British Battlecruisers from WW1 in 1921 to 1922.

[Signals]

Hi All,

not right up on the battlecruiser situation around this time, but can someone please fill me in on what was going on with this chaps papers over this period. I can see the ships were possibily in reserve, but why the have some got brackets next to other battlecruisers?

They go like this.

HMS Hercules, (Princess Royal), 9th of July 1920 to 11th of July 1921.

HMS New Zealand, ( Princess Royal), 12th of July 1921 to 1st of November 1921.

HMS New Zealand, ( Agincourt) 2nd of November 1921 to 5th of December 1921.

HMS Lion, ( Agincourt) 6th of December 1921 to 31st of March 1922.

HMS Lion, (cant read this one, too faint), 1st of April 1922 to 29th of May 1922.

Hope this makes sense?

Cheers DB.

[horatio2]

In 1921-22 all of the ships named (except LION - she lasted to 1924) were in the process of being sold for breaking-up. I suspect he was associated with the preparation of these ships for sale and his papers were moved between the ships first named, while he was working in the ships in brackets. The movements seem too short to be normal drafts between ships. I would bet he was part of the de-commissioning crews.

[joseph]

Darren

What was his Ships Book Number on each of the drafts?

Regards Charles

[per ardua per mare per terram]

All part of the Washington Treaty hatchet job.

[Signals]

Hi Charles,

here are the numbers in the list & number column, hope you know what they are?? Very hard to read. So we can assumme this chap was say serving on HMS Hercules, and as part of her crew worked on the de-commisioning of Princess Royal and so on.

Cheers DB.

HMS Hercules, (Princess Royal), 9th of July 1920 to 11th of July 1921. 12 with ? over 2, next to 46.

HMS New Zealand, ( Princess Royal), 12th of July 1921 to 1st of November 1921. b]12 with ? over 2, next to 46. [/b]

HMS New Zealand, ( Agincourt) 2nd of November 1921 to 5th of December 1921. b]12 with 12 over 2, next to 3. [/b]

HMS Lion, ( Agincourt) 6th of December 1921 to 31st of March 1922. b]12 with 12 over 2, next to 3. [/b]

HMS Lion, (cant read this one, too faint), 1st of April 1922 to 29th of May 1922. 15a and HO.

[joseph]

Darren

His numbers bear out what H2 said

12 Officers and men borne for service in tenders (Name of tender to be inserted).......... probably removing gear that is required for other ships or confidential.

15 Supernumeraries borne for disposal, taking passage, training, awaiting draft.

Regards Charles

[Signals]

Hi Charles,

thanks for that. I have really got my head around most of what the papers tell me, but not the columns of list and numbers.

So with what you have told me here, i can pressume that on a ratings papers when say you see he has joined a particular vessel, in this first column if it has say 15, that means there was a draft of 15 men joining on the same day?

As you know i deal very much with British ratings that had anything to do with the Baltic subsmarines. When the main group went home in Jan 1918 i can see it has 131 listed in this column. By this method i can see they were moving around 12 to 15 men per draft to and from the Baltic which seem about right. Is thIs how this column works, i notice some have say 13 II, which means ?

DB

[joseph]

Darren,

Each ship had a ledger, and the ledger had 20 lists each list was for a different reason, 'No5' was for ships company.

The lists were then Sub-divided into parts 5 seaman, 5a was for Engine room ratings etc

These parts are then further divided into part I (Senior Rates) and part II (Junior Rates)

List 5 has several different lists dependant on the date and the size/complement of the ship.

Dependant on date, List 13 II would mean a Senior Rate as a 'Permanent supernumeraries borne in addition to complement'.

The numbers are just chronological ie 1234 went on the list before 1345.

Shouldn't bother you much as your submarines would be tenders.

Regards Charles