I have got this Error message (HTTP Error 500) a number of times over the past 6 months when trying to post information on the Forum with another message saying something similar to the Navy Forum is unable to take your information at this time. I was thinking it was because I had an old computer, but it is the same with a New one I now have. A google search suggests that the problem is not at my end, but it is at the receiving web site.

If this is posted I suspect that it is because there are no photos involved with this post.

Thankyou

Philip L

Researching some Family History and come across an interesting character, interesting for all the wrong reasons.
Initially he joined the RN at Portsmouth as a Domestic in 1899. The Service Record shows the period of service as 11 July 99 to 23 Aug 99 and reason for Discharge as Shore.
My question is, did he buy himself out?
Following his discharge he joined the Scots Guards, not mentioning on his attestation his RN service. He deserted the Guards imprisoned as a civilian for forgery, rearrested on release by the Guards and deserted once again. Rejoined the RN using an alias in 1906 at Portsmouth as Stoker 1st class Engineer Writer, sentenced to 4 years imprisonment in 1910 for forging numerous travel warrants.
In December 1914 he reappears in RNVR in Bristol as Leading Seaman and  makes CPO in 1915. He is convicted and sentenced to 3hears imprisonment in 1916 but dies at HMP Parkhurst in 1917.
Is it possible that his final Service Record can be deciphered?

The bases / ships are:

COLLINGWOOD      training establishment  Portsmouth
VICTORY         naval barracks, Portsmouth
ASSEGAI         training establishment, Durban [SA]
LANKA         naval base, Colombo
GARUDA         aircraft repair yard, Coimbatore
BHERUNDA      air station,  Colombo
MAYINA         holding/transit camp,   Colombo
VICTORY
LEANDER         cruiser

Hi wondering if anyone can help cannot read some of the ships/bases

Thanks Tony

Thank you. Yes I have read the O'Byrne entry.

HERMES             1 Dec 1812      Masters Mate      8 April 1814
WARSPITE           9 April 1814          -   ditto -      17 August 1814
CONFIANCE    18 August 1814   Able Seaman      24 August 1814
    “   “            25 August      Masters Mate      9 Sep 1815
Prisoner of war – August 1815

RAMILLIES   6 Sept 1825      Lieutenant      12 Dec 1826
Thence onto Half Pay

He was not a prisoner in France, but rather, the USA and in September, not  August   The Confiance was serving on the Great Lakes in Canada and was in the hard fought battle on Lake Champlain, and captured, – see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Confiance_(1814)

I presume that you are aware of his entry in O’Byrne ? 

I'm trying to decipher the attached service record with some difficulty. Can anyone read it for me? And how do I go about finding out when he was taken prisoner etc.?

Thank you for that. I thought there might have been more than one gunner named Robert Simmons so wanted to be sure.

Robert Simmons was indeed the author -  if you want to see it,  it is available on line - see the link

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433006791598&seq=7

I am researching the Simmons family for a relative. There are two men by the name of Robert Simmons who were both in the Royal Navy. In a previous post, PhiloNauticus outlined the career of one of them for me. Now I am looking at his father, also Robert Simmons, who was a gunner. I have a service record of the ships he sailed on. In his death notice in the Sherborne Mercury 16 November 1829, it stated that he was "the author of a very useful book on Naval Gunnery". I was just wondering if this could be "The Sea-gunner's Vade Mecum" published in 1812?