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General => Armed Forces => Topic started by: gig on Thursday 02 March 06 18:24 GMT (UK)
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hi all im trying to identify this sailor his picture was keptin a wallet by my late grandad according to my granma he was my grandfathers best friend during the war,dont know if before .
my grandad was in the royal marines the last places he served was madras rangoon singapore padang parang columbo then blighty on thier way home they were on different ships the ship with the sailor was sunk and he was killed this was i think towards the end of the war , does the badge on his arm give any clues
any help, thank
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I can tell you that he is a leading hand (the star tells me that) but I can't quite see enough of the rest of the badge to tell you his specialisation. However, knowing the Rotschat guys, someone will give you more info
RuthieB
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thanks ruthie whats a leading hand ;D
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Next step up from an Able Bodied Seaman (AB). Difficult to give an army rank equivalent but lance corporal probably fits best. Next step would be Petty Officer.
RuthieB
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looks like flags to me ( but i'm guessing) signaller?
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Sorry, I have to disagree with RuthieB.
The star means that he had graduated, passed his exams ect for third class in whatever branch he was in. If there was a star under the badge, then he would be second class.
So that means he could have been an Able Seaman or a Leading Hand (Killick). Without a hook on his left arm it is very difficult to say what rank he is.
I cannot see enough of the badge to have a clue what branch he was in, sorry.
Salty
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Having said that, it could be a flag, so he could have been a Signalman (Flag bunting).
Salty
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Without a hook on his left arm it is very difficult to say what rank he is.
Salty
without a hook? ;D his rank would be a pirate then?
(just kidding )
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without a hook? his rank would be a pirate then?
Okay then an Anchor ::)
In actual fact he could be anything from an Ordinary Seaman up to a Leading Hand, he looks young enough to have been an Ordinary Seaman.
Salty
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having now re-consulted my 'Manual of Seamanship, 1937, Vol1' I can belatedly amend my post and concur with Salty - a trained something or other - but can't match a badge to the photo. Probably easier to say what it isn't! Sadly, I can't work my scanner at the moment to post potential matches
RuthieB
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;D thanks everyone for looking a pirate would have been cool
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hi all im trying to identify this sailor his picture was keptin a wallet by my late grandad according to my granma he was my grandfathers best friend during the war,dont know if before .
my grandad was in the royal marines the last places he served was madras rangoon singapore padang parang columbo then blighty on thier way home they were on different ships the ship with the sailor was sunk and he was killed this was i think towards the end of the war , does the badge on his arm give any clues
any help, thank
Hi all
The photo was taken during WW2, when the ship's name was left off the cap tally and only embroded with HMS.
Looking at the badge, and being an ex-mateloe, I would say that he was either a Wireless telegraphist 3rd or 2nd Class, a Sparker, or as someone else said, a Signaller, or Bunting Tosser. They were the guys that sent morse code using lamps, of signals using flags, or Bunting.
A 'hook' is common languae for an anchor, which is the badge of a Leading Hand and is commonly known as a Hooky.
If there would be stripes, or chevrons like a Corporal in the Army, each stripe detotes 4 years good conduct, the maximum being 3. It is also said that they represent 4 years of 'undetected crime!'
Hope that helps out a bit.
Ken
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I don't know if it is of any use but I have attached a photo of my father c1943 showing his badge that identifies him as an ASDIC operator (I think) although he has Submarines on his cap I believe this was only for his training period.
(He was released to join up, from the Cheshire Constabulary in 1943 and as he was 6'4" tall Sub's were not built his size he served on in HMS Searcher [convoys] and then HMS Sulffolk [Far East] until 1946)
Best of luck
Aussie Doug
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i know i'm going off topic and my apologies to all
but that's a great photo Doug would you mind if i took out the creases?
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doug,thats a sailors uniform,not a RM,i think the gang on here have ID your dads mates rank,a signaller would operate alongside a asdic operator,mack
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Many thanks,
The pictures a treat! my father used to say that as an operator n the Searcher they would have been required to detonate an explosive device (A sea mine!!!!??) to prevent the enemy getting their hands on the ASDIC equipment, a bit extreme I think!
Thanks again, I hope my little bit of info was of help to GIG.
Aussie Doug
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Gig,
try http://www.pbenyon.plus.com.
1897Royal Naval Uniform Regulation,s.
No13 shows some ,look for other's that may match the fragment showing,if that is enlarged.
Best o'British!
Goggy. ;) ;D
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without a hook? his rank would be a pirate then?
Okay then an Anchor ::)
In actual fact he could be anything from an Ordinary Seaman up to a Leading Hand, he looks young enough to have been an Ordinary Seaman.
salty,me and chris are landlubbers so you will have to excuse us both,i also didnt know what a hook was,but i do now,regards mack
Salty
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Mack,
Sorry, been out a long, long time now, but some of the old phraseology sticks with you.
I am pretty certain now that the man we were talking about in the first instance, was a Flag Signalman, or as they were known to us seamen, Bunting Tossers, as mentioned before.
He would have been either a Third or Second class, Signalman, depending on whether he had another star below the badge.
In my day, there was always one on the bridge while at sea and they either sent signals by the use of flags or lamp (Using the Morse code). Mainly lamp by the time I came along, but signal flags at the masthead were still commonly used.
By the time I joined in the late fifties the trade badges had changed somewhat and they have changed again since I left. I was in the Radar branch myself.
A single Anchor (Hook), on the left arm denoted a Leading Hand and were known by the terms Hooky or Killick. (If you were liked that is) ;D
Crossed Anchors on the left arm, denoted a Petty Officer.
If I could remember a quarter of the things I used to know, I still wouldn't come close to knowing all the things you have at your finger tips.
Long may you and the others like you continue to help out with all the things you do.
To me you are all STARS.
Thanks again
Tom
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;D thank you all for taking the time and effort in lookin in to this
>The 2nd photo makes the the first look just a boy, such is war
i surpose and to think he had to deal with mines where there more than one signaller on each ship
once again thanks to everyone
gig ;D
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Gig,
Yes there would have been more than one signaler to a ship. Especially just in case one copped it, so to speak.
Generally speaking there would have been in the region of four, possibly even six, to be able to cover all the watches (Duties) at sea.
Salty
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My granny's cousin was a petty officer on the HMS Searcher. His name was Arthur Kavanagh. Unfortunately he died in March 1945 aged 24.
I know this is a long shot but did you, by any chance, know him?
Thanks in anticipation
Cathy Daly
Dublin, Ireland
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Hello,
My Father was sent with the first draught of enlisted men to pick up the searcher from America's west coast (Seatle I think).
I'm afraid I have no details of who my Father knew but I do have a photo of the whole crew at a function in America before the Searcher sailed.
I have attached a couple of photos that may be of interest, from the fuction.
Regards
Aussie Doug
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G'Day ALL!
Those photo's are terrific,what I wouldn't give to have some of the same of my old feller,pity of it is I know there are some from when he was a boy seaman in the 20's;but the family member that has them doesn't seem interested in sharing!
They also brought back happy(?)_memories of the war year's,young men from the Arctic convoy's,just back from Russia,calling in with messages and gift's from Dad.Not one of them would let Mam use her sugar ration for their cup o' tea!
Lord luv 'em.
Goggy. ;) ;D