Royal Navy 1888 service record query

[vapcq45]

On the attached Service Record.  What does G H School mean under Occupation?

Also What would the words To Comp Vol 1 mean under Date and period of Engagement?

Thanks very much for any help you can give.

[Bookbox]

What does G H School mean under Occupation?

Greenwich Hospital School
http://www.childrenshomes.org.uk/RoyalHospital/

Also What would the words To Comp Vol 1 mean under Date and period of Engagement?

I don't think it's Vol 1. Perhaps To Complete Voluntarily ? He'd already done nearly 10 years of the 12 under Continuous Service, so maybe he completed it later?

[vapcq45]

Thank you.  That's interesting about the Greenwich Hospital School.  However, his father who had been a Royal Marine for 20 years and left 3 years before his son joined the RN, was very much alive and running a pub in Weymouth where the family moved to.  Website says school for orphans of seamen.  What are your thoughts?

Agree with you - perhaps he didn't leave after the 12 years but completed voluntarily up until he was invalided out in Mary 1903.

Can I throw in another question.  He was on the Titanic, serving as an AB DeckCrew.  How might he have gone about getting that position?

Thank you!

[Bookbox]

Not just for orphans. Although that was one of the founding principles, by this relatively late date the admission criteria were much wider.

You’ll find him in the school admission book here ...

http://rhsarchives.cook.websds.net/Filename.ashx?tableName=ta_historicdocuments&columnName=filename&recordId=89
The volume is slow to load. He’s on image 43 of 196.

Afraid I can’t help you directly with the Titanic, but there was much cross-over between the Royal Navy and the Merchant Service at this period.

[vapcq45]

Wow, this is wonderful information.  I've opened the link and can see him listed plus it has their family home address which is a real bonus.

My goodness this adds so much to his story and I'm very grateful indeed for your help. 

Thank you!