HMS Glory RMLI death ?Russia or ?Scotland

[clive_hughes]

Hi folks,

Looking for some information on an RMLI casualty, namely John PARRY Pte. Ply. 2638 (S).  He had served on HMS Glory in North Russia from May 1918, was transferred back to the Plymouth Divn. RMLI on 11 Feb. 1919, and apparently died on 9 March 1919 aged 19.

He seems to be buried in Llanfihangel on Anglesey where a grave epitaph refers vaguely to injuries or ?troubles connected to Russia, but a new source has alleged he died in a "Sailors Hospital" in Edinburgh.  Doesn't seem to be on CWGC list.

I have a digest of his record of service, but I'm away from my normal sources, so any clarification would be welcomed.  The digest gives no cause of death, or place.  

Happy New Year,

Clive

 

[rolt968]

There is a death record/ certificate for a John Parry, aged 19 who died in the Registration District of Leith North in 1919 (scotlandspeople index).

RM

Edited 29 December , 2023 by rolt968

[Theletterwriter]

Clive

A brief look at ScotlandsPeople shows no evidence of a death associated with the name of John Parry in 1919. I would assume if he died in Edinburgh his death would have been recorded in the Statutory Records.

Regards

Douglas

 

EDIT : I see rolt968 found a registration for a death. Shall go back and have another look at ScotlandsPeople

EDIT 2 : still cannot see it on ScotlandsPeople. 

EDIT 3 : Finally got my brain working and rolt968 is correct. John Parry's cause of death was recorded as pulmonary tuberculosis (2 months). The death certificate records him as RMLI.

Edited 29 December , 2023 by Theletterwriter

[horatio2]

2 hours ago, clive_hughes said:

Doesn't seem to be on CWGC list.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/670660/john-parry/

The Fleet Air Arm Museum holds an Attestation Pack of papers for this man. He was probably disembarked in Scotland from the transport returning him to UK from Murmansk.

[horatio2]

3 hours ago, clive_hughes said:

He had served on HMS Glory in North Russia from May 1918, was transferred back to the Plymouth Divn. RMLI on 11 Feb. 1919

It is pretty certain that he was a member of the platoon of Plymouth RMLI men who frmed part of the Royal Marine Field Force (RMFF) sent to North Russia. The Force formed up at RMA Eastney on 5 May 1918 and left on 20 May to embark in SS PORTO at Newcastle. 20 May was the date on which he was transferred from the books of HQ Plymouth Division to the books of HMS GLORY at Murmansk. Disembarking at the nd of1 May, the RMFF moved into barracks ashore and werenot 'serving on' HMS GLORY. The RMFF did not return to UK until July 1919.

My best guess is that Parry  fell sick in late 1918 and was invalided back to UK. The date of his transfer back onto the books of Plymouth Division, 11 February 1919, could be either the date of his embarking in Murmansk or the date on which he was disembarked to hospital in Scotland.

[KizmeRD]

57 minutes ago, horatio2 said:

My best guess is that Parry  fell sick in late 1918 and was invalided back to UK. The date of his transfer back onto the books of Plymouth Division, 11 February 1919, could be either the date of his embarking in Murmansk or the date on which he was disembarked to hospital in Scotland.

HMHS Braemar Castle arrived in Leith (from Murmansk) February 1919 - I presume that Parry would have been a patient onboard.

MB

[clive_hughes]

I can now see from the CWGC grave registration sheets that Parry was marked "D/R Naval Hospl. Granton."  Granton lies in the north of Edinburgh, had a harbour on the Firth of Forth, and the Naval hospital apparently took in a lot of Fleet patients if their vessels were in Scottish waters.  It ties in with the family note of his death in a sailors' hospital in Edinburgh. 

Not sure what D/R means? 

I'm still baffled as to why I couldn't see an entry for this man while searching CWGC website recently - I knew he was buried at Llanfihangel T.B. and it's something I've done often enough. 

Anyway, thanks once again to you all.

Clive 

[horatio2]

20 minutes ago, clive_hughes said:

Not sure what D/R means? 

Death Reported or Death Recorded?

[KizmeRD]

Granton was used as an Auxiliary Patrol base during WW1 (HMS Gunner) and was also the Forth boom defence station.
Unless I’m badly mistaken, the RN Convalescence Hospital was located in the building that was formerly the Granton Hotel (and which subsequently became HMS Claverhouse, the RNR training centre).

See photos below (Ward photo curtesy of IWM collection).

MB

Edited 2 January by KizmeRD

[clive_hughes]

   https://jrnms.bmj.com/content/4/2/184

I've just found this little article about the work of the RN Hospital Granton.  The drawing of the site on the first page does have a building bottom left which could well be the Claverhouse.  

Death reported/recorded sounds fine.   Thanks all of you again for enlightening me, and a Happy New Year!

Clive

[KizmeRD]

Good find Clive,

The building you mention (bottom left) appears to me to have a more likely looking exterior to match with the interior ward photo (just count the number of windows in a straight row). Therefore (armed with the evidence you’ve provided), I no longer believe any part of the hospital complex occupied the building that subsequently became RNR Claverhouse (which was located in nearby Granton Square).

I also understand that additional wartime bed capacity at Granton hospital was provided by the construction of wooden huts in the adjoining field.

MB

[clive_hughes]

Thanks MB, glad it was of interest.

Clive