Royal Navy

[rj.hoare]

Probably got the wrong area/topic!

Am I being a wee bit slow, but am trying to search for the service record of a Royal Navy chap - J14028 R Smith AB RN but everytime, no matter which format I try nothing comes up! It works with the Army chaps - is there something about the Senior Service that I am missing?

I have a 1914-15 Trio for this chap and want to get his records but seem to ne missing a vital detail!

Help!

Please :-)

[horatio2]

Service record on-line at Kew - http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1.

Service record and enlistment papers available from the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

[rj.hoare]

Fleet Air Arm Museum.

Am guessing this man was Flet Air Arm? How could you tell?

Have downloaded his Service History, but how did you find him? What did I miss?

Born 1894 by the way, Service Record available if you want to look at it - would help

me! Seems he was in training a great deal during service.

How could you know he was FAR?

:-(

[horatio2]

Am guessing this man was Flet Air Arm? How could you tell? How did you find him? What did I miss?

You guess incorrectly - he was not FAA or RNAS. His 'J' official number shows he was a seaman or communications rating. The FAA museum happens to be the repository for a huge range of naval records, including his.

Naval ratings' records of service are part of the Documents On-Line offering of the NA, Kew.

[rj.hoare]

You guess incorrectly - he was not FAA or RNAS. His 'J' official number shows he was a seaman or communications rating. The FAA museum happens to be the repository for a huge range of naval records, including his.

Naval ratings' records of service are part of the Documents On-Line offering of the NA, Kew.

Oh! :-( OK! Back to square 1! x

[per ardua per mare per terram]

All you have to enter the complete number into the Documents Online search engine, including prefixes, RN Official Numbers were unique to one man. What indicates that "he was in training a great deal during service"?

[rj.hoare]

Am attaching a copy of his service record http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...88/675/0/27.pdf which I believe indicates (if I am reading it correctly) that he was at the Battle of Jutland whilst serving on HMS Benbow.

I thought he spent some time in training as he was at HMS Pembroke 4 times which I understand was a Shore Based Training Establishment.

What does confuse me on his service record is the heading of "Badges" - am I reading it correctly that he was a Gun Loader in 1915 and then a Gunnery Instructor in 1920?

Always nice to pinpoint a chap with his medals :-)

Richard

[horatio2]

PEMBROKE was the barracks at Chatham and PEMBROKE I, II, etc were pay and admin offices handling the records of ships that did not carry their own accounts.

He would appear to have been at Jutland in BENBOW.

He was a Seaman Gunnner, then (Acting) Gunlayer 2nd Class (Sub Ratings/Rating column). The Badges column shows the granting (Gr) of his 1st and 2nd Good Conduct badges, not his rating.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Here's a previous thread on Wildfire

Pictures of Benbow http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_benbow.htm

She was the sistership to Iron Duke

http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/battleship/hms-iron-duke.html

Pictures of Shark http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/old_...htm#HMS%20Shark

Undaunted http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/aret...HMS%20Undaunted

Danae http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/d_cl...htm#HMS%20Danae

[rj.hoare]

Thanks Guys! For all your input, messages and information.

It is much appreciated and it is valued.

I do find it "quite interesting" to re-create the history of the man behind the medals, research the record of an individual. Match the medals to the record, follow the record into real life and a name becomes a real living person (although dead by now!). A single miniscule thread to our past. Ralph Smith continues to live on, through this site.

Thank you

[per ardua per mare per terram]

I thought he spent some time in training as he was at HMS Pembroke 4 times which I understand was a Shore Based Training Establishment.

His initial training was on Ganges II, a boy's training ship. His first stint on the books of Pembroke was only 3 days, which was more likely to have been leave than training. His time in 1914 lead to his sub rating as Seaman Gunner and that in 1921 lead to his sub rating as Gunlayer 2nd Class. Three periods of training over 13 years seems reasonable. He would also be learning aboard ship, both of his exams were while at sea.

You can trace the movements of the ships fron their ship's logs in ADM 53.