Need help deciphering service record for Seaman Robert Potts (1903-1919)

[Pottsy123456]

Hello all,

Looking into my ancestry and I have a great-great uncle that was a seaman. I believe I have found the right census data and service record. Just would like some help breaking down their career in the Royal Navy.

Why did he change vessel so much? Was that common, what was the average length spent on one?

I am new to this, so any help would be much appreciated! I got the attached from ancestry.com.

[horatio2]

Why did he change vessel so much? Was that common, what was the average length spent on one? His pattern of drafts between sea and shore is absolutely typical for a seaman rating RN. The length of sea drafts would be determined by the requirements of the Admiralty and no meaningful ‘average’ should be sought. Factors such as the commissioning and paying-off of warships, balance between active and reserve fleets, operational demands and losses (not least in wartime) had to be balanced against manpower demands, promotions, training courses.

The service of Able Seaman POTTS (1901-1922) is detailed in the two ledger pages (ADM 188) which you posted. This forum deals with WW1 and I will, therefore, concentrate my remarks around the wartime years. The ships in which he served can be researched on-line by entering “HMS******”. Wikipedia has many useful entries.

POTTS entered the RN as a Boy Seaman 2^nd Class (B2C) on a 12-year engagement which commenced on his 18^th birthday, on which date he was also advanced to Ordinary Seaman (Ord). He did not progress beyond the rating of Able Seaman (AB)

His WW1 service started as ship’s company in HMS QUEEN and included her operations at the Dardanelles (Gallipoli) in 1915, where his service was “noted”. 1916 saw him ashore in Portsmouth Barracks, HMS VICTORY, and undertaking gunnery training at the Gunnery School, HMS EXCELLENT. From August 1916 for the rest of the war he was in the ship’s company of the minesweeper HMS SPANKER:-

SPANKER, minesweeper, ex-torpedo gunboat, Sharpshooter-class, C.86 (1914), C.82 (1.18), C.83 (9.18). Launched 27.2.89 Devonport DY. 735 tons, 230(pp)x27x8ft. TE 3600ihp, 20kts. Armament: 2-4.7in, 4-3pdr, 3-14in tt. Converted with sweeps 1909. Sold 20.3.20 Cornish Salvage Co, Ilfracombe. [naval-history.net]

Initially, while based at Harwich, SPANKER carried her own accounts but from September 1917 she was a ‘tender’ to a succession of parent ships which undertook her pay and administration. The parent ships were HM Ships LORD LANSDOWNE, NESMAR and COLLEEN, The first two being based at Oban (13th Minesweeping Flotilla) and COLLEEN being the naval base at Queenstown.

His WW1 trio of medals was issued to him when he was serving in HMS IRON DUKE. In early 1921 he was awarded the RN Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC) Medal.

In June 1919 POTTS had extended his engagement by a further ten years to qualify for pension. He should have served until March 1925 but, with the reduction of the RN post-war, he was discharged early in September 1922 with a reduced pension.

 

 

Edited 17 January by horatio2

[Pottsy123456]

I found a document transcribing his record:

• Document reference: ADM 188/373

• Service Number: 213426

• Date of Birth: 7th March 1885

• Place of Birth: Stepney

• Occupation prior to enlistment: Errand Boy

• Date discharged: 18th September 1922

• Cause of discharge: Shore with reduced pension

• Battles served in: Belgian Coast, Dardanelles (Gallipoli)

Vessel	Rank	Notes	Period of Service
Impregnable	Boy 2nd Class		22nd February 1901	27th February 1901
Lion	Boy 2nd Class		28th February 1901	27th November 1901
Lion	Boy 1st Class		28th November 1901	10th June 1902
Agincourt	Boy 1st Class		11th June 1902	19th August 1902
Nymphe	Boy 1st Class		20th August 1902	6th March 1903
Nymphe	Ordinary Seaman		7th March 1903	2nd September 1903
Nymphe	Able Seaman		3rd September 1903	11th March 1904
Firequeen	Able Seaman		12th March 1904	19th April 1904
Revenge	Able Seaman		20th April 1904	31st August 1905
Excellent	Able Seaman		1st September 1905	22nd January 1907
Cressy	Able Seaman		23rd January 1907	26th January 1907
Excellent	Able Seaman		27th January 1907	2nd February 1907
Furious	Able Seaman		3rd February 1907	16th February 1907
Excellent	Able Seaman		17th February 1907	13th April 1907
Argonaut	Able Seaman		14th April 1907	9th September 1907
Euryalus	Able Seaman		10th September 1907	21st December 1909
Excellent	Able Seaman		22nd December 1909	27th March 1911
Dreadnought	Able Seaman		28th March 1911	30th June 1913
Excellent	Able Seaman		1st July 1913	16th August 1913
Victory I	Able Seaman		17th August 1913	28th July 1914
Queen	Able Seaman	Dardanelles	29th July 1914	16th April 1916
Victory I	Able Seaman		17th April 1916	9th May 1916
Excellent	Able Seaman	Belgian Coast	10th May 1916	29th August 1916
Spanker	Able Seaman		30th August 1916	3rd September 1917
Lord Lonsdale (Spanker)	Able Seaman		4th September 1917	31st December 1917
Nesmar (Spanker)	Able Seaman		1st January 1918	18th April 1919
Colleen (Spanker)	Able Seaman		19th April 1919	31st March 1920
Colleen (C and M)	Able Seaman		1st April 1920	10th September 1920
Victory I	Able Seaman		11th September 1920	24th September 1920
Royal Sovereign	Able Seaman		25th September 1920	27th January 1921
Victory I	Able Seaman		28th January 1921	8th March 1921
Iron Duke	Able Seaman		9th March 1921	7th August 1922
Victory I	Able Seaman		8th August 1922	18th September 1922

[horatio2]

17 hours ago, Pottsy123456 said:

Lord Lonsdale (Spanker)   Able Seaman   4th September 1917   31st December 1917

This just shows how even primary sources can be in error (and further promulgated by their transcription).

In this case there was no such HMS LORD LONSDALE in WW1. As stated in my earlier post, the nominal ship for the minesweeping/patrol base at Oban was the hired trawler HMS LORD LANSDOWNE, from September to  December1917.

Edited 18 January by horatio2

[Pottsy123456]

Thank you! I appreciate the correction,

[horatio2]

19 hours ago, Pottsy123456 said:

Excellent   Able Seaman   Belgian Coast   10th May 1916   29th August 1916

This implies that the Whale island Gunnery School at Portsmouth (HMS EXCELLENT) was somehow conducting operations off the Belgian coast.

In fact it was HMS QUEEN (later to take POTTS to the Dardanelles) who was attached temporarily to the Dover Patrol in October/November 1914 to bombard German forces in Belgium. (Nothing happened!)

Edited 18 January by horatio2

[Pottsy123456]

On 18/01/2024 at 09:19, horatio2 said:

This implies that the Whale island Gunnery School at Portsmouth (HMS EXCELLENT) was somehow conducting operations off the Belgian coast.

In fact it was HMS QUEEN (later to take POTTS to the Dardanelles) who was attached temporarily to the Dover Patrol in October/November 1914 to bombard German forces in Belgium. (Nothing happened!)

Thank you for the correction!