Depot Ships, WW1 HMS Tyne

[horatio2]

RN ships like destroyers did not carry their own pay accounts. The men were, instead, 'borne on the books' of a larger accounting base (could be a ship or shore base).

The convention in naval records is for the base to be named first with the ship in which a man actually served (known as a tender to the base) to be recorded in brackets.

Thus LUCIFER is shown in brackets after VICTOR X and is repeated by ditto marks for the following bases/depot ships, LEANDER and TYNE. So he did not physically serve in TYNE but was borne on her books.

27 minutes ago, AlistairP said:

medals - why might somebody not have claimed them?

Any number of personal reasons which cannot be second-guessed. Many thousands of naval medals went unclaimed. Unlike the Admiralty, the War Office fired medals off without the need for a claim.

 

The LUCIFER casualty died of pneumonia in Leith Hospital. (AB John TELLAM, J.54711 - RN)

[wallace2]

A quick question as my copy of Shore Establishments is in another country.  I always thought that HMS Gunner was the only Base Ship at Granton in Edinburgh.  HMS Leander appears in this thread as Base Ship at Granton.  Could Leander have been the Base Ship at Leith in Edinburgh?

[AlistairP]

That is really helpful - thank you, Horatio. You know your stuff and it all makes sense.

I've just located John Tellam's record on findmypast (British Royal Navy Seamen 1899-1924) and it notes that he died on 7 Nov 1918 of Pneumonia at (RN?) Hospital, Leith. That must have been the same hospital my Grandfather was recuperating in. I think I'm right in saying that most secondary (and eventual) causes of death of that strain of influenza (commonly though inaccurately known as Spanish flu) was pneumonia. 

Sad as it is, it does all add up. 

[horatio2]

On 21/01/2021 at 17:12, wallace2 said:

A quick question as my copy of Shore Establishments is in another country.  I always thought that HMS Gunner was the only Base Ship at Granton in Edinburgh.  HMS Leander appears in this thread as Base Ship at Granton.  Could Leander have been the Base Ship at Leith in Edinburgh?

HMS GUNNER was the depot ship at Granton for boats (May 1916 to December 1919) of the Auxiliary Patrol.

HMS LEANDER was depot ship for the destroyers based at Granton from January to June 1918.

[wallace2]

Thank you Horatio2. As usual, succint and enlightening.