Need some assistance with previous service please

[jay dubaya]

This is an extract from a Newfoundlanders service record, I'm struggling to understand his previous service - 5 years RNR? Royal Naval Reserve is the only thing that comes to mind. This may prove to be a vital piece of information so I'd welcome any suggestions that may help throw some clarity on this, he's a 1st July casualty and at present is remembered on the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

 

[jay dubaya]

So maybe it is Royal Naval Reserve, I have found a man with same name on a reservist list 1900 - 1916 for HMS Calypso. Do service records exist for these men and if so are they viewable online?

[PRC]

The National Archive research guide for Royal Naval Reserve personnel has this information:-

Ratings’ service records (1860-1955)

A rating is the most junior class of seaman in the Royal Navy.

Search and download (charges apply) surviving ratings’ service records for 1908-1955 (BT 377/7) and a representative sample for 1860-1908 (BT 164) from Discovery, our catalogue. Only a small sample of service records for Royal Naval Reserve ratings survive for the period 1864 to 1908. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-naval-reserve-personnel/

The relevant search page for the BT377/7 can be found here https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/royal-naval-reserve-service-records-1860-1955/

So is status post 1908 would seem to be the crux - if his service pre-dates that then I suspect the odds are against surviving sevice records

(And apologies if thats a "teaching granny to suck eggs" response )

Cheers,
Peter

[jay dubaya]

Cheers Peter, he’s not showing up but does the NA also hold those Newfoundland RNR records?

sucking eggs… never

[PRC]

2 hours ago, jay dubaya said:

but does the NA also hold those Newfoundland RNR records?

Penny drop moment - the separate Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve https://www.heritage.nf.ca/first-world-war/articles/newfoundland-royal-naval-reserve-en.php

The Canadian National Library and Archive notes in connection with WW1:-

The National Archives in England holds records for those who served in the Royal Navy, Royal Navy Reserve, Royal Naval Air Service and the Royal Naval Reserve, which included volunteers from Newfoundland.

Some records of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve are held at the Provincial Archives in Newfoundland and Labrador (The Rooms). Some of those are available on microfilm through the Family History Library. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/Pages/introduction.aspx

It links to The Rooms - https://www.therooms.ca/collections-research

There is a set of records called Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve fonds - reference GN 182. They are said to cover the period 1900 - 1919 and include -

• [Item GN 182.3 ; GN 182.4 ; GN 182.5 ; GN 182.6 ; GN 182.7] Naval service ledgers
• [Item GN 182.12] Alpha-numeric index of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve
• [Item GN 182.1] District register of enrollment (R.V. 52). Second Class Seamen
• [Item GN 182.2] District register of enrollment (R.V. 52). First Class Seamen
• [Item GN 182.8 ; GN 182.9] RNCVR [Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve] naval service ledgers
• [Item GN 182.10] Register for 5 year rosters #1 & #2
• [Item GN 182.11] Register for 5 year rosters #3 & #4
• [Item GN 182.13 ; GN 182.14] Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve engagements
• [Item GN 182.18 ; GN 182.19] Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve Local Record Book Register of Payments and Retainers
• [Item GN 182.16] Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve Register of Payments and Retainers
• [Item GN 182.15 ; GN 182.17] Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve Register of Payments and Retainers

Hope that's not too many "red herrings"

Peter

[jay dubaya]

Thanks again Peter, although the session has timed out on the links I should be able to figure them out, I’ve used therooms.ca before. I do however fear these records may not have been digitised yet and are only available on microfilm.