Need assistance in reading a service record

[smoke1821]

I received a Victory medal for a H. McDermott. I was able to track it down to Henry McDermott based on the service number of SS114053, which was on the medal. He was a Stoker 1st Class (Again matches the information on the medal). I sent a FOI request for further military records. My problem is that I am having trouble reading the handwriting on the record that I do have. If anyone can assist that would be great. I am looking to identify the ships and the remarks.

ADM-188-1120-114053.pdf

[johnboy]

Can you give line number you are stuck on?

[smoke1821]

What I think the ship names are:

Vivid II
Devonshire
Virndu
Leviathon
Honeygal
Vivid II
Orion
Vivid II
Ramillies

[smoke1821]

After some research the HMS Vivid II was a shore establishment at Devonport and the II designation is the stokers school.

[KizmeRD]

Just being pedantic, but ‘Vivid’ was the collective name of the naval shore establishment located at Devonport (Plymouth), known today as HMS Drake (i.e. the naval barracks/depot).

Within that, ‘Vivid I’ was the accounting base dealing with seamen, signalmen & telegraphers and ‘Vivid II’ did the same for stokers and ERA’s (i.e. handled all matters relating to their pay and pensions).

MB

Edited 18 January , 2023 by KizmeRD

[horatio2]

"Virndu" = HMS VIVID II;  "Leviathon" = HMS LEVIATHAN (RN B[ase] Bermuda);  "Honeygal" = HMS DONEGAL;  

[horatio2]

The REMARKS refer to his punishments consequent upon his desertion "Run" from  HMS DEVONSHIRE as well as later sentences of Detention (crimes not stated).  He appears to have spent 180 days in detention in total.

As a Special Service (SS) stoker, his engagement required him to serve five years in the Fleet (that time was extended by more than  one year becasue of the war, followed by seven years in the Royal Fleet Reserve (RFR).

Edited 18 January , 2023 by horatio2

[Keith_history_buff]

11 hours ago, smoke1821 said:

I sent a FOI request for further military records.

As far as WW1 is concerned, there won't be any further records, as everything else is in the public domain.

The one thing I am curious about is his postwar service, or lack thereof. Although he was eligible to serve 5 (+ 1 for emergency) with the Fleet, I would have expected him to have to serve the subsequent seven in the Royal Fleet Reserve, yet there is no mention of this, and it appears his naval career came to an end when he was demobilised to shore on 19 June 1919. Were there issues around his detention that meant his service in the RFR would not go ahead?

[horatio2]

 I agree with @Keith_history_buff. The next following entry on that ADM 188 ledger page illustrates how an SS 5 + 7 man would have been entered in the RFR wiith a Dev[onport] B.**** Official number to be added to his SS number - and in that case mobilised from the RFR in April to June 1921. That said, RFR joining/service/leaving are generally thinly recorded in ADM 188.

Some of his extra wartime service in the Fleet after 19 May 1918 would have counted towards the seven years RFR obligation. His time in detention did not count as service.

The only other record available is his 1913 SS engagement paper which is held at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. It may explain his post-war RFR service (or lack of it). However, as suggested, his poor disciplinary record (vide Character assessments of FAIR (1916); INDIFFERENT (1917) and FAIR (1918)) may have persuaded the Admiralty that enough was enough of Stoker McDermott.

Edited 18 January , 2023 by horatio2

[smoke1821]

Thank you everyone. This is all very interesting information. It seems like he did not like Navy life and in turn the Navy did not like him that much either.

[aodhdubh]

You may find some of these photographs interesting.

 

 

[KizmeRD]

Stoker McDermott was only in Bermuda to serve a 60 period of detention after going on the run (Casement Barracks DQ’s), thereafter he joined HMS Donegal which then sailed up to Canada for convoy work.

MB

Edited 1 March , 2023 by KizmeRD

[aodhdubh]

Bermuda was the base for the station, though its ships obviously spent much of their time spread about the station...the western North Atlantic and the West Indies. The Panama Canal would make it possible possible to more quickly reach the Pacific and after the war the station would absorb the areas of the old South America Station and the Pacific Station, also. I digress...The Casemates naval barracks (which spent much of its history in army hands) sits on the high ground over the casemates on the southern side of the North Yard of the dockyard....the original dockyard, which was fortified (the South Yard was added at the turn of the century outside of the fortifications.