RN service record help

Discussion in 'Service Records' started by Scott wood, Dec 13, 2020.

  1. Scott wood

    Scott wood Junior Member

    Hello,

    I have recently received a RN service record for a family member. I am starting to research ships he would have served on so I can start to piece together his war service.
    However I am a little confused, I have received a few documents but they seem to slightly contradict each other. There is a typed sheet which has ships and dates he served on them but another document which shows different dates and even a few different ships. Both documents don't seem to tally up.
    Hopefully someone out there would be advise me further and guide me in the right direction.

    Many thanks for any help I might receive.

    Scott
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Hi Scott,
    Can you tell me a little more about the source of the written documents, attachments 2 + 3? The typed transcript will be from from his Pay and Victualing Record which can be prone to mistakes and omission.
    Regards
    Hugh
     
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  3. Scott wood

    Scott wood Junior Member

    Hello hugh,

    Thank you for your reply. Attachments 2 & 3 were part of the records the MOD sent through. The document details what medals he was entitled, NOK addresss and also how he died.

    All of the documents have confused me quite a bit as they have different ships for the same dates.

    Hopefully you might be able to shed some light on which document to use so I can start to plot his war service.

    Thank you

    Scott
     
  4. Hugh MacLean

    Hugh MacLean Senior Member

    Hi Scott,

    Firstly, attachments 2 & 3 are copies of original cards and attachment 1 is a typed transcript taken from the P & V ledger - as it states some service was not shown on the record card. Many of the entries are actually shore admin bases which handled the account for various ships so a P & V search would have been undertaken to name the ships he served in associated with the admin base.

    RN records can be difficult even for those who are used to looking at them so I can appreciate your confusion. So, the cards look to be original to the time and the transcript was done when the records were requested and a search of the P & V ledger may have thrown up service not shown previously which in my experience is common. We can only assume the person who did the transcript did it accurately but easily open to mistakes and omissions.
    The one that stands out a little for me is HMS QUENTIN ROOSEVELT, Feb 43 - May 44 which looks odd compared to the original cards which show EUROPA/SPURWING. The ship was in home waters as far as I know so I am not sure why SPURWING [RNAS at Sierra Leone] is named. We know he was a member of the Royal Naval Patrol Service and EUROPA would be the admin. He also appears to have left the trawler BROADLAND on 31.5.1945 and the ship foundered just 6 days later in the North Atlantic.

    If you need detail of any of those bases/ships then just post which ones you need and I am sure some of us will respond. I am busy moving home so only have limited internet at the minute.
    Regards
    Hugh
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2020
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  5. JackW

    JackW Member

  6. Scott wood

    Scott wood Junior Member

    Hugh,

    Thank you very much for the response. The documents from the MOD are definetly not easy to follow. But thank you for all of the advice.
    I did think it was a little weird seeing SPURWING on his records, as I had noted from the research I have done that it was a naval air station in Sierra Leone. I suppose they could always make errors when updating their service records.
    If I have any questions regarding any of the ships he served on I will put a post up.

    Really appreciate the input.

    Scott
     
  7. Scott wood

    Scott wood Junior Member

  8. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

    Charles Andrews died at RN Hospital, Chatham from natural causes. Cause of death - Aertrychosis (have been unable to discover what this was). From ADM 104/127:
    upload_2020-12-16_11-55-30.png

    Tim
     
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  9. Scott wood

    Scott wood Junior Member

    Thank you very much for the post. His service records state he died from food poisoning, so I assume aertychosis is something to do with that.

    Thank you

    Scott
     
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