clive_hughes Posted 29 March , 2010 Share Posted 29 March , 2010 One of my Anglesey project casualties was killed at Zeebrugge in April 1918. I now find from his service papers that his name was entered for the subsequent VC ballot. He was on the Iris. Is there any list of who received nominations, and how many votes were cast for them? LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punjab612 Posted 30 March , 2010 Share Posted 30 March , 2010 There is a list of the ballotees, the votes cast, and an image of the original ballot paper on this site http://www.victoriacross.co.uk/zebrugge.html Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 30 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 30 March , 2010 Thanks Peter, that was an interesting link in many ways; but these look to be RM only. The man I'm researching was 214950 AB William Rowlands DIBBEN RN from Menai Bridge, who was killed aboard Iris and whose papers are stamped as a participant in the ballot. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip Wilson Posted 30 March , 2010 Share Posted 30 March , 2010 Two seperate ballots were held one for the Royal Navy participants and the other for those of the Royal Marines for the assault upon Zeebrugge, thus ensuring a degree of fairness and preventing the formation with the greater number of survivors outvoting any selection from the other- see W0. 32/3443. The results of the Marine Ballot was recorded on a scrap of flimsy yellow paper, with the names written in blue crayon with lines of ticks by each name recording the individual votes received. It was exhibited at the VC Centenary at Marlborough House in 1956 and a copy of this can be seen within the website mentioned in post 2. A slightly clearer image of this can be seen as plate 5 in 'The Evolution of the Victoria Cross' by the late Michael J Crook. I have no recollection of seeing a similar list for the Royal Navy Ballot. The selection of the Naval partipants from HMS Vindictive, Iris 11 and Royal Daffodil and the Naval Assaulting Force was for Commander A.F.B Carpenter and Able Seaman A.E.McKenzie. Philip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 30 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 30 March , 2010 Thanks Phillip, maybe it hasn't survived then; I was just curious as to how many votes my man had gathered by comparison with others, and the overall number of names voted on. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 31 March , 2010 Share Posted 31 March , 2010 Every man participated in the ballot. Just because his papers are stamped to that effect does not mean he personally got any votes at all. He was just enititled to vote - had he survived. Another thread recently noted that men who were dead and POWs had their papers stamped even though they clearly could not vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 31 March , 2010 Share Posted 31 March , 2010 In 25 years of researching the Zeebrugge Raid, I have never come across a similar list of votes for the RN ballot. I have read that Capt Carpenter won by only vote from Cdr Harold Campbell but that's all we know. Hopefully one day..... I will look up Dibben to see what I have on him. Best, Dom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 31 March , 2010 Author Share Posted 31 March , 2010 Thanks Dominic, I'll be interested to see what you might uncover. He's certainly on the Menai Bridge (Llandysilio) War Memorial as a Zeebrugge casualty, and I know he is buried at St.James' Dover. horatio2, I see...that might well be the explanation. Thanks for clarifying that. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 1 April , 2010 Share Posted 1 April , 2010 I have a note that the National Archives Zeebrugge casualty books (ADM116/1656) have correspondence from Dibben's father to the authorities in the aftermatch of the raid. I didn't note down what it was about, but most of such correspondence relates to the identification of bodies, attempts by relatives to discover what happened to their loved ones etc. I don't know where you are, but I'd recommend a trip if you're able. Just to confirm, the notation on someone's service record that they "Participated in the ballot for the award of the VC....." means they took part in the raid and were eligible to be voted for, not that they actually voted. In other words, all those who took part, whether they survived, were wounded, POW or died, participated in the ballot. Dom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clive_hughes Posted 1 April , 2010 Author Share Posted 1 April , 2010 Dominic, thank you for the reference, which I'll follow up. Thanks to everyone for clarifying this matter. LST_164 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domwalsh Posted 2 April , 2010 Share Posted 2 April , 2010 Good luck. Would appreciate copy of his record of service/details for my files, if it's not too much trouble. Have you found a pic of him in local papers etc? Best, Dom dominic.walsh@ireland.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Trim Posted 2 April , 2010 Share Posted 2 April , 2010 Always gives me a strange feeling when I see my grandad's name on that list. Len Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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