24th Manchesters Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 Can anybody help with information on F1824, P.O. James Syme. RNAS (armoured cars). In Galipolli, please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCCE1854 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 Do you have any other info at all about him? I'm not getting anything to come up so far for your gent, but it was quite a common name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 (edited) His RNAS record here:- https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6800967 After discharge in October 1915 he probably went to the army as the War Offfice issued his Victory and British War medals. Edited 5 August , 2021 by horatio2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCCE1854 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 (edited) 8 minutes ago, horatio2 said: His RNAS record here:- https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6800967 Great! Here's some of the info: Birthdate: 23 Jan 1884 at Coatbridge, Lanarkshire Occupation: Chauffer, Mechanic Height: 5'6-1/2" Chest In.: 34-1/2" Hair: Dark Eyes: Grey Complexion: Fresh Ships listed as: Pembroke III, President II Date and Period of Engagements: 24 Oct 1914 "For Hostilities" Will see if I can find anything in newspapers about him. Edited 5 August , 2021 by GCCE1854 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 2 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said: Birthdate: 23 Jan 1884 at Coatbridge, Lanarkshire 1887 4 minutes ago, GCCE1854 said: Date and Period of Engagements: 24 Oct 1914 "For Hostilities" 29 Oct 1914 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 50 minutes ago, 24th Manchesters said: RNAS (armoured cars). In Galipoll I cannot place him at Gallipoli. Do you have a reference for this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GCCE1854 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 I think his birthdate is actually 1884. Pretty sure I've found him in the Lanarkshire census (though could be wrong) listings in both 1891 and 1901. 1891 Census: Parents were John (32 years old, occupation Set Maker, born in Fife, Scotland) and Jane (29 years old, born in Elgin, Morayshire, Scotland). Siblings were John (12 years old, born in Fife) and William (10 years old, born in Fife) James Syme is shown as 7 years old, a scholar, born in Govan, Lanarkshire. 1901 Census: Father is a Stone Mason by this time and lists birthplace as North Queensferry, Fife. Brother John is a Ship Joiner, and brother William is an Apprentice Boiler Maker. James is 17 years old and working as a Grocers Assistant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24th Manchesters Posted 5 August , 2021 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2021 After Armoured cars disbanded, he served A.S.C. M2-138693. I am trying to find when he landed Galipolli. I can not find any details anywhere, The Armoured cars landed Anzac Cove, and aboard the SS Clyde. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 3 minutes ago, 24th Manchesters said: The Armoured cars landed Anzac Cove, The cars were not landed at Anzac, only men of the motor maxim units. He may have been among the majority of RNACD men who never disembarked and by late July 1915 went on to Egypt. I have never found complete nominal lists for the RNACD showing individuals' movements. How do you know he was with the MEF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaxD Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 ERA is Engine Room Artificer of which there were 5 classes. rn_ranks_and_rates_table_1918.pdf (gwpda.org) We are told he he left the RNAS in 1915 so which level he reached as an ERA is unknown although as he joined but a year before that, probably well down the classes. (I don't see PO on his record). MaxD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24th Manchesters Posted 5 August , 2021 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2021 Hi Horatio, sorry for my ignorance, i thought all the Armoured cars went to Galipolli 1915. i have been researching Major Stanley Lambert RNAS, think you have helped me in the past with him. So thinking they all had gone together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24th Manchesters Posted 5 August , 2021 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2021 Hi Max, I have found him on a old medal list Dixon Noone Webb 2014, Three: Private J. Syme, Army Service Corps, late Royal Naval Air Service1914-15 Star (F.1824 P.O.M., R.N.A.S.); British War and Victory Medals (M2-138693 Pte., A.S.C.) mounted for wear, nearly extremely fine Checked his papers, mentions Armoured Cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 5 August , 2021 Share Posted 5 August , 2021 The RNACD armoured cars also served in France in 1915. We should not assume that he was at Gallipoli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talesofaseadog Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 If want more info on ERA's then this website has lots of info. https://thefisgardassociation.org/ Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 Sorry, I’m confused - where does the suggestion come from that he was an ERA? I can only see P.O. Listed on his service docs (Which is was a very common rate for RNAS motor mechanics). Is there any evidence that he ever completed a full trade apprenticeship? MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 Quite so.. He was a Petty Officer Mechanic (POM) RNAS, never an ERA. His medals were issued as POM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talesofaseadog Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 I apologise for the ERA reference, a previous post on this thread had mentioned it and I should have checked his Service Docs which I have now done. A schoolboy error. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 On 05/08/2021 at 19:37, 24th Manchesters said: Hi Horatio, sorry for my ignorance, i thought all the Armoured cars went to Galipolli 1915. i have been researching Major Stanley Lambert RNAS, think you have helped me in the past with him. So thinking they all had gone together. Small correction: Lt Cdr Lambert RNVR, Gunnery Officer of the RNACD squadrons at Gallipoli, was not a Major until he transferred from RNAS to RAF in April 1918. Symes discharge in October 1915, "RNACD disbanded", reinforces my belief that he was with the RNACD in France, not Gallipoli. Although the handover of the armoured cars to the army took place in the BEF in Autumn 1915, this did not apply to the RNACD men at Gallipoli. These men were mainly discharged from early 1916 after the withdrawal from Gallipoli. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24th Manchesters Posted 7 August , 2021 Author Share Posted 7 August , 2021 Thanks Horatio, glad you are keeping an eye on me. You keep correcting me and keeping me on the straight and narrow. That's interesting information Syme, being in France, rather than Gallipoli. Thanks again Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 7 August , 2021 Share Posted 7 August , 2021 26 minutes ago, 24th Manchesters said: That's interesting information Syme, being in France, rather than Gallipoli. Jim, BEF (France) is my best bet but not 100%, You will note from an earlier post that some of the MEF RNACD force was stood down from Gallipoli to Egypt. There were doubtless some discharges from there, in the late 1915 time-frame, of RNACD men who were not required for operations (or did not wish to transfer with the armoured cars to the army). Lacking any other firm data on SYME, the correct answer is that we do not know where he served, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
24th Manchesters Posted 8 August , 2021 Author Share Posted 8 August , 2021 Thanks Horatio, I see what you mean and agree we do not know. Was he known on your list?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 8 August , 2021 Share Posted 8 August , 2021 Sadly, I have nothing more than his ADM 188 record to go on. He appears on no other RNACD list that I have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now