Downloaded service record

[DMcNay]

I downloaded a service record for one of the men I'm researching. It's the first one I've downloaded so I'm a little unsure of what information I should be getting from it. Some of the references I can't make out.

Obviously, I can see a list of ships and places he served, and the dates he served on them. On his last ship, it has D.D. after it. It also has this underneath with the date of 27 October 1918. I know this is the date he died, does this mean died of disease?

Also it has NP/12678/8 (I think) - what does this mean?

I'll try and attach the document. Basically, can someone decipher what I'm looking at?

Thanks in advance,

David

adair.pdf

[welshdoc]

The names are postings either shore or ships eg vivid 1 is a shore based facility. promoted to able seaman Jan 1917, on the right are conduct and i think education comments. D of D is almost certainly died of disease as if drowned they would most likely say drowned. gareth

[Michael]

DD means Discharged Dead. It is an administrative term still used today in the RN.

Character and ability are assessed annually. VG and Sat are the norm (ie very good character and satisfactory ability). My service docs have VG Sat all the way down.

Mick

[DMcNay]

Thanks for the info so far. Any idea what the NP reference might be?

[joseph]

David,

HMS Blake was a Torpedo Boat Destroyer Depot Ship; HMS Watchman was at the time of his Death being converted to a minelayer, completed 2nd Nov 1918.

NP/12678/8 will be the ref to the inquiry into his death and may be available at the National Archives.

Regards Charles

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Vivid Devonport barracks.

Vivid II Accounting base for Devonport.

Egmont II Accounting base for Port Said.

Blake Destroyer depot ship.

His Majesty's Ship Nasturtium Sloop launched 21st December 1915 Mined and sunk on 27th April 1916.

Brisk Destroyer launched 1910 Sold for scrapping in November 1921.

Watchman Destroyer launched 2nd November 1918 Completed as a minelayer. Sold for scrap in July 1945.

Ship's details from http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk

Colledge 'Ships of the Royal Navy' has Watchman's launch date as 2/12/1917

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Passed the education requirements for Petty (non commissioned) Officer 13/6/1918.

NP 12678/8 (possibly NP 1267818) is an Admiralty letter, memo or report. If it still survives you need to convert that into a National Archives referance (probably in ADM 137). There should be an entry in the ADM 12 indexes A&B for 1918 either under his own name or the ship name (that will be in red).

[DMcNay]

Great information, thanks.

Looks like I'll need to find a kind soul to go look that up for me. Maybe in the future, it's not a high priority.

Strange to see that CWGC has him listed as serving on HMS Watchman. Would that be possible if it launched after he died? Would he have been assigned to it before launching?

Cheers,

David

[joseph]

David,

Sorry I may have caused some confusion about HMS WATCHMAN, William joined on the 25 Jan 1918 the day before its Commissioning and died whilst it was being converted to a minelayer.

Laid down:17 Jan, 1917

Launched:2 Dec, 1917

Commissioned:26 Jan, 1918

Conversion to minelayer completed: 2 Nov 1918

Regards Charles