RN Service record 1909 - 1945 Britannia 2?

[lordcobb]

Hi all,

Looking for a bit of help on my great uncle's service record.
Trying to read work out ships, but also what happened.
He lied about his age - made himself 18 instead of 16.
However it record runs from 1909 to 1932 which made him 41 (39 really) and I know he fought in WW1.
On the second page it looks like he was pensioned off?
Then he returns in September 1939 to Drake 2 (naval base) and then to Britannia 2 from 40 until April 1945 where he died in the RN Dartmouth. Is Britannia 2 part of the naval college? Would he have gone back to teach?

Any thoughts would be great.

[tonepad]

There were also Coastal Forces in Dartmouth in WW2. But can not find any reference to Britannia 2.
There was an HMS Britannia III and an HMS Dartmouth II.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coastal_Forces_of_the_Royal_Navy


Would expect an instructor at the Royal Naval College to have a higher rating than Stoker 1.
Petty Officer or Chief Petty Officer for example.


Tony

Added: Also the Royal Naval College left Dartmouth after a German air raid in 1942

https://www.bythedart.co.uk/dartmouth-in-the-second-world-war---the-port/

[MaxD]

The RN Museum lists HMS Dartmouth where he died as a landing craft training establishment.  Such an establishment (as well as the RN College) had administrative and support staff to keep the places going so not unusual for a Sto 1 to be stationed there in that sort of capacity.

Britannia 2 may well have been the accounting base for HMS Dartmouth but I am ready to stand corrected.  The names with numbers following are usually (always?) accounting bases at shore establishments rather than vessels.  Drake 2 was one of a number of accounting bases related to Devonport.

MaxD

[seaweed]

 My sources "Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy" and navalhistory.net suggest BRITANNIA II was a Trawler Base from 06/1940 until 23/12/1942.When it was renamed DARTMOUTH. Home to Belgian motor fishing vessels BLANCHE MARGUERITE and CONSCIENCE.
I would suggest that H D EGDGCOME came back to the RN as a Reservist and was at BRITANNIA  II as some kind of Instructor.
What bothers me however, is the last record of him was 31/12/1941 , when he was recorded as being Superior for Efficiency and Very Good for Conduct. The rest of the record seems somewhat "clipped"
Did he leave the RN in 1940/41 to become a civilian instructor?
If he was still domiciled in Averton Gifford. which is not that far from Dartmouth, Would he, given his RN service, be treated at hospital in Dartmouth?
Pure speculation.

 

 



 

[lordcobb]

All very interesting thanks for the info.

He died in the RN hospital, but he and his wife are listed as living in Dartmouth at the time.
Also what's interesting is he isn't listed on the 1939 register while his wife is - so was he in barracks? Or on board ship?

I guess that is right he return to RN for WW2

[HMac]

Unfortunately the service record yields little on what he was doing during WW2 - typical of many RN records showing shore accounting bases. It is difficult to speculate on this.
Contact the MoD and ask for his Victualing Ledger and see if that gives up any information as he may have been 'lent' to sea and this is not always recorded on the main service record.
Regards
Hugh

[lordcobb]

HMac, how I get hold of Victualing Ledger? I think that’s what I’m after for my Grandad too. I’ve already got the similar sheet that I apply from the MOD and paid my £30.

Unfortunately the service record yields little on what he was doing during WW2 - typical of many RN records showing shore accounting bases. It is difficult to speculate on this.
Contact the MoD and ask for his Victualing Ledger and see if that gives up any information as he may have been 'lent' to sea and this is not always recorded on the main service record.
Regards
Hugh

[HMac]

Sorry for the late reply.

Ask if they can supply a list of ships from his Pay & Victualing ledger records. Give full details including his official number.

navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk

Director Naval Personnel,
TNT Records Management,
PO Box 7814,
William Nadin Way,
SWADLINCOTE,
Derbyshire,
DE11 1EG

You can also make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request if you get no joy.

Bear in mind though that the way the RN recorded service information is poor to say the least. On two of my last deployments I have the accounting bases on my record but not the ship's i was actually serving aboard listed. So give it a try and see if it gets you anywhere.

Regards
Hugh