For those of you who are unfamiliar with naval jargon, let me take one moment to explain the page title above. The guy surfacing is a skimmer; that is he stays, or tries to stay, on top of the wave[s]. The 'big whites' on the left are symbolic of things that live and hunt beneath the waves.  In the navy, a sailor serving on a surface vessel is called a "skimmer" and a man serving in a submarine is called a "fish head".  This little cameo, revolves around a man who in his time, was both a "skimmer" and a "fish head".

 Like many of you,  I love to read about Royal Navy men [and perhaps one day we will read of Royal Navy women, but as yet, they haven't had time to establish themselves], and I like to read cameo's [or listen to a raconteur relating a good tale] especially about lower deckers, famous, infamous or otherwise.  Recently, at a barbee in Clanfield Hampshire [June 2007], whilst downing the amber nectar trying to keep cool on what was a hot and lovely afternoon, I got talking to Peter Dedman an ex RN'er, who had served 12 years from 1955 until 1967 leaving as an able seaman with a non substantive rate of  Control Gunner.  Peter talked about his father and mentioned that he had just two jobs in his life, the Royal Navy and the Portsmouth Water Company [PWC] and in the following order: leave school join PWC - join Royal Navy and serve 22 years - rejoin PWC - rejoin Navy for duration of WW2 -rejoin PWC. This, and the other things Peter told us about, I found to be most interesting, in particular, that any person who served his country throughout both world wars [10 long years of war service] is worth hearing about.  When I learned that his father had served in 'K' Class steam submarines I was more than interested to find out more about him.  Peter agreed to loan me his fathers papers to see if a cameo could be written, and what follows uses the papers and Peter's own recollection of his Dad.

Before I begin, let me tell you that I have become au fait at decyphering old naval Service Certificates.  By and large, the administrative work of bygone days was shoddy [to say the least] and mistakes are rampant.  Illegible hand writing doesn't help, and regrettably elapsed time since issue tends to make the document [because of fading, damp storage conditions etc] more and more difficult to read or reproduce. Additionally I have published many papers on individual subjects relating to the navy, and in this short cameo, I use some of them [as an example] to help you to understand Jack's Service Certificate.

This is a picture of Peters father clearly showing his surname and initials, his rate, and his official number. His initials are clear to see and represent the Christian names William and  John.  However, he was always called Jack throughout his life by all comers [family, friends and acquaintances] but not [obviously] by officialdom.  That had to be correct for the records.  But was it.....correct that is ? The answer was no, because for the first 12 years of service, he was recorded as John Dedman and some nine months after he had signed on to complete his pension time the Admiralty changed  his Service Certificate [SC's] to read William John.

In this picture above, you can clearly see that the name William has been added in before the word John.  Just above and to the right of William you will observe a TICK sign with two bars added to the tail of the tick.  In the picture below [taken from the foot of the SC] you will see that same TICK [and bars] telling you what is was for.

It says "Name amended at Admiralty 14th September 1922.  Just think, if this man had won a major award for valour in WW1, his gazetted name would have been wrong and if he had been killed, was it John or William John who had perished ?

John, William John or Jack Dedman was born on the 10th November 1891 and from birth to death lived but a few miles from the sea either at Emsworth, Langston or Bedhampton all 'within shouting distance' of Portsmouth. Note the rather bold YES in the question Can Swim?  Almost certainly, that endorsement would have been added shortly after joining the Service in 1910.  However, by the time he was 32 years of age in 1923, the Navy had introduced a swimming test, the PPT, [which he passed with flying colours] mandatory for getting on the promotion ladder, although, as you will read, that became academic for Jack!  In 1924, Jack achieved a 'Good' pass on the advanced swimming test [PST].  The "Trade brought up in" line, is, from what Peter said, something to do with the Portsmouth Water Company, and appears to suggest that he was a PORTER in Group 31 [possibly the depot number where he reported for work]. The navy in 1910 was large, and any large 'organisation' can be cumbersome and difficult to manage unless  responsibilities are delegated.  The various organisational titles are much too complex a subject for this cameo, but some of them were:-

First Lord of the Admiralty - a civilian high profile politician representing the Country
Their Lordships - the Admiralty Board - a group of admirals under the control of the First Sea Lord [the senior admiral], and called Second Sea Lord et seq, each responsible for a particular part of the navy - in 1910, we had no fewer than five Sea Lords.
Fleets - each with their own Commanders-in-Chief [C-in-C] and in 1910 we had eight quite separate fleets.
Squadrons - each type of ships grouped together to prosecute an action against the enemy - Battle Squadrons; Cruiser Squadrons etc.
Flotillas - groups of warships usually non-Capital ships.
Divisions - could apply to groups of ships or personnel.
Ships - purposely built for a specific purpose - Minesweeper; Minelayer; Battleship; Battlecruiser; Aircraft Carrier etc.
Departments - could apply to shore or afloat situations - typical were Engine Room Department, Electrical High Power Department, Boiler Room Department.
Branches - a division of skills/trades/jobs - Wireless Telegraphy Branch; Sick Bay Branch; Stokers Branch etc.
and - several others.

