Help with Seaman's record RNASBR

[Neil Smithson]

AS_Naval_Record_3.pdfI've tried to find out about my Grandfather's time as a Sick Bay Reserve Attendant in the Navy and, although I've had some success I'm now struggling.

I remember talking to him about his time in the Navy when I was very young and recall mentions of Gallipoli and the North Sea. I guess it's a familiar story when I say that I left it too late to really talk to him about it.

I obtained his Naval record (attached) and can see that he served on HMS Calypso, where he would have been on board at the time of the action at Heligoland Bight 17 November 1917, but I cannot unravel the rest, particularly in relation to Gallipoli. The copy of the record is not easily read, so I have tried to transcribe some of it here:

Pembroke I - from 02-Aug-14 to 07-Jan-15

Pembroke III - from 08-Jan-15 to 31-Mar-15

President - II from 01-Apr-15 to 12-Mar-16

Pembroke I - from 13-Mar-16 to 06-Sep-17

Calypso from - 07-Sep-17 to 21-Feb-19

Pembroke from - 22-Feb-19 to 24-Feb-19

(Chatham Hosp) - from 25-Feb-19 to 30-Mar-19

Pembroke I - from 31-Mar-19 to 02-May-19 (Ship Demob'n)

Badges Granted G1B (?) 1.8.17

Reading through this site and others I found references to Pembroke as being the Naval Base at Chatham, but I don't understand the significance of I, II and III.

I have found references to President II and think that this is the re-named "HMS Buzzard" - used for training at Chatham - but was this pressed into service during WW1?

Any help or guidance would be gratefully received. I'd be happy to do the research myself if anyone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Neil

[Peter J]

Neil,

Have you tried knocking next door?

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Neil as Peter suggests, you will get more help posting in Ships and Navies, but I can start you off.

Fevyer & Wilson’s ‘1914 Star to the Royal Navy & Royal Marines’ under “Royal Navy Sick Berth Reserve (sic)– HMS Pembroke” has “Starkie A. (any relation to Ringo/Richard Starkie?) SRA M9542, 1914 Star issued 4 May 1920, clasp issued 22 May 1922.” That can be verified on the original 1914 Star roll ADM 171/139 with his full entitlement shown on ADM 171/115 both offline at Kew.

HMS Pembroke and President were both accounting bases, men allocated there were not necessarily anywhere near the base! President II was a Royal Naval Air Service designation, it included postings to Dunkirk, Hendon and Gallipoli etc! The clerks rarely put a comment about where a man actually served, as they had a card index for that, since destroyed- probably by the RAF. He might have been on Mundos or one of the other support islands for Gallipoli or on the peninsular itself.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Badges Granted G1B (?) 1.8.17 = 1st good conduct badge and extra pay.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Kenneth Douglas-Morris in ‘The Naval Long Service Medals’ gives some background of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve. It was founded in 1903 and renamed in 1904 and it consisted of men drawn from the St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Even though his service record only starts on 2 August 1914, Starkie’s service must have started before that, as orders for the RNASBR to mobilise were sent on 1/8/14 which was before the UK declared war 4/8/14, but the navy mobilised early. Reservist started with the rank of Junior Reserve Assistant, to become a Senior RA like Albert they had to pass ‘either the hospital or man-of-war first aid and nursing examinations.’

[Neil Smithson]

Neil,

Have you tried knocking next door?

Peter - I've only just picked up your post.

Being unfamiliar with the site I've posted in the wrong place - thanks for taking the trouble to let me know.

Neil

[Neil Smithson]

Kenneth Douglas-Morris in ‘The Naval Long Service Medals’ gives some background of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Sick Berth Reserve. It was founded in 1903 and renamed in 1904 and it consisted of men drawn from the St John’s Ambulance Brigade. Even though his service record only starts on 2 August 1914, Starkie’s service must have started before that, as orders for the RNASBR to mobilise were sent on 1/8/14 which was before the UK declared war 4/8/14, but the navy mobilised early. Reservist started with the rank of Junior Reserve Assistant, to become a Senior RA like Albert they had to pass ‘either the hospital or man-of-war first aid and nursing examinations.’

Thanks for this information - I really do appreciate your help. I'll get onto the other forum and then start digging further. Thanks again, Neil.