Steven S Posted 2 September , 2006 Share Posted 2 September , 2006 MY GRANDFATHER'S ROYAL NAVY PAPERS STATE HIS SHIP AS "DIDO (RETRIEVER)", AS THESE WERE TWO DISTINCT SHIPS DOES ANYONE KNOW WHY IT IS WRITTEN LIKE THIS SO I CAN DETERMINE WHICH SHIP HE ACTUALLY SERVED ON ? ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED STEVE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 2 September , 2006 Share Posted 2 September , 2006 Your father served on His Majesty's Ship Retriever - a destroyer, which was too small to have a paymaster and someone to do the accounts, have the mail sent to let alone keep all the spare parts and ammo. So she was attached to HMS Dido an old cruiser converted to be a depot ship. According to http://www.worldwar1.co.uk/light-cruiser/hms-Eclipse.html 1915 Depot ship 9th Destroyer Flotilla Harwich. 1918 Depot ship 10th Destroyer Flotilla Harwich. That means Retriever was part of the Harwich Force of destroyers and had a battle honour of Belgium Coast 1917. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven S Posted 2 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 2 September , 2006 Thanks for your help - much appreciated ! Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 2 September , 2006 Share Posted 2 September , 2006 Retriever's ships logs are at Kew, there are books on the Harwich Force and destroyers, the best of those is by Captain H Taprell Dorling (Taffrail) 'Endless Story' available second hand, he was a destroyer captain, so you'll get an officer's view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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