Does a mess chitty reveal part of a journey?

[annieb22]

I'm trying to track the movements of my husband's grandad during WW1. We have some personal papers which the above chitty comes from.

Firstly, does this chitty indicate that Sub Lt Ellen was onboard the HMS Isonzo on 30th July 1917? I'm not sure what the printed date of 31st March 1915 is all about but I presume it refers to a regulation.

So far, I have him leaving England on 23rd July - his destination was D Flight, No. 2 Wing R.N.A.S., Stavros. His journey was to take him over land through France and Italy after setting off from Charing Cross Station and catching the boat train for Boulogne. He caught up with H.M.S. Ark Royal on 8th August and was discharged from the ship to Stavros by M.28 on 13th August, presumably Monitor 28. The log books for the Ark Royal say she was at Mudros port during that time. I don't know if this means she was static in the harbour or went out to sea and back.

Would the mess chitty indicate that the part of the journey between Italy and Mudros might have been on the Isonzo, or at least some portion of that stage of the journey?

I understand the Isonzo was a Fleet Messenger vessel. What was this exactly?

[horatio2]

HMS ISONZO (formerly ISIS) would almost certainly have given him his passage from Italy to Mudros. The Fleet Messengers were used as a general 'lifting and shifting' taxi service around the Fleet for personnel, light stores, etc.

[annieb22]

Thanks very much for the reply 'horatio2'.

I found a painting featuring Isonzo on the IWM site at http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/17518. Would the Isonzo be the grey ship with the two funnels in the middle of the painting?

[horatio2]

I would assume so.