For the navy to function correctly, all of these functions had to perform well within and across the whole of the navy - which can be stated as PAN NAVY. When Jack joined the navy in 1910, you will see [in the picture below] that he was placed in the PORT DIVISION of  PORTSMOUTH - a few years earlier they had been called Home Ports.  Whilst it makes good sense to place a 'local to Portsmouth man' into the Portsmouth Port Division, there was no guarantee on joining that that would be so. In those days, and certainly into the 1950's, quota's, for each Port Division, were drawn from geographical parts of the country, and typically, a man from the west/north west was recruited for the Devonport [Plymouth] Division, whereas a man from the east/north east north was sent to the Nore [Chatham] Division.  Others [though not rigidly so] from the central areas of the country [Britain] became Members of the Portsmouth Division.  If at any time the quota's were short [or in excess], despite the man's geographical origins, he could be sent to any of the three Divisions.  This decision, unknown to the recruit in his naivety, would bode badly for him in future years because he would spend all his sea-going days in a ship manned with a crew from that assigned Port Division and based [when in UK waters] in that Home Port - NOTE: Some might tell you that this was not always the case, for a Devonport crew of Cooks and Stewards [for example] could have served in a Chatham ship, and whilst this is not disputed,  the norm is as stated - Devonport ship [for example] meant Devonport Manned and Drafted.   It was common practice for men to seek a transfer to the Division of their choice by 'trawling' to find a sailor who had also been 'misplaced' when recruited, and each man would raise a Request Chit to his Commanding Officer to effect the transfer.  The only problem was that the two men involved had to have comparable Service records [same rate, same qualifications, same sea time record and when next due for a sea draft, same roster position if awaiting a promotion etc] otherwise by changing Division they could 'dip-out' by having to wait over-long for a promotion and equally as bad, go straight back to sea when they had just completed a long period afloat in their old Division.  Moreover, in the early part of the 20th century, with relatively poor communications between members of the lower deck of each Home Port, it would have been difficult to find a volunteer for mutual change. Jack therefore, happy to be a 'Pompey rating' spent his full career been controlled [drafted from] from the Portsmouth area, and when on surface vessels by HMS Victory, not Nelson's flagship, but the main Royal Marine Barracks in Portsmouth, and when in submarines, by HMS Dolphin [the submarine base] across the Portsmouth harbour in the town of Gosport.  More of all this in a moment.

  He joined the Royal Navy in 1910 [28th April] when aged 18 years and 5 months, and in those days there was only one option, 12 years [Period volunteered for column in picture below] mans time from the age of 18.  He served his 12 [years] and then requested to serve a further 10 years [counting from 1922] to earn himself a naval pension after a full ratings career - the last column alongside 15 March 1922 reads "To complete time for pension".  I will mention the Continuous Service [see top line of picture below] in a couple of minutes in the additional page about Official Numbers.

Jack [everybody called him so and we are no exception] was a good man, of good character and had an excellent work record throughout his career.  That I cover later. Sailors were rewarded for being of good character by issuing a stripe to them, worn on the left sleeve [we in the navy call it a badge, a Good Conduct Badge].  The qualifying period for the first badge is 4 years good conduct from the age of 18 or later if a sailor joined after his 18th birthday. Since Jack joined on the 28th April 1910, his first badge was due on that date in 1914; his second in 1918 and his third [the maximum number of badges issued to any one man] in 1922. Below is the record on those badges, and the dates appear to be 1913, 1918 and 1920, although the 'zero' appears to have been changed to a 'two' in the 1920 entry.  Giving 1920 [but 1922] the benefit of doubt, that leaves 1913 clearly wrong.

Each of those badges earned extra money for the man wearing them so they were worth having, and in any event they made the man look like a sergeant army [or air force] style. However, unlike the other two Services, a naval man wearing just three stripes [badges] without a rate badge immediately above and physically touching them [showing a single anchor, a killick, for the leading rate <equivalent to a corporal> or cross anchors {referred to as crossed hooks} for a petty officer <equivalent to a sergeant> simply indicate 12 years good conduct from the age of 18 or later if a late joiner.  After 15 years service from the age of 18 [or later] a final reward is given in the form of a medal - the Long Service and Good Conduct medal.  In all cases, the time for this medal started when the man had completed his initial training.  In Jack's case, his training was in three phases. Phase one saw him join the Royal Naval Barracks at Portsmouth [which in those days was called HMS Victory] as a Stoker 2CL <second class>.  There he stayed for 23 days  doing basic training [square bashing, kit routines, washing and ironing, gymnasium work etc] with an introduction to the world of stoking and stoke holes - Note that when Jack joined in 1910, the Stoker Branch was just over 50 years old, stokers having served in the first Iron Clad's...HMS Warrior etc. Phase two was spent at sea in the Victorian Battleship Renown [which not too long afterwards was decommissioned , laid up, and then in 1914 sold for scrap] 

where he would have spend an arduous  41 days at the coal face quite literally learning the hard way. [Note - The more famous Renown, the Battlecruiser, saw service in both world wars, a product dating from 1916 until 1948].  Phase three of his training was back in HMS Victory for a final 3 days of training followed by a further period of 40 odd days before joining his first proper ship HMS Peterel

 attached to the tender [Depot Ship] HMS Hecla.  This is a picture of  Peterel passing another destroyer passing HMS Victory in 1909 in Portsmouth harbour.  The Depot ship, the Hecla, looked like this.

