Help with Naval record please

[Washington]

Hello all,

I’m looking for some help please in understanding my great grandfathers record.

My main confusion in regards to ships sailed on is knowing the difference between a base / place or ship .

also I had heard from my father that George served on lifeboats, one of his address’s is lifeboat cottage ( spurn ) which seems to corroborate this, but I’d  like to know if there is something more direct in the record to confirm this.

many thanks & best regards

james

GG Washington Naval record.pdf

[DavidOwen]

Hello James

Spurn Point lifeboat was the only full time crewed RNLI lifeboat in the country - it was not to the best of my knowledge a naval enterprise even in war time so it is unlikely to be on his naval record. You could try here Lifeboat Magazine Archive | RNLI or contact the RNLI direct for more info.

They have moved the crew from those houses now as the lifeboat itself is now based in Grimsby.

@horatio2 may be best able to assist with his record.

David

[Washington]

Thank you David, I will look into that, 

It is definitely a slightly different type of record in comparison to , my other two great grandfathers , description of voyage is ‘ fishing ‘ in some parts. Yet it looks like he was given the 14-15 star & victory medals, also the attentive is quoted .

Edited 30 September , 2023 by Washington

[horatio2]

Unfortunately this TNA copy of his RNR record card is unreadable in several places due to the poor black-and-white scan not registering entries that are made in coloured inks.

That said I can see no evidence that Seaman WASHINGTON RNR was ever involved with lifeboats or a coastguard draft.

His drafts include:   HMS PEMBROKE (Chatham Base and RN barracks);  HMS SCIMITAR (??? - barely readable), a destroyer;   HMS ATTENTIVE III (Dover Base,) where he appaers to have served in deifters of the Dover Patrol for six months in 1915 until discharged as medically unfit..

140,000 original RNR record cards are held by the Fleet Air Arm Museum. You could approach that archive for a hi-res, ccolour digital scan. They will charge.

[horatio2]

EDit -   Not HMS SCIMITAR - she was not launched until 1918.

[Washington]

Thank you Horatio, much appreciate your time .

[Washington]

14 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

EDit -   Not HMS SCIMITAR - she was not launched until 1918.

Minotaur ?🤔

[seaJane]

On 30/09/2023 at 12:55, Washington said:

Minotaur ?🤔

Inclined to agree Minotaur.

sJ

[horatio2]

The only problem with MINOTAUR is her being in the Far East during most of the period indicated by the dates in the RNR record  -  8 Aug 1914 to 18 Jan 1915. I think it mostunlikely that an RNR seaman would have been drafted to a ship operating so far away. And she was soon to return to UK.

The MINOTAUR logs are here  -  http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-05-HMS_Minotaur.htm .  From these it can be seen that from 8 Aug 1914 she was on the China Station (Incl Singapore).moving to the Australia-NZ Station in late Sep 1914. She was on passage back to UK from early Nov1914, arrving at Portsmouth in early Jan 1915.

That said, the log does show 35 RNR ratings joining on 7 Oct 1914 in Hobart. However, these were probably Australian RNR and not ex-UK, as the log shows 34 Australian RNR being discharged to shore on 31 Oct when MINOTAUR sailed from Albany, Aus for Colombo and Home..

Given these facts, I discount HMS MINOTAUR as a draft for Seaman Washington.

 

Edited 2 October , 2023 by horatio2

[horatio2]

M money is now on the requisitioned Squadron Supply Ship MFA MURITAI.   https://historicalrfa.uk/requisitioned-auxiliary-muritai/  . This ship's and the seaman's record dates match well. She was RNR-commanded and RNR-officered.

naval-history.net :-    MURITAI, squadron supply ship, Y9.9. Built 1910, 7280grt. In commissioned service 3.8.14-12.2.15, flew white ensign, renamed PORT VICTOR 1914 [sic - correct date 1916].

[Washington]

Yep, think you’ve cracked it Horatio 🧐👍 thank you very much .

[seaJane]

Agreed!