Hello

I'm totally new to understanding royal navy service records and I'm hoping someone with more experience can help get me started.

I've attached the record of my great uncle Harry, and I have some questions about it.

1. Victory 1,2,3 and 4
Were these all shore based station?
Were they all at Portsmouth?

2. Shore bases folowed by other names in brackets
About 2/3 of the way down it states St. Angelo (Duncan), then later Excellent (St. Fagan). I know that St. Angelo and Excellent were both shore bases. Does this mean his time was split between a shore base and ship (in brackets), or does the shore base followed by a bracketed name have another specific meaning?

3. In 1937 it says Harry was on "Boscawen (Bleswedd)", as far as I can make out(?). I can 't find any shore station called that or a ship called Blesswedd (or similar)

I'd really appreciate any help in understanding how these records are generally formatted and what/where some of these place are.

Also is there a good reference for future use that anyone can point me towards so that I can get the hang of this for myself?

Thanks very much for any help at all.

Neal

My father, Norman Lock (1924 - 2021) collected a Japanese ID plate during his time in the Royal British Navy, in WW2 (Between 1942 and 1946). The plate is only 6 by 4.5 centimeters, but a close-up smart phone camera photo has it coming out a large 2.80MB size. So, this photo is only about the top half due to the photo size restrictions on this site. 
A volunteer at the Australian War memorial was able to translate the plate for me.
Philip L

The data plate in your possession appears to have come from a Japanese ship. One of our volunteers is able to read older Japanese and he was able to translate it for you.
　　艦橋速力通信器
　　　　指示器
特許　第60265號　第110973號　　　
　　　第106557號　第11097號
型　[empty]　番號26668
　株式[trademark]会社
　　東京計器製作所
　　昭和14年12月
Translation:
　 Bridge speed communication device
                        Indicator
Patents: No.60265 No. 110973
               No.106557 No. 11097
Tupe: [empty]   Serial no. 26668
         Co. [trademark] LTD
    Tokyo Keiki Seisakusho [Tokyo Instrument Manufacturing]
       December, Showa 14 [1939]
 Bridge speed communication device is a literal translation, what it means is the Engine order telegraph. The company Tokyo Keiki Seisakusho still exists today as Tokyo Keiki.

More detail can be found elsewhere on this website at:
www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/BEGUM.htm

www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/SHAH.htm

and also the German language website –

www.u-boot-archiv.de/dieboote/u0198.html

From these (and with the help of Google translate…)

A U-Boat was known to be operating in the Indian Ocean, and Task Force 66, consisting of two escort carriers, the Begum and Shah, with seven frigates and two sloops, supported by shore-based RAF aircraft, carried out anti-submarine sweeps of the area around the Seychelles.
An RAF Catalina flying boat spotted a U-boat on the surface, which concentrated the search and an Avenger aircraft from the Shah again sighted the sub on 10th August before it dived.  Hunting in the vicinity continued, and two days later another Avenger caught the U-Boat on the surface and carried out an attack as it dived.  The Findhorn, along with the Indian Navy sloop Godavari was detached to the spot and Godavari gained an Asdic (sonar) contact, and the pair continued to track the submarine, keeping it down, until the full Task Force was in range.  Findhorn then carried out an attack on the contact with ‘Hedgehog’ anti-sub projectiles and heard one loud and two weaker detonations.  As the projectiles were primed to explode on contact, it was presumed that they had hit the sub, but all the force remained in the area until the following morning, when with no further asdic contacts and a large oil slick on the surface, it was assessed that the attack had been successful.
For the Hedgehog weapon, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgehog_(weapon)

I came across some information on U boat. net
12 Aug 1944
German U-boat, U-198 was sunk near the Seychelles, in position (such and such with the numbers and degrees), by depth charges from the British frigate HMS Findhorn and Indian Sloop HMIS Godavari.

And information in the National Archives.
1944
In regard to HM ships Findhorn, Shah, Begum, Taff, and HMIS Godavari destroying an enemy submarine after eight-day (1000 mile) hunt.

Is there any more information about these events.

Thank you.

Philip L

Thank you very much for your reply and all the information. Appreciate your time and knowledge!

Ship's badges were only officially approved from 1919, but before then, many ships had unofficial badges, designed by the officers & crew.  Your tompion is almost certainly one of these.  The design would seem to fit the name, so it may well be correct.  I am not aware of any comprehensive list or descriptions of these many unofficial, unapproved designs.

No badge has ever been granted officially, as there have been no sea-going ships of the name since 1914.  The name was later used by the RNR at Dundee, but they never had a Cressy badge, but used an RNR one.

I would think that it would belong to the Cressy of 1899, lost in 1914.

Greetings,
 I am trying to get some information on this Tompion purportedly from HMS Cressy.  It's been in my family for about 50 years and the information with it claimed it was from the Cressy but with no indication of which Cressy.
 I have tried diligently to find the ships badge for HMS Cressy with no luck and am hoping one of you would be kind enough to clarify or possibly point me in the right direction.
  Thanks in advance for your input. best, Art

My father, Norman Lock (1924 - 2021) was in the British Royal Navy in WW2 (1942 - 1946). He had kept some WW2 group photos. There is nothing on the back of them to say exactly where and when they were taken. But the service records of ships served on, for Norman, indicates the photos are likely to be in regard to either, HMCS Chilliwack between October 1942 and June 1943 or HMS Findhorn between July 1943 and 1946. The other photo is of Norman in East Africa.

Philip L

My father, Norman Lock (1924 - 2021), stayed with Douglas Miller (Canadian Navy) and his family (Wife and 3 small children in another photo that Norman kept) at Oromocto, Sunbury, New Brunswick, Canada during WW2. Norman, British Royal Navy (1942 - 1946) is on your right as you look at photo. Douglas Miller is on your left as you look at the photo. Norman served on HMCS Chilliwack at one stage during WW2. There is a Canadian Telegram dated 10th May 1943 from the Navy, Lieutenant CM Temple, to the care of Mrs. Hugh Miller (Mother of Douglas Miller) granting Norman a leave extension.

Philip L

A BASEGRAM to my father, Norman Lock (Radar operator) on HMS Findhorn, during WW2, from his sister, Olive Lock (Married name is Rea). Olive lived in Birmingham England during WW2.


Philip L