 HMS Hecla, was a destroyer depot ship (ex-"British Crown", launched 1878, 6,400 tons, 4-12 pdr guns. Originally, a  torpedo depot ship and played important role in developing British torpedo forces).

From Peterel he joined the Harpy [attached to the Depot Ship HMS Blenheim] which he served in until the 22nd January 1912 being advanced to Stoker 1CL [first class] in that ship on the 29th April 2011.

So concludes Jack's first year in the navy. The list below shown the first FIVE ships/shore establishments he served in, and as the cameo unfolds we will need to visit the other THIRTY ship/shore establishment entries covering both world wars from beginning to end - TEN years of WAR SERVICE in all.

His time for his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal started on the 6th July 1910, and duly, on the 6th July 1925 he got his medal.

There is no mention on his Certificate of his gratuity which automatically came with the medal, but no doubt that he received it and enjoyed the extra money for that month.

The vast majority of men joining the navy were single and therefore they would have declared, as a NOK [next of kin], either their mother or their father - usually the latter. The NOK changed either as a result of the nominated person dying or when marrying.  For that reason, the NOK was always written in pencil whereas the rest of the document was [or should have been] written in ink. Jack's NOK was declared as follows:-

If you look very carefully, particularly at the address lines, you will see that the old address was not properly erased. His wife, Peter's mother, was called Edith Grace Dedman, and the marital home was in Bedhampton. The crossed-out word,  in inverted commas, was probably the name of a house from a previous address.

Upon joining, Jack, at 18½, then virtually fully grown, was a small man of 5' 6" height.  The record shows that he had DARK BROWN hair; BROWN eyes and FAIR complexion with a SCAR on his right forearm.  Whilst in service, he grew to be 5' 8½", kept his hair and colouring; his eyes obviously didn't change colour, but, poor man, his complexion was noted as BAD.

His WW1 medals, were, in common with his many peers, a sad and miserable return on what was the most horrific and beastly war every known to mankind at that time.

This section gives the necessary details re issue of medals and what they were for, and note that he was awarded THREE medals, the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.. In addition to medals which sadly [and sickeningly] were always issued late and grudgingly by the Admiralty, men were given CHEVRONS to wear on their right sleeve cuff in recognition of their sea service between 1914-1918.

In this picture above, you will see that Jack did more than his fair share at sea throughout the whole war, being awarded each and every Chevron from 1914 to 1918, with the second line a little hard to read which says "May '19 - 1918 Chevron awarded, and 1914 & '15 Star". The following text tells you all about Chevrons:-

In 1919 Jack was given a War Gratuity of £30-00, a good amount of money for a Leading Hand.  Here is a part of the petition to HM The King to make an award of a Gratuity to all those who had taken part in WW1.

It manifested itself as:-

Jack was a LEADING RATE.  His £30.00, was made up as follows:-
Under the '£' {STERLING} COLUMN = £6.00
Under the 's' {SHILLINGS} COLUMN [right hand column] = 48 calendar months x 10 shillings [50p] = £24-00
TOTAL WAR GRATUITY = £30-OO

A Boy and a Chief Petty Officer with like for like service, would have got, respectively £26-00 and £36-00.

Now, let us compare that with what the officers got.

An Admiral of the Fleet would have received £864-00 and a Paymaster Cadet £63-00.
Top of the upper deck getting well over 2000% more than the top of the lower deck!  Is that fair?

Now we come to another of my ready made pages, this time on PRIZE MONEY.

Jack received received three whacks of prize money.  The first line reads "Paid £15-00 Naval Prize Fund", the second read "Paid final share of Naval Prize Fund", and the last line reads "Paid supplementary Share of Naval Prize Fund".   The Naval Prize Fund filled its coffer with captured enemy ships/submarines which could be sold for scrap or sold on to non-enemy non-combatants as sea going units.  It was boosted to an unprecedented level when the surrendered German High Sea Fleet scuppered itself in Scapa Flow Scotland.  All the ships were raised on sold for scrap or used in the Royal Navy as viable fighting units. First world war sailors did well out of the Fund, but read THIS PAGE  for a full understanding of the money paid and why.

THE FOLLOWING SECTION IS PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF JACK'S SERVICE CERTIFICATE, AND FOR PAY REASONS, OFFICIAL NUMBERS WERE TO HAVE A DEVASTING EFFECT ON THE MEN'S PAY AFTER THE 1931 PAY AWARD WHICH LEAD DIRECTLY TO THE INVERGORDON MUTINY.  JACK WAS LUCKY, BECAUSE BEING PENSIONED IN 1932 IT DIDN'T AFFECT HIM OR HIS PAY TOO MUCH, ALTHOUGH IT AFFECTED HIS PENSION.

