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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Richard Finnegan


RobertQuinn

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Hi guys, another great grandfather and another mystery. All i can find on richard finnegan is the attached pension card. My granny insists he fought in the battle of Zeebrugge but i cant find anything. Any ideas on where to search etc would be appreciated. 

Rob.

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He appears in the Mercantile Marine Reserve (RN)  medal rolls (on Findmypast) with Victory and British War medals.

 

Max

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  • 3 weeks later...

There is a list of sailors who crewed HMS Iris II, HMS Daffodil and HMS Vindictive at Zeebrugge. There are no members of the MMR on that list, only RN, RNVR & RNR.

 

Fourth Register of Seamen combined index (1918-c.1972)

 

'Consult the register in BT 364 (1918 to c.1972). These index cards are on microfiche (the originals are held by Southampton Archives).'

Lo and behold, on the BT 364 web page it states:
 
'Cards dating from 1913 to 1921 were destroyed in 1969 for unknown reasons.'

 
I guess this could explain why I was unable to get results for any men whose six digit number started with a 9, and it looks like your man's records were destroyed.
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I would speculate that he could have been in the Dover Patrol, with its depot ship of HMS Attentive. Some of their vessels are likely to have played a supporting role in the Zeebrugge Raid, or to have escorted the raiders upon their return to Dover.

Perhaps other forum members could comment further.

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Maybe a complete red herring. About 5 years ago I met the son and grandson of a Dundee RNR WW1 Rating who died in a boating accident whilst on leave from HMS Moldova, an Armed Boarding Vessel.  They told me that he was at Zeebrugge and had a medal for it. They had no service records or medal so I said I would research what I could.  The man was mobilised in August 1914, served with the RND at Antwerp and transferred to sea service soon afterwards.  His date of death was February 1918 so he could not have been at the April 1918 raid.  I passed the information on but heard nothing back.  Later, I remember reading about an earlier operation off Zeebrugge months earlier by ships of the Dover Patrol and think this might be the Zeebrugge the family were talking about.  I can't remember the book but it was recent publication on the work of the Dover Patrol.  

Could be the same mis-linked connection?

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Thank you for sharing this, and for your courteous response on the other thread. I can well imagine that if operations took place in or around Zeebrugge in 1918, family lore transforms this into taking part on the Zeebrugge Raid.

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