adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 hi all, very new to all this discovery. I have my g.grandfathers naval records but finding it impossible to figure it all out. can anyone help me please, also photos of the ships would be amazing. would really appreciate the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 (edited) Welcome to the GWF He enlisted as a Special Service (SS) seaman rating (ordinary seaman, later able seaman) on an SS engagement which required him to serve 5 years in the Fleet followed by 7 years in the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR). The only two sea-going ships during his wartime service were HMS CATTISTOCK (minesweeper based on HMS COLLEEN at Queenstown, Ireland) and HMS SHARK (destroyer based on HMS BLENHEIM at Mudros, Lemnos in 3th Destroyer Flotilla in the Aegean). Between these sea-going drafts he was in the RN Barracks, Chatham (HMS PEMBROKE). From June to November 1919 he was drafted to the shore base at Sheerness, HMS ACTAEON. In January 1920 he completed his 5 years Fleet time and was discharged "Shore Time Expired (TE)" and into the RFR. Search online for photos of his ships. Edited 22 March , 2020 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 that's incredible. you have done more than what I have done in hours. should have come on the site in the first place. thank you so much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIFFO Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 excellent help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 (edited) Another snippet from his record. You will see that on 8 April 1921 he was mobilised from the RFR and drafted to Chatham (HMS PEMBROKE). His call-up lasted until 6 June and was occasioned by the national miners' strike at that time, when thousands of reservists were called forward. Edited 22 March , 2020 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 you have made my day. thank you again. guessing this is the time to get stuck in to the family tree when you cant go out!!! really really interesting. thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm12hl Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 Adele You might be interested in the book 13 SHARKS. THE CAREERS OF A SERIES OF SMALL ROYAL NAVY SHIPS, FROM THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION TO D-DAY by John D. Grainger, Pen & Sword (Barnsley, 2016) which includes an account of the ship's activities (pp.175-181) in the Adriatic, Aegean and Black Seas during the time your great grandfather was aboard which is based on the ship's logs, which are held at the National Archives (ADM 53/59982 - 59985) and appears reasonably well informed. Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 that's wonderful , thank you. It would be really interesting to see and understand what they got up to!! He also had a brother called frank that was in the navy at the same time but I'm yet to find out info. we had no information or pictures of them until a few years ago my aunt found this wonderful photo on the local market stall. the one sitting is William and the one standing is frank. just wonderful to see what they look like, makes them real in a sense. many thanks for all your efforts. kind regards adele Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 (edited) This could well be Frank born 1901 Naphill, Bucks. A Special Service stoker RN. He had no WW1 service, enlisting in Jan 1919. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7065441 Edited 22 March , 2020 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 well the date is right. need to find out what a special service stoker is now...….. loving this. thanks again. A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 2 minutes ago, adeleW said: need to find out what a special service stoker is now Same as an SS seaman but a stoker. SS engagement terms identical (5+7). This man had a few days in the battleship HMS BELLEROPHON and also served at sea in the destroyer ORIOLE (based at Chatham on the destroyer depot ship PRINCE GEORGE). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 cheeky I know but I found it..... what magic can you produce with this. (if you don't mind), I hope no one wants dinner tonight, im to busy heehee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 (edited) HMS VULCAN was a non-sea-going depot ship. He appears to have concluded his service in HMS CALYPSO a Royal Navy cruiser. His engagement was terminated in late 1922 under the terms of an Admiralty Fleet Order (AFO) which saw the post-WW1 drastic reduction in the Fleet. His engagement ended and he was not required to join the RFR. He was paid a cash bonus (discharged with bonus on reduction). Edited 22 March , 2020 by horatio2 HMS CALYPSO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 that's amazing. thank you so much. im super impressed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 March , 2020 Share Posted 22 March , 2020 (edited) Please see correction to my last post about HMS CALYPSO Edited 22 March , 2020 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adeleW Posted 22 March , 2020 Author Share Posted 22 March , 2020 many thanks for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMB1943 Posted 30 March , 2020 Share Posted 30 March , 2020 On 22/03/2020 at 13:01, adeleW said: that's wonderful , thank you. It would be really interesting to see and understand what they got up to!! He also had a brother called frank that was in the navy at the same time but I'm yet to find out info. we had no information or pictures of them until a few years ago my aunt found this wonderful photo on the local market stall. the one sitting is William and the one standing is frank. just wonderful to see what they look like, makes them real in a sense. many thanks for all your efforts. kind regards adele Adele, See this to colorize this photo, it is in the Photos sub-forum here at GWF. https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/279970-free-colourization-of-bw-pphotos-until-22nd-april/ Regards, JMB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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