Possibly a RN Service Number

Would this be typical a RN Ratings Service Number! Passed by word of mouth by a relative from a piece of paper her husband saved and not a document!

JX 24689

Any ideas please?

Alan

 

Yes this is a ratings service number after the year 1931 - seaman or comms. Note* may or may not be missing a digit? Also after 1934 an additional letter was added to signify the the rating's Port Division.
Regards
Hugh

 

Thanks Hugh..

 

Hugh,
Not sure your knowledge on getting RN Service records? There appears to be many various archives sources to choices to apply to.

I am sure my uncle served in WW2 as a Rating on Corvettes, followed by years on Weather Ships. I doubt the Weather Ships would hold past Service Records..

Thxs
Alan

 

Alan,
Follow this link - fill in the application. Get a copy of military service records

Regards
Hugh

 

Alan
Hugh has supplied the link.
Do not pay to join sites that promise records they do not hold them and you will waste your money.

if unsure check back here


regards
Clive

 

I believe that Weather Ships were part of the Ocean Weather Service and thus Merchant Navy manned. There should be a Merchant Navy Record and I'm sure Hugh will be able to help in finding this.

Tim

 

The first four British ocean weather ships were part of the Meteorological Office of the Air Ministry. They were converted Flower Class corvettes so someone who already had corvette sea time would doubtless fit right in.

The Ocean Weather Service was a multinational service and the Met Office provided the British contribution.

 

Quite correct.The first four were converted Flower Class. Later Weather Ships (Adviser, Monitor, Reporter and Surveyor) were converted Castle Class (an updated Flower Class).
Converted Flower Class Corvettes.
HMS Marguerite became Weather Observer
HMS Thyme became Weather Explorer
HMS Snowflake became Weather Watcher
HMS Genista became Weather Recorder

Tim

 

Alan,
Have a look at Ocean Weather Ships
It's just possible that your uncle features in the Crew Lists or crew photos.

Tim

 

Thanks Tim. Noted

 

Tim, we have come up with a photo Of Dougie Walsh. His ashes burial on board one ship is shown.
Thanks..

 

Tim Noted. Was not aware of the Merchant Navy connection to the Weather Ships.

Uncle was a 'Ganges Boy' as well! I must see if he is listed or photos!

 

May also be worth enquiring if the Air Ministry has any records

 

Thanks...

 

Certainly many of those that served as crew on those ship's had previous Royal Navy and Merchant Navy service prior to, during and after the war and as such will have records held with the MoD [for military] and Fourth and Fifth Register of Seamen for MN. It is a grey area with regard to the administration of the crew after WW2. Certainly, if you are willing to give his name,date and place of birth I can point you to the file at Kew where his service as a civilian seaman may possibly be.

Does the name Alfred C. Pratt mean anything to you?

Regards
Hugh

 

Hugh, Alfred C Pratt is a name I haven't come across.

Here is some info about my Uncle
Name- Douglas Walsh
DoB - Dec 8th 1924
Place Birth[/IMG] [/IMG] - Most probably Colchester
Other -Joined Boy Service.- Rumoured it was on an island down by Plymouth/Portsmouth. I actually thought it was Ganges?
WW2 Service. Was on a Corvette HMS Neptune before 1941. ( Don't presume there was another HMS Neptune later on?.
After war he joined Weather Ships.
Lived at Greenock
]

 

Thanks Alan,
The reason I mentioned the other name is that the service number you quoted in your original post JX 24689 is the same minus the X - i.e. J 24689 for a RN seaman bearing that name. So the person with the number J 24689, if he stayed in the service or rejoined after 1934, would have kept his original number with an added X. So it would appear that that service number belonged to Alfred C. Pratt which may suggest you are missing a digit on that service number as I originally thought.
Your uncle having joined during the war, his service number would have been something like this for Portsmouth = P/JX number or for Plymouth = D/JX number - there were other Port Division prefixes for other main ports.

 

Alan,
Agree with Hugh that you're missing a digit in your uncle's Official Number and a prefix, most likely P, D or C. Boy Seaman joining the RN went either to HMS Ganges or HMS St Vincent (Gosport). However on the outbreak of WW2 these were closed down and moved to the Isle of Man (HMS St George).
Ocean Weather Ships site - there are a couple of pictures of your uncle in the crew photos One is entitled "Bosun Doug Walsh winching up Monitor's anchor, River Clyde 1962".
Also on this site (Memorabilia Pages 1&2) are two pictures of 'Ships in a bottle'. One says made by the Monitor's Bosun and the other says it was made by Doug Walsh.

Tim