Assistance interpreting a RNR service record

[iainbrown5]

Hi All

I was hoping someone could help interpret some of the sections of the attached naval service record.

My great great uncle served on HMS Minotaur including at the Battle of Jutland. There are 3 things on the record I am interested in in particular.  Firstly, the concept of naval Prize Money and supplemental awards. He seems to have been entitled to these after the war. Secondly, he seems to have assigned some sort of money to his fiance who went on to join him in Canada where he relocated after the war. Finally, it looks like he was sentenced to 42 days detention for desertion! Is there anywhere that I can find more information about the circumstances of that?

Many thanks in advance for any assistance.

Kind regards

Iain

BT-377-7-81170.pdf

Edited 26 December , 2021 by iainbrown5

[Lawryleslie]

Regarding the prize money award this was given, and still is, to ships that assist with the salvaging of stricken ships. In this case Ardrossan could be referring to the steam cargo ship Baron Ardrossan which was taken up from trade by the admiralty at the beginning of the war until Aug 1916. He served on this ship early in the war and Baron Ardrossan must have been involved in some kind of salvage operation of a stricken vessel. The award of £10/12s/6d would have been quite a substantial amount. 

Edited 27 December , 2021 by Lawryleslie

[iainbrown5]

22 minutes ago, Lawryleslie said:

Regarding the prize money award this was given, and still is, to ships that assist with the salvaging of stricken ships. In this case Ardrossan could be referring to the steam cargo ship Baron Ardrossan which was taken up from trade by the admiralty at the beginning of the war until Aug 1916. He served on this ship early in the war and Baron Ardrossan must have been involved in some kind of salvage operation of a stricken vessel. The award of £10/12s/6d would have been quite a substantial amount. 

Thank you Lawryleslie. I hadn't considered that Ardrossan might refer to a ship. I had assumed that it was just where he had enlisted or the port he had initially left from as that is where our family are from.

[horatio2]

In this case the ARDROSSAN mentioned in the record is his RNR Registration District, (one of nearly thirty such in Scotland) adjacent to the man's home address at Saltcoats and by whom and to where he was mobilised and thence drafted to the Fleet.  (See front of card)

Prize Money was (as opposed to Salvage Money) awarded for the destruction of enemy ships in action. See the Jutland example here:- 

 https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1922/dec/06/prize-money

Since his entire sea service in WW1 was in HMS MINOTAUR must we assume that all the Prize Money awarded originated in that ship? A small part of this would be for Jutland. Do we have a Prize Money specialist on the GWF? For  Distribution Regulations for the Naval Prize Fund , published early 1919.see this earlier topic:-  https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/128460-naval-prize-fund/

There is no further surviving detail of his desertion and recovery.

Lucky girlfriend!

Edited 27 December , 2021 by horatio2

[iainbrown5]

Thanks very much Horatio.

During the dates that he is given as being at HMS Victory shore base will he actually have been onshore or is this more administrative? Or is it impossible to tell?

Iain

[horatio2]

Given the gaps in the continuity of the record we cannot be certain but it is most probable that, during those VICTORY periods, he was in the RN Barracks, Portsmouth.