Frank Charles Rowe, No. 227513 died 31/11/14 Battle of Coronel

[KIRKY]

A freind of mine has the death plaque, slip, cardboard holder plus King's Scroll and Messina medal for Frank Charles Rowe, No. 227513 leading seaman/stoker on HMS Cape of Good Hope sunk at the Battle of Coronel 31/11/1914, anyone got further information on him and perhaps whereabouts of his medals?

Tony

[horatio2]

He was a Leading Stoker (not seaman). Record here - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6729893

His mother claimed his medals after the war,

[KIRKY]

43 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

He was a Leading Stoker (not seaman). Record here - http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6729893

His mother claimed his medals after the war,

Thanks,

tony

[ForeignGong]

He is a Stoker 1st Class on the Messina Roll

[Malcolm12hl]

Frank Charles Rowe was born in Kensington, London on New Year's Day 1888, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman on 10 August 1903 aged 15.  As was normally the case with boy recruits, he was enlisted for 12 years on his 18th birthday (1 January 1906) as an Ordinary Seaman.  He was re-rated as a stoker exactly one year later.  He was rated Leading Stoker in June 1914 while serving on the old cruiser HERMIONE and joined the GOOD HOPE from her on 1 August 1914.

[horatio2]

24 minutes ago, Malcolm12hl said:

he was enlisted for 12 years on his 18th birthday

A minor nit-pick. He actually enlisted (as a boy seaman) on 10 August 1903 when he would have signed his engagement papers and a Parental Consent Form would have been signed. The former committed him to a twelve-year Continuous Service (CS) engagement starting on his 18th birthday. Time served before age 18 did not count towards any engagement.

[Malcolm12hl]

You are quite right Horatio - clumsy wording on my part.  I have come across a few cases of men re-rating as stokers, but not many.  Am I correct in thinking there was a pay differential?

 

Malcolm

[horatio2]

Ordinary Seaman (CS) 1/3d per diem; Stoker 2nd Class (CS) 1/8d per diem = an extra £7 per annum. If a boy wanted to be a stoker he had to enlist as a Boy Seaman because the Stoker Branch had no boy rating.

Edited 25 January , 2019 by horatio2

[Lawryleslie]

Just one anomaly regarding the date of the sinking of HMS Good Hope. The Battle of Coronel was 1 November 1914 when both Good Hope and Monmouth were sunk with all hands. I’m assuming there is a typo with the date of 31/11/1914 because November has only 30 days.

[KIRKY]

Thanks guys for all of this info , always amazed by the knowledge on this Forum!

Tony