Help Interpreting Royal Navy Service Record

[greymarehill]

Hi

Can anyone help intrepet a Royal Navy service record. His record says that Ralph Gregory was engaged between 7 May 1917 - Hostilities

Pembroke 1 7 May 1917 to 25 July 1917

Cereo/Ceres/Series/L eres/B eres 26 July 1917 to 7 December 1918

Pembroke 1 8 December 1918 to March 1919

Pembroke 1 (SS to hospital via Calypso ??y left thigh)

Promoted to AB from OS August 1918

I can see HMS Pembroke 1 but what is the next ship's name in the second line down? Unfortunately I can't upload it as it is too big. Am I doing something wrong?

Did he see any action or would it have been sea defences at this time? I'm struggling to find a good website with the information on it.

Any information, would be welcome.

Thanks

Yvonne

[ARABIS]

Hi Yvonne,

I am not the best to advise on computers, but try scanning the service record, saving it, & then trimming it down to isolate the bits you want to send.

There was a light cruiser named Ceres completed in 1917 but we need to see the relevant bit on the service record to confirm it.

Calypso was also a light cruiser completed in 1917.

Regards,

ARABIS.

[greymarehill]

Thanks - I'll try to scan it in tomorrow - I can't print at the moment so I'll have to print it at work and scan it in at home.

Yvonne

[greymarehill]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/119108...0e6fd5467_o.jpg

I have saved a copy of Ralph's service record on Flickr - see link above.

Please could you now take a look as I'm interested in your opinion about what it is telling me, particularly about the name of ship on the second line down - is it Ceres - I wish they had written a bit better!

Yvonne

[Kath]

Ceres.

Kath.

[joseph]

Yvonne,

Whilst he was onboard HMS Ceres he was with the 6th light cruiser squadron, Grand Fleet.

Regards Charles

[ARABIS]

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/119108...0e6fd5467_o.jpg

I have saved a copy of Ralph's service record on Flickr - see link above.

Please could you now take a look as I'm interested in your opinion about what it is telling me, particularly about the name of ship on the second line down - is it Ceres - I wish they had written a bit better!

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,

As Kath & joseph have said it is H.M.S. Ceres, a light cruiser of the Grand Fleet which had moved down from Scapa Flow to Rosyth in April 1917. Hopefully a kind Forum member will post a photo of her for you as she was in 1917-1918.

Regards,

ARABIS.

[eviltaxman]

There's been several HMS Ceres over the years, but I think this is the one you're after - HMS Ceres

Les

[ARABIS]

Thank you Les, that`s the one.

ARABIS.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

More pictures of Ceres

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/cere...htm#HMS%20Ceres

Gregory worked with horses and was a driver of horse teams.

He was sent down to Chatham RN hospital aboard His Majesty's Ship Calypso because of an injury to his left thigh. Demobilised and discharged ashore.

[greymarehill]

Thanks to all for this information.

How can you tell that he worked with horses? I didn't see this on the service record - I'll have to have another look!

So were there any sea battles about this time or was it just defensive. How can I find out where Ceres went - ship log at NA?

Any ideas of how I can take this research further?

Thanks

Yvonne

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Civilian occupation - team driver. Horses were the primary transport of the day and he was the driver of a team.

The major battle by the Royal Navy throughout WWI was the blockade of Germany preventing them getting supplies; the Grand Fleet was kept in readiness to contest German naval power. The ongoing battle of 1917/1918 was the war's Battle of the Atlantic usually called the Uboat war.

I can find, on a quick check, when she was launched and when she completed, but not when she commissioned. He was probably a member of the first crew. Her logs are in ADM 53/37484 to ADM 53/37501.