Albert Dawkes

[janan]

Hi
I have recently acquired this photo of my Great Aunt's husband Albert Dawkes and have downloaded his seaman's record. I would appreciate any extra information that can be gleaned from the uniform and the record. If anyone could tell me how I might post a small portion of the pdf file of the record I would be delighted. Meanwhile I will transcribe the bits which need clarifying.

Albert joined up for duration of hostilities 14 Sep 1917 and was posted  to
President II (C Palace)
Daedalus (SW Group) and underneath something which could be Castlewater??
Daedalus (Fishguard)
President II (Fishguard)
Rank throughout AC II. He was discharged to the RAF 31 Mar 1918

Googling seems to suggest President II wasn't a ship but not too clear what it was! Is Daedalus to do with training for the Fleet Air Arm?

Any help much appreciated
Jan

[Salty]

Hi jan,

Your man is wearing the uniform of an RN Petty Officer.

President 11 was a shore establishment, not sure about Daedalus then, but there was until very recently an HMS Daedalus at Lee on Solent which was a Naval Aerodrome.

Salty

[janan]

Hi Salty
Thanks for that information, although it has puzzled me - if he was a Petty Officer would that mean he was in the Navy before WW1 and perhaps rejoined for the duration of hostilites? Or rejoined after the war? As his rank is given as AC II on the record - do you know what that is please ?
Jan

Albert was born 20th Oct 1882

[mmm45]

AC 11= Aircraftsman 2nd Class..Thats definately a POs uniform so he must have been promoted somewhere along the line.Maybe he rejoined the Navy after ww1??

Ady

[IMBER]

Daedalus (Lee on Solent) was a Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) seaplane station. I think the word you are puzzling over is Cattewater, Devon, where there was another RNAS seaplane station.  He was discharged to the RAF on 31 March 1918 probably because the Army's Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Navy's RNAS were merged in April 1918 to form the RAF?

[janan]

Thanks Ady and Imber for all that
 Squinting again it is Cattewater. Wish I could work out how to post a partial Pdf as there is quite a lot more on there that I don't understand.
I wonder if it is possible to find out about any previous or later service with the RN?
Jan

[janan]

Posted a link to record then thought maybe this would infringe copyright so have removed
Jan

[manmack]

albert dawkes
F37961
born.luton, bedfordshire.23-10-1882

mack

[janan]

Yes that's him Mack.

When I down loaded the record it only covers the period given in my first post, which seems strange as it looks as if he spent more time in the navy. He died quite young - not sure when, but my Mum born 1925 never met him. She always said he was a straw hat manufacturer and this is the occupation given on the record, so seems likely he was in the navy before the war??

Jan