Royal Navy Research Archive Forums

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Advanced Search  
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?  (Read 19126 times)

Boomerang

  • New Recruit
  • *
  • Reputation: 0
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5
HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« on: 02 October 2017 06:28:39 am »

Hello all,

I just acquired by Great Grandfathers service record. I interpret this as telling me was in the Royal Navy for 22 years : 1905-1927.
The record shows him serving on many ship or bases over this time and progressing from BS2L (?) to CPO.
During WW1, it says he was posted to HMS Dido. I understand it was a 'depot ship'. During this time he was a Leading Seaman and then a "PO" (I assume Petty Officer) - after the "PO" is has in brackets (n.s) - would this be 'non-substansive' ?

There's a number of other notes on the record that I will be trying to interpret later. Including a stamp with handwriting spaces in it :
"PAID WAR GRATUITY"
"HMS Dido LLIST 89"
"Rattlesnake"

I am tryiing to gain an appreciation for what type of work he may have been involved in during this period.

thanks in advance,

Stuart
Logged

PhiloNauticus

  • Warrant Officer
  • *****
  • Reputation: 9
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 270
  • Valued Member
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #1 on: 02 October 2017 08:50:31 am »

War Gratuity was an extra payment for those who had served for more than 6 months in uniform

The 'List' number just refers to a pay list

Rattlesnake was a destroyer:

http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/H.M.S._Rattlesnake_(1910)

PO - Petty Officer

CPO - Chief Petty Officer

ns - non-substantive

BS2 = Boy Seaman, second class

If you post up his ships/rates etc or could attach a copy of the record, it can be de-ciphered
Logged

Boomerang

  • New Recruit
  • *
  • Reputation: 0
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #2 on: 02 October 2017 10:34:28 am »

Hello PhiloNauticus,

thank you for the information. I read up on the Boy seaman Class 1 and Class 2 which he started with, and I have started to try and navigate my way around the different ships and the bases. I sincerely appreciate your help and any direction on resources that are around. I have the intent to create a more deeper history 'story' to share based on the record and the names of the ships/places and dates.

I have attached his record.

Regards,

Stuart
Logged

PhiloNauticus

  • Warrant Officer
  • *****
  • Reputation: 9
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 270
  • Valued Member
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #3 on: 02 October 2017 04:15:58 pm »

He was evidently a Gunner - GL.III = gunlayer 3rd class

 He seems to have moved around a lot! As far as I can see from his record:

PEMBROKE – I         21 Nov 1904 – 11 Jan 1905
BOSCAWEN III         12 Jan 05   4 May 05
HAWKE            5 May 05   10 Sep 05
VICTORY I          11 Sep 05   1 Jan 06
KING ALFRED         2 Jan 06   14 Mar 07
ALACRITY         15 Mar 07   1 May 07
KING ALFRED         2 May 07   10 May 07
ALACRITY         11 May 07   27 Sep 08
CRESCENT         28 Sep 08   11 Dec 08
VICTORY I         12 Dec 08   13 Feb 09
EXCELLENT         14 Feb 09   22 Oct 09
BLAKE            23 Oct 09   28 Feb 11
ST GEORGE         1 Mar 11   24 Apr 11
EXCELLENT         25 Apr 11   13 May 11
VERNON         14 May 11   28 Mar 12
HECLA            29 Mar 12   30 Apr 12
TOPAZE II         1 May 12   31 Jun 12
MINERVA II         1 Aug 12   28 Aug 13
DIDO            29 Aug 13   19 Aug 18
VERNON         20 Aug 18   4 Jan 19
VICTORY X  (for RATTLESNAKE)   5 Jan 19   31 Mar 19
DIDO (for RATTLESNAKE)   1 Apr 19   31 Aug 19
DIDO (for OPHELIA)      1 Sep 19   16 Oct 19
VICTORY I         17 Oct 19   3 Feb 20
VERNON         4 Feb 20   17 Aug 20
COLUMBINE (for SPENSER)   18 Aug 20   14 Sep 24
VICTORY I         15 Sep 24   17 Oct 24

PEMBROKE                     dates not reproduced
BOSCAWEN III
HAWKE
VIVID
DONEGAL
MONMOUTH
AMPHITRITE
VIVID
DEFIANCE
VIVID
DEFIANCE
VIVID II
…joined…?
CAESAR
DEFIANCE
ROYAL ARTHUR
VIVID I
DEFIANCE
VERNON


... I will post a bit of info / links on each if I can
Logged

PhiloNauticus

  • Warrant Officer
  • *****
  • Reputation: 9
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 270
  • Valued Member
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #4 on: 02 October 2017 04:57:25 pm »


PEMBROKE – RN barracks at Chatham
BOSCAWEN III – Boys training ship at Harwich: an old battleship of 1865 she was renamed GANGES in 1906
http://www.harwichanddovercourt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/boscawen-iii.jpg

HAWKE – cruiser, serving as a training ship
See:  https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=3555

VICTORY – RN Barracks, Portsmouth
KING ALFRED – armoured cruiser; she was on the China Station 1906-07
ALACRITY – despatch vessel on the China Station
   http://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/shipinfo.php?ShipID=1771

CRESCENT – cruiser; serving with Home Fleet at Portsmouth 1909
 https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=1249

EXCELLENT – gunnery training school, Portsmouth

BLAKE - cruiser, converted to a Destroyer Depot Ship:
https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_blake.htm

ST GEORGE – cruiser; converted to Destroyer Depot Ship
 See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_St_George_(1892)
https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=1249

HECLA – destroyer depot ship:
 http://www.worldnavalships.com/depot_ships.htm#WW1 Destroyer Depot Ships

TOPAZE cruiser, used as a depot ship
 https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=4496

MINERVA cruiser; used as a depot ship
https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=1442

DIDO – cruiser, used as a depot ship
http://www.worldnavalships.com/directory/shipinfo.php?ShipID=771
RATTLESNAKE destroyer
https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/ship.php?ShipID=352

OPHELIA destroyer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ophelia_(1915)

SPENSER – destroyer
 https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/shakespeare_class1.htm
Logged

Boomerang

  • New Recruit
  • *
  • Reputation: 0
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #5 on: 04 October 2017 12:52:01 pm »

Thanks again for the wealth of information !

I am trying to locate a photo I have of my G-Grandfather - in his uniform. I may only have a hardcopy that is not with me in my current location. I recall it having a crossed cannons insignia, and a ships wheel insignia.

Is there a source of the ships logs ? So that I can see where the ships he served on, went and what they did ?

Regards,

Stuart
Logged

PhiloNauticus

  • Warrant Officer
  • *****
  • Reputation: 9
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 270
  • Valued Member
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #6 on: 04 October 2017 02:03:45 pm »


Ships Logs are held by the National Archives at Kew. 

You can search here:

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/advanced-search

If you insert the name of the ship in as 'Exact word'    -  insert  ADM 53 in 'any of the references' 

....warning: there are a lot of them...
Logged

Boomerang

  • New Recruit
  • *
  • Reputation: 0
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5
Re: HMS Dido (1896) - any background during WW1 ?
« Reply #7 on: 08 October 2017 09:17:19 am »

oh yes - that is a lot of records. Unfortunately none are digitised.
I will look at the options and see if there is away to at least get one or two that are highly relevant.

Thanks again for the guidnece.

Regards

Stuart
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up