RMLI ancestors

[Guest]

Hi all,

 

I am hoping someone may be able to help me understand my ancestors records please?

 

He was called Griffith Evans and was in the royal marines light infantry. This info is from the Nat archives records, 

 

I think he first enlisted in 1901 at Liverpool. His trade was a 'shop assistant' On 1st Jan 1902 he was transferred to Portsmouth and then discharged in Oct 1902

In 1911 he was in Cardiff as a boot shop manager

He reenlisted in 1914 again (trade: bootmaker) at Liverpool but seems to have gone straight to Portsmouth. He was there from 31 Aug 1914 to 9 April 1919. It doesn't say he was on board a ship, just Portsmouth Division. He was demobilised in 1919 and went back to Liverpool. 

Nearly 3 months later on 23 July 1919 he reenlists in Liverpool (trade:bootmaker)and goes again to Portsmouth. Again no ship, just Portsmouth Division and was there from 23 July 1919 - Aug 1927 when he was invalided. It says Gc Badges 1,2 and 3 with dates. It looks like he was examined in shoemaking, however the writing is faint. 

He is a royal marines pensioner on his death cert.  Additionally, his son Oliver also went on to have virtually the same career but at Plymouth as a 'specially enlisted shoemaker'. In 1939 he was at RNAS Lee on Solent.

 

I am wondering what his role would have been in the RMLI. Would it have been shoe/boot making at the depot throughout the war? 

Would they have joined the RMLI with these trades or would they have been taught them in the RMLI?

Would he have been away from his family in Liverpool for these extended periods? 

Why would he have reenlisted only 3 months later?

Is there any way to find out more about either of my ancestors careers other than the records at the national archives?

 

Thank you for reading this, Any insight into this would be really valued.

 

Rosie

[horatio2]

2 hours ago, shoshannah said:

I am wondering what his role would have been in the RMLI. Would it have been shoe/boot making at the depot throughout the war? 

His first service (one year) as Portsmouth/11608 concluded when he purchased his early discharge for £20. He had signed on for twelve years.

In the period 1902 - 1914 as a civilian he must have qualified as a boot-maker and the RMLI almost certainly re-enlisted him as a Short Service (duration of the war) man (Portsmouth/12(S)) for his boot-making skills. That explains why his entire war was spent at the Portsmouth Division RMLI HQ at Forton Barracks, Gosport. 

Three months after being demobilised he re-enlisted again as a boot-maker as Portsmouth/21268, serving in the rank of private (marine from 1923) from 1919 to 1927. He was then discharged "invalided". His total pensionable service was 1 + 5 + 8 = 14 years, less than the 21 years required for a normal, full pension but he clearly earned a pension for time served

2 hours ago, shoshannah said:

Would he have been away from his family in Liverpool for these extended periods? 

 

Yes but he would have been granted normal home leave as allowed by wartime needs.

2 hours ago, shoshannah said:

Why would he have reenlisted only 3 months later?

Because he wanted to or had to (financial).

Oliver Evans enlisted in March 1924 as Plymouth/22030 and served to early pension in 1939. He may have been recalled for WW2.

2 hours ago, shoshannah said:

Is there any way to find out more about either of my ancestors careers other than the records at the national archives?

Yes there is but not at the moment. Attestation Packs of papers for both men are held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy). Unfortunately for you, the NMRN is closed to all enquiries for probably the next year or so. You will not be able to ask them for copies until perhaps mid to late 2020. The contents of Attestation Packs are described on the following link (scroll down to ROYAL MARINES) - 

https://www.fleetairarm.com/royal-navy-royal-marines-services-records.aspx

Send me a PM if you have further questions.

[Guest]

Thank you SO much for your fantastic response. I will get in touch via pm.