Royal Navy Research Archive Forums
Photographs => Members Mystery Photos => Topic started by: ValB on 14 February 2025 09:15:50 am
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Can anyone help with any info that can be gleaned from this photo of a sailor from 1918. He has a stripe on his arm and an insignia above.
The sailor is in a group family photo and nobody has names for the people. He could be easily identified as a particular uncle if he was the only one in the navy but since many of the 10 sisters in the family married career sailors or men enlisting during WW1, I'm in a bit of a pickle to work out which one is which so if anyone can help me, it would be much appreciated.
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The 'stripe' is a Good Conduct Badge - it indicates four years service.
The 'insignia' is his rate badge - a single anchor means a Leading Hand - it is indistinct, so could be crossed anchors = Petty Officer
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Thank you yet again PhiloNauticus,
I have had a good scout around and it seems my "sailor" can only be 1 person in the family and that is Robert Edwin Neil. I thought I wasn't able to track him as easily as I did others onboard ship as O.S., but I think I've found some of his records so if you or anyone can give me any background re WW1 then that would be really interesting. Would the uniform he was pictured in at the end of the war fit with his background?
See docs attached:
I was looking for an enlistment during or just before WW1 but then I found he enlisted in 1898 and then I looked at his service and it said PTE not Ordinary Seaman or Able Seaman so then I realised he was a Royal Marine.
He seemingly completed his service and enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve in 1903 and then was transferred to Plymouth Division RMR in 1904 and was attached until 1913 which is when he took his family to America where his British born father was living.
the wife and children came back to England in 1915 but there is nothing of Robert until the second document from the Mercantile Marine Reserve medal awards re WW1 and then the photo of him outside his in-law's house in 1918 / 19.
I have no idea what the abbreviations mean on the Medal Award..... would ST stand for Star? V stand for Victory?... don't know what B is for. I don't know what W.R.Std. stands for either. Don't know what The Baron Ardrossan was doing in WW1 either (don't know a lot do I?!)
So....... I have no idea what he actually did during WW1. I have no record of him coming back to England on a passenger ship or as crew of a vessel at the start of the war so his whole war is a bit of a mystery to me....... any ideas?!
Thanks
Val
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As you say, this chap – R E Neil - was a Royal Marine who served 1898 – 1903, then was part of the Reserves until 1913.
He would not have ‘enrolled’ in the Royal Fleet Reserve – this referred to those men of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines who had served at least five years, and automatically became part of the RFR on discharge, meaning they were liable for recall in an emergency.
He did enlist in the Royal Marines Reserve 1904 – 13. For this he would have been a civilian, but would have to attend regular training sessions – this are the periods shown on his service record.
The Baron Ardrossan – was a cargo ship built for the Hogarth Shipping Co. in 1905.
[/url]https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=16147
It was employed by the Royal Navy between 1914 and 1916 as a Supply Ship; then again used as a collier from June 1917 – 1918 – it remained manned by the merchant navy, being classed as a ‘Mercantile Fleet Auxiliary’
The Medals
I would imagine that WR Std would mean Ward Room Steward
They refer to the standard range of war medals issued:
St = 1914-15 Star
V = Victory Medal
B = British War Medal
The S in the other column shows it was issued to ‘self’ – i.e. himself, not a relative
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/first-world-war-service-medals
To be entitled to those, he must have been serving in some sort of role from at least 1915.
Are you sure that the photo is of him?? The picture clearly shows someone in a Royal Navy ratings uniform, not merchant navy…..
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https://www.clydeships.co.uk/view.php?ref=16147
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Thanks PhiloNauticus,
I will clearly have to go back and have another look through all the sisters and the various servicemen they married if that uniform would not link with the records.
Robert Edwin Neil definitely married Eva and was part of the family but seemingly he is not the man in the picture so I will have to go back to the drawing board.
Thanks for all your help
Val
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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
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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/