READ THIS PAGE SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES OF OFFICIAL NUMBERS

Each and every person joining the navy is given an OFFICIAL NUMBER [it wasn't always the case as is apparent from the additional page referred to immediately above].  This number stayed with the man throughout his service until either discharged 'dead' or time expired after completing the contract of employment. In addition to this number, each separate ship used a 'crew' number, or a SHIPS BOOK NUMBER' and each man received his during his joining routine.  In Jack's time, all ships book numbers were recorded on the man's Service Certificate, and if you scroll back upwards to the section dealing with his first year in the Service [viz to HMS Victory, HMS Renown, HMS Victory, HMS Hecla [HMS Peterel] and HMS Blenheim [HMS Harpy] you will see those numbers in the 'List and No column' - you will also see them later on when we cover his other remaining ships/shore establishments. It wasn't uncommon for a man joining the Service to get what was called "a dead man's number" although by and large, there was always a 'device' with which more official numbers could be manipulated at times of  buoyant recruitment.

Jacks Official Number was

and straight away I am going to tell you that it showed what BRANCH he belonged to, and roughly, by the number, when he joined, but it doesn't show you where his PORT DIVISION is and thus where his HOME PORT is. From the additional page above,  we learn that Jack's series of Official Numbers STARTED on the 1st January 1908, so Jack was stoker recruit number 6076 in the first 2 years and 117 days of recruiting, on average the navy taking in just over 7 stokers per day, everyday.  By October 1925 [when Jack had been in the navy for over 15 years and was very nearly 34 years of age] the last stoker to join the navy under the same scheme Jack joined under, was given the Official Number of K66973 - 60, 897 stokers AFTER Jack had joined.  The very next day, the first new stoker recruit through the turn style was given the first of a new series of numbers for stokers which started with number 75001 but instead of it being prefixed with the Branch letter of  'K' only, they put an 'X' after the 'K', the number becoming KX75001 - remember Jack is just K6076.  This HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT letter 'X' meant that ratings with one were on lower pay than ratings without one, namely all those men who had been serving before the crunch day in October 1925.  In 1931, as the men were climbing out of their hammocks on broadside messes, they were told that ALL RATINGS NOW HAD THE LETTER 'X' as part of their official number, and that meant that the old boys, those serving before October 1925 had an IMMEDIATE PAY CUT to the 'X-men' rate of pay. That led to the infamous mutiny at Invergordon.  However, back to official numbers.

Jack left the Service after 22 years in April 1932 when the repercussions of the Fleet pay cut of 1931 were still being worked out and even tested/challenged.  It took some time for the Invergordon mutiny to be laid to rest and for all these reasons it is apparent that Jack's Service Document was forgotten and was not endorsed to reflect that in his last few months of service, his Official Number should have been KX6076. Having said that, there is a strange entry on Jack's SC which is made in pencil and reads VIC...NOV or NOW or NORE or NONE {?} then 66978.

The 'VIC' could be the usual sloppy work on SC's, proverbial in the first half of the century, and meaning HMS Victory [?]: of the four words beginning with the letter 'N' I would opt for NOV and not the Now, Nore or None options, and the number is just 5 numbers on from 66973, which [from above] was the last number given to stokers joining before a given date in October of 1925. Jack, as you will see saw full service in WW2 rejoining Victory during the phoney war in 1938 - more of that in a minute. Since there is no WW2 official number on his SC [exactly the same SC from joining in 1910 to leaving on pension in 1932] could it be, I wonder, his WW2 official number given to him by HMS Victory in November 1938, reflecting that he was the fifth pre-1925 man to answer the call to duty for the second time for WW2, and they have just continued his series, the pre October 1925 series which stopped at K66973 onwards, i.e., with 66974 et seq?  No! Too logical and in any event his pristine WW2 issued History Sheet for Stoker Ratings has him down as K6076 on the front cover, and in the centre spread page, as P/K6076, so back to square one, as they say!

This is that near brand new WW2 History sheet:-

WW2 FRONT PAGE

WW2 BACK PAGE

WW2 CENTRE SPREAD LEFT PAGE

WW2 CENTRE SPREAD RIGHT PAGE

The practice on leaving the Service after a given number of years, was to be given a free issue of civilian clothing.  This involved going to a store house and picking out a suitable suit [usually a three piece with waistcoat], a hat [usually a trilby] a raincoat,  a pair of shoes and a couple of shirts, The severity of the haircut notwithstanding, the idea was that you looked like a civilian on leaving the 'dockyard gate'.  As an option, for the choice of clothes was limited and all utility wear, one could elect to have cash in lieu so that one could purchase an outfit a little smarter that others had been given by adding a little on ones own money for the purchase.  Jack chose that option - a dandy of a Stoker I would think - and he was credited with 10 shillings [50p] on the 27th April 1932.  The initials P.C.G., means "Purchase Civilian Garments".

Jack's professional record of various courses undertaken is shown here in his SC, and whilst it cannot be interpreted properly, the dates tell us a story.

