Pembroke I / President II

[Andy Gibbons]

Hello - I'm researching my grandfather's military service during WW1. I have his Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services paper and he shows as serving on Pembroke I during 1914/15 and President II for 6 weeks in 1915 (after which he joined the Army).

 

I've noted the other threads around Pembroke (Chatham) but could he have served at sea and how could I find a ship if he did?

 

In the remarks column for President II it shows (I think) Kingsnorth in brackets. Again, the same question - would this only have been shore service or could there have been sea service and how can i check?

 

Thanks in advance for any help. 

[rolt968]

It would be useful to know your grandfather's name and service number and also if you could post all or part of his Seaman's Services document.

 

Do you know which branch of the army he joined?

 

I don't know if there was a ship called Kingsnorth, but there was an RNAS airship station at Kingsnorth.

RM

Edited 5 March , 2019 by rolt968

[horatio2]

HMS PRESIDENT II was a shore pay and admin centre for men of the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) serving, in this case at RNAS Kingsnorth.

[Andy Gibbons]

RM - yes, he was in the 4th (City of London) Batallion (Royal Fusiliers).

 

I’ve uploaded his services doc.

 

Thanks.  

[horatio2]

He was enlisted on a Non-Continuous Service (NCS) engagement  ('L; prefix to his official number) as an boy steward (officers' steward from his 18th birthday) but did not serve long as he deserted the service in May 1915 (discharged RUN). He only qualified for the British War Medal (no service in the Fleet) but he forfeited the medal because of his desertion.

[Andy Gibbons]

horatio2 - thanks for this; very helpful. So he never served at sea? The story in the family is that he deserted the Navy as ‘he wasn’t seeing enough action’ so he joined the Army where he did indeed see action on the Western Front (Gommecourt Salient on the first day of the Battle of the Somme) where he was subsequently wounded and eventually invalided out of the Army in Aug of 1916).

 

What does the NL 42214/15 mean in the remarks column?

[horatio2]

56 minutes ago, Andy Gibbons said:

What does the NL 42214/15 mean in the remarks column?

That is a reference to a communication from the Naval Law (NL) Division of the Admiralty concerning his desertion.

[Neill Gilhooley]

 

18 hours ago, Andy Gibbons said:

Pembroke (Chatham)

In my ignorance I thought Pembroke was Pembroke, was it at Chatham?

[horatio2]

6 minutes ago, Neill Gilhooley said:

In my ignorance I thought Pembroke was Pembroke, was it at Chatham?

HMS PEMBROKE, the RN Barracks at Chatham since 1903 and for thirty years before that afloat.

[Andy Gibbons]

Thanks folks

[Neill Gilhooley]

Thank you