gem Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Hi All, Attached is a copy of my great uncles service sheet. I have from looking at previous threads and a bit of googling found out that of the names listed some are ships and some shore bases,also what a lamptrimmer does but hopefully someone will be able to help with the following questions i have. 1/He originally signed on in 1896 then re-engaged in 1909.Would he have originally signed up for 13 years ? it seems an odd number to me. 2/The sheet gets a bit busy towards the bottom but it looks like 1923 that he was enrolled into some type of reserve. This seems to continue with annual training camps ? until 1929 at which point he is discharged.So i do not really understand the discharged dead 1966 comment would he still have been on the books so to speak ( he was 81 when he died) 3/He seems to have been awarderd some money for being present at the battle of the Falklands.As a Marine what would he have been doing he was passed for Semaphore in 1905 would he have been working one of these or would he have been attached to say a fire crew or stretcher bearing. 4/At various times he spent some time in prison on one occasion whilst at sea did ships have actual cells or would he have just been confined to an area of the ship. 5/And lastly under the passed for heading there is an entry in 1926 the first word i cannot make out any ideas what it might be. Thanks as always for your help Regards Graham --bia-filer2.web.local-DODelFiles2-adm-159-50-0-231.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 (edited) 1. He originally entered on a 12-year engagement from the age of 18. Thus, his first 224 days of service did not count - see Services Forfeited towards engagement - Under Age. 2. He completed 21 years for pension in March 1918 but was retained in service because of the war. After demobilisation in 1919 he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR) in Sep 1923 and attended drills until he was discharged from the RFR at age 50 in March 1929. The 'discharged dead' comment is usually applied to deaths in service but in this case merely means 'he died' or 'his death was notified'. 3. He was serving in HMS INFLEXIBLE at the battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914. He was awarded a Prize Bounty for the action, in which he probably manned one of the 16 4-inch guns of the secondary armament. 4. Cells (C) depended on the size of ship. In his case the cruiser HMS THESEUS had cells on board. 5. I think this is an anti-gas training. Edited 13 May , 2020 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 For future reference, the Fleet Air Arm Museum (National Museum of the Royal Navy) has an Attestation Pack of papers for your GU. They will probably have details of his numerous offences. The NMRN is under Covid-closure at present but when normality returns you could try applying for copies of his papers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Hello Gem, Thanks for posting your Great Uncle's Service record. As you likely know he was in the Royal Marines. Altho I am not an RM expert but I do something about reading Service Sheets, so will attempt to assist you with some of your questions. First off, his time started counting for Good Conduct badges, Long Service medal,& Pension purposes when he attained Adult age - 18, for Frank Wheeler this was on 3 March 1897. He had some underage service from 22 July 1896, 224 days to be exact. He would have likely signed on for his first engagement for a period of 12 years, then signed on for his 2nd engagement on 6 Feb 1909 to complete time required for Pension. He had quite a few Conduct problems during 1899 -1900 when on HMS Theseus so he forfeited sometime for the offences (not specified) during this time frame. Theseus likely had a cells on board so he would have been in cells for his sentenced confinement period. he was for the greater part of 1WW on HMS Inflexible (a Battlecruiser) and as you know saw action at the Battle of Falkland islands Dec 8,1914. For this he was subsequently awarded on 12 May 1917 a Prize Bounty of 1\15\9. Then his end of war Gratuity of 28\10\0, 5 June 1919. The Passed For entry reads - Anti Gas 12 \10\26. He was subsequently Demobilized on 21 June 1919 & joined the Chatham RFR (Royal Fleet Reserve), 14 Sept 1923. Surely more members will come along & assist you further with items I may have missed. Best wishes, Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Falklands Prize Money - London Gazette:- 29798 - 24 OCTOBER 1916 Naval Prize Bounty Money. Notice is hereby given to all persons interested therein, that preparations are now being, made for the intended distribution of the Prize Bounty awarded to H.M. Ships "Invincible," "Inflexible," "Carnarvon, "Cornwall,'' "Kent," and "Glasgow" for the destruction of the German warships "Scharnhorst," "Gneisnau," "Leipsig," and "Nurnberg" in the Battle of the Falkland Islands, on the 8th December, 1914. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Thanks Horatio, you were posting as I was typing my lengthy response! I did not mention he was RMLI I think, if RMA his rank would have been Gunner ? he was also qualified in Semaphore & he was qualified as a Lamptrimmer from 3\3\06, thus he maintained the Ship's(presumably on HMS Speedy) lighting system, presumably where there was no electric lighting & there may not have been on a small ship such as Speedy. Best....Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 HMS Inflexible was present at Jutland - would he have not rec'd a Prize Bounty for this action as well Horatio? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 13 minutes ago, RNCVR said: HMS Inflexible was present at Jutland - would he have not rec'd a Prize Bounty for this action as well Horatio? Almost certainly, although the London Gazette stated in December 1920 that ."...preparations are now being made for the intended distribution of the award of Prize Bounty made in respect of the Jutland Battle". It would appear that distribution was still ongoing in December 1922 as questions were raised in the House of Commons. It does not surprise me that no entry was made in the record of a discharged RMLI man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Thanks Horatio, perhaps Jutland Bounty was included in one of the several post war W.S. Bounties paid out to marines & sailors. Hope you are ell & staying safe! Best...Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aim Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 1 hour ago, horatio2 said: 2. He completed 21 years for pension in March 1918 but was retained in service because of the war. After demobilisation in 1919 he joined the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR) in Sep 1923 and attended drills until he was discharged from the RFR at age 50 in March 1929. The 'discharged dead' comment is usually applied to deaths in service but in this case merely means 'he died' or 'his death was notified'. They would have to keep tabs on him because he was receiving a pension. When he was "Discharged dead" they could stop paying him! aim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talesofaseadog Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Hi Graham My son's Great Grandfather was an Able Seaman on the HMS Theseus from 8th Feb 1900 till 28th May 1902 which corresponds with your Great Uncle. His name was John Foulkes and I have written a book "U-Boat Enigmas: Royal Navy Salvage and Secrecy in WW1" which covers his entire naval career. There are only 3 pages in it about the Theseus but on 11th Feb 1901 they helped the stranded Russian Ironclad Khraby, that is the first picture. Most of those boats are sailors from Theseus pulling her off the rocks in Piraeus harbour. From what I can gather Theseus was a happy ship. John also left Theseus on 28th May 1902 in Chatham after she had returned from Malta and the Med where she had been for some time, looks like the ship decommissioned. All of the pictures were found in files in the National Archive apart from the Captain's cabin one. Marines would often stand guard for the Captain. The Theseus ones are taken when she was built which was common practice. John was also at Jutland on HMS Centurion and he did not receive any bounty for this battle. He did get a war gratuity later which possibly included a Jutland Bounty. Regards Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gem Posted 13 May , 2020 Author Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Horatio2 and RNCVR Thank you very much for taking the time and giving such a detailed reply. I shall indeed try the Fleet Air Arm Musueum when possible and hopefully obtain a copy of his attestation pack. aim. Thank you also for your reply I did wonder why the RN would be informed at his death and did not think of his pension. Talesofaseadog. Great photos thank you for posting them. Regards All Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RNCVR Posted 13 May , 2020 Share Posted 13 May , 2020 Very nice photos, thanks for posting Tony.. Best... Bryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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