John Albert Williamson. MB/3107 R.N.V.R. Help Please

[GWF1967]

Hi,

 I am looking for information regarding John Albert Williamson, MB/3107 Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. I have found a record on Ancestry and Find My Past but the information is very limited. The transcription lists him as a Motor Mechanic and says that he was entitled to the British War and Victory Medals. Can anyone offer any more information, or suggest where I could search for further records regarding his service please.

[horatio2]

Have you downloaded (free) his RNVR record from TNA?   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7712681

This shows that his two months of wartime service was spent in the Motor Boat Reserve depot ship at Southampton, HMS HERMIONE.  Initial training completed in HERMIONE, his post-war service, up to demob in December 1919, was in HMS GANGES (Harwich base) and in HMS VICTORIOUS II (Chatham base) serving as a motor mechanic in Motor Launches ML.14 and ML.20. Both MLs appear to have been employed in the post-war Mine Clearance Service (MCS) from 1 April 1919, during which time he was paid as an Artificer 5th Class.

Edited 3 October , 2023 by horatio2

[horatio2]

Other papers for MM Williamson are held in the archive of the Fleet Air Arm Museum. These include his RNVR (MB.3107) enrolment papers that he signed on joining in 1918 and papers for his time in the MCS in 1919. You could request copies of these. Charges apply.

MM Williamson was in the last fifty men (3107 of 3156) to enrol for motor boats.

[naval-history.net] :-  First British Admiralty Order - ML.1-50 series, ordered 9 April 1915 in USA through Canadian Vickers as anti-submarine vessels, built Elco, Bayonne, New Jersey. Delivery of first 25 boats promised by 30.11.15; the next 200 of the first and second orders by 31.5.16. 34t/39grt (H - 25grt), 75x12x4ft. Petrol engined, 19kts. Armament: initially 1-13pdr, replaced with 1-3pdr in most plus depth charges. 8 crew. Total of 50 boats, 2 lost plus 1 after Armistice:

Edited 3 October , 2023 by horatio2

[GWF1967]

9 hours ago, horatio2 said:

Have you downloaded (free) his RNVR record from TNA?   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7712681

This shows that his two months of wartime service was spent in the Motor Boat Reserve depot ship at Southampton, HMS HERMIONE.  Initial training completed in HERMIONE, his post-war service, up to demob in December 1919, was in HMS GANGES (Harwich base) and in HMS VICTORIOUS II (Chatham base) serving as a motor mechanic in Motor Launches ML.14 and ML.20. Both MLs appear to have been employed in the post-war Mine Clearance Service (MCS) from 1 April 1919, during which time he was paid as an Artificer 5th Class.

Many thanks for the information horatio2, and for providing the service record link.