ozmcfall Posted 6 June , 2004 Share Posted 6 June , 2004 My great-uncle, Robert Bruce Wilson, was lost at sea during WW1. It is said thathe served on the Resolution. Does anyone have details of battles incurring casualties for this vessel during WW1? I know it wasn't launched until 1916. CWGC has no positive record of this R Wilson. He was apparently in the Royal Marines - "The Reds". Can anyone explain who the Reds and the Blues were? Jenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 7 June , 2004 Share Posted 7 June , 2004 Jenny This is HMS Resolution: http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/resolution.htm The Blue & Red Marine labels came from the colour of their tunics. Royal Marine Artillery (RMA) wore Blue and Royal Marine Light Infantry (RMLI) wore Red. The two branches merged in 1923 to form The Royal Marines. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 7 June , 2004 Share Posted 7 June , 2004 Jenny, Your great uncle's Service Record should be available in the PRO in the ADM 188 series. This would give you the information on what ships he served on during & after WWI & certainly would indicate if he was KIA & on what ship. HMS Resolution served in the 1st Battle Sqdn from commissioning in Dec 1916, & continued to serve through WWII until she was sold in 1948. Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 7 June , 2004 Share Posted 7 June , 2004 apologies, missed the response check again! Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozmcfall Posted 8 June , 2004 Author Share Posted 8 June , 2004 Thanks for your replies. I'd read a few explanations of the "reds" and "blues" but nothing definitive for what they were in WWI. Robert Wilson didn't have much luck with ships (although he would have been in his 40's when he died). Prior to WWI he was given a silver medal for involvement in the "Republic" "Baltic" and "Florida" incident in 1909. Whether on the sinking ship or one of the rescuers I don't know! How much of a search is involved in finding someone without a number at the PRO? I hesitate to ask a friend who goes there occasionally. Jenny Brisbane, Australia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 9 June , 2004 Share Posted 9 June , 2004 Hi Jenny, I'm in Canada so I dont get to the PRO - have to have someone in UK do my searches, but I do know that the records can be located without an ON, I think, (but am not 100% on this) that the records are filed by ON & there is also an alphabetical index. You might have somewhat of a problem with a common name tho - Wilson being a pretty common name. I was trying to locate the Victorian SR of a John Williams a couple yrs ago, did not have his ON, & could not locate the man due to the very common name, but you may have more luck with WWI era. I think you would have to hire a UK researcher to do a search for you, & there is likely one on this forum - try the PRO section. Regret cannot help you much with red & blue Marines other than what has been mentioned already - I just collect RN. Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HERITAGE PLUS Posted 9 June , 2004 Share Posted 9 June , 2004 Further to my last post here is the Red/Blue answer from the RM Official Web Site: http://www.royalmarinesregimental.co.uk/histctrad13.htm Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozmcfall Posted 10 June , 2004 Author Share Posted 10 June , 2004 "Unboiled Lobsters"! Grandad was so emphatic that Robert was in the Reds, I'm not sure whether I'd prefer to be boiled or unboiled! (Blues - unboiled lobsters, Reds - boiled lobsters). Thanks for that link! Thanks for the hints about the PRO too. From what I've seen in my searches so far, R Wilson is far too common a name until I narrow things down somehow! Jenny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gullivers Posted 30 October , 2013 Share Posted 30 October , 2013 I found Robert Bruce Wilson's merchant marine ID on findmypast.co.uk. Number of Identification Certificate 340048 Wilson, Robert Bruce Rating: Bosun Date and place of birth Feb 12-1843 Lpool England Nationality Brit Father Brit [Numbers of ships and dates of service] 141868 12-5-19 141874 6 19 20 128571 4 19 20 142827 5 20 The dates at the bottom are 1919 and 1920 so it proves that Robert Wilson did not die in the Great War. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 9 August , 2019 Share Posted 9 August , 2019 Hello im trying to find any infomation about my great great uncle who served on this ship in 1919 .His name was Henry Seiglow and was a leading seaman in the blues. Any infomation where i can look what be very helpfull thankyou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 10 August , 2019 Share Posted 10 August , 2019 (edited) Sonny1965, welcome to the GWF. Your GGU was a Leading Seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR). A merchant seaman out of Liverpool, he first enrolled in the RNR in April 1906. His earliest records under Official Nos. 13967.X and 127.A have not survived. However, a scan of his RNR record for his second period of enrolment (including WW1) as 4224.B is here and can be downloaded:- https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8486294 Be aware. These RNR scans at Kew are low-resolution and many (including this man's) are of truly dreadful quality and may, in places, be unreadable. Take a look at the preview panel on the link. CAVEAT EMPTOR! After the war he claimed, and was issued with, his WW1 medals: 1914-15 Star and Victory and British War Medals. Edited 10 August , 2019 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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