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Tracing Russell Walton Wilson


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I normally research in the 'brown' sites but I have just discovered a great uncle who appears to have been in the Senior Service. The only information I have is from his marriage certificate (07Sep1917) that shows him as a "Seaman on Minesweeper". He was Russell Walton Wilson, born 10May1888 in Hull, and at the time of his marriage was living in Cleethorpes so the River Humber may be a clue - any help please. chums?

Mike

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Ahoy there and welcome to the wet part of the Forum!

The Registers of Royal Naval Seamen's Services are available online, but I have not been able to make a match for him:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...amp;queryType=1

The main seaman on Minesweepers were in the Royal Naval Reserve, but thier records are not online. They are on microfiche at Kew in BT 377/7 and the originals are at the Fleet Air Arm Museum - if yo can get there. The RNR records are in service number order, so you need that to find them. To find the number, you can use the alphabetical medal roll in ADM 171/124 or the Alphabetical indexes to service numbers (microfilm copies): S-Z in BT 377/6.

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Hello Mike,

Here he is:

WILSON, Russell Walton

16 Kingsway

H.M.S. Vivid, 4356 D.A. (Deck Hand)

from the absent voters list: LINK

Cheers, Terry

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Thanks chaps - that brilliant!

I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of information (even a photo!) of HMS Vivid?

Many thanks

Mike

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4356 D.A. (Deck Hand)

That confirms that he was in the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve.

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Mike,

H.M.S. VIVID was the Royal Naval Barracks at Plymouth Devonport from 1889 to 1934. To find previous threads just put VIVID in the Forum search facility.

David.

post-21239-1232202206.jpg

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HMS Vivid was the barracks at Devonport:

http://www.plymouthdata.info/Royal%20Naval%20Barracks.htm

Variations on the name (such as Vivid II) were used as administration base. It was also used as depot ship for the Auxiliary Patrol, which would have included minesweepers.

I recommend Captain Taprell Dorling DSO RN [Taffrail] Swept Channels Being an Account of the Work of the Minesweepers in the Great War. Available on book sites such as Abebooks.co.uk (where it's cheaper than Amazon) or on inter library loan.

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Now I am even more confused! So he trained at Vivid (a shore base), was in the Trawler Section of the RNVR, his marriage certificate shows he was a seaman on a minesweeper - but on what did he serve and when?

Is any of that tracable, chaps?

Krs

Mike

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He was in the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve, not the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. The only way you can find out your great-uncle's service is to obtain a copy of his service record. The chances are that he was on a minesweeping trawler which used VIVID as a depot ship/accounting base at some time but you need his service record to find out where & when he served.

David.

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Now I am even more confused! So he trained at Vivid (a shore base), was in the Trawler Section of the RNVR, his marriage certificate shows he was a seaman on a minesweeper - but on what did he serve and when?

Is any of that tracable, chaps?

Krs

Mike

I'm sorry if I've contributed to confusing you. In post #2 I wrote that the main seaman on Minesweepers were in the Royal Naval Reserve. Terry gave the information from the Absent Voters List which includes his service number. In the RNR the letters of a service number have significance and those quoted identify WILSON as a member of the Trawler Section of the RNR. Their service records are on microfiche at Kew in BT 377/7 and the originals are at the Fleet Air Arm Museum; you now have his service number (4356 D.A.) and so can go straight to the record - or ask a pal to do a look up. At the time of the Absent Voters List, his administation (pay, mail and so on) were handled by Vivid. He could have been trained there, served from there or gone on leave with his admin done there. If you search the forum, you should find many threads on depot ships. Other ships he was on should be on his service records: in BT 377/7 or at the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

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Thanks for all your help, chaps but I must 'Wait out' to find more on his service as my mobility prevents me from getting to Kew.

Thanks again.

Mike

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Thanks for that Fred.

I have discovered a little more, (fact or family fiction!!?) about RW Wilson. He met his wife in Southern Ireland (Cork?) whilst helping to recover bodies from a torpedoed US passenger liner.

Any facts in there?

Krs

Mike

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  • 5 years later...

Hi I noticed this thread a while back and have only recently managed to find it again, my great grandfather is the very Russell you speak of! He lived in Cleethorpes for most of his adult life as far as I know and I also know he served in both world wars but my Father maintained he was in the merchant marine. He was definitely on the SS Trelawney in WW2 but wasn't apparently on it when it sank.

I have a little information from a personal letter he wrote to Kathleen my G, Grandmother during the war.

I know this is an old thread but I'm interested in learning a bit about the man myself.

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Hi,


His Great War service record can be downloaded from the National Archives Site for £3.36p

on this LINK


Terry
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