Navy or Merchant navy?

[frogturn]

Hi,this picture here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20143949@N00/2047519494/

is of my wifes great uncle james morris,family rumour is he was killed in the very early part of the first world war,but no one is sure if he was Royal Navy or Merchant.Can anyone cast any light from the picture as i know nothing about navy things at all.There is a james morris that might fit the bill on the national archives site,but only if he was Royal Navy.Thanks in advance,Paul.

[birchp]

Hi,this picture here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/20143949@N00/2047519494/

is of my wifes great uncle james morris,family rumour is he was killed in the very early part of the first world war,but no one is sure if he was Royal Navy or Merchant.Can anyone cast any light from the picture as i know nothing about navy things at all.There is a james morris that might fit the bill on the national archives site,but only if he was Royal Navy.Thanks in advance,Paul.

Paul

were was James from or his family?

Paul

[joseph]

Not RN, looks like third officer Merchant, could well have also been in RNR.

Regards Charles

[centurion]

Certainly with that 'tache not RN

Merchant ship losses from U boat and mine started as soon as war broke out

[frogturn]

In answer to pauls question the family came from Gornal near Sedgley in the west midlands.

thanks for all the input-it is appreciated,paul.

[Michael Johnson]

Could this be him? http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2972387

[frogturn]

Hi,i don't think so.His name was definately James and my mother in law is adamant he died early in the war[though I know how dodgy memories can be!]The parents don't correlate either.thanks for the effort though ,Paul.

[Michael Lowrey]

Paul,

The other possibility would be that he died early in the war from a non-war related cause and thus isn't in the CWGC database. Just because there was a war on does not eliminate the usual maritime hazards.

Best wishes,

Michael

[Michael Johnson]

According to my sources, one line of braid is a Third Wireless Officer.

[jamesbow]

centurion,you say not r.n. with that tache,why?.My father had a tache all his 22years in the royal navy,1904-1926,as per photos i posted here a while ago.

regards jamesbow

[centurion]

centurion,you say not r.n. with that tache,why?.My father had a tache all his 22years in the royal navy,1904-1926,as per photos i posted here a while ago.

regards jamesbow

I remember the thread but wasn't the general conclusion that they were most unusual (the exception that proved the rule so to speak)? The tach in question was much more army than navy and I could imagine the mans co havinf something to say.

[frogturn]

Thanks everyone for your input.I have now shown the picture to a friend [ex navy] who says he thinks the tache isn't navy,more likely merchant.Intrestingly he pointed out the picture is proberbly on the stern of a boat,with an awning,that and the chair means most likely an officer,which leads me to couple of questions.i know in 1914 he was 21,was that too young to be an officer?Also i can't find any record on the commonwealth graves search of a merchant sailor death of james morris.Is there anywhere else anyone can suggest to look?

thanks again,paul.