WW1 Naval Service Record

[leemeetee]

Hi all,
Am seeking help with reading the Naval Service record of my great-uncle....particularly the first three or four lines.
The ships he served on are fairly self explanatory but the start of the record is beyond me....
all help / opinions welcome.

[AlanBoyd]

This is what I see:

For First Light
Cruiser Sq.
Portsea

[leemeetee]

Thanks Alan....have you any idea what that means?

[AlanBoyd]

HMS Falmouth was transferred to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron at the start of WWI

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Falmouth_(1910)?wprov=sfti1#

1st Light Cruiser Squadron is linked to in that article.

[leemeetee]

Ahh...brilliant..thank you.

[AlanBoyd]

A graphic account of Falmouth's first cruise from 17 September 1914: Portsmouth Evening News

HANDYMEN'S STORIES

MASCOT FROM THE SEA.

The Battle off Heligoland.

The "Daily Mail" gives the following extracts from a letter written by an officer of H.M.S. Falmouth which has been on active service in the North Sea:–
We have been having a very boring time most of the time. Our performance started with the sinking of five trawlers of theirs in the North Sea – an ignominious business that I did not relish having to detail as my only war experience. Now, however, as I have done more, I do not mind mentioning it. The one point worth notice in those trawlers was the last one, which was of wood and empty, so that we could not persuade it to sink. We blew a hole in her bottom with a charge first. That rendered her water-logged. Then we put two 6 in. lyddites into her, which did not improve matters.

We then cut her in half by ramming, and on one of the still floating halves we saw – a dog, "Fritz." He was, in spite of having been blown up, shelled, and cut in half by ramming, very pleased with life, as if it was all done for his benefit alone. We rescued him and he is now our mascot. A better one could not be found, as he has some six different breeds of dog having left their characteristics in him.. His name is "Kaiser Bill" now.

Led the Light Cruisers.

We –that is to say this ship– led the light cruiser squadron into action against the Mainz off Heligoland. Our skipper took us in abont 1 1/2 miles closer to her than the rest of the squadron, and we were the only light cruiser she fired upon at all, though the others were firing at her. I was on the after-bridge, high up and exposed.

Their shots all went about 150 yards over until right at the end, when they came short 50 yards, and their burst bits flew among us. If you want the noise they make as they pass close over and hit the water you must purse up your lips into an "O" and blow through them on a high note without quite whistling, bring the note gradually down an octave, and finish by pronouncing "futhaput" quickly. It's most alarming! I had great difficuity in not ducking, though I knew ducking made no difference. We managed to put her midship guns out of action pretty quickly, and soon after blew up both her after funnels together. Her foc'sle gun then went on firing, but we bowled that out at last. As we steamed past her towards the next enemy l was able to view the poor sinking vessel through binoculars from about 100 yards off, and her decks were a hideous shambies.

If you meet people conspiring to give the prisoners cigarettes, etc., squash them. One spat in the face of the officer who saved him from drowning.