swatt9r Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Am trying to piece together my great uncle's short life in the Chatham Bn RMLI. He joined on 4th Nov 1914 in Glasgow and travelled south for training, before leaving for Gallipoli in Feb 1915. Can anyone tell me where this battn was trained? I've heard it was Gravesend. Any sources would be appreciated. Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Chatham Bttn of the RND sailed from Devonport on 6 Feb 1915, having marched from Iwerne Minster and entraining at Shillingstone that morning. This suggests their training was at Blandford Forum in Devon but how long they had been at Blandford I cannot say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 August , 2006 Share Posted 22 August , 2006 Stewart, On return from Antwerp in October 1914 the RMLI battalions went to their respective HQs for re-equipping, re-manning and intensive training. Chatham Battalion were at Gravesend. They stayed there until the end of January 1915. During the last week of January all the RM battalions were ordered to Blandford, where the new RND camp was now up and running. However, there was still insufficient accommodation at Blandford Camp and the marines were billetted in Shiilingstone and surrounding villages. Chatham Battalion were only there for a week before embarking (with Plymouth Bn and Bde HQ) for the Mediterranean. (From Blumberg - 'Britain's Sea Soldiers') Do you have his record? H2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swatt9r Posted 23 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 23 August , 2006 H2, Thank you for info. Yes I have his record. Is it likely that between joining up on 5th Nov 14 and embarkation on 6th Feb 15, he would have been granted leave? Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 23 August , 2006 Share Posted 23 August , 2006 Impossible to say for sure - such detailed records are rare - but he would probably have been granted some leave over Christmas or New Year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 dear pals did all the r.m.l.i chatham join the r.n.d .thanks tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Saunders Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 dear pals did all the r.m.l.i chatham join the r.n.d .thanks tom No because the RMLI were still serving on ships - they would have had Chatham, Portsmouth, Plymouth service numbers etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 dear pals did all the r.m.l.i chatham join the r.n.d .thanks tom Tom, All the RMLI Divisions (Plymouth, Chatham and Portsmouth) provided men to the RMLI battalions of the RND. These men were both Long Service and Short Service and a majority of the latter served in the RND at some time - some for the whole of the war. But the RMLI also provided men to HM ships, shore batteries, submarine miners and a host of other tasks and most of the Long Service men did not serve in the RND. H2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 thanks jonathan my great uncle sergeant harold tristram 6973 r.m.l.i.chatham is a mystery to me no imformation as come down from the family but i have a nice studio photo of him any ideas were he was in the war tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Tom, The Fleet Air Arm Museum has some other papers on your GU:- Chatham/6973; TRISTRAM, HJ; Enlisted 17/08/92; Discharged to PENSION; Date of birth 17/08/74; Place of birth NAAS, CO KILDARE His record from the NA, that you already have, should nail down his war record but there may well be more (Conduct Sheets, Attestation, Discharge Papers,etc) at the FAAM. As you can see he joined in 1992, (not 1914 as in an earlier posting) and served his 21 years to pension. He would have gone to pension in 1913 (on his 39th birthday) and was recalled for the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 thanks jonathan and horatio i am still waiting for a answer from the fleet air arm museum .i will let you know tom . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Marshall Posted 26 October , 2006 Share Posted 26 October , 2006 Hi From a locally produced booklet by John Milbank Jones "The History of Milton Barracks Gravesend & its occupants 1860 - 1970" comes the following. p.21 A detachment of 450 Officers and men from the Royal Marines Reserve Unit, were posted to the Barracks on the 23rd August 1914, and following a midnight summons by bugles throughout Gravesend, left West Street Station seven days later for active service in France. On the 1st September, 800 Royal Marines returning from Ostend, remained at the Barracks for three days before being replaced by 1,100 men form the Queen's West Surrey Regiment. Regards Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swatt9r Posted 2 November , 2006 Author Share Posted 2 November , 2006 Andrew Does your book say anything about RMLI (Chatham Bn) mustering and training Nov/Dec 1914? regards Stewart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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