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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: TAMOWEN4 on Sunday 11 October 15 18:30 BST (UK)

Title: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: TAMOWEN4 on Sunday 11 October 15 18:30 BST (UK)

Hi, I have attached a rather poor quality sorry of my Uncle Ralph Clarke, 1914-1996.

Is this a uniform of the Royal or Merchant navy? What do the insignia on the sleeve signify?

My mother (now 88) says her brother was on a ship torpedoed at Scapa Flow??

Apart from that I have no info.

Look forward to any replies
Tommy Clarke Owen

Title: Re: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: TAMOWEN4 on Sunday 11 October 15 18:48 BST (UK)

Looks like this photo was taken October 1953, by the calender.

Title: Re: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: KGarrad on Sunday 11 October 15 19:33 BST (UK)

Looks like a steward or Chief Steward? So, Merchant Navy.

They tended to wear zig-zag stripes.

Title: Re: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: ScouseBoy on Sunday 11 October 15 20:48 BST (UK)

The HMS Royal Oak  was sunk in Scapa Flow with the loss of many hands.   in 1940, I think it was.

The photo  may be a subsequent  photo   of a  survivor from Royal Oak.

Title: Re: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: seaweed on Sunday 11 October 15 21:14 BST (UK)

Defiantly Chief Steward Merchant Navy .Circa 1950's
I can only find one Merchant seaman born in 1914 with the name
 CLARKE R K  BORN 26/10/1914 BUGLE CORNWALL

Title: Re: Royal/Merchant Navy?
Post by: TAMOWEN4 on Tuesday 20 October 15 20:05 BST (UK)

Hi seaweed,

thanks for the info. I see my uncle Ralph (the photo subject) has medal ribbons on his uniform, so I assume he served during the 2nd WW.  :)

He was born in Greenock, Renfrewshire. His surname Clarke was his stepfahers name. (at birth he may have been registered as Cairns or Hamilton).

Tommy