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Author Topic: Help with dad's service record.  (Read 11324 times)

Yettoner

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Help with dad's service record.
« on: 25 February 2018 01:04:30 pm »

My dad served on HMS Icarus in WW2 and when he died 10 years ago we found his service records, postings, gunnery reports and injury report, which we put away somewhere safe and then forgot.

On hearing about the Arctic Star we looked for them without success, my wife recently found them while having a sort out and a request is now in the post.

Dad opened up in his later years about his experiences so we know quite a bit about his war, research on the internet filled in some of the questions about his postings, HMS Excellent being Whale Island where he told us he did his gunnery training and HMS Ferret being in Londonderry, he was in hospital there after being hit in the face with a shell being carried by a colleague in rough seas.

There are two entries on the postings which are baffling us though and the reason for this post, I hope that someone here with more knowledge of such things will be able to decipher the  handwriting and explain what they mean.

I have attached a copy of the relevant page in the hope someone can help.

The first is the entry from 01 April 1941 to 30 June 1941, the second is 01 July 1941 to 09 October 1941, I've searched for shore establishments without success and as far as I know dad only ever served on HMS Icarus.

Many thanks in advance.
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PhiloNauticus

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #1 on: 26 February 2018 08:53:39 am »

Icarus was an ‘I’ class destroyer and had a very full war. See:

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-29I-Icarus.htm

The names are those of the “parent establishment” – small ships (including destroyers) had their admin work / pay etc administered either by a depot ship or shore establishment, which was known as the “parent”. The names in front of (Icarus) are these parents - he would not have actually served on them, but may have visited on the odd occasion, to sort out any admin, pay issues etc.

The names you could not decipher were Beaver-II and Tyne

Victory = the naval barracks at Portsmouth
Beaver – II = naval base at Immingham
Tyne = destroyer depot ship
Ferret = base at Londonderry


Tyne:
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205139725
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Yettoner

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #2 on: 26 February 2018 02:25:11 pm »

Many, many thanks, we had twigged that it was Tyne but didn't connect it to a ship, Beaver is obvious when someone points it out.

 I do have to Icarus page history printed out, it was one of the first things I did when I went online many years ago.

I also found among his papers a diary he kept when on Operations Harpoon and Pedestal, my wife has transcribed them and they make interesting reading as they are from the viewpoint of one off the smaller ships involved.

They are a bit long and I wondered about posting them here, I would value your thoughts on this as I don't want to upset the moderators as I'm a new poster.

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James_harvey

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #3 on: 30 March 2018 05:33:26 pm »

I would apply for his arctic star

YOU will need the form on the mod medal claim site.

I would also apply for his Malta GC 50th anniversary medal

Regards

James
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Yettoner

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #4 on: 15 May 2018 11:56:21 am »

I would apply for his arctic star

YOU will need the form on the mod medal claim site.

I would also apply for his Malta GC 50th anniversary medal

Regards

James

I did apply and have since received the Arctic Star, as regards the Malta medal do you apply to the MOD or is it a Maltese award?
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PhiloNauticus

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #5 on: 16 May 2018 07:41:09 pm »


I think the timeframe to apply to the Maltese Government for the medal has long passed.  I understand that applicants will now be directed to Award Productions in Shrewsbury - it might be worth contacted them, see:

https://www.awardmedals.com/about-us/

For the medal mentioned:

https://www.awardmedals.com/malta-george-cross-medal
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James_harvey

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #6 on: 16 May 2018 11:07:49 pm »

I would also get them mounted below is a photo of my gt uncles group with his arctic star

Regards

James
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Yettoner

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #7 on: 17 May 2018 01:04:01 pm »

Thanks for your answers, if dad was still alive I would have gladly paid £45 for the medal as he was so proud of his service, but it's a bit expensive just for me and I do have all his others, as well as my granddad's WW1 medals.

I am compiling a PDF of his service and experiences plus photo's of his medals and some of him while serving, I will then pass them on to his grand and great grandchildren some of who never knew him.

Thanks yet again for your help.
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James_harvey

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Re: Help with dad's service record.
« Reply #8 on: 17 May 2018 07:42:22 pm »

You can get it cheaper on eBay

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