My husband's grandfather was in the RN from 5th March 1900 to February 1908, although he had signed up for 12 years. He bought himself out. I have found his record at the National Archive and would like to know how to find out where his ships went and how to obtain the crew lists. His widow always maintained that he was a RN  Writer but the only record that fits is for a stoker. I'm not surprised! The family do tend to exaggerate, I could be wrong and have misread his service record.
His ships were the following:
HMS Pembroke (I know this is a shorebound posting) 5th March 1900 and again 18th July 1900 to 14th Jan 1901 I do not know what happened between March & July 1900 I presume he was still shorebound
HMS Diana 15th January 1901 to 12th May 1904
HMS Pembroke 13th May 1904 to 13th February 1905
HMS Vindictive 14th February 1905 then 14th July 1905 then 25th August 1905 to 20th November 1905 the dates seem top be broken up because he became a leading stoker for a short period
HMS Encounter 21st November 1905 then 1st July 1906 to 31st December 1907
HMS Dido 1st January 1908 to 18th February 1908
Then Shore Purchase He married in Gloucester UK November 1908
His name was Charles William Edwards Born 1882 Manchester
Service card number is 294889 is that his service number?
Is that card the sum total of his service record?

dollyann:

The ships:

PEMBROKE - shore barracks at Chatham; presumably for training

DIANA - 2nd class cruiser
Built by Fairfield, Govan, launched 5 Dec. 1895
5,600 tons   373ft x 53ft
armed 5 x 6in, 6 x 4.7in
Between 1901 and 1904 she served in the Mediterranean, based at Malta, sailing from Chatham in January 1901 and returning April 1904.  

VINDICTIVE - 2nd class cruiser
Built at Chatham Dockyard, launched 9 Dec. 1897
5,750 tons   342ft x 54ft  
Armed: 10 x 6in
In 1905 she was in the reserve Fleet at Chatham

ENCOUNTER - 2nd class cruiser
Built by Devonport Dockyard launched 18 June 1902
5,880 tons  372ft x 56ft
armed: 11 x 6in
In 1905-07 she was serving on the Australian station.

DIDO - 2nd class cruiser
Built by London & Glasgow, launched 20 Mar. 1896
5,600 tons  373ft x 53ft
armed: 5 x 6in, 6 x 4.7in
In late 1907 she was sent to the Far East to bring home the old crew of the Encounter; she arrived back at Chatham 7 February 1908

The number - 294889 - will be his service number; it confirms that he was a Stoker, as the block 276001-31300 were all reserved for stokers.  

for photos of Diana & Dido, see:
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/eclipse_class.htm

and for Encounter (you will have to scroll down a bit), see:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hermes_class1.htm

Thank you so much PhiloNauticus

I was so glad to see Australia because family lore has it that he went there at some point. He was looking for his brother, he probably became disallusioned when he didn't find him and left the Navy. I have just got to work out how he got to Gloucester to meet his future wife and I will have unravelled another part of the mystery that surrounds this man.

Hi regarding you families understanding that you husband's grandfather was a RN Writer but the record shows he was rated as a stoker.

If you are convinced you have the correct service record it is possible he during one or more of his drafts he was employed by the ships Engineering Officer as a Engineering Department writer although rated as a stoker!

Writer ratings were not employed in these non-writer billets and departmental officers would employ their staff out of necessity.
This was quite a common occurance, not only within the Engineering Department, and when one considers the variety and quantity of paperwork, forms, reports, etc. that would have to be routinely dealt with, even in the early part of the 20th Century it is hardly surprising that help would be required.

Regards

stontamar  

--Last edited by stontamar on 2008-03-19 13:32:26 --