Royal Navy Research Archive Forums
Personnel => Service Records/Medals and Awards => Topic started by: peterb59 on 26 February 2025 12:29:10 pm
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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
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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?