WW2 Royal Navy records decipher

[lordcobb]

Hi all,
Wondered if someone could help. I have my Grandfather's Royal Navy record and struggling to work out what some of the things say - or mean.
I know he was stationed at Devonport "Drake 2" while he was a cook and later a stoker on the Berwick.
After the war he joined the TA and served during the Korean war.

Most of the ship's serving are bases rather than ships though - is there a way to work out what actual ships he served on?

Thanks in advance

[HMac]

Hi,
In general, if you look at the record, the names in brackets are the actual sea-going ship and the name on the left is the parent shore establishment, base ship or accounting base.

Regards
Hugh

[pogo99]

Royal Arthur-Training base at Skegness
Drake -Shore base- Plymouth
Victory-Shore base-Portsmouth
Berwick-County Class Cruiser
Marlborough-Training Base-Eastbourne
Pembroke-Barracks/training base-Chatham
Paragon_Shore base -Scarborough
Lucifer- Shore base-Swansea
LST's-Landing Ship(tanks)
Osprey -Shore base-Portland

[HMac]

(HMS TOURMALINE) - Catherine class minesweeper.
HMS BELLEROPHON - shore establishment Portsmouth - Reserve Fleet and FMG. (HMS DIADEM) served as Flagship of 2nd Cruiser Squadron, Home Fleet until 1950 when she was placed in Reserve.
(HMS BROCKLESBY) - Hunt class destroyer - 2nd Training Squadron.
HMS BRAGANZA - shore base - India.
HMS CABOT - shore base, Bristol.

Regards
Hugh

[lordcobb]

That’s great thanks.
So when it comes to Paragon and Lucifer for example both have what looks like Tourmaline after them. It means the ship changed base effectively?

[HMac]

Yes.
HMS LUCIFER, naval base in Swansea was home to a minesweeping trawler fleet whose main function was to safeguard crucial British shipping lanes by keeping the Bristol Channel clear of mines.
HMS PARAGON was another minesweeper base at Hartlepool.

Regards
Hugh

[Irene_174]

Reading the content of the above  (this thread) has cleared up quite a few questions of mine regarding my father's Royal Navy Service which I just received a copy of this afternoon from my brother in Australia.
According to the various replies, it would appear that my father John Hannah, did all his service as a Stoker at various levels on shore bases -
• Caledonia - 25.04.38 - 16.11.38
• Royal Arthur - 29.05.40 - 13.06.40 and 14.06.40 - 02.07.40
• Victory - 03.07.40 - 30.10.40; 28.10.42 - 04.02.43; 28.02.43 - 02.04.43; 01.02.46 - 15.05.46
• Birmingham - 31.10.40 - 25.02.41; 26.02.41 - 06.05.42; 07.05.41 - 27.10.41
• Pembroke - 05.02.43 - 27.92.43
• Copra - 07.95.43 - 01.09.43; 07.05,45 - 31.01.46
• Dinosaur - 03.04.43 - 31.08.43

Many thanks from a 'newbie', I've learned a lot.

[Irene_174]

John Hannah 1921-1967

[HMac]

it would appear that my father John Hannah, did all his service as a Stoker at various levels on shore bases

No he did serve on the cruiser HMS BIRMINGHAM. RN records can sometimes be a bit difficult to interpret at times. I have also seen only shore bases shown when there was proof that a seaman served aboard a ship while attached to the accounting base.

The attachment you post shows a 'crossing the line' certificate. The ceremony of "crossing the line" is a seafarers tradition carried out on crossing the equator, on anyone in the ship's crew who has not previously done so.

Regards
Hugh