Help required with Royal Navy service record for my grandfather

[JohnH]

I am trying to decipher my paternal grandfather’s RNR service record. John Henderson, Levenwick, Shetland service no. L 768 enrolled in the RNR on 26 January 1915 at Lerwick, Shetland as a Seaman. His TNA reference is BT 377/7/75788.

I understand that he was posted on H.M. Trawler "Tenby Castle." which was stationed at the Shetland base HMS Gibraltar as part of the Northern Patrol. I’m trying to understand the dates he served on the Tenby Castle and any other ships. I would appreciate any help with the depots and other ships he was posted on

Name Henderson, John Place of Birth: Levenwick Number: L 768 Date of... | The National Archives

Thanks.

 

[KizmeRD]

@horatio2 is the man to provide you with the best low down on his RNR service record, but you are right in that he saw service during the war in armed trawlers attached to the Northern Patrol. From what I can see…

His first ship was HM Trawler ‘Eider’ (Brilliant?) from 16.5.1915.

He then served on HM Trawler ‘Tenby Castle’ (Gibraltar) from 7.6.1916

And ended up on HM Trawler ‘Lord Lansdowne’ (Brilliant) from 17.12.17

I’m pretty sure that HMS Brilliant and HMS Gibraltar were mother ships for the northern patrol trawlers (based in the Shetland Islands).

He would have sailed the waters of northern Scotland afar afield as Iceland and Norway.

MB

[horatio2]

He was an RNR recruit into the Shetland section (with ‘L’ suffix to number) of the RNR Auxiliary Patrol. Just over 1,500 Shetlanders were so recruited mainly serving locally at Shetlands as coast-watchers and in locally-based boats. Presumed to have served initially at LERWICK (possibly in the depot ship HMS ZARIA) from 26/1/15 until drafted to sea where he served in :- 

EIDER (hired Hull trawler – employed as minesweeper) based on HMS ZARIA at Lerwick from 16/3/15 to 6/6/16 (ZARIA relieved by BRILLIANT 1/11/15).

TENBY CASTLE (hired Swansea trawler – employed as minesweeper) based on HMS GIBRALTAR at Shetlands from 7/6/16 to 15/8/18 (GIBRALTAR relieved by LORD LANSDOWNE 1/9/17; LORD LANSDOWNE relieved by HMS BRILLIANT at Shetlands from 16/12/17; BRILLIANT relieved by HMS AMBITIOUS 26/1/18) and based on HMS GIBRALTAR again at Shetlands from 24/4/18).

STRATHGELDIE (hired Aberdeen trawler – employed as minesweeper) based on HMS ZARIA at Shetlands from 16/8/18 to 31/12/18. During this period apparently served three weeks or so in HIGHLAND LASSIE (hired Inverness drifter – employed as net vessel, target towing vessel) from 10/12/18.

PANSY III (hired Montrose drifter – employed as net vessel, tender) based on HMS ZARIA at Shetlands from 1/1/19 to 18/6/19 ( ZARIA relieved by HMS VICTORIOUS 24/3/19).

Demobilised 18/6/19.

A rather messy RNR record with some inconsistencies. The above is my preferred interpretation of the frquent changes of Auxiliary Patrol depot ships at Shetland.

[JohnH]

Good evening, @horatio2 and @KizmeRD

I going through some family photos taken during the Great War.

I'm trying to narrow down the date of the following photo of my grandfather John Henderson, Levenwick, Shetland service no. L 768. He is pictured here with his two sisters (both in black) and two first cousins, probably in the summer of 1915. I understand that white detachable cotton cover on his hat was added for the summer months, at home from 1 May to 1 Oct.  Can someone please clarify this ? Thank you. 

[KizmeRD]

The young man in the picture is certainly rocking the RNR trawler look - what with the boldly tied cap ribbon prominently displayed front and centre on his cap, and with the cap itself pushed far back on his head.  It’s almost too much really, and he certainly wouldn’t have got away with turning up at his Lerwick RNR training centre dressed in such a casual manner. Also one wouldn’t ordinarily expect to see a (winter) blue jersey being worn underneath, not when there’s also a (summer) white cover on his cap.

One must assume that by this time, he’s finished his new entry training period and is already serving on a locally based trawler and is marking the occasion of him being home on leave with his sisters by having the photo taken. If it was warm weather outside, then he would surely have been wearing a white cotton front under his uniform, so if I had to guess, I’d say that the photo got taken sometime in early Summer 1915, or perhaps Autumn of that year - but who really knows for sure?

MB

Edited 3 December , 2023 by KizmeRD
Typo

[Andy Cundell]

On 03/12/2023 at 08:21, KizmeRD said:

he certainly wouldn’t have got away with turning up at his Lerwick RNR training centre dressed in such a casual manner.

Hahaha!!! I just love the old jaunty cap photographs!!  Yeah, he is pushing the boundaries a bit but I just love it! 

 

Andy C