The first three events all took place during the time frame when he was a Stoker, 1st and 2nd class. Probably the 15th March 1914 entry rejoices in him passing his Leading Stoker examination for shortly afterwards he is promoted to Acting Leading Stoker.  This promotion is very commendable because he has achieved the first rung of the ladder with just four years service.  However, the next entry, 23rd February 1916, well into WW1 by then, shows him failing his Petty Office Stoker course, the second run of the ladder. This is a great pity and he seems to have been resigned to his fate of not progressing past the rate of Leading Stoker which he remained even till then end of WW2. The last two entries are 'technical' one relating to a course on which he scored 52 points and the other, in 1925, being issued with something or other. His WW1 Qualification Record shows him being assessed in numerous engine room and boiler room tasks and all are assessed highly.

WW1 FRONT SHEET

WW1 BACK SHEET

Now we move to the section which tells the overall story of the man's career, his up and down, his good times and bad times.  We look first at his CHARACTER  and remember, this is measured over 29 years and two [full] World Wars, so one hell of a criterion in those criteria shown on this page. The SC page itself is long so it is produced as a top and a bottom section. Throughout you will see no blemishes and one continuous score of VG meaning Very Good.

Next comes the ABILITY column.  The very first entry shows VG and this is probably a mistake because ability was always shown as either Poor, Fair, Satisfactory, Superior and later on Exceptional.  There are ten Satisfactory assessments and nineteen Superior assessments, an excellent set of records made the better when I tell you this. It is highly improbable that in the early testing years a rating will be given anything other than a Satisfactory assessment [unless it is below satisfactory]. Also, one can warrant a Superior assessment in one rate, but as soon as the man is elevated to a new job on promotion with its traditional learning curve, it would be unfair to others to assess him as superior until he has fully mastered the new job and is above average in the performance of his duties thereafter as compared with his peers. However, Jack did hit a bad patch although the reason is not explicit.  On the 31st December 1925 he was given a Superior assessment a repeat of the one a year earlier and by the same Captain. By 31st December 1926, a new Captain marked him down as Satisfactory, and strangely that pattern was repeated in 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930 each with a new Captain. His last two assessment before leaving the navy on pension in 1931 and 1932, returned to a Superior assessment. In December 1939, after serving for a few months in a navy getting used to total war, his assessment was Satisfactory, although I would guess that most assessments were marked down especially the "Dad's Army" type of serviceman, once again getting used to being back in uniform. So, as I say, overall a good set of assessments. Incidentally, the RMG column is a recommendation for the man to receive his LS & GC [Long Service & Good Conduct] Medal plus a cash gratuity.

Before we engage on the final part, namely that of his ships, submarines and shore stations, just three more little snippets.

1.  During the 'phoney war' of roughly September 1938 to September 1939, Jack, who had no commitment as a pensioner to serve in the Reserve Forces, obviously volunteered to fight in WW2 if and when it came: a true HEART OF OAK.  He and other volunteers reported to RNB Portsmouth [HMS Victory] and stayed there from the 28th September until the 7th of October when all the reservists were DISPERSED with instructions to be ready should the call to arms come. READ THIS page - fascinating !

2.  When war did come, Jack was paid the princely sum of £3-19-6 for his new WW2 naval uniform.  The authority for paying this sum was AFO [Admiralty Fleet Order] 3112/1939.

3.  When the WW2 was finally over, and Jack had more than done his bit at sea as well as ashore in both wars, according to his Service Documents, the navy heaped a gross and unforgivable insult on this stalwart man, and didn't even bother to record that he was due for the DEFENCE MEDAL, that is assuming, God forbid, that they didn't forget to give him the medal.

Now for Jack's ships, submarines, and shore establishments.  From these two lists below

we have already covered the first seven recorded ships, namely from HMS Victory to HMS Victory  {Royal Navy Barracks [RNB] Portsmouth and not Nelson's famous Flagship which at this time and until 1922, was anchored in the middle of Portsmouth harbour in need of much TLC}.  Our start here is therefore HMS Albemarle, December 1912 until May 1913.

HMS Albermarle was a Royal Naval battleship of the Duncan Class. She saw service with the Channel Fleet in 1906. In February 1907 she became the flagship of the Atlantic Fleet and then flagship at Gibraltar in 1909. HMS Albermarle had her crew reduced to a minimum in February 1910 while at the Nore, but in October of that year became flagship once again at Portsmouth. She was refitted and joined the 4th Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet in 1912 and became a gunnery tender in May 1913 with the 6th Battle Squadron at Portsmouth. HMS Albermarle then joined The Grand Fleet in 1914 serving with the northern patrol. In February 1915 she saw service with the 6th and then the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Channel Fleet. Badly damaged on November 1915 in heavy weather while in the Pentland Firth she was repaired and then returned to Scapa Flow in December 1915. She was used as an ice breaker in order to get supplies through to Archangel. After having her guns replaced she served as an overflow ship to the naval barracks at Devonport during May 1917 and November 1918.

Armament: Four 12 inch guns in turrets, twelve 6 inch guns, twelve 3 inch guns, six 3 pdr guns, two maxims and four torpedo tubes. Displacement: 14,000 tons. Speed: 19 knots. Complement: 750. Length: 405 ft. Breadth: 75.5 ft. Depth: 27.25 ft.

HMS Albermarle

She was followed by a stint back in Depot [shore - HMS Victory ] from May 1913 until the end of June 1913. Jack then went off to join HMS Attentive which he served in from 30th June 1913 until the 13th February 1917.

