johnpritt
07-06-2005, 04:06 PM
I recently received the Service Record of my uncle who died on active service in the Royal navy during WW2. I'm hoping someone can clarify/confirm some points about what exactly he might have been doing. He was born in 1919 and volunteered a few days after his 15th birthday in 1934.
After training in the St Vincent shore establishment, his first ship was the battlecruiser Renown, from 04/1935 to 09/1936, as a Boy, followed by the battleship Resolution, from 02/1936 to 04/1937, where he became an Ordinary Seaman. Both these ships were attached to the Home Fleet, though from what I can gather, Renown was in the Mediterranean during part of his time. Am I right in thinking that during these years, these ships were used as training vessels and that this period would have been used to complete his training?
From 06/1937 to 09/1938 he was on the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex, where he was made into an Able Seaman / Seaman Gunner. Sussex was in the Mediterranean at the time. My question is this: what exactly did a seaman gunner do? Would he have been in one of the turrets, or would he have been outside on one of the smaller guns?
From 03/1939 to 08/1940 he was on the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall, where he was promoted (I think) to Quarter Rating 3rd class. Am I right in thinking that a QR was one of the gun crew charged with loading the guns? And if so, would this have been out on deck or in the turdied on active service in the Royal navy during WW2. I'm hoping someone can clarify/confirm some points about what exactly he might have been doing. He was born in 1919 and volunteered a few days after his 15th birthday in 1934.
His last ship was the escort destroyer HMS Exmoor from 10/1940 to 02/1941, where he was promoted to Leading Seaman / Quarter Rating 2nd class. Same question, what would this have involved?
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
John
After training in the St Vincent shore establishment, his first ship was the battlecruiser Renown, from 04/1935 to 09/1936, as a Boy, followed by the battleship Resolution, from 02/1936 to 04/1937, where he became an Ordinary Seaman. Both these ships were attached to the Home Fleet, though from what I can gather, Renown was in the Mediterranean during part of his time. Am I right in thinking that during these years, these ships were used as training vessels and that this period would have been used to complete his training?
From 06/1937 to 09/1938 he was on the heavy cruiser HMS Sussex, where he was made into an Able Seaman / Seaman Gunner. Sussex was in the Mediterranean at the time. My question is this: what exactly did a seaman gunner do? Would he have been in one of the turrets, or would he have been outside on one of the smaller guns?
From 03/1939 to 08/1940 he was on the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall, where he was promoted (I think) to Quarter Rating 3rd class. Am I right in thinking that a QR was one of the gun crew charged with loading the guns? And if so, would this have been out on deck or in the turdied on active service in the Royal navy during WW2. I'm hoping someone can clarify/confirm some points about what exactly he might have been doing. He was born in 1919 and volunteered a few days after his 15th birthday in 1934.
His last ship was the escort destroyer HMS Exmoor from 10/1940 to 02/1941, where he was promoted to Leading Seaman / Quarter Rating 2nd class. Same question, what would this have involved?
Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
John