Hello all, I try not to ask for help unless i'm stuck so here goes. Is there anyone out there who can determine what my Great Uncle's job was from his service number? He was a Marine onboard HMS Glorious when she was lost at sea. Unfortunately, he was killed and i've never really known what he actually did. I can't ask anyone else as those that would have had the knowledge to pass on, have since passed away themselves. I would be very grateful if someone could shed a little light on the subject if at-all possible. PLY/X 1453 Marine Herbert Roberts of H.M.S Glorious who was killed in action against the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau on 8th June 1940.
Here is your guy, looks like he may well of been a bandsman ROBERTS, HERBERT Marine Royal Marines H.M.S. Glorious. Age: 22 Reported missing presumed dead Date of Death: 08/06/1940 Service No: PLY/X 1453 Additional information: Son of William Francis and Frances Diana Roberts, of Knotty Ash, Lancashire. Memorial Reference: Panel 43, Column 2. Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Amongst the casualties were the Royal Marine Bandsmen. Not only were they amongst the finest musicians in the world but the “bandies” took probably the highest percentage casualties of any group in the war. Their action stations in the capital ships was in the magazines operating the ammunition hoists or working as stretcher bearers with the groups fighting ashore Royal Marines Online - Norway - 1940
Just Googling on Royal Marine Service numbers. PLY = Plymouth GENUKI: Marine and Naval Ratings Service Numbers PLY/X 5. (a) In October 1925, the letter “X” was added to the prefixes to indicate “men enlisted and re-entered in the ……. Royal Marines under the revised rates of pay …. i.e. entries and re-entries on and after 5 October 1925, except re-entries before 2 November 1925, after a break in service of less than five years”, and a new sequence of numbers, beginning at 1, was started in each register. By the time this practice was superseded in the Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth registers in 1948, these sequences had reached four figures. (b) The Royal Marine Band Service continued to use the “X” until August 1955, through, and then the old sequence of numbers was resumed; but at 3400, above the last number allocated before October 1925, to prevent any duplication. (c) The prefixes “CH/X”, “PLY/X”, “PO/X” and “RMB/X” followed by numbers of six figures in the 100000 series, indicate ranks entered for Short Service during World War II. Royal Marines Museum - The Royal Marines Museum, Portsmouth, Hampshire
just did a search on Geoff's Search Engine for that date, Royal Marines & PLY/X and got 68 results. Search results for: + 08/06/1940 + ROYAL MARINES + ply/x. records found: 68 Geoff's Search Engine
Both, Thank you so much for the information provided. It really means a lot to me, genuinely. Now all I need do is find a photo of the Glorious band, as I have no idea what he looked like.
