John Edward James Brown

[lauraathawes]

Hi,

I have found a Navy Record for an ancestor of mine but I have no idea what it says, I was wondering if someone would be able have a look at it for me and decipher it for me. I really just want to know what ship he was on, what positions and where he was. Are there any battles he was in and when he left etc..

Name was John Edward James Brown, used also Stockley as his surname. Born 1885 in Tangley, Hampshire. I found the record on the National Archives website. The link is below

https://imgur.com/pzFU6O3

Many thanks in advance

[emmteeyess]

He was on a number of ships - listed down the left, with dates under Period of Service - spome more than once -
St.Vincent - Agincourt - Revenge - H(something) - Vernon - Victory I - Hecla - Sapphire II - Blenheim - Vernon - Hecla - Vernon - Revenge - Albamarle - Vernon - Victory I - Magpie - victory I - Carlisle
I'll need to check but I think some of these may have been training establishments or shore posts.
He was paid a War Gratuity for HMS Carlisle - also passed his swimming test!
If you can google these ships you may find which battles the ship was at and so be reasonably sure he was there too
Cheers, MTS
ps a document like that is gold dust for service history!

[emmteeyess]

You could work your way thru this page - https://www.naval-history.net/WW1Nav...s-Dittmar1.htm - eg Hecla is on there -

HECLA (ex-BRITISH CROWN), sea-going depot ship, earlier mercantile conversion, 7A (1914), C7(1.18). Purchased on stocks 1878, launched 7.3.78 Harland & Wolff. 5600 tons, 391(pp)x39x21ft. TE 2400ihp, 13kts. Armament. 4-12pdr (2-4in added in 10.16). Destroyer depot ship for 4th DF, Scapa 1914-16 and 2nd DF, Belfast 1917-18. Sold 13.7.26 Ward, Preston.

and others

[emmteeyess]

You can see in the 'Character' column he was always VG = very good
Towards the end on the Vernon 9/11/1924 - he was on Shore - Pensioned.
I'm not sure of all his ranks but he joined as 'Boy', then 'AB' = Able bodied, then 'PO 2nd class', and 'CPO' (not sure what that is)
And note at the top his physical description - age, height, hair, Eyes and Complexion with a 'birthmark on his back'

As I said - absolute gold mine forinformation. - this is one of the most detailed service records I've seen

[emmteeyess]

I'm not sure of all his ranks but he joined as 'Boy', then 'AB' = Able bodied, then 'PO 2nd class', and 'CPO' (not sure what that is)

(Of course) - CPO = Chief Petty Officer

He was Act (acting) CPO to start with on the Magpie and Victory, then full CPO on Victory till the end of his service

Also noticed he went from PO 2class to PO 1Class on returning to the Hecla

[simmo1]

Hi

The ship after Revenge was this - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Hannibal_(1896)
regards

Robert

[lauraathawes]

Many thanks for helping me read this and hopefully pointed me in the right direction for looking at the ships John Edward James served on.

I see that I have quiet a bit of reading and research to do on ships!!!

There has never been a point in the last 10 years of researching my family where I am not learning something new or historical!

[lauraathawes]

Many thanks for this link. I think that HMS Hannibal will be the first ship that I look at and go from there