Uncle Allen John CRISP (1921-1997) was in the Royal Navy and served on merchant ships as a Naval Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS) gunner during WWII. He was serving on ss Louisbourg in 1944. He is known to have been to Aruba NWI (sent 'souvenir' handkerchief home to his sister) and New York. At some stage (details unknown) of the war his merchant ship was sunk and he was adrift for a long period of time before being rescued. This was the cause for him being institutionalised later in life. Is JX/212372 a service number? I've most recently been advised that uncle was not in the RN but the British Army's Royal Artillery and seconded to merchant ships as a DEMS gunner?
