There exists a photo of a MkV* WWI tank at the East Fortune station. 
Records do not show where this tank was used or when this tank was posted to East Fortune. In fact, RNAS had asked for the MkIV tank at Pulham to be replaced by a MkV but this had been refused.
Unlike the tank at Pulham, this one did not have a gantry.
Any ideas on its deployment and use?

I'm building a model of the MkIV tank at Pulham used to pull the R23 airship.  The tank had a gantry added above its roof and am having to do some fancy trig to turn 2-D prints into 3-D measurements!
The tank would have been issued to the RNAS in a khaki/brown colour, but with the gantry being added, I'm sure the colour would have been changed to naval stndards.
Possibly a light grey as some of the Naval Brigade's armoured cars were painted??
Thank you.

The numbers are confusing - on joining he would have been issued with a Service Number, and this would not normally be changed - JX indicated Seaman branch on post-1925 pay scales, whilst MX was for other, or Miscellaneous branches, including Engineers

It was normal practice, if being drafted to a foreign base that he would have remained 'on the books' of his previous base until he arrived. This was to ensure continuity of pay etc., as he would not have been counted as part of the ship's company of the ship he was taking passage in.

re: the Ships - are there other names in brackets on his record?

Hello. Just joined this forum as I have come across my father's RN service record. His name was Eric Blunt and there are 3 numbers on his certificate, JX247510, MX88406, and MX75992. He served from December 1941 to April 1946 as an engineer.
I looked up all the ships in his record and was surprised to see that there was only one that was and actual floating ship, HMS Tyne, the rest were shore bases. He served in West Africa (Freetown) and in the Far East. There appears to be no record of how he got there, I am guessing when they were being transported to a new posting the ship was not counted. He has HMS Drake immediately before Freetown and before Sydney.

Was this a common assurance for engineers? He rarely spoke about his time in the Navy apart from odd tales about conditions in Sierra Leone. This is the list. I am just interested in anything that would paint a picture of these years. Thanks

30/12/1940   19/03/1941   HMS Ganges
20/03/1941   04/04/1941   HMS Drake
05/04/1941   21/07/1941   HMS Collingwood II ?
22/07/1941   25/07/1941   HMS Victory V
26/07/1941   24/10/1941   HMS Drake
25/10/1941   25/11/1941   HMS Eaglet
26/11/1941   05/07/1942   HMS Eaglet
06/07/1942   27/08/1942   HMS Drake
28/08/1942   25/11/1942   HMS Eland
26/11/1942   01/15/1944   HMS Eland
02/05/1944   01/08/1945   HMS Drake
02/08/1945   03/10/1945   HMS Golden Hind
04/10/1945   07/11/1945   HMS Tyne
08/11/1945   25/11/1945   HMS Golden Hind
26/11/1945   07/12/1945   HMS Golden Hind
08/12/1945   02/04/1946   HMS Drake

There is a tiny possibility that it is off HMS Beagle, captained by Robert Fitzroy and partly funded by the 4th Duke of Grafton and the Dexter position shows they are in charge. Same goes for a schooner  called HMS Unicorn by Robert Fitzroy, who changed the name to Adventure ( not the same one in Scotland). It is most probably from the first HMS Fitzroy though, put on the bridge perhaps and the reason why it wasn’t official is because of the error. On a HMS ship, the only Dexter position will be a lion, representing the crown?

I would agree, this is likely to be the unofficial, pre-1923 badge.  Quite why they had the hound facing the wrong way I wouldn't know...

I have an old, diamond shaped ship’s badge with no name plate or crown, so I’m assuming it’s unofficial. In the middle there is a silver coloured greyhound’s head, with a white and blue checked collar on a black background. The diamond rope border is gold coloured and the whole thing is well moulded and painted, in what is probably naval brass. The greyhound is from the Duke of Grafton’s arms, where there it is a supporter in a sinister position, on my piece the greyhound is in the Dexter position. On the back is stamped FITZROY.
     I know that the first HMS Fitzroy, launched in 1917 had a similar badge approved in September 1923, after its refurbishment in July 1923. The greyhound on the approved badge has a crown and name plate but the greyhound is in the sinister position. So is my badge 4.5 x 4.5 inches and could be an unofficial badge prior to refurbishment .
     Any help ? Thank you

I found an Article in the Advertiser, Tuesday, 20, April 1943 about Hospital ship Newfoundland and the exchange of British and Italian prisoners.

APA citation
Exchange Of British And Italian Prisoners (1943, April 20). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48909463

I came across another Article in the Advertiser, with horrible news, Tuesday, 19, October 1943. German Attack on Hospital ship, Newfoundland.

 APA citation
German Attack On Hospital Ship (1943, October 19). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48771246

There is another, more detailed, Article in the Advocate, Hospital ship set on fire, Tuesday, 19, October 1943.
Some extracts from the Article, are below.

German planes dive-bombed and set fire to the hospital ship Newfoundland, off Salerno. There were no wounded aboard, but six Nurses and also all the doctors and a number of the ship's officers were killed.

An able seaman aged 22 paid a tribute to British and American nurses who tended men wounded in the attack, while German fighters were machine-gunning the decks.

The crew and medical corps men thought first, of the nurses, but the nurses could not be convinced that they should get out of the danger zone. However, the survivors escaped without
injury."


APA citation
HOSPITAL SHIP SET ON FIRE (1943, October 19). Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954), p. 1. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68828199

According to Wikipedia in HMHS Newfoundland Article.
The six Nurses who were killed were Matron Agnes McInnes Cheyne, QAIMNS, 206099, Sister Una Cameron, TANS, 209965 aged 31, Sister Dorothy Mary Cole, QAIMNS, 218052 aged 29, Sister Phyllis Gibson, QAIMNS, 223596 aged 31, Sister Mary Lea, TANS, 213741, aged 31, and Sister Margaret Annie O’Loughlin, QAIMNS, 234988, aged 27.

Philip L

In 1921 he was listed as a Regulating Petty Officer (whatever that is)

The Regulating Branch were Royal Navy Police...

see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Navy_Police

https://rba93.com/our-heritage/branch-history-policing/

Yet again PhiloNauticus has saved me from going up a genealogical creek without a paddle!

I was so intent on thinking the woman clutching the sailor's arm was his wife, I didn't stop to think that the sailor was actually her brother! Still don't know which of 2 sisters is hanging on his arm but now I am sure the sailor was the only brother William May. He was a Petty Officer in 1917. In 1921 he was listed as a Regulating Petty Officer (whatever that is). In total he served from 1911 - 1941!

7 of his sisters married sailors / marines, 2 married soldiers..... it's all been a bit of a jaunt to find out who is who!

Thanks

Val