Herbert Henry Bowhill

[corisande]

This man is, I believe, a Mercantile Marine Officer in WW1. My interest in him is that he went on to serve in the Auxiliaries in Ireland

These are my notes on him - click

I have established that

• He was born Norwich in 1898
  
• He appears to have got at least the BWM, but I cannot find what he was doing in WW1
  
• The Auxiliary Register (difficult to read) says against his name "RNIS" and "2nd Officer". I have no idea what RNIS is.
  
• 1919 Feb Sailed on crew of Lime Leaf as 3rd mate. His photo is from Seaman's Pass
  
• 1921 Jan 12. Joined ADRIC
  

Can anyone with access to the appropriate records fill in any more of his war service

[horatio2]

The RN Medal Roll shows entitlement to Victory and British War Medals (not claimed/issued) for service in HMS LOBSTER as a mate in the Mercantile Marine Reserve. LOBSTER was the White Sea depot ship, from July to October 1919, for transport ships operating up the river from Archangel

[corisande]

Thanks for that help. Makes sense if he was in North Russia. It seems to have been a recruiting ground for men to go to the Auxiliaries in Ireland

The "RNIS" is presumably a mistranscription ?

[horatio2]

RNIS is not known to me. Others may have come across it.

LIMELEAF was a Royal Fleet Auxiliary in WW1 but was sold in 1919. Link here:-

http://cmtk3.webring...toricalrfa.org/

[corisande]

Thanks for the link. Limeleaf seems to have taken him chronologically through to North Russia.

Surprising really how many of these Mercantile Marine men joined the Auxiliaries in Ireland

[KizmeRD]

Might RNIS in fact be RNTS (Royal Naval Transport Service)?

mb

[corisande]

Thanks, never thought of that, it would seem an odds on favourite for the mis-transcrippption that I have.

The copies that exist of the ADRIC register are very difficult to read. I will ammend my notes on him