HMS Attentive
Built Armstrong, Elswick, laid down January 1904, completed October 1905.

 Cost £275,000.

Size:
Length 374 feet pp 395 feet overall, beam 38 feet 3 inches, draught 12 feet 3 inches, displacement 2,640 tons load.

Propulsion:
2 shaft TE engines, 16,000 ihp, 25kts

Trials:
Adventure 15,850 ihp = 25.42 knots
Attentive 16,195 ihp = 25.6 knots

Armour:
2-0.5in decks

Armament:
10 x 12 pounder QF (10 x 1), 8 x 3 pounder QF (8 x 1), 2 x 18in TT

Comments:
One of four pairs of Scouts ordered to a general specification with the exact design left up to the individual builders.  Not long after completion the two additional 12 pounder guns were added and the 3 pounder guns were replaced with 6 x 6 pounders.  In 1911-12 they were reamed with 9 x 4 inch guns.  Crew 268.

As a purists wanting results, it has to be said that HMS Attentive didn't see the ravages of Jutland, Coronel, Dogger Bank or the Falklands, but she did see WW1 action and during Jack's time onboard in 1915.

And so to Dolphin, HMS Dolphin that is, at Fort Blockhouse Gosport, the submarine base.  The time 14th February 1917 - isn't that St Valentines Day ?  I am going to stick my neck out and say that we are about to enter one of those silly S & S Branch wobblies were the WREN ledger keeper and the WREN SC writer have got other things on their mind ! Will I, or will I not, receive a card of love from my boy friend ?  I hope you did darling, but come on, first an entry suggesting a reversion, then a reference to a 1921 AFO, alongside a 1917 SC entry. If you look at the 13th and 14th entries, both Dolphin, you will see "Reverted for" alongside the 13th and an incomprehensible entry alongside the 14th.  The crossed tick in this area points towards an Admiralty Fleet Order 2922 of 1921 which we must disregard as erroneous or a retrospective entry, but whatever, cryptic!    What is relevant,  is that alongside entry 14th, in the Rating column, we can clearly see the letters "Sto" struck out  and replaced by the '-"-' sign, meaning as above, and as above is the Leading Stoker rate. This ledger entry, which by the 4th March 1917 had been put right, is clearly an entry endorsed on Jack's papers which should have been endorsed on another mans papers.  That said, I am suspicious of entry No 17 [second HMS Crescent entry] and why they should endorsed the column with a "Lg Sto" when clearly, the -"- sign should have been appropriate, as indeed it was below in many places .  For the record, Jack is a Leading Stoker on the 14th February 1917 and he is a Leading Stoker  onboard the submarine 'K11' on the 5th March 1917. Therefore, reversion is out of the question even though the man is changing from General Service to the Submarine Service were skills are obviously different. Is it possible that the reversion means from General Service to Submariner ? There is little, nay nothing, on the SC to support this change!

Jack had two stints in the submarine 'K11', one, a short period when the Depot Ship was HMS Fearless  [5th March 1917 - 25th May 1917] and the other when HMS Crescent was the Depot Ship [or mother ship] from 26th May 1917 to 7th July 1917. 

HMS Fearless
Built Pembroke Dockyard, laid down November 1911, completed October 1913.

Size:
Length 385 feet pp 406 feet overall, beam 41 feet 6 inches, draught 15 feet 7 inches, displacement 3,440 tons normal 4,000 tons deep ,load..

Propulsion:
4 shaft Parsons turbines, 18,000 shp, 25kts

Armour:
1in decks

Armament:
10 x 4in 50cal Mk VIII (10 x 1), 4 x 3 pounder (4 x 1), 2 x 18in TT

Comments:
The last class of British scout cruisers.  Crew 321.

Fearless in World War 1
Leader 1st Destroyer Flotilla with the Harwich Force.
1916 Leader 12th submarine flotilla Grand Fleet.
31 January 1918 Accidentally rammed and sank submarine K 17.
1921 Sold for scrapping.

HMS Fearless

HMS Crescent, Royal Navy Cruiser of the Edgar Class.   Launched 30th March 1892 and served in the Cape and West African Station, returning in 1907. She joined the Home Fleet 4th Cruiser Squadron 1909-1913, in February 1913 she joined the training squadron in Queenstown. At the outbreak of World War I, she joined the 10th Cruiser Squadron Aug 1914- Feb 1915. Disarmed in November 1915 and became a depot ship attached to the Grand Fleet. Finally broken up September 1921.

HMS Crescent

'K' Class Submarines

HMS Ambrose with her boats on trots on the port side.

This was followed by the submarine Depot Ship HMS Titania, but this time to a running boat the L5. He joined this boat on the 6th September 1919 and left her on the 29th August 1921 - a good stint of nearly two years.

HMS Titania

H.M. Submarine L5 features:-

This picture shows an identical submarine to that of the L5, namely her sister boat the L7 taken in Grand Harbour, Malta.

