Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

January 06, 2009

Dear Sir,
 
I have come across a list of Naval Ratings of WW2 who died amongst whom I think is my mothers uncle. Archibald Jordan. The reference is Year 1943, Volume 6 and Page 2122. How can I be sure this is the correct person, would there be any record of where he was living at the time of his death. His rating is mentioned as A/A.B. can you tell me what this means? I would appreciate any help as my only living aunt cannot remember. She only knows that he had a cobblers shop. His mother's name was Jane Jordan.

Yours sincerely
Anne Lovelock

Anne,

A/AB would stand for acting Able Seaman, but Archibald is shown as an Able Seaman here on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

His name is on Panel 75 in Column 1.

HMS President 111 was not a ship, but a shore base near London, President III was the accounting base for Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships in WW2, or DAMS, which is what they were called in WW1.

It was where the pay records etc were maintained for those sailors who were serving as gunners aboard Merchant Ships.

Casualty Details
Name:  JORDAN, ARCHIBALD
Initials:  A
Nationality:  United Kingdom
Rank:  Able Seaman
Regiment/Service:  Royal Navy
Unit Text:  H.M.S. President III
Date of Death:  10/01/1943
Service No:  P/JX 337689
Casualty Type:  Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:  Panel 75, Column 1.
Memorial:  PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

In Memory of
Able Seaman ARCHIBALD JORDAN

P/JX 337689, H.M.S. President III, Royal Navy
who died
on 10 January 1943

Remembered with honour
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Commemorated in perpetuity by
the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Best regards, 
Mackenzie. 

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