hugh and Billy. Together with Roger, Ray Buck, Roy V Martin, John Ramsey and Ian D.Cameron they have been adding to information about Dad both earlier and later in the war. Also, I have learned more with the help of Treeve, and Joe at Ships Nostalgia. Now I have a large number of websites that might help me further. I have clicked on the link you have suggested and am in the process of joining.
Thanks to everyone for their help.
Daisy

 

Hi everyone,
someting out of left field occurred to me. Women marrying British Nationals can take British Nationality etc. If a man married a Barbadian national, would he be entitled to Barbadian nationality? If so, would his war service from that date come under British or West Indian records?

 

Jerome

Thank you for your facinating posts. I'm a Trini too but now live in England. My dad was a pilot in the RAF and trained at Piarco on the (I think) third course there in late 1940/early 1941.

He now is 87 and lives in the Isle of Man but sadly is not in the best of health. He is pictured in the cockpit (note the Trinidad flash on his shoulder!) and also in the door of his Stirling of 299 Sqn with his crew in 1945....

My father's name is Raymond Alston but he is better-known as James or Jimmy. My uncle also was a pilot in the RAF he was, Sqn Ldr Michael Alston and he became a test pilot after the was. He was killed testing a Canberra in May 1957 and his name is on the memorial at Chagaramus.

Do you have further details of the training of aircrew in Trinidad? My father's log books show him learning to fly on Tiger Moths VP-TAC and VP-TAD. There is a course photograph on the web showing the second course, do other course photos still exist?

Keep up the good work!

 

Daisy: As Barbados was a British colony in ww2, it probably would not have been possible for a British citizen to become a bajan citizen - post - Independence yes.

Bob: Thank you for the added info on your Dad - I had 2 separate entries for him! - as James and RAC Alston - I can now consolidate his entries. He was attested at Euston - enlisted SN# 1391735 and his commission gazetted in LG on 25 Dec 42 with his new sn 126625 - a nice Xmas present indeed!

The Piarco Air Training Scheme Course pics I photographed from the various issues of the Trinidad Guardian held at our National Archives. Some more of the Course pics can be found at Caribbean Aircrew.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate the Light Aeroplane Club archives. Interestedly, the LAC has been revived and today still operate from the same hangar - I was there on May 15, during their participation in International Learn to Fly Day. I took this pic of the hangar door - probably untouched since the wartime days!

 

Source Armed Forces Memorial:- "ALSTON Forenames/Initials Michael Robert Rank Sqn Ldr Service Royal Air Force Service Number 108949 Station RAF Boscombe Down Date of Birth 28 March 1919 Age 37 Date of Death 07 May 1956 Included on Armed Forces Memorial Yes Included on Roll of Honour Yes"

His enlisted SN 1331303 (Series: 1330001 to 1340000 Nov 1940 Uxbridge and Weston-super-Mare)

 

Using Geoff's WW2 Search Engine I have found 171 names killed from HMS Goshawk.

102 of these were onboard the Almeda Star, enroute to Trinidad when sunk by U96 on 17/01/41.

This from naval-history.net: "U.96 sank British steamer ALMEDA STAR (14,935grt) in 58-16N, 13-40W. All crew, gunners, passengers were lost. The passengers included 142 Fleet Air Arm Royal Navy officers and ratings and thirty five other ratings en route to Piarco, Trinidad for duty in the Fleet Air Arm base HMS GOSHAWK. Lt Cdr N. G. R. Crawford, Lt J. C.B. Boucher, Lt A. W. N. Dayrell, DSC, of the Instructional Staff, Lt (A) G. V. Aylott and T/Lt (A) R. V. Wrightson RNVR, of 749 Squadron, T/Lt (A) G. A. Alderson RNVR, T/Lt (A) P. G. Aldrich-Blake RNVR, T/Lt (A) L. F. Findlay RNVR, T/Lt (A) G. Williamson RNVR, T/Sub Lt (A) C. J. Davis RNVR, T/Sub Lt (A) D. F. A. McBain RNVR, of 750 Squadron, Lt (A) M. D. Donati, Sub Lt (A) M. H. N. Allen, T/Lt (A) R. W. Anderson RNVR, T/Lt (A) J. Carr RNVR, T/Lt (A) H. C. Friday RNVR, T/Lt (A) E. M. Lamb RNVR, T/Lt (A) W. A. Richardson RNVR, T/Sub Lt (A) J. S. Rowson RNVR, P/T/Sub Lt (A) M. A. Manuel RNVR, P/T/Sub Lt (A) T. H. Trubridge RNVR, of 752 Squadron, eighty two ratings from GOSHAWK, including Chief Petty Officer Airman A. W. Dicks, Petty Officer Airmen S. E. Andrews, W. S. Bath, I. H. Cook,B. W. A. Evans, E. G. Paksell, thirty nine ratings, including Petty Officer Airman D. A. C. Wynell-Sutherland, from DAEDALUS were lost. source; naval-history.net."

The other 69 deaths date from March 41 to August 45. The vast majority (about 55) are flying related and they are buried together at the St James Military Cemetery or commemorated at the Lee-on-Solent Memorial.

I have not yet done a search on the FAA Squadrons based here but expect this number to increase.

 

I am looking for info on another Caribbean air base, Royal Naval Air Station Palisadoes, Kingston, Jamaica. What scant details I can uncover can be found on my web page for HMS BUZZARD . Compare this with te level of detail I have for HMS [SIZE=11pt]GOSHAWK[/SIZE].

I have details of airfield facilities, layout and other specifications for a large number of RN airfields taken from a copy of CB 4368 B. Admiralty Handbook of Naval Air Stations Aug. 45 - sadly Palisadoes was not listed in this late edition, not even as a station on Care & [SIZE=11pt]Maintenance[/SIZE].