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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Trimmer?


Doug504

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I've been doing some research into the burials in my local CWGC, (Bishopwearmouth, Sunderland), and came across the following individual whose rank is listed as "Trimmer".

HALL M. D.O.D. 21/09/1918 Trimmer Royal Naval Reserve H.M.S. Pembroke United Kingdom '4578/TS'

Can someone enlighten me as exactly what a "Trimmer" was / is?

Doug.

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Doug, a Trimmer brought coal from the bunkers to the stoke hold for the Stokers and Firemen in an ordered (balast like) way to keep the trim of the vessel

Jon

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Doug

Its more of a job in the loading of coal into a ship. As Sunderland exported coal there were lots of trimmers keeping the ship balanced during the loading process. In a warship the scale of the task is much less, but still important.

David

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In the Trawler Section of the RNR, in which this chap served, the trimmers did the same job as a stoker. Trawlers did not usually carry RNR stoker ratings, who were generally employed in warships of the Fleet. RNR trimmers are not to be confused with trimmers in ships of the mercantile marine, whose task was as described in earlier posts.

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.............RNR trimmers are not to be confused with trimmers in ships of the mercantile marine, whose task was as described in earlier posts.

....but I think most of those in the RNR were, or had been trimmers in the Mercantile Marine (fishermen), before the war, hence the TS prefix / suffix.

One of the best descriptions (I believe), of a trimmers lot, can be found in this earlier post: Link

Terry

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Indeed. The RNR trimmers were (generally) taken up with the others of a trawler/ drifter crew. The point is that trawler/drifter trimmers (whether fishing or RNR) performed the tasks that were undertaken by stokers in larger merchant ships, where trimmers just did the trimming.

RNR trimmers could have one of several official number suffixes: CE, TC, TE or TS.

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Indeed. The RNR trimmers were (generally) taken up with the others of a trawler/ drifter crew. The point is that trawler/drifter trimmers (whether fishing or RNR) performed the tasks that were undertaken by stokers in larger merchant ships, where trimmers just did the trimming.

RNR trimmers could have one of several official number suffixes: CE, TC, TE or TS.

Trimmers just doing trimming would not be an option on a peace time fishing vessel, I'm surprised it was on admiralty trawlers / drifters.

I struggle to see the logic of official number suffixes and wouldn't have recognised CE, or TE, but possibly TC as Trimmer / Cook. I thought the suffixes would have recognised Board of Trade qualifications for those who enrolled into the RNR.

Terry

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At risk of repetition: peacetime and RNR Trawler Section trimmers on trawlers/drifters were not "trimmers just doing trimming" they were the boats' stokers as well.

CE = Trimmer-cooks in Trawler Reserve Emergency Section. TE = Trimmers in Trawler Reserve Emergency Section.

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Thanks for all the replies folks, something else I learned.

Doug

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