Interpreting Royal Marine records

[Moston]

I have found details for my Gt Uncle and would dearly love to unpick them.

I'm aware that HMS St George and Royal Arthur were Depot ships, so I assume he would not have seen much action as such?

When it refers to Chatham Div - does this mean 'returned to base' at Chatham? - particularly interested in the attached to the Royal Garrison Artillery entry?

Any thought or observations from anyone would be most gratefully received.

Pte Arthur B Byard. Chatham Division 17272.

Rank Co. Div/Ship Dates:-

Pte 6 Chatham Dvn Oct 1912 to Dec 1912

Ditto St George 1913 to Sept 1916 (Captains listed are the ships captains)

Ditto Chatham Dvn 6 Nov 1916 to 31 Dec 1916 (Lt Col F R Godfrey)

Ditto Royal Arthur Jan 1917 to March 1918

Ditto Chatham Dvn March 1918 to April 1918

Ditto Chatm Div (attd RGA) Sept 1918 to 31 Dec 1918

Ditto Chatham Dvn Feb 1919 to Jan 1922

Discharged July 1922

[horatio2]

The cruiser HMS ROYAL ARTHUR was guardship at Scapa Flow. The old cruiser HMS ST GEORGE undertook various depot ship tasks around UK but deployed to the Aegean at the end of 1915 and was based at Mudros. Chatham Division means he was serving in the RM Barracks at Chatham.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum have an Attestation Pack of papers for this man:- http://www.fleetairarm.com/royal-navy-royal-marines-services-records.aspx

[Moston]

Thank you for that.

I'm guessing that the summary I've given above which come from an offical document - also giving next of kin details/details of wounds etc are the same as his Attestation Papers? Just one sheet of A4?

Do you think I have more to discover ? - would be great if I do !

Sounds as if his wartime 'career' was spent afloat on depot ships.

[horatio2]

There could be a lot more but not the Kew download. See details on the link - scroll down to ROYAL MARINES PAPERS.