After two years at sea in a running boat, it was time for dear old Jack to have a rest - if he was lucky ! i.e, hoping that none of the other leading stokers in the squadron/flotilla were taken ill. Jack was drafted back to the Ambrose [S/M] {submarine depot ship} from 30th Aug 1921 until the 8th November 1921, and then, continuing the "rest", to HMS Dolphin [S/M] Gosport Hampshire UK., from 9th November 1921 until the 21st September 1922 - just over one year in all but of course, we do not know whether he had short trips in Ambrose' and Dolphin' running boats as a spare crew relief. On the 22nd September 1922 he started another two year sea duty in the submarine H31 based on HMS Dolphin. One could be mistaken into choosing the submarine K31  or R31 for the handwriting on the SC suggests it could be a 'H' a 'K' or an 'R', but the number 31 did not extend into the 'K' and 'R' classes.

The picture below is of  submarine H31. 

HM Submarine H31

The 'H' class was quite a complicated affair in provision terms. This set of parameters will give you a good idea of what that statement means.

H31 was completed too late to take part in WW1.  However, tragically she did fight in WW2 and was lost in the opening year of the war with all hands.

Jack's final submarine draft was the submarine depot ship HMS Vulcan where he served from 28th February 1924 until the 29th April 1926, another two year stint. Throughout most of this period he would have been spare crew.

HMS Vulcan

In April 1926 Jack returned to his parent depot, to General Service, which was in RNB Portsmouth viz HMS Victory. On the 25 August 1926 he was drafted to HMS Turquoise  which was tendered to HMS Spencer the mother ship.  The Spencer was an old Shakespeare class destroyer:-

HMS Spencer

HMS Turquoise was probably a 'good draft'  because, generally speaking, any small vessel engendered a betters ships company.

HMS Turquoise Destroyer, S Class, Yarrow Special Launched by Yarrow Shipbuilders Scotstoun, Yard No 1437, on 9/11/1918, and sold 1/1932 to Alloa, Charlestown.. 930t legend 273ft 6in x 25ft 8in x 10ft 2 shaft Brown-Curtis, single reduction geared turbines, 3 Yarrow boilers, Oil, 27,000shp giving 36 knots. 3 x 4in 45 cal QF Mk IV, 1 x 2pdr pom-pom, and 4 x 21in Tts (2 x 2). Crew 90 Seen here in 1925.

Jack had this draft from the 25th August 1926 until the 14th November 1927, and, at the age of 36, he was probably one of the oldest in the crew.

For 1½ months only, until New Years Eve in 1927, he was part of the crew for HMS Urchin, tendered to her mother base, the officers training naval college at Dartmouth.

Urchin was an Admiralty modified 'R' class destroyer built by Palmers <launched and completed in 1917> [along with her sister Ursa] at 1085 tons having Parsons A.G. Turbines.

Dimensions: 265 (p.p.), 275.5-276, (o.a.) x about 26.75 x 10.5 feet (mean), 11.75 (max.) draught. Guns: 3-4 inch (Mk. IV with 30° elevation] , 1-2 pdr. pom-pom. Tubes: 4-21 inch in pairs. Machinery: "All geared" (A.G.) turbines as noted above. 2 screws. Designed S.H.P. 27,000 = 36 kts. Boilers: 3 Yarrow  by White with 3 White-Forster. Oil: about 300/350 tons. Complement, 82.

HMS Urchin

and for a further period of approximately 8 months, Urchin again but with a different mother ship, the tender HMS Constance. Constance, 1915 to 1936 [scrapping] was a Cambrian Class Light Cruiser. given to be a depot ship in the 1928 period.

HMS Constance

On the 4th September 1928, Jack swapped ships, firstly the tenders from Constance to HMS Victory, with respective ships changes from Urchin to HMS Wallace, another old destroyer [same class as HMS Spencer shown above], returning to RNB Portsmouth for the pen ultimate time in his pensionable naval service career on Armistice Day 1930 staying there, ashore, until the 29th May 1931.

HMS Wallace.

On the 30th May 1931 until the 27th April 1932 [at which time he was discharged shore to pension], he served on his last ship HMS Caterham tendered to HMS Dryad. At that time, 1932, Dryad  was in Portsmouth Dockyard and was known far and wide as "NAV HOUSE". The following entry tells one a little bit about the buildings it used.

Because the King's Letter Boys (QV) were not in fact succeeding in learning their profession at sea, as had originally been hoped, the RN Academy at Portsmouth was opened in the Dockyard in the Summer of 1733, having been authorised by an Order in Council dated 21st February 1729. It catered for 40 "young gentlemen" per annum (entering between ages thirteen and sixteen), but did not catch on, and by 1773 its number of pupils had dropped to fifteen. King George III thereupon tried to improve matters by reducing the entry age, shortening the time under training and granting remission of fees for sons of Naval officers. The title was changed in 1806 to the Royal Naval College, buildings were enlarged to accommodate 70 pupils and the staff was increased. It was not a success though, and was closed in 1837. Later, the buildings became the Navigation School HMS DRYAD, familiarly known as "Nav House". When the Navigation School moved to Southwick, the buildings were used as the mess for officers on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief Portsmouth.

