HMS Pactolus.. Thomas Palmer deck hand

[selwynfroggitt]

I have no idea where Thomas Withy Palmer was between 1881  and 1908 when he turns up in NZ.
He came back to Swansea in 1908 and is shown as an absent voter in 1919.
He is Thomas Palmer,  Deck Hand 2841 HMS Pactolus  RNRT. in 1919.

Is there enough information in the last line to try and find his service record and does anyone know what RNRT stands for

[seaweed]

HMS PACTOLUS was a depot ship and an anti submarine training establishment at Ardrossen in 1919.
RNRT Royal Navy Recruit Test/Training?

 I can find no records for him in
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/royal-navy-service.asp
 
Could it be that he did not give his full name. I would search the above via his DOB

The rating "Deck Hand" seems a little odd.  Ordinary Seaman or Able Seaman would be more fitting. Maybe he served as a civilian?

[selwynfroggitt]

Thanks Seaweed
Thomas's brother, father and grandfather wer all professional soldiers and I have his grandfathers service record from TNA
Thomas Withy Palmer ( Withy being his mothers MN ) remains a mystery
He came back to Swansea with a wife and child from New Zealand then another child born in Swansea.. he worked as a crane driver on the docks and is on the electoral roll and in 1919 an absent voter
I wrote to The National Library of Wales and the e- mail reply was the information included above.
 and I suppose that is all they have..

I tried to find out what RNRT was the answer being a French Transport system.

Royal Naval Reserve had been mentioned and when I added T it came up with Royal Naval Reserve T( Trawlermen ) a scheme set up to uses the skills of trawlermen.... but a fishing boat would not be how he got to live in New Zealand.

I have been in touch with TNA but they sent me information about how to visit or engage a researcher... but we do not know even if he was in the forces

[mmm45]

http://www.fleetairarm.com/en-GB/royal_navy_royal_marines_services_documents.aspx

I think hes RNR Trawler section...FAAM at Yeovilton is another option for records they have original BT377 RNR Ledgers.Kew have digital copies.

Ady

[selwynfroggitt]

Thank you MMM.
I have printed a copy... looks interesting even if they have only his 1919 record... I will write to them... my son was based in Yeovilton a few years back but now serving elsewhere.

[selwynfroggitt]

Update..
MMM45... I sent for the record from The Fleet Air Arm and there was not much information in it.. but in the reply was a bit more information..
Someone there had taken the trouble to find out more information and had sent me a reference at the National Archives.. I downloaded the information and it had a lot of information about his whereabouts from 1892 including names of ships etc. 
The information was in RNR in the Archives... not knowing his past I had no idea where to look.
Never knew anything about him from 1881 to 1902 so a great result
Cheers
Colin

[mmm45]

Highly recommended the Archivists at FAAM...good guys.
Glad you got the info

Ady