Royal Navy research - help with rating transcription and what next

[goatfish77]

I have just obtained my Great grandfathers Royal Navy service record which I have attached here but can’t read half of it and not sure where to look for further info.
He served on HMAS Sydney which was an Australian Navy ship so can I still find info on this in the UK national archives?

Can any one tell me what the Transcription of the record is or decipher the scribbled bit on the right?
Also does anyone know what D‘Port means at the top?

[mckha489]

D'port is Devonport

other records I've looked at have eg, Portsmouth. I'm not sure of it's exact significance but I have assumed it is what is considered their home port.


Bit on the right says

When Man re-enters
RN ... ...  please write
for .....   (I think it might be Character ref)


have you tried googling HMS Sydney?

[goatfish77]

I have googled HMAS Sydney and found what I think was the right one (there were 5 with same name). There was an interesting story about a battle with a Zeppelin but should I be able to find muster books or more information on its operations between the dates on my GGfathers record?
Would I have to search Australian records?

[mckha489]

http://emuseum.anmm.gov.au/objects/42583/log-of-the-hmas-sydney-1913-to-19__-first-commission;jsessionid=CD2F3EA7E2EFD904F8D8B75B2BC2CE9F

[goatfish77]

http://emuseum.anmm.gov.au/objects/42583/log-of-the-hmas-sydney-1913-to-19__-first-commission;jsessionid=CD2F3EA7E2EFD904F8D8B75B2BC2CE9F

Thanks for that link however it takes me to a page but then there is nothing to click on to view the actual log.

I did search the collection though and found this one instead which looks similar but only shows log entries for 1913 to Dec 1914 as far as I can see. Unless it’s because I am only viewing it on my phone!

http://emuseum.anmm.gov.au/objects/40482/commission-of-hmas-sydney-and-record-of-steaming-25-june-191?ctx=9ac747af-06a9-41ad-b05a-6d1178d2eb0d&idx=0

It does cover the battle with the SMS EMDEN though if anyone is interested.

My relation served from 1916-1919 in the North Sea and I think would have been involved in the battle with Zeppelin L43 as mentioned in chapter X, page 288 of this (lengthy) history article which I found...

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/RCDIG1069926/

It would be great to have a log of that period.

[goatfish77]

D'port is Devonport

other records I've looked at have eg, Portsmouth. I'm not sure of it's exact significance but I have assumed it is what is considered their home port.


Bit on the right says

When Man re-enters
RN ... ...  please write
for .....   (I think it might be Character ref)


have you tried googling HMS Sydney?

Thanks for the transcription!

Does anyone know why they would want a character reference? Would that be standard?

And what does the info in the first columns mean?

[mckha489]

I only think it might be character reference (Char. Ref.) under that squiggle, because it is in the column headed character.  And it clearly starts with C.
Other records I have seen just say V.G.  Or G.
So perhaps they had something to say about him that  they didn’t want to put on the file!

First column is ship 😀 (HMS Vivid is a shore based training establishment. The navy call all their establishment HMS even if not actual vessels, jolly confusing if there is a long list!)
No idea of intricacies of columns 2 & 3 but I suspect not important for us now. Maybe just a way of cross referencing to the ship’s own lists.
Rating column, he was a Stoker

[goatfish77]

I only think it might be character reference (Char. Ref.) under that squiggle, because it is in the column headed character.  And it clearly starts with C.
Other records I have seen just say V.G.  Or G.
So perhaps they had something to say about him that  they didn’t want to put on the file

Having looked with your transcription in mind I think could it say ‘when man re enters RN p***ter please write for Cs and As’? But there looks like that is written over the top of something with a date of 31.12.18? Is there a lower case g in there before the date? What would normally go in the Abilities column?

A couple more things... what does FE in the age mean and does they eye colour and complexion say grey and Irish?

[mckha489]

Grey and FRESH. Lol

Maybe someone clever could manipulate the image so that you can read that scribble more easily.

I’ve no idea about FE.


Thoughts are :  First enlistment.    (After all it has his DOB top right so they don’t need to put his age)

I’ve said thoughts are, but I can’t think of a second thought!