The Caterham was a Navigation Officers Training ship day running out of Portsmouth. She was an old WW1 Minesweeper, a coal burner with the following parameters.

Displacement:	710 tons
Length:	231 feet
Beam	28 feet
Draught	8 feet
Propulsion:	Yarrow-type boilers, Vertical triple-expansion engines, 2 shafts, 2,200 ihp
Speed:	max 16 knots
Range:	140 tons coal
Complement:	73 men
Armament:	1x OF 4 inch forward QF 12 pounder aft 2x twin 0.303 inch machine guns

She was sold for scrap on the  26th April 1935 to Cashmore, Newport, Wales.

This picture shows the Caterham in 1932 during Jack's time aboard.

HMS Caterham

Most unusual, but according to the SC, Jack left the Service direct from this ship, being awarded Pension number 12454.  The normal practice, even in those days, was to be drafted to Depot [RNB Portsmouth] and from there, discharged to civilian life, always referred to as  "civvy street".  Whatever, Jack will have had mixed feelings on the 27th April 1932, his last day in the navy proper.  He would have been given terminal leave [no papers, regrettably] and at the end of that he would have been a proper civilian.  From what Peter has told us, well before the end of that terminal leave, he would have been back working for the Portsmouth Water Company [PWC] again.

The next entry of ships etc, shown on the SC, we have already covered above.  This involved him volunteering for Service prior to the start of WW2 and a short induction period in HMS Victory between the 28th September 1938 and the 7th October 1938.  At that time he was 47 years of age.

As WW2 was starting [or about to start] Jack saw himself back at sea onboard the Effingham where he stayed until 1st April 1940. Shortly after Jack had left the old cruiser, this happened to her:-

HMS Effingham

Grounded then destroyed to prevent capture 21 May 1940

HMS Effingham, built by Portsmouth Dockyard, launched 8/6/1921.Wrecked,18/5/1940 between Harstad and Bodo, Norway; wreck destroyed, 1/5/1940. In 1937 HMS Effingham was extensively refitted and re-armed as a light cruiser. Her 7.5-inch guns were replaced by nine 6-inch and her single 4-inch AA guns by twin mountings. Her two funnels were replaced by one, un-raked, to give her an appearance markedly similar to that of the later Leander class. HMS Effingham (Capt J.M. Howson R.N.) was grounded and wrecked near Bodo, northern Norway between Briksvaer and Terra islands on 18 May 1940. She was declared a total loss. The ships crew was taken off by HMS Cairo, HMS Coventry, HMS Echo and HMS Matabele. She was finally destroyed by gunfire to prevent her capture by the Germans on 21 May 1940.

After his first sea experience of WW2 he spent two months in Portsmouth Barracks before joining the HMS Fortitude on the 28th May 1940 in which he served for one year, leaving on the 3rd May 1941, a terrible year for naval losses!

HMS Fortitude was a shore station at Ardrossan North Ayrshire, part of the Rosyth Command (West), Clyde Sub Command. Its primary function was to look after small vessels [trawlers etc] usually manned by RNVR personnel and of course H.O., personnel. It is highly probable that whilst there he crewed Fortitude's small boats acting as rescue and 'recce units and during that time he may well have witnessed the unpleasant side of war. Here is just one small story involving Fortitude, and whilst it is not in the time frame when Jack was stationed there, it is symbolic of one of Fortitudes tasks.

Archer Class Auxiliary Carrier, HMS Dasher Destroyed by Explosion on the 27nd. of March 1943. 379 Dead

 

There was one more funeral service for William Macdonald, an Air Mechanic. He was unfortunate by being blown through a hole in the ship's side for a distance of 400 yards, he was picked out of the water by Motor Launch 528, and landed at HMS Fortitude, he languished in the Sick Bay there for 13 days, his burns too extensive to move him to the Ballochmyle Hospital. His parents travelled from the North of Scotland to maintain a vigil at his bedside, but he finally lost his battle and died. He was buried with his 12 former shipmates in Ardrossan Cemetery.

From what Jack told Peter, at one part of his WW2 service he manned Motor Launches [possibly number 528] and had the unpleasant job of dragging bodies from the sea.

Jack rejoined his Depot in Portsmouth on the 4th May 1941 and stayed there until the end of the war and his final discharge [back to the PWC] on the 13th August 1945. However, during this period 'ashore',  Peter believes that his father helped to man the many small craft [especially MFV's - Motor Fishing Vessels] operating from Portsmouth Dockyard.  These operated in the local Portsmouth/Channel sea areas often doing unpleasant work recovering bodies from the sea, and for this reason, Jack must not be considered as being a "barrack stanchion" in this period!  This was his discharge papers [for the second time].

So ends this little cameo.

Jack, and millions like him down the ages, has no claim to fame and history passes him off as of no consequence usually to be found in the pigeon hole marked "fodder".  The admiralty didn't mourn his death at the age of 69 in 1961 and as his body was laid in his grave, his name wafted away on the breeze, forgotten and not properly rewarded.  What cannot and should not be forgotten is his Service to his Country, a Service totalling 29 years, but more importantly, 10 years of total war Service for King and Country.

RIP Jack, and thanks for what you did for Great Britain